viveka-chudamani-chinmayapdf_compress.pdf

TEXT
11.1

|| ÌuÉuÉåMücÉÔQûÉqÉÍhÉÈ ||
VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
VOLUME 1 of 4

The Crest Jewel of
Discrimination
PART 1: The PURPOSE of Human Life
PART 2: SRAVANA – The Guru’s Teaching

“THE SANDEEPANY EXPERIENCE”

Reflections by
SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA

Sandeepany’s Vedanta Course
List of All the Course Texts in Chronological Sequence:

Text
No.
TITLE OF TEXT
Text
No.
TITLE OF TEXT
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
11.1 Viveka Choodamani – Vol 1 of 4 34 Aitareya Upanishad
12 Jnana Sara 35 Narada Bhakti Sutras
13 Drig-Drishya Viveka 36 Taittiriya Upanishad
14 “Tat Twam Asi” – Chand Up 6 37 Jivan Sutrani (Tips for Happy Living)
15 Dhyana Swaroopam 38 Kena Upanishad
16 “Bhoomaiva Sukham” Chand Up 7 39 Aparoksha Anubhuti (Meditation)
17 Manah Shodhanam 40 108 Names of Pujya Gurudev
18 “Nataka Deepa” – Panchadasi 10 41 Mandukya Upanishad
19 Isavasya Upanishad 42 Dakshinamurty Ashtakam
20 Katha Upanishad 43 Shad Darshanaah
21 “Sara Sangrah” – Yoga Vasishtha 44 Brahma Sootras
22 Vedanta Sara 45 Jivanmuktananda Lahari
23 Mahabharata + Geeta Dhyanam 46 Chinmaya Pledge

AUTHOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO 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.

– Swami Gurubhaktananda, 30
th
June 2018, the Auspicious Birthday of Guruji

Om Namah Shivaaya!

|| ÌuÉuÉåMücÉÔQûÉqÉÍhÉÈ ||
VIVEKA CHOODAMANI – Vol. 1
“Crest-Jewel of Discrimination”
Composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji

Volume 1 of 4: (Verses 1-146 of 581)

PART 1: The PURPOSE of Human Life
PART 2: SRAVANAM – The Guru’s Teaching

Reflections by
SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA

on the 109 Lectures by Swami Advayanandaji & Swami Nikhilanandaji
at the 15
th
Vedanta Course, Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai
from January 28
th
to July 3
rd
, 2012

Adi Shankaracharya Swami Sivananda Swami Tapovanji Swami Chinmayananda
SERVE  LOVE  GIVE  PURIFY  MEDITATE  REALISE
Text
11.1

Copyright & Author’s Details

Author: Swami Gurubhaktananda, born 1954 as Bipin R. Kapitan, in Durban, South Africa.
Residence: Sivanandashram, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
Email: [email protected]

© 2018 All Rights Reserved. Copyright held by Swami Gurubhaktananda.

About This Edition:
Web Edition: 30
th
June 2018, the Auspicious Birthday of Guruji
Website: www.chinfo.org hosted by Chinmaya International
Foundation, Kerala, India:
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 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
the 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.

*****

VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
CONTENTS OF THE WHOLE BOOK

VOLUME 1:

PART 1: The PURPOSE of Human Life (Verses 01 – 66, 66 no.) 001

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
1.1 Invocation & Overview 1 – 2 2 1
1.2 Preciousness of Human Birth 3 – 5 3 4
1.3 The Essential Means to Liberation 6 – 16 11 6
1.4 Qualifications of Disciple & Guru 17 – 32a 15 12
1.5 Approaching One’s Guru 32b – 40 9 21
1.6 Loving Advice of the Guru 41 – 47 7 28
1.7 The Disciple’s Questions 48 – 55 8 33
1.8 Freedom from Bondage? 56 – 61 6 38
1.9 Direct Experience of Self 62 – 66 5 42

PART 2: SRAVANA – The Guru’s Teaching (Verses 67 – 146, 80 no.) 045

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
2.1 Introduction to Sravana 67 – 71 5 45
2.2 The Gross Body 72 – 91 20 49

2.2.1 Formation of the Body 72 – 75 4 49

2.2.2 How Man is Bound to the Body 76 – 82 7 52

2.2.3 Fascination for Body 83 – 86 4 56

2.2.4 Overcoming the Fascination 87 – 91 5 57

2.3 The Subtle Body 92 – 105 14 61

2.3.1 The Components of the Subtle Body 92 – 96 5 61

2.3.2 The Functions of the Subtle Body 97 – 105 9 64

2.4 The Causal Body 106 – 121 16 69

2.4.1 The Power of Maya 108 - 110 3 70

2.4.2 The Gunas – Sattwa, Rajas & Tamas 111 - 119 9 73

2.4.3 The “Unmanifest” 120 – 121 2 79

2.5 Anatma – the “Not-Self” 122 – 123 2 81
2.6 Atman – the Self 124 – 136 13 82
2.7 What is Bondage? 137 – 146 10 90

.

VOLUME 2:

PART 3: MANANA – Reflection on the Teaching (Verses 147 – 224, 78 no.) 099

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
3.1 Discriminating Self from Not-Self 147 – 153 7 99
3.2 The Annamaya Kosha 154 – 164 11 105
3.3 The Pranamaya Kosha 165 – 166 2 111
3.4 The Manomaya Kosha 167 – 183 17 113

3.4.1 What is MIND? 167 – 171 5 113

3.4.2 Bondage & Liberation 172 – 176 5 117

3.4.3 “It’s All in the MIND” 177 – 183 7 120
3.5 The Vijnanamaya Kosha 184 – 206 23 125

3.5.1 The Intellect Sheath 184 – 191 8 125

Discussion on Vijnanamaya Kosha:

3.5.2 Jiva’s Confusion with Self 192 – 206 15 132

3.6 The Anandamaya Kosha 207 – 224 18 144

3.6.1 The Bliss Sheath 207 – 211 5 145

Discussion on Anandamaya Kosha:

3.6.2 The Self & “Nothingness” 212 – 224 13 148

PART 4: NIDIDHYASANA 1 – Theoretical Aspects (Verses 225 – 266, 42 no.) 159

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
4.1 The Vision of Oneness 225 – 236 12 159
4.2 The Nature of Brahman 237 – 240 4 169
4.3 Explanation of “Tat Twam Asi” 241 – 249 9 172
4.4 Balancing “This” with “That” 250 – 253 4 178
4.5 Aids to Meditation – “Brahma Tat-Twam-Asi” Verses 254 – 266 13 182
.

*****

VOLUME 3:

PART 5: NIDIDHYASANA 2 – Practical Aspects (Verses 267 – 341, 75 no.) 189

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
5.0 Introduction to Savikalpa Samadhi -

189
5.1 Scrubbing Out the Vasanas 267 – 276 10 191

5.1.1 “I-Thought” & “I am Brahman” Thoughts 267 – 269 3 191

5.1.2 The Three Doorways for Disturbance 270 – 272 3 193

5.1.3 The Stench of Vasanas 273– 276 4 194
5.2 Negating the Superimpositions 277 – 285 9 197
5.3 Upasanas – Meditational Exercises 286 – 292 7 202
5.4 Who is the Ego? 293 – 297 5 206
5.5 The Play of the Ego 298 – 309 12 210
5.6 The Trio: Vasanas – Rumination – Ego 310 – 319 10 219
5.7 Spiritual Inadvertance 320 – 329 10 226
5.8 In the Safe Harbour of Non-Duality 330 – 341 12 233

PART 6: NIRVIKALPA SAMADHI – Realisation (Verses 342 – 425, 84 no.) 243

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
6.1 The Entrance Examination 342 – 348 7 243
6.2 How to Recognise Samadhi 349 – 353 5 250
6.3 Samadhi Seen in Daily Life 354 – 364 11 254
6.4 Escaping the Mind’s Captivity 365 – 372 8 262
6.5 The Face of Dispassion in Samadhi 373 – 378 6 268
6.6 The Basic Technique of Meditation 379 – 383 5 273
6.7 Fine-Tuning the Technique 384 – 397 14 276
6.8 The State of Non-Duality 398 – 406 9 284
6.9 Points to Ponder 407 – 413 7 290
6.10 Nirvikalpa Samadhi is Irreversible 414 – 418 5 293
6.11 “Trouble-Shooting” Samadhi 419 - 425 7 297

*****

VOLUME 4:

PART 7: JIVANMUKTI – Liberation While Living (Verses 426 – 479, 54 no.) 303

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
7.1 Signs of a Realised Seer 426 – 445 20 303

7.1.1 Four Aspects of a Jivanmukta 427 – 431 5 305

7.1.2 The “Jivanmukta Lakshana” Verses 432 – 442 11 309

7.1.3 Dispassion – the Acid-Test of Jivanmukti 443 – 445 3 314
7.2 How a Saint Handles Karma 446 – 464 19 317

7.2.1 Sanchita Karma – Past Karma 448 – 449 2 319

7.2.2 Agama Karma – Future Karma 450 – 451 2 320

7.2.3 Prarabdha Karma – Present Karma 452 – 464 13 321
7.3 “Brahman Alone is There” 465 – 471 7 331
7.4 Conclusion of the Teaching 472 - 479 8 334

PART 8: FEEDBACK – From the Disciple (Verses 480 – 520, 41 no.) 341

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
8.1 Introduction to Feedback 480 – 481 2 341
8.2 Feedback from Personal Standpoint 482 – 489 8 343
8.3 Feedback from World’s Standpoint 490 – 500 11 349
8.4 Feedback from Upadhis’ Standpoint 501 – 512 12 355
8.5 Feedback from Absolute Standpoint 513 – 517 5 363
8.6 Conclusion of Feedback 518 – 520 3 367

PART 9: CONVERSATION of Two Saints (Verses 521 – 581, 61 no.) 369

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
9.0 Introduction - - 369
9.1 Glory of Realisation 521 – 530 10 370
9.2 On the Means of knowledge 531 – 536 6 377
9.3 A Riddle in Simplicity 537 – 550 14 382
9.4 The Attitude of a Saint 551 – 554 4 391
9.5 Videhamukti – Dropping the Body 555 – 567 13 395
9.6 Transmigration & Liberation 568 – 575 8 403

9.6.1 Transmigration & Rebirth 568 – 569 2 403

9.6.2 Bondage & Liberation 570 – 575 6 406
9.7 Conclusion to the Whole Book 576 – 581 6 412

*****

|| ÌuÉuÉåMücÉÔQûÉqÉÍhÉÈ ||
VIVEKA CHOODAMANI – Vol. 1
“The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination”

VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
"The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination"

GENERAL INTRODUCTION
PUJYA SWAMI CHINMAYANANDAJI writes the following in his Introduction to his
book on the Viveka Choodamani:
“Vedanta is truly the Science of Life. Sri Shankara, the great interpreter of Vedanta,
not only gave us his commentaries on the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad
Gita, but also many primary texts which introduce the seeker to the joys of Vedanta. One of
the greatest texts he has written as an introduction to Vedanta, is the Viveka Choodamani,
which means, ‘The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination’.
“A careful study of these verses with the full freedom to enquire will give any
student a correct understanding of the entire theory of Vedanta and he can, even without a
very serious study of the scriptures, start his daily practices with tremendous benefits.
“There are hundreds of seekers who, without understanding the fundamentals, are
aimlessly struggling along a so-called spiritual path. Naturally, they suffer agonies of painful
disappointment, although they have behind them years of painstaking practices. An
exhaustive and careful study of this text helps to avoid all the pitfalls on the way to
progress. It is my intention to bring forth from every verse not only its obvious meaning, but
also its hidden import which gives out a wealth of information and helpful suggestions to
ensure a steady progress.”

The Viveka Choodamani is a prime text in the Vedanta Course at Sandeepany.
Bondage is caused by a lack of enquiry, and ceases only by making an enquiry. If we
turn to differentiate Self from the non-Self, if we shift our attention from the world of
names and forms to their substratum Brahman, then we can arrive at the final goal quickly.
The Viveka Choodamani is a Prakarana Grantha. Its theme is: DISCRIMINATION.
It is a very famous text of Bhagavan Sri Shankaracharyaji. It has great poetic beauty.
Swami Chinmayanandaji has said, “This text is sufficient to lead the spiritual life.”

*****

1

VIVEKA CHUDAMANI – Vol.1

PART 1: (Verses 1-66, 66 No.)

The PURPOSE of Human Life

1.1 INVOCATION & OVERVIEW

(Verses 1-2, 2 No.)

THE TITLE OF THE text is itself a beautiful simile. If we take the Vedas as the human
body, the Head is the Upanishads; all the great texts of scriptural commentaries may be
thought of as the crown; and in this crown, there is a crest-jewel called the Viveka
Choodamani!
It is incomparable. Whatever we want to know in spiritual life is here. “The text is
definitely something very special” – this has been the impression of Students of this Course.
One can say, “Poetry has married philosophy. The priest is none other than Sri
Shankaracharya. Through the pages of this book, we are enjoying the wedding feast!”

Verse 1: “Namaskara Mangalacharana”

xÉuÉïuÉåSÉliÉÍxÉ®ÉliÉaÉÉåcÉUÇ iÉqÉaÉÉåcÉUqÉç |
aÉÉåÌuÉlSÇ mÉUqÉÉlÉlSÇ xÉªÒÂÇ mÉëhÉiÉÉåÅxqrÉWûqÉç || 1||

1 sarva vedaanta siddhaanta Only through the Upanishads, is the essence of
2 gocharam tam agocharam; That perceived, not through any other means;
3 govindam paramaanandam To Govinda, who is of the nature of Bliss Absolute,
4 sadgurum pranato’smyaham. who is my Sad-Guru, I offer my salutations!

How is the Truth Known?
1-2 The Vedas have many messages, for all stages of growth observed in mankind.
There is something in it for everyone. Its final message, however, is to be found in the
Upanishads. The philosophy of the Upanishads is called Vedanta.
Gocharam: “acquired”. The only means to acquire this knowledge, other than direct
experience of it, is the Shrutis, also called Upanishads.
Agocharam: There are no other means to know the Truth. What are these other
means? There are six Pramanas or means by which we obtain knowledge. This will be
explained later in the text. Here we simply summarise those means:

2

i) Pratyaksha, direct perception; ii) Anumana, inference; iii) Upamana, similarity or
comparison with other knowledge; iv) Aarthapatti, postulation; v) Anupalabhdhi, known by
the absence of something; and vi) Shabda or Agama, an accepted authority in a particular
field. In the case of spiritual or metaphysical knowledge, the sole authority is the scriptures.
To know the Self we need means beyond the realm of perception through the
senses. This is what is meant by Agocharam. Knowledge always moves forward “from the
known to the Unknown”.

The “Namaskara Mangalacharana”
3-4 This comprises an Ishtha-Devata, Namaskara-Roopa Mangalacharana (see
Tattwa Bodha, where three types of Invocations are defined). All three words – Govindam
Paramaanandam Sadgurum – are in the same case, the 3
rd
case, placing them all at the
same level. This is called Saamaanaadi Karanam in philosophy. All these words have the
same locus.
Namah is actually ‘Na Mama’ or ‘not mine’. It indicates dissociation with body, mind
and senses. That which is beyond these known instruments is saluted. This is the highest
form of Namaskara. The hands are placed together at the chest to represent this Advaitic
salutation, telling the other person “We are One.”
Each person studying this text, should offer his salutations to his preceptor, Acharya,
Teacher or Guru, and ask for his blessings.

Verse 2: Overview of the Whole Book

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iÉxqÉÉ²æÌSMükÉqÉïqÉÉaÉïmÉUiÉÉ ÌuÉ²¨uÉqÉxqÉÉimÉUqÉç |
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qÉÑÌ£ülÉÉåï zÉiÉeÉlqÉMüÉåÌOûxÉÑM×üiÉæÈ mÉÑhrÉæÌuÉïlÉÉ sÉprÉiÉå || 2||

1
jantoonaam
narajanma durlabham
atah, pumstvam
tatah viprataa;
Among all living creatures,
a human birth is very hard to obtain;
further, more difficult is it to attain full manhood;
and even rarer is a Sattwic attitude in life.
2
tasmaad vaidika dharma
maarga parataa, vidvattvam
asmaat param;
Even then, steadfastness on the Vedic path is rarer
than all these; correct knowledge from scriptures
is more rare.
3
aatma anaatma vivechanam
svanubhavah, brahmaatmanaa
samsthitih;
Discrimination between the Real and unreal,
personal experience of being established
firmly in identity with Brahman – what of them!
4
muktir no
shata-janma-koti sukritaih,
punyair vinaa labhyate.
Indeed, liberation is no matter of chance –
a hundred crores of lives lived intelligently, earn
the merits without which it cannot be attained.

The theme of the entire text is outlined in this section. In particular, Verse 2 is a
classic poetic summary of the whole book. The entire PLAN of Viveka Choodamani is
contained in this verse.

3

1-4 In this verse the author says how blessed we are, getting something unasked –
the human body. If we do not use these gifts to go towards God, what fools would we be!
The author sounds a note of compassion in this verse; this is followed by a tone of
urgency to embark on the spiritual journey; and he seems to express utter disbelief if one
were to waste such an opportunity.
The PLAN may be followed from this table:

Jantunaam
1
Narajanma durlabham atah,
2
Pumstwam tato
2
Viprataa;
tasmaad
3
Vaidika-Dharma-Maarga-parataa,
4
Vidwattwam asmaat param;

Aatma-anaatma
5
Vivechanam
6
Swanubhavah,
7
Brahmaatmanaa Samsthitih;
8
Muktih no
9
Shata-Janma-Koti-
10
Sukritaih Punyair-vinaa labhyate.

VOL.
No.
PART
No.
VERSE
Nos.
TOPIC (Samskrit)
ENGLISH
TRANSLATION
VOL.
1
PART 1 1 – 66
Nara-Janma, Pumstwam,
Viprataa, Vaidik Dharma
Maarga, Vidwattwam
THE BASICS: Precious human birth;
Manliness; a Sattwic life; being
steadfast in the Vedic way of life.
PART 2 67 – 146 Vivechanam – 1
SRAVANA: Correctly understanding
the deep scriptural Truths.
VOL.
2
PART 3 147 – 224 Vivechanam – 2
MANANA: Removal of Doubts
through deep Self-enquiry.
PART 4 225 – 266
Brahmatmana
Samsthitih – 1
NIDIDHYASANA: Personal Effort to
remove all mental Vasanas.
VOL.
3
PART 5 267 – 341
Brahmatmana
Samsthitih – 2
SAVIKALPA SAMADHI: Intermittent
Abidance in the Self.
PART 6 342 – 425
Brahmatmana
Samsthitih – 3
NIRVIKALPA SAMADHI: Firm
abidance in the Self.
VOL.
4
PART 7 426 – 479
Muktih no
Shata Janma Koti
LIBERATION: from all bondage to
the phenomenal world.
PART 8 480 – 520 Swanubhavah
FEEDBACK: Disciple’s experiences
after attaining realisation.
PART 9 521 – 581 Sukritaih Punyair
CONCLUDING CONVERSATION: Life
in the shoes of a Saint.

*****

4

1.2 PRECIOUSNESS OF HUMAN BIRTH

(Verses 3-5, 3 No.)

Verse 3: The Three Graces of Life

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qÉlÉÑwrÉiuÉÇ qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÑiuÉÇ qÉWûÉmÉÑÂwÉxÉÇ´ÉrÉÈ || 3 ||

1
durlabham trayam eva etad There are three things which are rare indeed;
2
deva anugraha hetukam; When found, they are due to the Lord’s Grace:
3
manushyatvam mumukshutvam i) a human birth, ii) yearning for liberation, and
4
mahaapurushha samshrayah. iii) the Grace of an elevated soul.

Why is the Human Birth so Rare?
1-2 It has the right mixture of joy and sorrow. Other births have either continuous
anxiety or insecurity of existence (e.g., animals and birds), or, as in the case of Devatas, only
enjoyment, but no growth. In other births the purpose is Bhoga alone, enjoyment. One
cannot work towards the betterment of one’s evolution. In the human birth there is
sufficient sorrow to give him dispassion, and sufficient joy to give him hope.
The verse goes on to describe the rarity of yet further conditions of good fortune in
being led to the spiritual purpose of life, which is extremely rare indeed.
Thus the “hundreds of crores of lives lived intelligently” is not an exaggeration!
3-4 The terms here are Manushyatwam (the human birth), Mumukshutwam
(yearning for God), and Mahapurusha Samshrayah (the grace of a great being).

Verse 4: Why Not Strive Now Itself?

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iÉ§ÉÉÌmÉ mÉÑÇxiuÉÇ ´ÉÑÌiÉmÉÉUSzÉïlÉqÉç |
rÉxiuÉÉiqÉqÉÑ£üÉæ lÉ rÉiÉåiÉ qÉÔRûkÉÏÈ
xÉ ½ÉiqÉWûÉ xuÉÇ ÌuÉÌlÉWûlirÉxÉSèaÉëWûÉiÉç || 4||

1
labdhvaa kathanchit
narajanma durlabham
Having somehow gained
a human embodiment, very hard to obtain;
2
tatra api pumstvam
shruti paaradarshanam;
and there having a masculine temperament,
and also a complete knowledge of the scriptures;
3
yastvaatmamuktau na yateta
moodhha dheeh
such a man, if he strives not for Self-realisation,
is one of foolish intellect, indeed.
4
sa hi aatma-haa svam
vinihanti asad grahaat.
He verily commits suicide,
clinging to things unreal.

5

In this fourth verse, the theme is quite clear. Acharyaji summed it up as, “One can
get a Doctorate in Foolishness if one does not utilize such a rare opportunity to make rapid
spiritual progress.”
1-2 Incidentally, Acharyaji said the students of this Vedanta Course are fortunate to
possess these graces already. We ought not to waste this opportunity but go for it!
The need for knowledge of the Self is stressed again here. Only knowledge can
remove ignorance. [This is the point where Atma Bodha began.] Simply doing good works is
just not enough for this path.
3-4 Lukewarm effort in Sadhana is just not good enough to a spiritual giant like
Shankaracharya. How foolish must it seem to him to waste even a minute on not basking in
the Self! This theme is emphatically concluded in the next verse.

Verse 5: How Foolish to Waste the Opportunity!

CiÉÈ MüÉå luÉÎxiÉ qÉÔRûÉiqÉÉ rÉxiÉÑ xuÉÉjÉåï mÉëqÉÉ±ÌiÉ |
SÒsÉïpÉÇ qÉÉlÉÑwÉÇ SåWÇû mÉëÉmrÉ iÉ§ÉÉÌmÉ mÉÉæÂwÉqÉç || 5||

1
itah kah nu asti moodhhaatmaa Is there a greater fool than the man
2
yastu svaarthe pramaadyati; who neglects his efforts to rediscover himself,
3
durlabham maanushham deham having got the rare chance of a human birth,
4
praapya tatra api paurushham. and that, too, possessing masculine qualities?

*****

6

1.3 THE MEANS TO LIBERATION

(Verses 6-16, 11 No.)

THE ELEVEN VERSES OF this section seem to have been carved out of the great
anguish which the author clearly feels for humanity that is searching but not availing itself of
the true and only means for liberation, viz. Knowledge of the Self.
Sri Shankaracharyaji stood first and foremost for a rational approach to spirituality.
There was no room in his approach for superficial display of religiosity if Knowledge were to
be excluded from it.

Verse 6: The Need for Knowledge on this Path

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MÑüuÉïliÉÑ MüqÉÉïÍhÉ pÉeÉliÉÑ SåuÉiÉÉÈ |
AÉiqÉæYrÉoÉÉåkÉålÉ ÌuÉlÉÉÌmÉ qÉÑÌ£ü-
lÉï ÍxÉkrÉÌiÉ oÉë¼zÉiÉÉliÉUåÅÌmÉ || 6||

1
vadantu shaastraani
yajantu devaan
Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture,
Let gods be invoked through sacrifices,
2
kurvantu karmaani
bhajantu devataah;
Let elaborate rituals be performed (by the Karma Kandis),
Let personal gods be propitiated (by the Upasana Kandis);
3
aatmaikyabodhena vinaapi
muktih na sidhyati
yet, without the knowledge of one’s Self-identity,
there shall be no liberation for the individual,
4
brahmashataantare api. not even in the lifetime of a hundred Brahmas!

There may be the risk of arousing criticism when a writer proceeds in this vein. But
Sri Shankaracharyaji courageously sets the tone of his conviction by doing so regardless of
the consequences of his remarks. Perhaps, in his day the essential purpose of knowledge
was being ignored, even trampled. It is likely that knowledge became the prerogative of the
scholarly and the erudite.

Verse 7: Good Works Alone are Not Enough

AqÉ×iÉ¨uÉxrÉ lÉÉzÉÉÎxiÉ ÌuÉ¨ÉålÉåirÉåuÉ ÌWû ´ÉÑÌiÉÈ |
oÉëuÉÏÌiÉ MüqÉïhÉÉå qÉÑ£åüUWåûiÉÑiuÉÇ xTÑüOÇû rÉiÉÈ || 7||

1
amritattvasya na aashaa asti There is no hope for immortality
2
vittena iti eva hi shrutih; by means of wealth. Thus does the Sruti herself
3
braveeti, karmanah mukteh declare – that by good works alone, liberation
4
ahetutvam sphutam yatah. cannot be effected. This is made abundantly clear.

7

1-2 ‘Wealth’ here means material wealth, and money does not even make it into the
list! The wealth of virtue is foremost. The wealth of good deeds, good Karma or Punya, is
another very important wealth. 3-4 Yet, for all their value to society, these are not in the
category of knowledge of the Self, which alone opens the door to liberation.

Verse 8: The Preliminaries in a Nutshell

AiÉÉå ÌuÉqÉÑYirÉæ mÉërÉiÉåiÉ ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç
xÉ³rÉxiÉoÉÉ½ÉjÉïxÉÑZÉxmÉ×WûÈ xÉlÉç |
xÉliÉÇ qÉWûÉliÉÇ xÉqÉÑmÉåirÉ SåÍzÉMÇü
iÉålÉÉåmÉÌS¹ÉjÉïxÉqÉÉÌWûiÉÉiqÉÉ || 8||

1
atah vimuktyai prayateta
vidvaan
Therefore, striving to gain inner freedom,
the learned seeker
2
sannyasta baahyaartha
sukhasprihah san;
should renounce all his desires
for sense pleasures.
3
santam mahaantam
samupetya deshikam
A good and generous
Master should then be duly approached.
4
tena upadishhtaartha
samaahita aatmaa.
To the true significance of the teaching given by him,
he, the seeker, should attune himself.

Verse 9: Save Oneself from ‘Drowning’

E®UåSÉiqÉlÉÉÅÅAÉiqÉÉlÉÇ qÉalÉÇ xÉÇxÉÉUuÉÉËUkÉÉæ |
rÉÉåaÉÉÃRûiuÉqÉÉxÉÉ± xÉqrÉaSzÉïlÉÌlÉ¸rÉÉ || 9||

5
uddhared aatmanaa aatmaanam He should lift himself by his own efforts
6
magnam samsaaravaaridhau; from the ocean of change in which he is drowning.
7
yogaaroodhhatvam aasaadya He should attain the state of Yogaroodha and
8
samyag-darshana nishhthayaa. be established in it through right discrimination.

Verses 8 and 9 take one through a lightning glimpse of the preliminary stages of the
spiritual path, in preparation for what is to come in the rest of the text.
1-4 When with the Guru, the seeker is advised to focus on the learning, abide in the
teaching, get attuned to the words, instruction, way of living and schedule of the day.
5-6 Reaching the Guru is an immense step, a huge milestone on this rigorous path.
The spiritual path begins here. However, it does not relieve one from the responsibility of
walking the path himself – “One should lift himself by himself”.
7-8 The Yogaroodha state is described in more detail in the Gita, (VI-4). When one
has total dispassion, when nothing is enticing to the Yogi, when his mind is totally available
for the Sadhana under his Guru, then he is said to be in the Yogarudha state. Acquiring the
Sadhana Chatushtaya is a prerequisite to come to the Yogarudha state. From the Yogarudha
state one can begin serious Sadhana.

8

Verse 10: Start With Karma Yoga

xÉ³rÉxrÉ xÉuÉïMüqÉÉïÍhÉ pÉuÉoÉlkÉÌuÉqÉÑ£ürÉå |
rÉirÉiÉÉÇ mÉÎhQûiÉækÉÏïUæUÉiqÉÉprÉÉxÉ EmÉÎxjÉiÉæÈ || 10||

1
sannyasya sarva karmaani Renouncing all actions motivated by desires, for the
2
bhava-bandha vimuktaye; sake of liberation from the bonds of birth and death,
3
yatyataam pandhitaih dheeraih may the wise and learned man put forth effort
4
aatma abhyaasa upasthitaih. in the practice of remaining firmly in the Self.

1-4 The best starting point on the spiritual path is declared to be Karma Yoga. The
Bhagavad Geeta also verifies this. Lord Krishna repeatedly requests Arjuna to stick to the
practice of Karma Yoga to begin with.
Karma Yoga provides all the opportunities to chisel out the sharp edges of our
personality. The spirit of this instruction is that the whole mind needs to be fully focused to
pursue this path. Presently, the focus of the aspirant would most likely be his duties at work
and at home. “Sannyasa” here should not be taken to mean donning the ochre robes. It
means giving up self-centred actions.
Through Karma Yoga, the mind is gradually made introverted to search within, and
to abide within the Self. Only when this is substantially achieved, does the practice become
predominantly internal. Sri Shankaracharyaji rapidly covers the ground of Karma Yoga in this
text as he is very anxious to get going with his main subject, Viveka or Discrimination, also
called Atma Abhyasa here, meaning abidance in the Self.

Verse 11: Karma Yoga Brings the Purity

ÍcÉ¨ÉxrÉ zÉÑ®rÉå MüqÉï lÉ iÉÑ uÉxiÉÔmÉsÉokÉrÉå |
uÉxiÉÑÍxÉÎ®ÌuÉïcÉÉUåhÉ lÉ ÌMüÎgcÉiMüqÉïMüÉåÌOûÍpÉÈ || 11||

1
chittasya shuddhaye karma Charitable acts help to purify the mind,
2
na tu vastu upalabdhaye; but do not lead to the attainment of Reality.
3
vastu siddhih vichaarena The Self is attained only by discriminative analysis,
4
na kinchit karma kotibhih. and not in the least by crores of actions.

1-2 The above message is made absolutely clear now: No amount of action alone can
bring us the jewel of liberation.
The point to note is that Karma Yoga should not be relegated to a low level as a
result of this verse, but seen in the context of its rightful place in the overall context of
spiritual life. The preparatory value of Karma Yoga should never be under-rated.
3-4 At the same time, Shankaracharyaji always reminds us of the limitations of
Karma Yoga. Karma Yoga is not an alternative to applying one’s pure intellect to
discriminative analysis. There is no doubt about this.
In order to make sure that he gets his message across, Shankaracharyaji emphatically
concludes the verse with – “not even through crores of good actions.”

9

Verse 12: The World for What it Is

xÉqrÉÎauÉcÉÉUiÉÈ ÍxÉ®É U‹ÑiÉ¨uÉÉuÉkÉÉUhÉÉ |
pÉëÉlirÉÉååÌSiÉ qÉWûÉxÉmÉïpÉrÉSÒÈZÉÌuÉlÉÉÍzÉlÉÏ || 12||

1
samyag vichaaratah siddhaa Only through steady and balanced thinking, is gained
2
rajjutattva avadhaaranaa; the ascertainment of the truth of the “rope”, by which
3
bhraanti-udita mahaa sarpa the delusion-created, terrifying snake
4
bhaya duhkha vinaashinee. of fear and sorrow is destroyed.

Verse 13: The Seeker Cannot Avoid Self-Enquiry

AjÉïxrÉ ÌlÉ¶ÉrÉÉå SØ¹Éå ÌuÉcÉÉUåhÉ ÌWûiÉÉåÌ£üiÉÈ |
lÉ xlÉÉlÉålÉ lÉ SÉlÉålÉ mÉëÉhÉÉrÉqÉzÉiÉålÉ uÉÉ || 13||

5
arthasya nishchayah drishhtah The conviction of the Reality is seen
6
vichaarena hita-uktitah; by enquiry along the lines advised by the wise;
7
na snaanena na daanena and not by sacred baths, nor any amount of charity,
8
praanaayama shatena vaa. nor even hundreds of Pranayamas;

1-4 To get rid of this delusion we do not need more actions, but only to make an
enquiry, directly facing the ‘snake’ (the world of experience). Then it vanishes altogether.
5-6 There is a strong tendency in man to get ‘stuck’ to outer practices and perform
them mechanically without the inner feeling that is primary. When the time is ripe for it, we
need to give up all these and use intellectual enquity with greater purpose.
7-8 Vedanta is not against any of these practices. The only purpose of these lines is
to draw attention to the true need. In the case of Pranayama, its central purpose in Yoga is
to bring the mind to a quietened state called Yogarudha. As a Sadhana, there is no other
need for it. Sri Shankaracharya himself has on numerous occasions practised these.

The Summary of Renunciation of Actions
When a great work is tackled, the preparation for it takes most of the time. So it is
with Self-enquiry. The steps of Sravana, Manana and Nididhyasana require enormous focus.
All other activities are requested to be given up. If this reason is not understood correctly,
active people do not welcome such suggestions, and the lazy ones simply love them!
The central guideline here is: If it is only for personal pleasure, then give it up.
Desire-prompted activity must yield first. It is wrong to call this “Abandoning one’s duty”. In
actual fact, it just drops off on its own when the desire for God gets intense. That is the
correct way to look at these verses.
Up to this point we have been seeing the need to adopt Enquiry as our primary
means to attain liberation. With that objective now driven home, the Teacher proceeds
further. He shifts the focus to the readiness of the student for the Sadhana that lies ahead.

10

Verse 14: Success Depends on Qualifications

AÍkÉMüÉËUhÉqÉÉzÉÉxiÉå TüsÉÍxÉÎ®ÌuÉïzÉåwÉiÉÈ |
EmÉÉrÉÉ SåzÉMüÉsÉÉ±ÉÈ xÉlirÉÎxqÉlxÉWûMüÉËUhÉÈ || 14||

1
adhikaarinam aashaaste Upon the primary qualifications in a seeker depends
2
phalasiddhih visheshhatah; the ultimate success of all his spiritual endeavours.
3
upaayaa deshakaalaadyaah Other means such as place and time, etc., do have a
4
santyasminsahakaarinah. place, but they are essentially secondary.

This is a huge clarification, as there is so large a tendency for students on this path to
blame their lack of success to outer things, invariably the Guru and his Ashram! Sri
Shankaracharya is well aware of this tendency, and wisely places the onus squarely on the
shoulders of the student himself.
1-2 Only the primary factor can give us the guarantee of success. Overriding all other
factors in one’s Sadhana is the qualification of the student. We ourselves as Sadhakas are
the direct cause of our success or failure.
3-4 Everything else is to be regarded as secondary. The student has to take full
responsibility for his growth on this path. No one else and nothing else is to be blamed.
There are no scapegoats for difficulties that may arise in one’s Sadhana.
Even the texts we study are part of the package of secondary factors. In themselves
they do not give us the guarantee that we will succeed.

The Story of Indra & Virochana
Acharyaji told us the story of Indra and Virochana. Both were given a chance to do
their Sadhana in Heaven. Can one ever hope for a more conducive environment? Both
learned under Lord Brahma Himself. Can one ever hope for a greater Guru? Yet, each
disciple came back with differing results. Indra succeeded due to his correct attitude. But
Virochana came back the same ‘idiot’ that he was, because he never relinquished the idea
that he was only the body.

Verse 15: Enquiry & Correct Guidance Needed

AiÉÉå ÌuÉcÉÉUÈ MüiÉïurÉÉå ÎeÉ¥ÉÉxÉÉåUÉiqÉuÉxiÉÑlÉÈ ||
xÉqÉÉxÉÉ± SrÉÉÍxÉlkÉÑÇ aÉÑÂÇ oÉë¼ÌuÉSÒ¨ÉqÉqÉç || 15||

1
atah vichaarah kartavyah Therefore, deep Self-enquiry must be made
2
jijnaasoh aatma vastunah; by the true seeker regarding the Reality of the Self.
3
samaasaadya dayaasindhum Then by all means approach the ocean of kindness, the
4
gurum brahmaviduttamam. Guru, who is the best among the knowers of the Self.

1-2 “Learn to enquire”. Hard work and steadiness is what is called for. There are no
‘short-cuts’ on this path.
3-4 This puts an end to the myth that the disciple can simply lean on the greatness of
his Guru to achieve success on the path.

11

There is no magical ‘touch’ which will send the disciple into ecstacy. All such ideas
have to be given up. The kindness of the Guru is defined as “causeless compassion to all”. It
is not tainted by worldly ideas of kindness. The saint acts with compassion for all. There is
no favour in his outlook for any selected disciples. His kindness is not to be judged by our
relative standards.
In short, do not go to a Guru to ask for ordinary favours. Ask only for Knowledge.

Verse 16: Retentive Power & Ability to Defend Ideas

qÉåkÉÉuÉÏ mÉÑÂwÉÉå ÌuÉ²ÉlÉÔWûÉmÉÉåWûÌuÉcÉ¤ÉhÉÈ |
AÍkÉMüÉrÉÉïiqÉÌuÉ±ÉrÉÉqÉÑ£üsÉ¤ÉhÉsÉÍ¤ÉiÉÈ || 16||

1
medhaavee purushho vidvaan A man who has a retentive memory and is learned,
2
oohaapoha vichakshhanah; capable of clear analysis and having argument skills,
3
adhikaari aatmavidyaayaam is deemed a fit person for this knowledge of the Self,
4
ukta lakshhana lakshhitah. for he has the above-mentioned qualifications.

1-2 The word Medha may be translated as “memory”, but it does not necessarily
mean prodigious memory for memorizing verses, although Vedanta teachers do ask one to
do that if students are young and have the ability. The real meaning of Medha is that the
student should be able to retain within his intellect the concepts taught in class so that the
teacher does not have to go on repeating them as he builds up the structure of logic in the
disciple.
A basic application of the intellect on any secular science is therefore considered as a
pre-qualification for a student. It shows that some ability is there for intellectual grasping of
concepts. This path of enquiry demands a high level of intellectual ability. The Sadhana itself
develops that. The practice of Brahmacharya also ensures these conditions.
Another useful aid in playing the role of a teacher is to be able to present one’s
argument logically so that false arguments may be countered by good arguments. This is a
very helpful secondary qualification, not a primary one.
3-4 One who possesses such qualifications is deemed to be fit to be a disciple.

*****

12

1.4 QUALIFICATIONS of DISCIPLE & GURU

(Verses 17-32a, 15 No.)

FOUR QUALIFICATIONS HAVE been formulated by the great Vedanta Acharyas. They
are the result of the practical experiences encountered by them over many centuries. They
enquired into what the Upanishadic Rishis expected of their students. After gathering all the
related facts, they formulated SADHANA CHATUSHTAYA – the four basic steps that prepare
a student for the practice of Vedantic Sadhana.
The sequence is carefully selected. They reflect the order of priority of the four
steps, each one logically following from the previous step.
Vedanta Acharyas are quiet confident that in the presence of
these qualifications, realization is certain; and in their absence, it is
impossible.
This is the scientific basis why some students succeed and others do not. There is
nothing personal in this. Each student ensures his own success, or is responsible for his own
failure.

Verse 17: The Fourfold Qualifications

ÌuÉuÉåÌMülÉÉå ÌuÉU£üxrÉ zÉqÉÉÌSaÉÑhÉzÉÉÍsÉlÉÈ |
qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÉåUåuÉ ÌWû oÉë¼ÎeÉ¥ÉÉxÉÉrÉÉåarÉiÉÉ qÉiÉÉ || 17||

1
vivekinah viraktasya A man of discrimination and detachment;
2
shamaadi guna shaalinah; endowed with qualities such as calmness, etc.,
3
mumukshhoh eva hi brahma- with a burning desire for liberation – he indeed is
4
jijnaasaa yogyataa mataa. considered to be fit for enquiry into the Reality.

Verse 18: The Conditions for Success & Failure

xÉÉkÉlÉÉlrÉ§É cÉiuÉÉËU MüÍjÉiÉÉÌlÉ qÉlÉÏÌwÉÍpÉÈ |
rÉåwÉÑ xÉixuÉåuÉ xÉÍ³É¸É rÉSpÉÉuÉå lÉ ÍxÉkrÉÌiÉ || 18||

1
saadhanaani atra chatvaari The Fourfold Means (Sadhana Chatushtaya) is here
2
kathitaani maneeshhibhih; prescribed by the wise, experienced teachers.
3
yeshhu satsu eva sannishhthaa Only in their presence can one succeed on this path;
4
yadabhaave na sidhyati. and if they are absent, failure is certain.

13

Verse 19: What are the Four Means?

AÉSÉæ ÌlÉirÉÉÌlÉirÉuÉxiÉÑÌuÉuÉåMüÈ mÉËUaÉhrÉiÉå |
CWûÉqÉÑ§ÉTüsÉpÉÉåaÉÌuÉUÉaÉxiÉSlÉliÉUqÉç |
zÉqÉÉÌSwÉOèMüxÉqmÉÌ¨É-
qÉÑïqÉÑ¤ÉÑiuÉÍqÉÌiÉ xTÑüOûqÉç || 19||

1
aadau nitya-anitya vastu
vivekah pariganyate;
i) First comes the Discrimination between the Real
and the unreal;
2
iha amutra phala bhoga
viraagah tadanantaram;
ii) here and hereafter, from the enjoyment of fruits of
actions, to have a spirit of Detachment; after that
3
shamaadi shhatka sampattih iii) the Sixfold Virtues such as Sama, Dama, etc; and
4
mumukshhutvam iti sphutam. iv) lastly, a burning Desire for liberation. This is clear.

Verse 20: 1. VIVEKA

oÉë¼ xÉirÉÇ eÉaÉÎlqÉjrÉåirÉåuÉÇÃmÉÉå ÌuÉÌlÉ¶ÉrÉÈ |
xÉÉåÅrÉÇ ÌlÉirÉÉÌlÉirÉuÉxiÉÑÌuÉuÉåMüÈ xÉqÉÑSÉ™iÉÈ || 20||

1
brahma satyam jaganmithyaa – “Brahman alone is real; the world is unreal” –
2
iti evam roopah vinishchayah; when this conclusion becomes a firm conviction;
3
sah ayam nitya-anitya vastu Such discrimination between the Real and Unreal
4
vivekah samudaahritah. is considered to be Viveka.

In Viveka Choodamani, as compared with the basic text Tattva Bodha, the author
takes the definition of Viveka a notch further.
In Tattva Bodha, the discrimination was between the “permanent and the
impermanent”. Hearing this, a seeker may still feel drawn to them – “So what if they are
impermanent; at least they are there to be enjoyed.”
In Viveka Choodamani, the word used is Mithya or ‘false’. If a thing is seen as false
there is smaller chance of desire arising for it. Acharyaji gave the example of a fruit basket
on a coffee table in the lounge. When it is known that they are made of plastic, there is no
desire for them.

Verse 21: 2. VAIRAAGYA

iÉ²æUÉarÉÇ ÎeÉWûÉxÉÉ rÉÉ SzÉïlÉ´ÉuÉhÉÉÌSÍpÉÈ |
SåWûÉÌSoÉë¼mÉrÉïliÉå ½ÌlÉirÉå pÉÉåaÉuÉxiÉÑÌlÉ || 21||

1
tad vairaagyam jihaasaa yaa Vairagya is defined as – “The desire to give up
2
darshana shravana aadibhih; the seeing, hearing, etc,
3
dehaadi brahma paryante from the mortal body right up to the world of Brahma,
4
hi anitye bhogavastuni. of all objects of enjoyment as they are merely transient.”

14

1 The word used for giving up is Jihaasaa (some even use the word Jugupsa, which
includes the suggestion “with revulsion”). We are attracted to pleasures because we do not
see any faults in them. But the moment they are viewed as repulsive, we do not hanker
after them. This is what the author is seeking to instill in the student’s mind – revulsion.
There is a verse often quoted by Vedanta Acharyas which means:
“If Vairagya cannot come after seeing the complete contents of our own body,
what else has to be done to teach one to acquire dispassion!”
2 What is meant by “giving up”? There are no loopholes in the interpretation. It is
clear that all sensory contact through all the five senses is included. One cannot say, “I will
give them up mentally, but enjoy them physically!”
3 The range of objects to be given up is the full spectrum – from the body to the
objects in the furthest Heaven, viz. Brahmaloka.
4 The reason for giving them up is also included: “They are Anitya, or transient”.

Verse 22: 3.1 SHAMA

ÌuÉUerÉ ÌuÉwÉrÉuÉëÉiÉÉ¬ÉåwÉSØwšÉ qÉÑWÒûqÉÑïWÒûÈ |
xuÉsÉ¤rÉå ÌlÉrÉiÉÉuÉxjÉÉ qÉlÉxÉÈ zÉqÉ EcrÉiÉå || 22||

1 virajya vishhaya vraataad Detached from the chaos of sense objects,
2
doshha drishhtyaa
muhurmuhuh;
through a process of continuous observation of
their defects again and again;
3 svalakshhye niyata avasthaa resting constantly in contemplation of the Goal –
4 manasah shama uchyate. such a mind is described as being in Shama.

2 The “continuous observation of their defects” is necessary as it is the only real way
of making the mind disenchanted with the sense pleasures. It forms a mental check against
being drawn to them. Muhur-Muhur means “again and again”. The mind is tutored to
repeatedly withdraw from objects. Why?
3-4 It is made to attach itself to the Self, and find its peace there.

Verse 23: 3.2 DAMA & 3.3 UPARATI

ÌuÉwÉrÉåprÉÈ mÉUÉuÉirÉï xjÉÉmÉlÉÇ xuÉxuÉaÉÉåsÉMåü |
EpÉrÉåwÉÉÍqÉÎlSìrÉÉhÉÉÇ xÉ SqÉÈ mÉËUMüÐÌiÉïiÉÈ |
oÉÉ½ÉlÉÉsÉqoÉlÉÇ uÉ×¨ÉåUåwÉÉåmÉUÌiÉÂ¨ÉqÉÉ || 23||

1 vishhayebhyah paraavartya Turning back from the sense objects and
2 sthaapanam svasvagolake; placing, in their respective centres of activity,
3 ubhayeshhaam indriyaanaam both kinds of senses (of knowledge and of action) –
4 sa damah parikeertitah; this is declared to be Dama or self-control.

5 baahya anaalambanam vritteh Freeing the thoughts from the influence of objects,
6 eshha uparatih uttamaa. this is the highest form of Uparati (self-withdrawal)

15

2 Swa-Swa Golaka translates as “in their respective centres”, that is, the gates are
closed on the senses from running outwards. They are told to sit still. That is Dama.
5-6 Uparati was defined as “adhering to one’s own duties” in Tattva Bodha. Now it is
taken to first principles as “free from the influence of external objects”.
In general, we see that each step of the Sadhana is being taken a notch further in
this book. The same author is now drawing in the rope on the senses!

Verse 24: 3.4 TITIKSHAA

xÉWûlÉÇ xÉuÉïSÒÈZÉÉlÉÉqÉmÉëiÉÏMüÉUmÉÔuÉïMüqÉç |
ÍcÉliÉÉÌuÉsÉÉmÉUÌWûiÉÇ xÉÉ ÌiÉÌiÉ¤ÉÉ ÌlÉaÉ±iÉå || 24||

1
sahanam sarva duhkhaanaam Endurance of all sorrows and suffering,
2
aprateekaara-poorvakam; without struggling for redress or revenge,
3
chintaa-vilaa-parahitam and free always from anxiety and lament –
4
saa titikshhaa nigadyate. that is proclaimed to be Titiksha (Endurance).

1 Whilst pleasure is considered to be the main cause of distraction (from the Self),
pain and sorrow is equally distracting, and needs to be addressed.
Vedanta’s answer to pain and sorrow is Titiksha, development of the ability to bear
pain or sorrow. “What cannot be cured has to be endured.” This applies to all the three
types of sorrows we have learned in Tattva Bodha (Adhyatmic, Adhibhautic, and Adhidaivic).
2-3 To grasp the attitude towards this pain, the author adds two points: there should
be no thought of seeking redress or revenge for such pain, and it should be borne with a
stout heart. We have to learn to choose our battles in life – rather use the same energy for
the greater internal battles with the mind.
Acharyaji teased the South Indian way of expressing reaction to pain. “They utter
‘Ayo!’ for any pain. And if the pain is increased, it becomes ‘Ayoyo’!”

Verse 25: 3.5 SHRADDHAA

zÉÉx§ÉxrÉ aÉÑÂuÉÉYrÉxrÉ xÉirÉoÉÑSèkrÉuÉkÉÉUhÉqÉç |
xÉÉ ´É®É MüÍjÉiÉÉ xÉÎ°rÉïrÉÉ uÉxiÉÔmÉsÉprÉiÉå || 25||

1
shaastrasya guru-vaakyasya The scriptural texts and the words of the Guru,
2
satya buddhi avadhaaranam; understanding readily their exact import –
3
saa shraddhaa kathitaa sadbhir that is said to be Shraddhaa by the wise.
4
yayaa vastu upalabhyate. By it the Reality can be attained.

In this verse Shankaracharyaji puts a crown on Shraddha or faith.
Faith is that through which the Vastu (“thing to be attained”) is reached. What is
generally called ‘blind faith’ is actually ‘belief that is pending discovery’. In any field of study
we see this pattern. The chemistry teacher says water is H2O, and no one questions it. When

16

we were young we accepted these things without question because we got 2 marks for it! In
Vedanta for such acceptance the prize is even greater – one can get liberation for it!
We start with faith and end with firm conviction after the necessary enquiry is
complete. Let us not shun faith; it is what gives us the confidence to go further.
In secular sciences we can verify facts by referring to textbooks. In spiritual science,
we do not have that facility. We have to have faith.
In secular science if there are differences of opinion, the later version is taken as
superceding the previous. In spiritual science, the Guru’s instruction has to be taken as the
“latest” version, which overrides all previous versions. That much of faith is needed.

Verse 26: 3.6 SAMAADHAANAM

xÉuÉïSÉ xjÉÉmÉlÉÇ oÉÑ®åÈ zÉÑ®å oÉë¼ÍhÉ xÉuÉïSÉ |
iÉixÉqÉÉkÉÉlÉÍqÉirÉÑ£Çü lÉ iÉÑ ÍcÉ¨ÉxrÉ sÉÉsÉlÉqÉç || 26||

1
sarvadaa sthaapanam buddheh Always engaging one’s intellect
2
shuddhe brahmani sarvadaa; in the pure Brahman under all conditions –
3
tat samaadhaanam iti uktam is said to be Samaadhaanam.
4
na tu chittasya laalanam. Indeed, it is a mind free of all oscillations.

1-2 A literal translation of Samaadhaana gives us: “Firmly placing our intellect on the
pure Brahman always.”
4 Laalanam: This is an interesting word in the verse, translated as “oscillations”. The
literal meaning is “the play we have with children”. With children we often act in the way
they do, becoming like them just for fun. Here the author tells us never to do the same with
our intellect. Never pamper the intellect. We should not take the intellect lightly. Never
entertain fancies that come to it from the un-sifted mental mass.

Verse 27: 4. MUMUKSHUTVA

AWûƒ¡ûÉUÉÌSSåWûÉliÉÉlÉç oÉlkÉÉlÉ¥ÉÉlÉMüÎsmÉiÉÉlÉç |
xuÉxuÉÃmÉÉuÉoÉÉåkÉålÉ qÉÉå£ÑüÍqÉcNûÉ qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÑiÉÉ || 27||

1
ahangkaaraadi dehaantaan From ego-sense right down to the body-idea,
2
bandha anajnaana kalpitaan; all bondages are created by ignorance.
3
svasvaroopaavabodhena By the knowledge of one’s own real nature,
4
moktum
ichchhaa mumukshhutaa.
to be freed from these (bondages) –
such a desire is called Mumukshutva.

1-2 Release from what? We all wish to be released from our sorrows. The difference
between the spiritual student and others is that the former seeks this release internally.
Others may complain, winge, and cry out for changes to their environment.
3-4 Not so the aspirant. He aims to liberate himself from within – the only liberation
that is lasting and worthwhile.

17

DISCUSSION ON SHAD SAMPATI

Verse 28: 5. The Place of GRACE

qÉlSqÉkrÉqÉÃmÉÉÌmÉ uÉæUÉarÉåhÉ zÉqÉÉÌSlÉÉ |
mÉëxÉÉSålÉ aÉÑUÉåÈ xÉårÉÇ mÉëuÉ×®É xÉÔrÉiÉå TüsÉqÉç || 28||

1
manda madhyama roopaa api Even though it (Mumukshutva) is dull or mediocre,
2
vairaagyena shamaadinaa; by dispassion and by the sixfold virtues,
3
prasaadena guroh sah iyam and by the Grace of the Guru, it can be
4
pravriddhaa sooyate phalam. increased and be made to bear fruit.

1 Half-hearted and mediocre requests to God are also accepted. Acharyaji gave us a
humorous example. A child in the class raises his finger to go to the toilet. The teacher is
very familiar with this scenario, so he refuses at first. After a few minutes, up go two fingers,
and he can see the call is desperate. Then the teacher permits the child to go. In the same
way, our call to God has to be desperate – three fingers may be needed at times!
Such are the loving ways of Acharyaji to deepen our love for God.
2-4 The aspirant should never feel dejected that his aspiration is not strong enough.
Acharyaji said, “Never feel that you are not cut out for the spiritual path. Make yourself cut
out for it. This verse and the next compassionately indicate the way in which the half-
hearted and mediocre aspirations can be made intense. It is indicated in the next verse…
Others ask, “Why have the problems come to ME?” The aspirant asks, “Why have
they come?” He seeks the root cause and eliminates it. Unless this approach is there, we will
always seek outside for solutions, and get nowhere.

Verse 29: The Primary Qualifications

uÉæUÉarÉÇ cÉ qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÑiuÉÇ iÉÏuÉëÇ rÉxrÉ iÉÑ ÌuÉ±iÉå |
iÉÎxqÉ³ÉåuÉÉjÉïuÉliÉÈ xrÉÑÈ TüsÉuÉliÉÈ zÉqÉÉSrÉÈ || 29||

1
vairaagyam cha
mumukshhutvam
The spirit of Renunciation and
a Yearning for liberation of an
2
teevram yasya tu vidyate; intense type – he in whom these are present,
3
tasmin eva arthavantah syuh in him alone shall become meaningful and
4
phalavantah shamaadayah. fruitful all the sixfold virtues.

Three sequential steps are involved here:
A: Vairagya (which includes Viveka). 1a We must learn to ‘find faults in pleasures’.
This is one type of fault-finding we are permitted to have. Do “Japa” of these defects! Instill
in the mind that they are unreal.
B: Shamadi (Shat Sampat), the “sixfold virtues”. 4 Acharyaji gave each student a
Sadhana Chart to fill in regularly. It is like a spiritual diary to record our progress in

18

developing the sixfold virtues. We are to maintain it regularly. The Chart represents
Acharyaji’s love and concern for our spiritual growth.
If we obey the Guru’s instructions in this regard, we obtain his compassion and
Grace. Of God’s many Hands, the Guru is a special one among them. It is the one He uses to
place on our head to bless us. We cannot imagine how much God wishes for the student’s
success, but through the Guru, we can feel His warm hand of encouragement on our head.
When parents wish to encourage their children, they invariably stroke them over the
head or face, or tap them on the shoulder!
C: Mumukshutwa, 1b burning desire for liberation.
Acharyaji here made an interesting insight into the relationship between these
three. He said that A makes B easier to develop, and B leads the way for C to increase. We
can measure in our hearts whether we have A and C, but B is very hard to measure.
However, by noting A and C (which is what this verse and the previous are indicating), we
can infer how we are faring with B.

Verse 30: In the Absence of the Essentials

LiÉrÉÉåqÉïlSiÉÉ rÉ§É ÌuÉU£üiuÉqÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉrÉÉåÈ |
qÉUÉæ xÉÍsÉsÉuÉ¨É§É zÉqÉÉSåpÉÉïlÉqÉÉ§ÉiÉÉ || 30||

1
etayoh mandataa yatra Wherever these two are of a dull type, i.e.
2
viraktatva mumukshhayoh; Dispassion and Yearning for liberation,
3
marau salilavat tatra there, like the mirage-water in a desert,
4
shamaadeh bhaanamaatrataa. the six virtues only become appearances.

Verses 28, 29 and 30 teach the importance of Vairagya and Mumukshutwa for God.
1-4 In a battery, A and C are the terminals and B is the battery acid inside. To check
whether the battery is alive or dead, we simply connect a lamp to the two terminals. If it
glows, we know the battery is working; if it is dull, it means the battery is flat.
Similarly, A and C (Vairagya and Mumukshutva) are weak, then B (Shat Sampat) will
only be a mirage. A mirage is only an appearance of water, not actual water. There will be
no substance in B. It is not uncommon to see this in practice. Aspirants who are short on A
and C, are more likely to make B into a show of the six virtues.

Verse 31: 6. The Place of BHAKTI

qÉÉå¤ÉMüÉUhÉxÉÉqÉaêrÉÉÇ pÉÌ£üUåuÉ aÉUÏrÉxÉÏ |
xuÉxuÉÃmÉÉlÉÑxÉlkÉÉlÉÇ pÉÌ£üËUirÉÍpÉkÉÏrÉiÉå || 31||

1
mokshha-kaarana-saamagryaam Among the ingredients necessary for liberation,
2
bhaktih eva gareeyasee; Devotion alone is the most important.
3
svasvaroopa anusandhaanam Constant attempt to live up to one’s Real nature
4
bhaktih iti abhidheeyate. is designated as Bhakti.

19

1-4 This verse first of all assumes that A, B and C as outlined above are in place in the
aspirant, that is, he has Vairagya, the Shat Sampat and Mumukshutva. Beyond these, what
would be the single most important factor that would take the seeker to the Goal?
The answer to this question is BHAKTI.

SHANKARACHARYA UNFAIRLY CHARGED

There is a controversy about Shankaracharyaji’s use of the word ‘BHAKTI’. Vested
interests of the Bhakti path proclaim that Shankaracharya is trying to entice their followers
by making this claim. However, it is purely from the point of view of their worldly interests
and no more. Shankaracharya defines Bhakti from the Vedantic perspective, and this in
essence is not in conflict with the definition for Bhakti by the Bhakti schools of thought.
The definition is: “Bhakti is a constant and consistent effort to raise the ego-centre
from its welter of false values to the memory and dignity of Self-hood” – Swami
Chinmayanandaji.
Spiritually, there is no flaw in this definition, as it aims to bring the aspirant to a
state of oneness with the Self, which is the essence of Love or Bhakti. The Vedantic term for
it is Nididhyasana. This Bhakti is founded on Knowledge as obtained during Sravana and is
the basic Vedantic Sadhana.
The malpractices arising within the Bhakti field come under criticism using this pure
definition. There is no room for “intellectual slavery” in Shankaracharya’s view. The
Vedantin’s Bhakti does not render him helpless to use his intellect to grasp the truth about
the delusion of Maya. For this reason, many of the slavish attitudes in vogue at the time
amongst the practitioners of Bhakti is quiet rightly not encouraged by Shankaracharyaji.
Vedanta makes full use of the intellect for the great purpose it was created, which is to
enquire deeply into the nature of one’s true Self. An intellect devoted to the Self, is capable
of the purest form of Bhakti!

Verse 32a: Bhakti Inseparable from Self-Knowledge

xuÉÉiqÉiÉ¨uÉÉlÉÑxÉlkÉÉlÉÇ pÉÌ£üËUirÉmÉUå eÉaÉÑÈ | || 32.1||

1
svaatma tattva anusandhaanam Constant enquiry into the Real nature of one’s Self
2
bhaktih iti apare jaguh; is declared by others as defining Bhakti.

Verse 32 is a little unusual. Not only has it got two distinct parts, but also the two
parts fall into two separate Chapters! The second part is placed in the next Chapter.
1-2 The Vedantic definition for Bhakti was ‘Swa-Swaroopa Anusandhanam’. Now
the Bhakti Yoga definition is subtly different: ‘Swa-Atmatattva Anusandhanam’. In the case
of the former, knowledge (Sravana) has been received first, and so the nature of the Self is
known intellectually before the Vedantic meditation begins. In the Bhakti Yoga case, the
knowledge of the Self comes as one does the devotional practices or Upasanas or worship
prescribed by the Bhakti school. There is no intention in Shankaracharyaji to make this
difference into a bone of contention between the two systems.

20

Example: Cash Payment or Hire Purchase
A simple example may help to understand this difference. If one wants to buy a car,
there are two methods he can adopt. He can earn all the money needed and then buy the
car for cash; or he can buy the car before having earned all the money and pay for it in
instalments over a period of some years. Vedanta is the first method, where one acquires all
the knowledge in advance. Bhakti is the second method, where the knowledge is gained in
instalments while doing the devotional practices.
The purpose of all this is to draw a comparison between Vedanta and Bhakti Yoga.
There is only a small technical difference. Sri Shankaracharya has used the term “Bhakti” as
an equivalent to what is normally called Vedantic enquiry. Enquiry is viewed as a form of
worship. Enquiry requires knowledge first, wheras worship does not. The two approaches
only start from different origins, but end at the same point, namely, complete union with
the Self, which is the culmination of Bhakti, whether Vedantic (Advaitic) or Dwaitic.

*****

21

1.5 APPROACHING ONE’S GURU

(Verse 32b-40, 9 No.)

VERSE 32 CONTINUES by introducing a totally different theme – the meeting of the
Master with his disciple. From here on, in nine exquisite verses of great poetic beauty, the
themes covered are:
i) The Guru: – what is it that makes him so sought after by an aspirant.
ii) The Disciple: – what openness and humility marks him out to receive the teaching.
iii) Their Sacred Relationship: The greatness of the love and devotion that is the basis
of the Guru-disciple relationship.
To Shankaracharyaji, this is something unimaginably sacred. Truly, Sri Shankara-
charyaji considers himself blessed to speak on behalf of both the Guru and the disciple on a
topic upon which hinges the perpetuation of a sacred Parampara on earth – an unbroken
lineage of realized sages that has preserved this great knowledge in India and the world.

Verse 32b: The Reason for Approaching a Guru

E£üxÉÉkÉlÉxÉqmÉ³ÉxiÉ¨uÉÎeÉ¥ÉÉxÉÑUÉiqÉlÉÈ |
EmÉxÉÏSåªÒÂÇ mÉëÉ¥ÉÇ rÉxqÉÉ¯lkÉÌuÉqÉÉå¤ÉhÉqÉç || 32.2||

3
ukta saadhana sampannah One who has the above-mentioned qualifications
4
tattva jijnaasuh aatmanah; and is anxious to know the Self,
5
upaseeded gurum praajnam should approach a preceptor learned in this field,
6
yasmaad bandha vimokshhanam. by which (contact) one is released from bondage.

This is the second part of Verse 32. A new theme of approaching the Guru begins.
3-6 The focus is the approach of the disciple to his Guru, and the Guru’s response to
it. It forms a most revealing aspect of Vedantic discipleship. It is such a sensitive aspect that
Sri Shankaracharyaji very soon drops his intellectual pen and picks up the thread in some of
the most magnificent poetry written in Samskrit. The poet in the author comes to the fore in
dealing with the sheer beauty of the relationship between the Master and the truly yearning
disciple.

Verse 33: The Qualifications of a Guru

´ÉÉåÌ§ÉrÉÉåÅuÉ×ÎeÉlÉÉåÅMüÉqÉWûiÉÉå rÉÉå oÉë¼ÌuÉ¨ÉqÉÈ |
oÉë¼hrÉÑmÉUiÉÈ zÉÉliÉÉå ÌlÉËUlkÉlÉ CuÉÉlÉsÉÈ |
AWåûiÉÑMüSrÉÉÍxÉlkÉÑoÉïlkÉÑUÉlÉqÉiÉÉÇ xÉiÉÉqÉç || 33||

22

1
shrotriyah avrijinah akaama i) One well-versed in scriptures, sinless and unsmitten
2
hatah yah brahmavittamah; by desires; ii) who is a full knower of the Supreme,
3
brahmani uparatah shaantah abiding peacefully in the Supreme,
4
nirindhanah iva analah; like fire that is devoid of fuel; iii) who is an
5
ahetuka dayaa sindhuh ocean of mercy needing no cause for its expression;
6
bandhuh aanamataam sataam. and iv) is an intimate friend to the good and humble.

1-6 This verse provides the Guru Lakshana or the signs by which a Guru may be
recognised. The words of Gurudev, Swami Chinmayanandaji are themselves quoted here:
“Shankaracharyaji exhausts his list of adjectives in enumerating the qualities of the
true Guru. It is well-known that in all constitutions, laws are prescribed for both the
governers and the governed. Since this is a text laying down the rules for spiritual progress,
Shankaracharyaji is as vehement in prescribing the specifications for a true and honest
teacher as he is in describing the prerequisites for a true spiritual aspirant.”
Acharyaji himself in all humility could not dwell for too long on such a theme. “Who
am I to judge the Divine Teachers?” – with that he desisted from saying anything further,
allowing the greatness of the Guru as expressed in this verse, to go directly to our hearts. He
directed us to our role of perfecting our discipleship rather than judging the Guru. It was
most touching to feel with Acharyaji his reverence for this unique and delicate relationship.
And thus we pass one of the most comprehensive verses we are ever likely to find in
literature on the greatness of the Guru.

Verse 34: The Attitude of the Disciple

iÉqÉÉUÉkrÉ aÉÑÂÇ pÉYirÉÉ mÉëÀûmÉë´ÉrÉxÉåuÉlÉæÈ |
mÉëxÉ³ÉÇ iÉqÉlÉÑmÉëÉmrÉ mÉ×cNåûe¥ÉÉiÉurÉqÉÉiqÉlÉÈ || 34||

1
tamaaraadhya gurum bhaktyaa Such a preceptor, when worshipped with devotion,
2
prahva prashraya sevanaih; when with surrender, humility and service
3
prasannam tam anupraapya he is pleased, he should be approached
4
prichchhet jnaatavyam aatmanah. and asked to explain that which has to be known.

1-2 After reaching such a Guru, what does the disciple do? He spends time to serve
him with humility and surrender at his holy feet. Living with such a high soul is itself an
education.
3-4 In due course, the student begins to understand and appreciate the great love
that his Guru always has for him. The student’s knots are untied. He opens himself to his
Guru. The Guru, too, has had time to observe the growth of his student. When the disciple
thus sees that the Guru is pleased, he chooses an appropriate moment to approach him . . .
“Guruji, can I ask something?”
“Yes, my child, what is it?”
And thus the most important dialogue ever in a disciple’s life is begun.

23

Verse 35: The Disciple’s Prayer

ÍzÉwrÉ EuÉÉcÉ |
xuÉÉÍqÉ³ÉqÉxiÉå lÉiÉsÉÉåMüoÉlkÉÉå
MüÉÂhrÉÍxÉlkÉÉå mÉÌiÉiÉÇ pÉuÉÉokÉÉæ |
qÉÉqÉÑ®UÉiqÉÏrÉMüOûÉ¤ÉSØwšÉ
GeurÉÉÌiÉMüÉÂhrÉxÉÑkÉÉÍpÉuÉ×wšÉ || 35||

0
shishhya uvaacha; The Disciple says:
1
svaamin namah te
nata-lokabandhah
O Master, salutation to Thee!
O kinsman of those who surrender to Thee!
2
kaarunya-sindho patitam
bhavaabdhau;
O Thou, the ocean of mercy to those
fallen in the “Sea of Change”;
3
maam uddhara aatmeeya
kataakshha drishhtyaa
Save my soul; (even if it be only)
with a side-glance of Thy eyes,
4
rijvyaa ati kaarunya
sudhaabhi vrishhtyaa.
directed at me, full of compassion,
raining the nectarine Grace supreme.

1-2 The poetic shift is immediately palpable. We are in another realm altogether,
beyond that of the intellect. The disciple offers worship first.
3-4 Then, as though with some hesitation, he asks for something that would cause
least trouble to his Guru – just a passing glance of Grace!
What drives him to seek his Guru’s Grace? We shall see that and, more importantly,
the significance of the “nectarine rain of Grace” in the next verse.

Verse 36: His Painful Encounter in the World

SÒuÉÉïUxÉÇxÉÉUSuÉÉÎalÉiÉmiÉÇ
SÉåkÉÔrÉqÉÉlÉÇ SÒUSØ¹uÉÉiÉæÈ |
pÉÏiÉÇ mÉëmÉ³ÉÇ mÉËUmÉÉÌWû qÉ×irÉÉåÈ
zÉUhrÉqÉlrÉ±SWÇû lÉ eÉÉlÉå || 36||

1
durvaara samsaara
davaagnitaptam
I am being roasted in this changing world
as though by a blazing inferno;
2
dodhooyamaanam
duradrishhtavaataih;
I am being tossed about
by the cruel storms of misfortune;
3
bheetam prapannam
paripaahi mrityoh
I am terrified and I seek refuge in thee;
O Lord! Save me from the throes of death;
4
sharanyam anyad
yad aham na jaane.
Thou art my safe refuge for shelter – a safer
abode I know not.”

Owing to the urgency of the call for help, this verse is recited at almost twice the
normal speed to match the spirit of the disciple’s desperation. It also has a pulsating3
rhythm to it.

24

1-4 Most significant to all aspirants is his cry for help. He sends out an S.O.S. signal.
He sees himself hurled in the midst of an ocean. He is lost. There is a surge of fear in his
words. The only thing that will help his struggle is a compassionate glance from his Guru.
The disciple’s state may be compared with that of a person who has just suffered
from third degree burns being hastened to the emergency department in a hospital. There is
no time to waste. Such is the intensity of the disciple’s feeling to be liberated.
Acharyaji’s account tried to capture the poetry, too. “Misfortunes are rattling me,
they are violently shaking me. It is as though Fire is picking me up and hurling me back into
the fire! Now I am getting frightened. I surrender completely to thee. Save me! Another
refuge I do not know. I seek refuge in thee to free me from this blazing fire.”
Now we can understand why he described, in the previous verse, the Guru’s glance
as being ‘nectarine rain’. Feeling worldly existence as a blazing inferno in which he is
roasting, a Monsoonal rain of Grace alone would bring relief to him. Poetry alone can
express this.
The Guru is held in the highest esteem here. The disciple is not begging him for
anything selfish. He seeks liberation – that which the Guru is most delighted to deliver, for it
is that alone which has brought Guru and disciple together by God’s mysterious Hand.
Acharyaji prayerfully ended with a line brimming with gratitude: “May the Guru help
us, too! How can we leave such a teacher? Leave him and know that spiritual death is
certain.”

Verse 37: Acknowledging the Goodness of Saints

zÉÉliÉÉ qÉWûÉliÉÉå ÌlÉuÉxÉÎliÉ xÉliÉÉå
uÉxÉliÉuÉssÉÉåMüÌWûiÉÇ cÉUliÉÈ |
iÉÏhÉÉïÈ xuÉrÉÇ pÉÏqÉpÉuÉÉhÉïuÉÇ
eÉlÉÉlÉWåûiÉÑlÉÉlrÉÉlÉÌmÉ iÉÉUrÉliÉÈ || 37||

1
shaantaah mahaantah
nivasanti santah
Peaceful and magnanimous
are the lives of saintly souls.
2
vasantavat
lokahitam charantah;
Like the spring season,
they live only for the good of humanity.
3
teernaah svayam
bheemabhavaarnavam
They have by their own efforts crossed over
the dreadfully vast ocean of Samsara.
4
janaan ahetunaa anyaan api
taarayantah.
Now, with no ulterior motive,
they help other people also to cross over.

The disciple has approached the Guru, and now Sri Shankaracharyaji has his chance
to extol the Guru. His heart overflows with the remembrance of his own Guru.
1a There is a calmness and peacefulness about the Guru, free from all agitation.
1b He is non-judgmental, accepting, open to all who come to him with sincere
yearning. Magnanimous sums up his personality.
2 They are like the spring season for the good of humanity. In spring everything looks
so fresh – even the grass stretches itself tall and smiles to all. The grasshoppers prance

25

about in joy. All nature seems to be celebrating. To such a fresh and cool season is the
Guru’s temperament compared.
3-4 They have been through the mill, as it were, and are now ready to help others to
cross the dangerous chasm of worldly pitfalls. A tribute is paid to the “Guru” in the
Mahatma. How caring he can be to young seekers! The Guru is completely selfless in
assisting other seekers. There are no strings attached to his service of them. Indeed, such
Masters are very rare.

Verse 38: The Service Rendered by the Guru

ArÉÇ xuÉpÉÉuÉÈ xuÉiÉ LuÉ rÉiÉç
mÉU´ÉqÉÉmÉlÉÉåSmÉëuÉhÉÇ qÉWûÉiqÉlÉÉqÉç |
xÉÑkÉÉÇzÉÑUåwÉ xuÉrÉqÉMïüMüMïüzÉ-
mÉëpÉÉÍpÉiÉmiÉÉqÉuÉÌiÉ Í¤ÉÌiÉÇ ÌMüsÉ || 38||

1
ayam svabhaavah svatah eva yat Indeed, it is their natural nature to be so –
2
parashramaapana udapravanam
mahaatmanaam;
to remove the troubles of others is the
inclination of magnanimous souls;
3
sudhaamshuh eshha svayam
arkakarkasha- prabhaabhi taptaam
The moon is seen to express its own nature:
Scorched by the flaming rays of the sun,
4
avati kshhitim kila. the earth is cooled by the moon, is it not?

Another beautiful simile is used to describe the soothing, calming influence of the
Guru – the moon. The disciple’s predicament has been described as “being scorched by
fire”. What better antidote for his pain than the cooling comfort provided by the moon!
A quote from Swami Chinmayanandaji himself was read out in class, as they were
unmatched in their beauty: “A man of full realization instinctively becomes a lover of the
whole universe. He may dwell in a cave in the Himalayas or he may walk about in the
market-place – wherever he be, irresistibly, instinctively, he will spread around him an aura
of knowledge, light, cheer, joy and peace. It is his very nature.”

Verse 39: The Soothing Words of the Guru

oÉë¼ÉlÉlSUxÉÉlÉÑpÉÔÌiÉMüÍsÉiÉæÈ mÉÔiÉæÈ xÉÑzÉÏiÉærÉÑïiÉæ-
rÉÑïwqÉ²É‚üsÉzÉÉåÎefÉiÉæÈ ´ÉÑÌiÉxÉÑZÉæuÉÉïYrÉÉqÉ×iÉæÈ xÉåcÉrÉ |
xÉliÉmiÉÇ pÉuÉiÉÉmÉSÉuÉSWûlÉeuÉÉsÉÉÍpÉUålÉÇ mÉëpÉÉå
kÉlrÉÉxiÉå pÉuÉSÏ¤ÉhÉ¤ÉhÉaÉiÉåÈ mÉÉ§ÉÏM×üiÉÉÈ xuÉÏM×üiÉÉÈ || 39||

1
brahmaananda rasa anubhooti
kalitaih,
pootaih susheetairyutaih
The experience of the elixir-like Bliss of Brahman,
which has sweetened,
purified and cooled
2
yushhmad vaak kalasha
ujjhitaih shrutisukhai,
vaakyaamritaih sechaya;
thy speech, making it issue as from a pitcher,
in streams from Thy lips, delightful to listen to –
do thou shower such nectar-like speech (on me)!

26

3
santaptam bhava taapadaava
dahana jvaalaabhih
enam prabho;
For tormented am I by earthly afflictions
as by the tongues of a forest fire,
O Lord, do Thou bless this (i.e. me)!
4
dhanyaah te bhava
deekshhanakshhanagateh,
paatreekritaah sveekritaah.
Blessed are they who
receive even a passing glance from Thy eyes,
and accept it as an assurance of Thy protection!

In the two last verses of this chapter, we return to the outpourings of the disciple’s
heart.
1 The first point about this verse is the fitting usage of words: The first line has a
sweet melody in it, appropriate to “the nectarine speech, honeyed by the elixiric bliss.” The
words chosen are soft sounding.
2 Kalaasha: “pitcher, water-jug”. This literal translation does not do justice to the
Samskrit word. Kalasha is a sacred vessel, used for doing poojas in the temple. The holiness
associated with it is the real tribute paid to the Guru by using this word. The metaphor is
that the words from the Guru’s lips are as if coming out of a sacred vessel in his throat!
Sechaya: “sprinkle”. There is also a delicate touch added here to describe how the
Grace comes from the Guru. It becomes an action reminiscent of worship, where water is
sprinkled in all directions.
3 Then in the third line, the forest fire and earthly afflictions are described. The
meter is quickened, the words chosen have a snappy tone about them – “Santaptam”,
“Bhava-taapa-dava-dahana”, “Jwala-bhir-enam”.
4 In the last line the cooling comfort of the passing glance is described in rhythmic
words as “Deekshana-kshana-gate” and “Patreekrita Sweekrita”.
That is why they are said to be oozing out of the sacred kalasha vessel!

Verse 40: An Ardent Request to the Guru

MüjÉÇ iÉUårÉÇ pÉuÉÍxÉlkÉÑqÉåiÉÇ
MüÉ uÉÉ aÉÌiÉqÉåï MüiÉqÉÉåÅxirÉÑmÉÉrÉÈ |
eÉÉlÉå lÉ ÌMüÎgcÉiM×ümÉrÉÉÅuÉ qÉÉÇ mÉëpÉÉå
xÉÇxÉÉUSÒÈZÉ¤ÉÌiÉqÉÉiÉlÉÑwuÉ || 40||

1
katham tareyam
bhavasindhum etam
How do I cross
this ocean of relative existence?
2
kaa vaa gatih me
katamah asti upaayah;
What is to be my ultimate destination?
Which of the many means should I adopt?
3
jaane na kinchit
kripayaa ava maam prabho
I know nothing of these,
Please save me, O Lord!
4
samsaara duhkha kshhatim
aatanushhva.
How to end the misery of this life in the finite,
kindly describe this to me in detail.

The disciple continues to express what he would like the Guru to do for him. His
humility is pure and unaffected. There is no trace of hypocrisy in his attitude or in the words
he has chosen. He is artless, guileless, unpretentious.

27

He does not face his Guru as a learned person. He “does not know anything” – that is
his posture before his Guru.
In the last line the disciple sums up by expressing his wish to end the misery of living
“life in the finite”. He awaits the life Infinite with eagerness, as it was explained to him by
the Guru. He cannot wait to get all the details of such a life.
In short, the Sishya or disciple places himself on the operation table and pleads to
the surgeon, his Guru, to perform the necessary operation. We have to give Shankaracharya
full marksfor communicating so beautifully the delicate emotions between Guru and Sishya.

*****

28

1.6 LOVING ADVICE OF THE GURU

(Verses 41-47, 7 No.)

THE CHAPTER ON Guru Upasadana has ended. Now the Guru Upadesha begins.
The immediate prescription to such a disciple who has just poured out his heart to
the Master is to offer him hope, not in words but through a warm, inviting, loving attitude.
The Guru responds unpremeditatedly, and embraces the disciple with love and
kindness. This is the most understood language that stands for hope and protection. In
words, it is like saying, “Welcome, my child, I promise to help you!”

Verse 41: The Guru Responds Spontaneously

iÉjÉÉ uÉSliÉÇ zÉUhÉÉaÉiÉÇ xuÉÇ
xÉÇxÉÉUSÉuÉÉlÉsÉiÉÉmÉiÉmiÉqÉç |
ÌlÉUÏ¤rÉ MüÉÂhrÉUxÉÉSìïSØwšÉ
S±ÉSpÉÏÌiÉÇ xÉWûxÉÉ qÉWûÉiqÉÉ || 41||

1
tathaa vadantam
sharanaagatam svam
In this manner, he (the Disciple) speaks
of his own desire to seek the protection of his Guru
2
samsaaradaavaa
anala taapataptam;
from the forest of Samsara (worldliness),
in the fire of which he is being tormented.
3
nireekshhya kaarunya
rasaardra drishhtyaa
Showering him with a look of pity and kindness,
he (the Guru), beholding him in this pitiful state,
4
dadyaad abheetim
sahasaa mahaatmaa.
bestows upon him protection from fear,
as a spontaneous gesture of his large-heartedness.

Verse 42: No Need for Further Qualifications

ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç xÉ iÉxqÉÉ EmÉxÉÌ¨ÉqÉÏrÉÑwÉå
qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉuÉå xÉÉkÉÑ rÉjÉÉå£üMüÉËUhÉå |
mÉëzÉÉliÉÍcÉ¨ÉÉrÉ zÉqÉÉÎluÉiÉÉrÉ
iÉ¨uÉÉåmÉSåzÉÇ M×ümÉrÉæuÉ MÑürÉÉïiÉç || 42||

1
vidvaan sah tasmai
upasattim eeyushhe
The learned one, to such a seeker standing before him,
i) who has thus approached him;
2
mumukshhave saadhu
yathoktakaarine;
ii) who has rightly determined to seek;
iii) who has abided by the protocol on procedure;
3
prashaanta chittaaya
shamaanvitaaya
iv) who possesses a serene mind,
v) and who is endowed with tranquillity –
4
tattva upadesham
kripayaa eva kuryaat.
the instruction about the Reality should be
imparted with utmost kindness as an act of Grace.

29

1-4 These lines confirm the presence of Sadhana Chatushtaya in the disciple. There is
already the full qualification in every breath of the disciple. What need is there for further
testing? In such a situation, with the disciple panting for a refreshing breath of knowledge,
the Guru steps forward into his life as on a rescue operation. The sense of urgency is in the
air. There is not a moment to waste.
The rarest, finest human aspiration has to be met by the rarest and finest response
of acceptance and kindness. When the demand is there, the supply has to come, too.

Verse 43: The Guru Expresses his Confidence

´ÉÏaÉÑÂuÉÉcÉ |
qÉÉ pÉæ¹ ÌuÉ²ÇxiÉuÉ lÉÉxirÉmÉÉrÉÈ
xÉÇxÉÉUÍxÉlkÉÉåxiÉUhÉåÅxirÉÑmÉÉrÉÈ |
rÉålÉæuÉ rÉÉiÉÉ rÉiÉrÉÉåÅxrÉ mÉÉUÇ
iÉqÉåuÉ qÉÉaÉïÇ iÉuÉ ÌlÉÌSïzÉÉÍqÉ || 43||

0
shreeguruvaacha; The Guru says:
1
maa bhaishhta vidvan
tava na asti apaayah
Fear not, O brilliant one!
For you there is no danger.
2
samsaarasindhoh tarane
asti upaayah;
To cross over this ocean of worldliness,
there is a way.
3
yena eva yaataah yatayah
asya paaram
By this way alone have all the saints
crossed over this world.
4
tam eva maargam
tava nirdishaami.
That very same Path (that they all have trodden)
I shall unfold to you (who are the fit person for it).

1 Fear of failure is allayed from the student at once. He is praised for his intellectual
courage to spurn the wide world of attractions, and seek his salvation from the clutches of
Maya. The Guru shows his confidence in the disciple: “There may be danger for the one who
still has attraction for pleasures, but for you there is none, for your dispassion is like fire –
nothing can withstand it.”
Let us keep in mind that what follows is spontaneous. It is not a strategically worked
out plan to ‘lure’ anyone. Here is human trust at its noblest and most refined. This is how it
unfolds itself as Nature intended it to:
2 Fear is answered with words of hope – “There IS a way out of this mess. Come, I
will show it to you.”
3-4 Is the disciple going to be a “guinea-pig” of the Guru? No, the Guru is not going
to experiment with his disciple. He is giving him a life-line which has been time-honoured
and proven to work by innumerable Rishis of the past. There is no question of the blind
leading the blind here. Using authentic methods, the disciple is offered all the assistance he
needs.
The journey to the Beyond is the most worthwhile journey to be made with this
vehicle of the human body.

30

Verse 44: The Supreme Means to Supreme Bliss

AxirÉÑmÉÉrÉÉå qÉWûÉlMüÍ¶ÉixÉÇxÉÉUpÉrÉlÉÉzÉlÉÈ |
iÉålÉ iÉÏiuÉÉï pÉuÉÉqpÉÉåÍkÉÇ mÉUqÉÉlÉlSqÉÉmxrÉÍxÉ || 44||

1
asti upaayah mahaan kashchit There is one supreme means
2
samsaara bhaya naashanah; capable of destroying the fear of Samsara;
3
tena teertvaa bhavaam-bhodhim by which you will cross the sea of Samsara
4
paramaanandam aapsyasi. and attain supreme Bliss.

1-2 This is the means. There is a certainty in it, due to which there is simply no room
for even a trace of fear on this path.
3-4 And what is the assurance given? It will spell the end of your tossing ride on the
waves of Samsara. “You will succeed!” There is no doubt whatsoever.
On this solid foundation, begins the Master’s great teaching…

Verse 45: The Foundational Texts Glorified

uÉåSÉliÉÉjÉïÌuÉcÉÉUåhÉ eÉÉrÉiÉå ¥ÉÉlÉqÉÑ¨ÉqÉqÉç |
iÉålÉÉirÉÎliÉMüxÉÇxÉÉUSÒÈZÉlÉÉzÉÉå pÉuÉirÉlÉÑ || 45||

1
vedaanta artha vichaarena By contemplating upon the meaning of the Upanishads
2
jaayate jnaanam uttamam; is born the highest knowledge (of the Supreme Reality)
3
tena aatyantika samsaara by which the endless world of names and forms
4
duhkha naashah bhavati anu. with all its sorrows is immediately brought to an end.

1-2 The correct bottle of medicine is pulled out of the shelf by the consummate
Master. As we said earlier, this is not a time for experimenting. The medicine has been tried
and tested, not on animals as today’s drugs are tested, but on great seekers. The results
have been published in every Upanishad in the form of Mantras.
3-4 Naashah: “annihilation”. The word is justifiably selected. This medicine will
totally annihilate all traces of the disease of delusion and sorrow. That is a guarantee.
Sorrow is removed at its very root. The destruction is once and for all. “You will be fearless
forever!” assures the Master.
Once a match is struck in a cave, no matter how ancient the darkness was, it
disappears in an instant!

Verse 46: What the Disciple is Required to Do

´É®ÉpÉÌ£ükrÉÉlÉrÉÉåaÉÉlqÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÉåÈ qÉÑ£åüUç-
WåiÉÔluÉÌ£ü xÉÉ¤ÉÉcNíÓûiÉåaÉÏïÈ |
rÉÉå uÉÉ LiÉåwuÉåuÉ ÌiÉ¸irÉqÉÑwrÉ
qÉÉå¤ÉÉåÅÌuÉ±ÉMüÎsmÉiÉÉ¬åWûoÉlkÉÉiÉç || 46||

31

1
shraddhaa bhakti dhyaana
yogaan mumukshhoh mukteh
Faith in the paths of devotion, meditation and
Yoga, coupled with intense longing for liberation –
2
hetoon vakti saakshhaat
shruteh geeh;
these are the chief factors mentioned clearly
in the words of the scriptures.
3
yo vaa eteshhu eva
tishhthati amushhya
Whoever he be, in these alone
stand his hopes
4
mokshhah avidyaa kalpitaad
deha bandhaat.
of liberation from the ignorance-created
bondage to the body.

The important point in this verse is that an attitude of enquiry is strongly suggested
for each of the three stages of Sadhana.
1 The three things needed are as follows:
Shraddha: “Faith”. This indicates the attitude needed for Sravana, listening to the
Guru or the scriptures. This is the ‘yes-ness’ towards what the scriptures and the Guru are
saying to us. That which the teacher says is cherished as valuable.
Bhakti: “Devotion”. This indicates the attitude needed for Manana, which is the
process of reflection upon Sravana. In this stage, the knowledge that has been heard is
‘masticated’ and thoroughly assimilated and digested. This requires the digestive juice of
devotion to go along with it. Without devotion Manana is fruitless and dry.
Dhyana: “Meditation”. This indicates the attitude to have for Nididhyasana. Indeed,
the latter is often described as meditation itself. The digested material is now absorbed by
the system and it goes to nourish every cell of the Sadhaka’s spirit. This requires total
attention and focus on the inner transformation that occurs. The introspective mind is
needed for such an accomplishment, and this comes only in a mind that delights in
meditation.
The word ‘Yoga’ in the text follows these three. It means ‘union’. It can be paired up
with all three words together with their respective Sadhanas, to obtain Shraddha-Sravana
Yoga, Bhakti-Manana Yoga, and Dhyana-Nididhyasana Yoga.
Some commentators also regard it as a fourth quality needed in the Sadhana at the
fourth stage, which is Samadhi. In this stage the mind is fully absorbed in the Self.
Nididhyasana has culminated by bringing the Sadhaka to the stage of complete abidance in
the Self. This is union of the individual self to the Supreme Self, which is Yoga at the highest
level. That could be a second interpretation, which is also quite valid.
2-4 The verse gives the assurance that whoever pursues the Sadhana with these
three attitudes, is certain to be liberated.

Verse 47: Roles of Ignorance & Knowledge

A¥ÉÉlÉrÉÉåaÉÉimÉUqÉÉiqÉlÉxiÉuÉ
½lÉÉiqÉoÉlkÉxiÉiÉ LuÉ xÉÇxÉ×ÌiÉÈ |
iÉrÉÉåÌuÉïuÉåMüÉåÌSiÉoÉÉåkÉuÉÌ»ûÈ
A¥ÉÉlÉMüÉrÉïÇ mÉëSWåûixÉqÉÔsÉqÉç || 47||

32

1
ajnaanayogaat
paramaatmanah tava
Through contact with Ignorance
you, who are the Supreme Self
2
hi anaatma bandhah
tatah eva samsritih;
indeed, experience the bondage of the not-Self;
from this alone proceed birth and death.
3
tayoh vivekah
uditabodha vahnih
By discriminating between these two (Self and not-Self),
the blaze of knowledge arises;
4
ajnaana kaaryam
pradahet samoolam.
(then) the effects of ignorance
are burnt down together with their very roots.

The Acharya in Shankaracharyaji here uses his experience to guide the student. Every
student faces the difficulty of correctly assessing the hurdle that he has to conquer. The
danger of over-exaggerating the problem is addressed in this verse.
1-2 The Problem: To limit the extent of this danger, the Acharya wisely tells the
student, “Come, it is nothing very serious, you have not done anything really wrong. You
have not committed any offence or crime. It is just that this ‘Ignorance’ which dominates
man’s mind, has made you identify with the body and has made you insecure; that is all.
From that the whole world drama has been set afoot.
3-4 The Solution: The Acharya continues: “Now you do just one thing – do careful
Viveka. I am not going to ask you to do any severe austerities, etc. That is not for you. You
just stick to Viveka for a while and your problems will be burnt away by the ‘blaze of
knowledge’ that will arise.”
Sometimes it is the small instructions that are most useful to spiritual aspirants. We
tend to overlook them. A good Teacher builds up the wall of knowledge one brick at a time.

Prashna Beeja: The Seed of the Disciple’s Questions
This verse has the predetermined effect of arousing some basic questions in the ripe
student’s mind. Several new ideas are thrown at him, and the teacher expects them to
rebound to him in the form of questions.
That does indeed happen. And virtually the rest of Viveka Choodamani is an answer
to those questions . . .

*****

33

1.7 THE DISCIPLE’S QUESTIONS

(Verses 48-55, 8 No.)

BEFORE OPENING THE ‘Question Box’ of the student, it is noteworthy to see the
nobility of his mind from his words up to this point. We know that this student has the three
basic noble virtues for studentship:
a) He is self-disciplined. The true meaning of being a disciple is to submit voluntarily
to the discipline asked by the Guru.
b) He is not a moral wreck. He has lived his life according to the Shastras to the best
of his ability. We know that he has followed the scriptural rules in obtaining whatever he
desired in the world.
c) He is noble-minded. He is making a sincere effort to emulate the conduct of the
great, the noble, the wise. They are his role models.
When such a student used to approach Pujya Gurudev (Swami Chinmayanandaji), he
used to say at once, “Shoot!” meaning “Fire away. I am ready to answer.”

Verse 48: Hope Prompts the Disciple’s Questions

ÍzÉwrÉ EuÉÉcÉ |
M×ümÉrÉÉ ´ÉÔrÉiÉÉÇ xuÉÉÍqÉlmÉëzlÉÉåÅrÉÇ Ì¢ürÉiÉå qÉrÉÉ |
rÉSÒ¨ÉUqÉWÇû ´ÉÑiuÉÉ M×üiÉÉjÉïÈ xrÉÉÇ pÉuÉlqÉÑZÉÉiÉç || 48||

0
shishhya uvaacha; The Disciple says:
1
kripayaa shrooyataam svaamin Kindly listen, O Master,
2
prashnah ayam kriyate mayaa; to these Questions being posed by me;
3
yad uttaram aham shritvaa On hearing the reply to them coming
4
kritaarthah syaam bhavanmukhaat. from your own mouth, I shall be satisfied.

1-4 This student phrases his appeal very intelligently and reverentially, not with
‘hands in his pocket’. He begs his Master to listen to his questions, and carefully ensures
that he hears the answers from his own lips; that he is not asked to go and “google” it for
himself. He is confident his Master will clear all his doubts to his satisfaction.

Verse 49: The Disciple’s Seven Questions

MüÉå lÉÉqÉ oÉlkÉÈ MüjÉqÉåwÉ AÉaÉiÉÈ
MüjÉÇ mÉëÌiÉ¸ÉxrÉ MüjÉÇ ÌuÉqÉÉå¤ÉÈ |
MüÉåÅxÉÉuÉlÉÉiqÉÉ mÉUqÉÈ Mü AÉiqÉÉ
iÉrÉÉåÌuÉïuÉåMüÈ MüjÉqÉåiÉSÒcrÉiÉÉqÉç || 49||

34

1
1. kah naama bandhah;
2. katham eshha aagatah;
i) “What is this BONDAGE?
ii) How has it come into being?
2
3. katham pratishhthaasya;
4. katham vimokshhah;
iii) How does it continue to stay?
iv) How can one get out of it completely?
3
5. kah asau anaatmaa;
6. paramah kah aatmaa;
v) What is the not-Self?
vi) What is the Supreme Self?
4
7. tayoh vivekah katham;
etad uchyataam.
vii) How do I discriminate between these two?
Please explain all these to me.”

1-4 This is regarded as the verse upon which the rest of the book hinges. It is the
King-pin of the whole book. [Acharyaji asked the class to memorise the verse by the
following morning.]
We see the rapid build up of trust in the disciple for his Guru – within the relatively
short space of 10 verses), the student is ready to fire 7 important questions. That certainly is
a measure of the comfort he feels in being in the presence of his Guru.
We do not need to add commentary on the questions here, as the whole book will
answer them little by little. We only need to understand the mind-set of the ripe aspirant,
who is seen here to be the one who knows a little of the basics of the subject, but not well
enough to clear all his doubts. Such a student is ripe for Vedantic study.
There are seven Questions in all. Really speaking, they can all be summed up into
one major question: “Please solve my problem in life?”
The device used in Viveka Choodamani is the DIALOGUE, or Q & A format.

Verse 50: The Guru Appreciates the Questions

´ÉÏaÉÑÂuÉÉcÉ |
kÉlrÉÉåÅÍxÉ M×üiÉM×üirÉÉåÅÍxÉ mÉÉÌuÉiÉÇ iÉå MÑüsÉÇ iuÉrÉÉ |
rÉSÌuÉ±ÉoÉlkÉqÉÑYirÉÉ oÉë¼ÏpÉÌuÉiÉÑÍqÉcNûÍxÉ || 50||

shreeguruvaacha; The Guru says:
1
dhanyah asi kritakrityah asi Blessed are you! You have fulfilled your life!
2
paavitam te kulam tvayaa; By you is your whole clan sanctified.
3
yat avidyaa bandha muktyaa By freeing yourself from the bondage of ignorance,
4
brahmeebhavitum ichchhasi. you wish to attain the absolute Brahman!

There will be time enough to deal with the issues raised, but here the matter of the
moment is to capture the Guru’s appreciation of such a bright student, who epitomizes the
alert and enquiring student of Vedanta.
1-2 “Congratulations! Blessed are you, indeed!....You have fulfilled your life!...Your
whole lineage is purified!” The Guru simply gushes forth with exuberance!
3-4 The Guru sees through these seven questions the earnest desire to get rid of
Ignorance. He sees all the favourable signs in the disciple. His Sadhana Chatushtaya is
amazing. He is like a ripe fruit – and it now cannot take long for the fruit to fall!

35

The Guru is filled to the brim with appreciation for such a student.
Only one verse to congratulate the disciple . . .
Now the job begins in earnest for the “master craftsman” in the Guru. Without any
ado, he places the responsibility straight into the hands of the disciple.

Lesson: SELF-RELIANCE
“The Ball is Always in Your Court” – says the Guru.

This is the theme of his very first three verses, which we take together:

Verse 51: Simile 1: Clearing Financial Debt

GhÉqÉÉåcÉlÉMüiÉÉïUÈ ÌmÉiÉÑÈ xÉÎliÉ xÉÑiÉÉSrÉÈ |
oÉlkÉqÉÉåcÉlÉMüiÉÉï iÉÑ xuÉxqÉÉSlrÉÉå lÉ Mü¶ÉlÉ || 51||

1
rinamochana kartaarah To relieve one from debts and obligations,
2
pituh santi sutaadayah; the father or the sons are there to help;
3
bandha-mochana-kartaa tu But, to redeem one from bondage,
4
svasmaat anyah na kashchana. there is no person other than oneself.

Verse 52: Simile 2: The Load on One’s Head

qÉxiÉMülrÉxiÉpÉÉUÉSåSÒïÈZÉqÉlrÉæÌlÉïuÉÉrÉïiÉå |
¤ÉÑkÉÉÌSM×üiÉSÒÈZÉÇ iÉÑ ÌuÉlÉÉ xuÉålÉ lÉ MåülÉÍcÉiÉç || 52||

5
mastak anyah tabhaaraadeh The load that is placed on one’s head
6
duhkham anyaih nivaaryate; causes fatigue that can be relieved by others;
7
kshhudhaadi krita duhkham tu but the pangs caused by hunger
8
vinaa svena na kenachit. can end by no one except oneself.

Verse 53: Simile 3: Treatment in Illness

mÉjrÉqÉÉæwÉkÉxÉåuÉÉ cÉ Ì¢ürÉiÉå rÉålÉ UÉåÌaÉhÉÉ |
AÉUÉåarÉÍxÉÎ®SØï¹ÉÅxrÉ lÉÉlrÉÉlÉÑÌ¸iÉMüqÉïhÉÉ || 53||

9
pathyam aushhadhasevaa cha The right diet and proper medicine,
10
kriyate yena roginaa; when followed faithfully by the patient,
11
aarogya siddhih drishhtaa asya alone leads to his recovery from illness;
12
na anya anushhthita karmanaa. not when the treatment is taken by another!

Sadhana is not a team endeavour. We have to do it for ourselves (notwithstanding
that doing Sadhana with others can be of great help).

36

The three examples quoted here give adequate clarity on the need to take full
responsibility for one’s spiritual growth. Only someone who is not sincere will have a
problem with that. For the sincere, this self-effort is given with great joy – hence the theme
of this section is “Self-reliance”.
As one progresses, one reaches greater heights of understanding of oneself. There is
so much of joy just in treading the path, however difficult it may appear to be from the
ordinary standpoint. The spiritual aspirant finds joy in things which are usually considered a
drudgery by the worldly-minded.
From this perspective, these verses are clearly superfluous for the kind of disciple we
have in this text. The lesson is for us, the readers, who may still have the mentality of
bargaining with God for some favours.

Verse 54: Simile 4: Seeing the Moon Oneself

uÉxiÉÑxuÉÃmÉÇ xTÑüOûoÉÉåkÉcÉ¤ÉÑwÉÉ
xuÉålÉæuÉ uÉå±Ç lÉ iÉÑ mÉÎhQûiÉålÉ |
cÉlSìxuÉÃmÉÇ ÌlÉeÉcÉ¤ÉÑwÉæuÉ
¥ÉÉiÉurÉqÉlrÉæUuÉaÉqrÉiÉå ÌMüqÉç || 54||

1
vastusvaroopam
sphuta bodha chakshhushhaa
The Real nature of things is,
through the eye of clear understanding,
2
svena eva vedyam
na tu pandhitena;
to be known or experienced by oneself,
and not through men, however learned.
3
chandrasvaroopam
nija chakshhushha eva
This is just as the real form of the moon is,
through one’s own eye,
4
jnaatavyam,
anyaih avagamyate kim.
to be known or experienced;
How can it be understood in any other way?

1-2 All that has been heard about the spiritual path so far by the student serves, at
best, only as a map charting the road ahead. It does not shorten the journey by a single foot.
This fact is obvious, but when it comes from the revered lips of one’s Guru, it gives us the
strong sense that we are now embarking “on the real thing”. A great sense of commitment
and rising to the occasion is aroused in the heart of the seeker. There is eagerness
generated that might border on impatience to ‘get on with it’.
3-4 The Guru has chosen as his example the actual sighting of the moon instead of
hearing about it from someone else. Nothing stops us from choosing our own simile:
For example, it may take months of preparation for an overseas tour. The thrill that
the traveller feels when he is actually in the air cannot be imagined – flying to his
destination, and then visiting the places he had only seen in brochures prior to that. There is
nothing like the actual experience. It is the same with the spiritual journey, and the Guru is
here whipping up the student’s appetite for it.
Such a spirit is needed at the outset, as any experienced aspirant will vouchsafe.
Hence, there is merit in the Guru’s words; he is only creating the right feeling in the mind of
the disciple. The thrill of the spiritual adventure has to grip him fully.

37

Verse 55: Simile 5: The Chains of Bondage

AÌuÉ±ÉMüÉqÉMüqÉÉïÌSmÉÉzÉoÉlkÉÇ ÌuÉqÉÉåÍcÉiÉÑqÉç |
MüÈ zÉYlÉÑrÉÉÌ²lÉÉÅÅiqÉÉlÉÇ MüsmÉMüÉåÌOûzÉiÉæUÌmÉ || 55||

1
avidyaa-kaama-karmaadi Ignorance, desire and action –
2
paasha bandham vimochitum; to free oneself of the bondage resulting from these,
3
kah shaknuyaat vinaa aatmaanam who will be able to do that, except oneself?
4
kalpa koti shataih api. For they may span hundreds of crores of Kalpas!

In the context of the chapter we are in, it is not so relevant to go into a discussion of
the “chains of ignorance, desire and action”. There will be time enough for that later. Nor is
it important to concern ourselves about exactly how long ago the bondage began. The spirit
of the verse is to prepare the student’s mind for the journey that he is about to embark
upon. Here is a journey that promises to transform his life into something meaningful.
The poetry continues, unabated. A hundred crore of Kalpas? Of what relevance is
that to someone who is desperate now to get out of the scorching flames of worldliness! It
is poetry alone that is of meaning here, not the fact. Just the knowledge of having reached
such a critical juncture compared to earlier history is sufficient to motivate the student to
pour forth 100% effort towards his Sadhana in the days and months to come with his Guru.
The stage is thus set for a new phase in the life of a promising future Mahatma or
Rishi in the making.

*****

38

1.8 FREEDOM FROM BONDAGE

(Verses 56-61, 6 No.)

A NEW THEME OPENS up in this Chapter, and its verses have to be seen in the
context of that theme. If the context is ignored, then the danger lies in misinterpreting it as
criticism of other significant philosophies existing in India at the time of Sri Shankaracharya,
and in the rest of the world. This is not intended here.
Vedanta has always been grateful for what it has received from the other schools of
philosophy. It has never been critical of them. Later in this theme, one finds Vedantic
scholarship itself comes under strong criticism. Hence, we have to be very careful of how to
interpret these verses.
The instruction of the keen student has just begun. His appetite for the journey
ahead has been whipped up in the last section. Here, the Goal of liberation and that alone is
held as the aim of the ensuing study. No detraction from that is to be permitted.
Too often in the spiritual field, we find that the seeker’s mind yields to other
tempting fruits which come in the wake of his study. This whole section is intended to steer
the mind of the student away from these alluring side issues. The power of other side issues
to deflect one from the central goal is enormous, and is described in the verses that follow.
There is a good reason why blinkers are placed beside the eyes of a racehorse. It is so
that his attention is not deflected to the horses running next to him, but focussed entirely
on the running track ahead. A similar purpose is served by the verses of this chapter to keep
the mind of the seeker focussed on the one thing that matters – the Goal ahead.

Verse 56: Can Any Science or Technique Help?

lÉ rÉÉåaÉålÉ lÉ xÉÉXçZrÉålÉ MüqÉïhÉÉ lÉÉå lÉ ÌuÉ±rÉÉ |
oÉë¼ÉiqÉæMüiuÉoÉÉåkÉålÉ qÉÉå¤ÉÈ ÍxÉkrÉÌiÉ lÉÉlrÉjÉÉ || 56||

1
na yogena na saangkhyena Neither by the Science of Yoga nor Sankhya,
2
karmanaa no na vidyayaa; nor by Technique of ritual nor learning,
3
brahma-aatma ekatva bodhena but by realizing one’s identity with Brahman
4
mokshhah sidhyati na anyathaa. is liberation possible, not by any other means.

1-2 In this verse, the intention is clearly to rivet the student’s mind to the ultimate
goal, not to criticise Science or Technology.
3-4 It is emphatically said here “Liberation is realization of one’s identity with
Brahman, nothing else.” On the spiritual path, the only means required is the direct
realisation of the Reality. All else is only to assist our intellect to generate sufficient
motivation to take the plunge and begin the journey.

39

Verse 57: Can Any Talent Help?

uÉÏhÉÉrÉÉ ÃmÉxÉÉælSrÉïÇ iÉl§ÉÏuÉÉSlÉxÉÉæ¸uÉqÉç |
mÉëeÉÉUgeÉlÉqÉÉ§ÉÇ iÉ³É xÉÉqÉëÉerÉÉrÉ MüsmÉiÉå || 57||

1
veenaayaa roopasaundaryam, The beautiful form of a veena;
2
tantree-vaadana-saushhthavam; the proficiency of one playing on its chords;
3
prajaa ranjana maatram tat, these are Talents just to please an audience;
4
na saamraajyaaya kalpate. they do not make one competent for sovereignty.

This verse just points out another possible distraction facing a spiritual aspirant.
1-2 A classic example of diversion is taken up – proficiency in a particular art form.
The Veena should be taken to include any other art form that has the power to deflect the
aspirant from his central Goal.
3-4 An art such as music can leave an audience spell-bound. It can reach a height
which absorbs the audience to such an extent that they are flooded with a rare type of thrill.
They are freed momentarily from the tribulations of their mind. Such an audience can, quite
understandably, be extremely appreciative.
Talent in an art performance can attract people to the performer. What then? The
temptation of name and fame is encountered. The incentive to perform well could easily
change – from a pure love for the art to the desire for more fame and applause!
This introduces the fuller implications of the same thing happening in the spiritual
field also. The next verse spells this out . . .

Verse 58: Can Erudition & Scholarship Help?

uÉÉauÉæZÉUÏ zÉoSfÉUÏ zÉÉx§ÉurÉÉZrÉÉlÉMüÉæzÉsÉqÉç |
uÉæSÒwrÉÇ ÌuÉSÒwÉÉÇ iÉ²°Ò£ürÉå lÉ iÉÑ qÉÑ£ürÉå || 58||

1
vaagvaikharee shabdajharee Loud speech in an unending steam of words;
2
shaastra vyaakhyaana kaushalam; efficiency in expounding the scriptures;
3
vaidushhyam vidushhaam tadvad such Erudition and Scholarship may bring some
4
bhuktaye na tu muktaye. material satisfaction, but not liberation.

1-4 Here, the danger is described without any disguise. Scriptural erudition
accompanied by the art of lecturing is not free from the danger to enchant people; it has the
same status as a veena performance in that respect. The message is clear: “Don’t make
Shastra a Kala (an art form) just to entertain people.”
If we do, we may get closer to being celebrities, but further away from Self-
realisation. Can we see the deep concern that Sri Shankaracharyaji has for our real spiritual
welfare which makes him draw our attention to such suicidal danger?
Acharyaji also rose to the occasion with valuable expansion on this theme. He
highlighted the danger of making fine public performances that fall on all types of ears, not
all of them of pure motive. Some may feel, “Ah, what a talented young speaker. He will

40

make a good husband for my daughter.” The difficulty of resisting the temptations of this
world is being highlighted at the outset of the young student’s training.
Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji used to give this advice to students, “You should
always feel that you are doing Manana of the Shastras and the audience is just overhearing
your reflections. Thank the people who hear you, but always feel you are not teaching, but
only doing your Sadhana.”

Verse 59: Can Study of Scriptures Help?

AÌuÉ¥ÉÉiÉå mÉUå iÉ¨uÉå zÉÉx§ÉÉkÉÏÌiÉxiÉÑ ÌlÉwTüsÉÉ |
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉiÉåÅÌmÉ mÉUå iÉ¨uÉå zÉÉx§ÉÉkÉÏÌiÉxiÉÑ ÌlÉwTüsÉÉ || 59||

1
avijnaate pare tattve Without knowing the supreme Reality,
2
shaastraadheetistu nishhphalaa; the study of the Shastras is futile.
3
vijnaate api pare tattve Having known the supreme Reality,
4
shaastraadheetistu nishhphalaa. the study of the Shastras is again futile.

The emphatic point driven home by this magnificent juxtaposition of two opposing
statements is simply this: “The Shastras are useful only for realizing God, not for any other
purpose, however worthy it may appear to be.”
Both statements are seen to be true only in the light of the above point.
1-2 In the first statement, the intellectual joy of studying the scriptures has somehow
overtaken the purpose of the study, to realise God.
3-4 In the second statement, it is simply telling us that if the whole object of studying
the scriptures has been fulfilled (by realizing God), then there is no further purpose for the
study. Neither of these statements is to be construed as criticism of the Shastras, or permit
observers to criticize the student who is undertaking the study of scriptures.
Our model student must surely feel ever so grateful to his Guru for bringing home
this timely advice before he even begins the study.

Verse 60: Can Any Philosophy Help?

zÉoSeÉÉsÉÇ qÉWûÉUhrÉÇ ÍcÉ¨ÉpÉëqÉhÉMüÉUhÉqÉç |
AiÉÈ mÉërÉ¦ÉÉe¥ÉÉiÉurÉÇ iÉ¨uÉ¥ÉæxiÉ¨uÉqÉÉiqÉlÉÈ || 60||

1
shabdajaalam mahaa aranyam Books and Philosophies constitute a thick jungle,
2
chitta-bhramana-kaaranam; they may be a cause for the confusion of the mind;
3
atah prayatnaat jnaatavyam Therefore, through right efforts should be known
4
tattvajnaih tattvam aatmanah. the real nature of the Self by true seekers of God.

1-2 The dangers facing an intellect are here openly displayed. Here the student is
alerted to the pitfalls of intellectual gymnastics. Whether the subject is Vedanta or
something else, all students are faced with the danger of falling into this pit. An inquisitive
intellect can easily get lost in “the jungle of commentaries and philosophies”.

41

3-4 The only way out is to keep a focus on doing the Sadhana prescribed by the
scriptures. Following the guidelines of the Guru is the main safeguard in keeping focus.

Verse 61: Only Knowledge of Self Can Help!

A¥ÉÉlÉxÉmÉïS¹xrÉ oÉë¼¥ÉÉlÉÉæwÉkÉÇ ÌuÉlÉÉ |
ÌMüqÉÑ uÉåSæ¶É zÉÉx§Éæ¶É ÌMüqÉÑ qÉl§ÉæÈ ÌMüqÉÉæwÉkÉæÈ || 61||

1
ajnaana sarpa dashhtasya For one stung by the cobra of ignorance,
2
brahma jnaana aushhadham vinaa; the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman.
3
kimu vedaih cha shaastraih cha Of what use are the Vedas and scriptures, or
4
kimu mantraih kim aushhadhaih. of what use are Mantras and medicines?

The theme is concluded with this verse summarising the main point of the section.
1-2 Another metaphor is introduced here, adding a final ‘sting’ to the message on
misusing the knowledge of the Shastras. If one is an aspirant, indeed, he will feel the pang of
ignorance as if he had been stung by a cobra. A cobra’s sting is no joke – a flashing hit and
certain death awaits the victim, unless he is treated immediately. A snake kills its victim only
once, whereas Ignorance kills us birth after birth crores of times!
3-4 The thirsting aspirant will rush for the correct medicine and take it. Brahma
Jnana is the medicine all right, but what a tragedy it would be if, instead of taking the
medicine, one starts playing games with it as in intellectual gymnastics, etc; or starts
spraying it as a perfume all over himself!
Alas, the victims of the ‘snake bites’ of intellectual vanity in the field of Vedanta have
been many. The teacher, with all the compassion in his heart, is forewarning the sincere
student of this grave stupidity.

*****

42

1.9 DIRECT EXPERIENCE OF SELF

(Verses 62-66, 5 No.)

FINALLY, TO END THIS first Part of the book, the Guru pushes the student’s mind
towards the practical aspect of spiritual life. After all the study, the student has to put in
many years of intense practice of all the knowledge he has received. There is no short-cut
out of it, no bypass for this step.

Verse 62: Medicine Has to be Taken!

lÉ aÉcNûÌiÉ ÌuÉlÉÉ mÉÉlÉÇ urÉÉÍkÉUÉæwÉkÉzÉoSiÉÈ |
ÌuÉlÉÉÅmÉUÉå¤ÉÉlÉÑpÉuÉÇ oÉë¼zÉoSælÉï qÉÑcrÉiÉå || 62||

1
na gachchhati vinaa paanam The disease does not get cured by merely uttering
the medicine’s name, without drinking it!
2
vyaadhih aushhadha-shabdatah;
3
vinaa aparokshha anubhavam So too, without direct realization, by merely
uttering ‘Brahman’, none can be liberated.
4
brahma-shabdaih na muchyate.

1-2 “Take the medicine to get better”. There is no other way.
No healing is achieved by merely looking at the bottle of medicine, writing articles
about its glory, and giving it a high-sounding, attractive name!
3-4 Applying this to spiritual life is straightforward. The prescription is given in the
Shrutis as direct realisation of one’s identity with Brahman. It does not help us if the name
Brahman sounds fascinating or not; nor does it help us to repeat the name Brahman without
taking the medicine. It may sound obviously absurd, yet Sri Shankaracharyaji spells it out, for
he knows the actual situation that prevails in the world regarding these matters.

Verse 63: The World Has to be Negated!

AM×üiuÉÉ SØzrÉÌuÉsÉrÉqÉ¥ÉÉiuÉÉ iÉ¨uÉqÉÉiqÉlÉÈ |
oÉë¼zÉoSæÈ MÑüiÉÉå qÉÑÌ£üÂÌ£üqÉÉ§ÉTüsÉælÉ×ïhÉÉqÉç || 63||

1
akritvaa drishyavilayam Without taking any trouble to negate this world,
2
ajnaatvaa tattvamaatmanah; without taking trouble to know the nature of Self,
3
brahmashabdaih kuto muktir- how can mere repetition of “Brahman”set one free?
4
uktimaatraphalairnrinaam. Surely it will end only in a wasteful effort of speech.

1-4 If one has fallen into a muddy ditch, the job of cleaning himself of the mess is
unavoidable to become clean again. The teacher stresses yet again the need to be practical
in Vedanta to get out of delusion, not just remain in a theoretical tower and preach wasteful
words on it. Actual practice is the only thing that can really help.

43

The two important things needed to be done are: i) Negation of the world; and ii)
Grasping the nature of the Self. Without accomplishing these, Brahman would be mere idle
talk over a coffee table.
Expressed differently, the two steps are: i) removing the idea of duality altogether;
and ii) living in the full realization of one’s true nature as the Self.

Verse 64: The Enemies Have to be Conquered!

AM×üiuÉÉ zÉ§ÉÑxÉÇWûÉUqÉaÉiuÉÉÎZÉsÉpÉÔÍ´ÉrÉqÉç |
UÉeÉÉWûÍqÉÌiÉ zÉoSÉ³ÉÉå UÉeÉÉ pÉÌuÉiÉÑqÉWïûÌiÉ || 64||

1
akritvaa shatrusamhaaram Without taking trouble to eliminate his enemies,
2
agatvaakhilabhooshriyam; without bringing the entire land under his sway,
3
raajaa aham iti shabdaat by merely repeating ‘I am the Emperor’,
4
nah raajaa bhavitum arhati. one cannot become an Emperor!

Clearly Sri Shankaracharya is still not satisfied that he has successfully driven home
his point on practical Vedanta. Hence, yet another simile appears before us.
1-2 An emperor has no power over anyone unless he has dealt sufficiently well with
all his enemies. 3-4 Otherwise his power would only be in his imagination.
Application: In the same manner, the spiritual aspirant, who has the potential to be
‘the Emperor of all emperors’, only gains that power when he has overcome all the deadly
enemies of vices within himself. As students of Vedanta we are to constantly remember to
attend to overcoming all our negative traits.

Verse 65: Excavating the Treasure of the Self

AÉmiÉÉåÌ£Çü ZÉlÉlÉÇ iÉjÉÉåmÉËUÍzÉsÉÉ±ÑiMüwÉïhÉÇ xuÉÏM×üÌiÉÇ
ÌlÉ¤ÉåmÉÈ xÉqÉmÉå¤ÉiÉå lÉ ÌWû oÉÌWûÈzÉoSæxiÉÑ ÌlÉaÉïcNûÌiÉ |
iÉ²SèoÉë¼ÌuÉSÉåmÉSåzÉqÉlÉlÉkrÉÉlÉÉÌSÍpÉsÉïprÉiÉå
qÉÉrÉÉMüÉrÉïÌiÉUÉåÌWûiÉÇ xuÉqÉqÉsÉÇ iÉ¨uÉÇ lÉ SÒrÉÑïÌ£üÍpÉÈ || 65||

1
aaptoktim khananam tatha
upari shilaad,
yutkarshhanam sveekritim;
Instructions of an engineer on how to carry out
excavations – clearing the earth, removing stones
lying above it – first need to be grasped well;
2
nikshhepah samapekshhate
na hi bahih shabdaih tu
nirgachchhati.
The Treasure being sought is hidden in the ground;
indeed no amount of calling out with words
will ever make it just come out!
3
tadvat brahmavidaa upadesha
manana dhyaanaadibhih
labhyate;
In the same way, the instructions of a realised saint
on how to carry out reflection and meditation,
first need to be grasped well;
4
maayaakaaryatirohitam
svam amalam,
tattvam na duryuktibhih.
Hidden under delusion and its effects
is the treasure of the Pure Self;
It is not obtained through mere argumentation!

44

Sri Shankaracharyaji is still not happy that the message has gone through. He is not
satisfied with just burial, he wants to cremate as well!
1-2 In this extended metaphor, the whole subject of direct experience is re-capped
with an example that makes the student clearly see the ridiculousness of expecting any
success by simply staying at the theoretical level.
To successfully excavate any treasure from beneath the ground surface, an
engineer’s advice ought to be sought first. He will instruct exactly where to dig and how
deep to dig. Following his instructions, it is easy to find the treasure.
3-4 This example is then applied to our problem – Aparoksha Anubhuti or Direct
Experience of the Self.
Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji says, “In the spiritual treasure hunt, rich treasure
lies beneath the outer crude layers of matter in the bosom of man. The seeker must have
the assiduity, industry, hope and patience to dig in the right place in the right manner, with
unabated enthusiasm. The endeavour is made with the pick-axe of thought and the spade of
discrimination. With these we remove the earth of attachments to the body, mind and
intellect. This is called reflection and meditation (Manana and Nididhyasana).”

Verse 66: Curing the Disease of “Bondage”

iÉxqÉÉixÉuÉïmÉërÉ¦ÉålÉ pÉuÉoÉlkÉÌuÉqÉÑ£ürÉå |
xuÉæUåuÉ rÉ¦ÉÈ MüiÉïurÉÉå UÉåaÉÉSÉÌuÉuÉ mÉÎhQûiÉæÈ || 66||

1
tasmaat sarva prayatnena Therefore, by all the means at his disposal,
2
bhava-bandha vimuktaye; to be free from the bondage of births and deaths,
3
svaih eva yatnah kartavyah Effort alone has to be made by one’s own means
4
rogaadau iva pandhitaih. by intelligent seekers, exactly as one does in illness.

At last the great Acharya seems to be satisfied that his student has got the message.
He is now ready to go ahead with answering his questions. Now that the student knows that
he alone is fully responsible for putting into practice what he learns from his Guru, the
Guru’s effort to teach him will not be in vain.
“Strive hard” is the key to success on the spiritual path. And success is defined only
in terms of the ultimate goal of liberation from all bondage that leads to births and deaths.

END OF PART 1
*****

45

VIVEKA CHUDAMANI – Vol.1

PART 2: (Verses 67-146, 80 No.)

SRAVANA – Hearing the Truth

2.1 INTRODUCTION TO SRAVANA

(Verses 67-71, 5 No.)

SRAVANA IS A KEY stage in Vedanta Sadhana when the knowledge of the Self is
imparted by the Guru to the yearning disciple. What was stated as an overview in Part 1, is
now expanded in full in this Part. The desire to learn has to be cultivated. Intellectual
lethargy has to be discouraged. Enquiring minds have made the world’s great discoveries.

Preparing an Astronaut for Space Travel
Acharyaji gave us the following example to introduce this Part.
When an astronaut is selected to go on a trip to the moon, he is briefed about all
matters concerning his personal requirements during his journey in space.
He is told what his food allowance will be; how he will be supplied with oxygen and
how the air he breathes out will be carried away; what arrangements have been made for
his toilet functions; what his clothing needs and limits will be; how much personal luggage
he would be permitted to carry; what reading material he may take to relax his mind; how
much sleep he will be allowed, and so on. For a spaceman, these matters are vital. Once he
is out in space, it is this knowledge alone that will help him for his survival.
In the same way, the spiritual aspirant is going to be told in the next few chapters all
that he needs to know about himself – his gross body, subtle body, causal body, his Self and
his not-Self. The chapters have to be read with this intention in mind – that a very special
journey is being undertaken, and all knowledge regarding his personal limitations has to be
known before “blast off”!
The information in the chapters to follow give the student a good idea of his
“luggage” allowance. It tells him what he can shed off and what he can’t. For his spiritual
journey, he can shed off everything that is the not-Self, but he can never shed off his Self.
That is the relevance of the knowledge in Part 2.

Verse 67: The Relevance of the Questions

rÉxiuÉrÉÉ± M×üiÉÈ mÉëzlÉÉå uÉUÏrÉÉgNûÉx§ÉÌuÉlqÉiÉÈ |
xÉÔ§ÉmÉëÉrÉÉå ÌlÉaÉÔRûÉjÉÉåï ¥ÉÉiÉurÉ¶É qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÑÍpÉÈ || 67||

46

1
yah tvayaa adya kritah prashnah The Questions which you raised today are
2
vareeyaan shaastra vinmatah; excellent, accepted by the well-versed in Shastras.
3
sootrapraayo nigoodhhaartho Being aphoristic and pregnant with meaning,
4
jnaatavyashcha mumukshhubhih. they are fit to be known by all seekers.

1-2 The seven questions of verse 49 are the subject matter of this Part. The Jignasu’s
thirst for knowledge is first appreciated by the Vedantic teacher.
3-4 The answers that follow are of interest to all spiritual seekers of all times and of
all countries. Vedanta is a universal science that is available to every seeker.

Verse 68: “Now Listen Attentively!”

zÉ×hÉÑwuÉÉuÉÌWûiÉÉå ÌuÉ²lrÉlqÉrÉÉ xÉqÉÑSÏrÉïiÉå |
iÉSåiÉcNíûuÉhÉÉixÉ±Éå pÉuÉoÉlkÉÉÌ²qÉÉå¤rÉxÉå || 68||

1
shrinushhu aavahitah vidvan Listen attentively, O learned one,
2
yat mayaa samudeeryate; to what I shall now tell you.
3
tat etat shravanaat sadyah Listening to it, you shall immediately
4
bhavabandhaat vimokshhyase. be liberated from the bondage of Samsara.

1-2 Shrinushu: “by listening attentively”. The Guru is well aware of the importance of
listening attentively to the instructions he is about to give. The grasping power is
proportional to the attention bestowed by the student during this stage. Listening is the
only thing emphasized in this verse. This indicates to us that the student is required to do
just that – to listen attentively to every word.
3 Shravanaat: “as a result of listening”. The solution does not lie in doing or going
but in grasping attentively with the intellect. The error is an incorrect understanding of
one’s identity, hence the solution has to lie in correcting that specific error. No other
remedy will be of any help in this situation. The Guru carefully directs the disciple’s mind to
the root of the problem.
4 It is significant which question is answered first. The first question taken up is Q.4,
“How can I get out of bondage completely? How can I be liberated from bondage?”
When our own home is burning, what is the first thing we would do? We would run
for our lives, we would escape from the inferno first. Only then we enquire how the fire
started, etc. This is the approach Shankaracharyaji takes in answering Question 4 first.

Verse 69: The Basic Requirements for Liberation

qÉÉå¤ÉxrÉ WåûiÉÑÈ mÉëjÉqÉÉå ÌlÉaÉ±iÉå
uÉæUÉarÉqÉirÉliÉqÉÌlÉirÉuÉxiÉÑwÉÑ |
iÉiÉÈ zÉqÉ¶ÉÉÌmÉ SqÉÎxiÉÌiÉ¤ÉÉ
lrÉÉxÉÈ mÉëxÉ£üÉÎZÉsÉMüqÉïhÉÉÇ pÉ×zÉqÉç || 69||

47

1
mokshhasya hetuh
prathamah nigadyate
In order to bring about liberation,
the first consideration is:
2
vairaagyam atyantam
anitya vastushhu;
Extreme detachment or dispassion
for finite objects of sensual enjoyment;
3
tatah shamah cha api
damah titikshhaa
Then, calmness of mind and also
sense-control, followed by endurance;
4
nyaasah prasakta-akhila-
karmanaam bhrisham.
and renunciation of all selfishness from
actions completely.

1 The initial requirement is Sadhana Chatushtaya. The “Fourfold Virtues” are once
again listed, so that the student is certain of the solid foundation upon which the Guru is
going to build the edifice of Liberation. These requirements are:
2 i) Vairagya: “intense dispassion”. This is the first and foremost of the conditions for
liberation to take place. It has to come from Viveka alone; any other dispassion will be
temporary. Revulsion for pleasure (Dosha Drishti) is necessary but to really sustain it over a
long period it must be backed by Viveka.
Without Vairagya the mind will always run outside and never settle into silence.
Satsang with one who has this quality is the best way to develop it.
3a ii) Shama and Dama: “control of the mind and senses”. Once Vairagya is accepted
as an ideal to strive for, the withdrawal of the mind from objects is the first step needed to
achieve it. The senses are like the horses and the mind is the reins of the chariot of the soul.
Sri Krishna, as the Divine Charioteer of Arjuna, is the intellect in control of the reins.
3b iii) Titiksha: “endurance”. This quality is needed to bear all the hardship that is
inevitable on this rugged path.
4 iv) Nyaasah (from which the word Sannyaasa is derived): “renunciation”. This is
another fundamental requisite. It is the giving up of all selfish action. It is equivalent to
Uparama, which is another name for Sannyasa, and falls under Shat Sampati.

Verse 70: Overview of Vedantic Sadhana

iÉiÉÈ ´ÉÑÌiÉxiÉlqÉlÉlÉÇ
xÉiÉ¨uÉ-krÉÉlÉÇ ÍcÉUÇ ÌlÉirÉ ÌlÉUliÉUÇ |
qÉÑlÉåÈ iÉiÉÉåÅÌuÉMüsmÉÇ mÉUqÉåirÉ
ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç CWæûuÉ ÌlÉuÉÉïhÉxÉÑZÉÇ xÉqÉ×cNûÌiÉ || 70||

1
tatah shrutih,
tat mananam,
Thereafter, comes hearing (Sravana),
then reflection on what has been heard (Manana),
2
satattva- dhyaanam,
chiram nitya nirantaram;
and lastly, meditation on the Truth (Nididhyasana),
done for a long time, constant and unbroken;
3
muneh tatah avikalpam,
param etya
For such a Muni the state free of all modifications and
supreme (Savikalpa Samadhi), is reached.
4
vidvaan iha eva, nirvaana-
sukham samrichchhati.
Ultimately, that blessed one, in this very life,
realizes the Bliss of Nirvana (Nirvikalpa Samadhi)

48

The Place of Sravana in Vedantic Sadhana
The full “road map” of Vedantic Sadhana is given here. If there is Shraddha or strong
faith in the words of the Guru, then Sravana can begin. Manana and Nididhyasana will
follow in due course. The ultimate goal to be reached is Nirvikalpa Samadhi or the all-blissful
state of Nirvana. This marks the route of the whole Sadhana. It starts with Sravana.
Acharyaji gave us a helpful insight: Grasping of the knowledge is acquired during
attentive Sravana; that is carefully converted to firm understanding which comes during
Manana; finally, Nididhyasana is needed to establish oneself in abiding in that knowledge.
This step has to be done over a long period without a break.

Example: The Arani
The Arani is an instrument made up of two pieces of wood that rub against each
other to produce fire. [Sandeepany students had seen this demonstrated during the opening
of the Ganesh Temple at Chinmaya Vibhooti in Kolwan.] If the churning of the wooden rod is
stopped, the wood cools off and one would need to start from scratch again. If it is
continued without a break, then the heat builds up until fire is produced. This is a perfect
example to illustrate the need for steady and prolonged practice of Nididhyasana, until
Savikalpa Samadhi is reached. A short step further from this state is Nirvikalpa Samadhi,
when the fire is well established.

Verse 71: The Sravana Begins . . .

rÉ¯Éå®urÉÇ iÉuÉåSÉlÉÏqÉÉiqÉÉlÉÉiqÉÌuÉuÉåcÉlÉqÉç |
iÉSÒcrÉiÉå qÉrÉÉ xÉqrÉMçü ´ÉÑiuÉÉiqÉlrÉuÉkÉÉUrÉ || 71||

1
yat boddhavyam tava idaaneem Firstly, this is what you ought to know now:
2
aatma-anaatma vivechanam; discrimination between the Self and the not-Self
3
tat uchyate mayaa samyak This will be described by me most elaborately.
4
shrutvaa aatmani avadhaaraya. Listen to it and receive it well in your mind.

The principle being taught is given here. In the rest of Part 2, i.e. the next six
chapters, a lot of information is conveyed. The whole purpose of these chapters is to
develop an intellectual grasp of the situation concerning our bondage.
This information is crucial to find our way out of bondage. It is as helpful as knowing
where the staircase and doors are located in a building when we need to escape from it due
to fire.

*****

49

2.2 THE GROSS BODY

(Verses 72-91, 20 No.)

ON EVERY FLIGHT, whether it is local or international, the flight attendant goes
through a routine explanation of what to do in an emergency, where to find the oxygen
equipment, how to use it, where the escape hatches are, etc. All this may seem only routine,
but they become all important in an emergency. Some passengers may sleep through the
demonstration quite happily. When the emergency arises, those who know the procedure
to follow are the ones that can save themselves; those who do not, start panicking and
disturbing the others.
We should treat the following information in the same spirit. We know it is essential
in an emergency. But do we recognise that we are in such an emergency situation already?
We have to escape from the conflagration of this worldly existence! Only if we see this
emergency situation, will the conditions be ripe for Sravana to take place.
Such information is now going to be given by the Guru. It is invaluable to escape
from Bondage.

2.2.1. Formation of the Gross Body (Verses 72-75, 4 No.)

Verse 72: Composition & Parts of the Body

qÉ‹ÉÎxjÉqÉåSÈmÉsÉU£ücÉqÉïiuÉaÉÉÀûrÉæÈ
kÉÉiÉÑÍpÉUåÍpÉUÎluÉiÉqÉç |
mÉÉSÉåÂuÉ¤ÉÉåpÉÑeÉmÉ×¸qÉxiÉMæüÈ
A…¡æûÂmÉÉ…¡æûÂmÉrÉÑ£üqÉåiÉiÉç || 72||

1
majjaa asthi medah pala
rakta charma tvag aahvayaih
Marrow, bones, fat, flesh,
blood, skin, epidermis – known by these terms,
2 dhaatubhih ebhih anvitam; are the (seven) ingredients that compose the body;
3
paada-uru-vakshhah-ubhuja-
prishhtha-mastakaih
Legs, thighs, chest, arms,
back and the head –
4
anggaih upaanggaih
upayuktam etat.
these are the parts and sub-parts
that are united to form this body.

Verse 73: Body Identification & the Subtle Elements

AWûqqÉqÉåÌiÉ mÉëÍjÉiÉÇ zÉUÏUÇ
qÉÉåWûÉxmÉSÇ xjÉÔsÉÍqÉiÉÏrÉïiÉå oÉÑkÉæÈ |
lÉpÉÉålÉpÉxuÉ¬WûlÉÉqoÉÑpÉÔqÉrÉÈ
xÉÔ¤qÉÉÍhÉ pÉÔiÉÉÌlÉ pÉuÉÎliÉ iÉÉÌlÉ || 73||

50

5
aham mama iti
prathitam shareeram
With the words ‘I’ and ‘mine’
is denoted all that is connected with this body;
6
moha aspadam sthoolam iti
eeryate budhaih;
It is the seat of delusion, and is gross in nature,
thus declare the reputed sages.
7 nabhah-nabhahvat dahana ambu bhoomayah Space, air, fire, water and earth –
8 sookshhmaani bhootaani bhavanti taani. these are the subtle elements (Tanmatras)

Verse 74: The Gross Elements & Sense Objects

mÉUxmÉUÉÇzÉæÍqÉïÍsÉiÉÉÌlÉ pÉÔiuÉÉ
xjÉÔsÉÉÌlÉ cÉ xjÉÔsÉzÉUÏUWåûiÉuÉÈ |
qÉÉ§ÉÉxiÉSÏrÉÉ ÌuÉwÉrÉÉ pÉuÉÎliÉ
zÉoSÉSrÉÈ mÉgcÉ xÉÑZÉÉrÉ pÉÉå£ÑüÈ || 74||

9
parasparaamshaih militaani
bhootvaa
(The Tanmatras) unite with parts of each other (a
process called Pancheekarana), and become
10
sthoolaani cha
sthoolashareera hetavah;
i) the five gross elements;
ii) (these combine) to form the gross body;
11
maatraah tadeeyaa
vishhayaa bhavanti
iii) from the gross elements are also
created the gross sense objects (of the universe).
12
shabdaadayah pancha
sukhaaya bhoktuh.
iv) the five senses organs lead the sense objects in
for the enjoyment of the Experiencer (the Jiva).

Verse 75: The Cause of Endless Rebirths in Bodies

rÉ LwÉÑ qÉÔRûÉ ÌuÉwÉrÉåwÉÑ oÉ®É
UÉaÉÉåÂmÉÉzÉålÉ xÉÑSÒSïqÉålÉ |
AÉrÉÉÎliÉ ÌlÉrÉÉïlirÉkÉ FkuÉïqÉç
EŠæÈ xuÉMüqÉïSÕiÉålÉ eÉuÉålÉ lÉÏiÉÉÈ || 75||

13
ye eshhu moodhhaa
vishhayeshhu baddhaa
Those thoughtless ones who are
bound to these sense objects,
14
raagorupaashena
sudurdamena;
by the stout ropes of attachment
so very difficult to cut asunder.
15
aayaanti niryaanti
adhah oordhvam
They come and go (through birth and death),
up and down (heavenwards or to hell),
16
uchchaih svakarmadootena
javena neetaah.
as determined by their own powerful Karmas,
which carry them with compelling force.

The above 4 verses give in a nutshell the causes of the gross body, their connection
to the world of objects through the senses to our subtle body (the mind); how the mental
world is created and produces Karma. Karma leads to bondage, bondage causes the next
birth for the Jiva. The endless cycles of birth and death is called Transmigration of the soul.
These verses are almost repeated in 88-89, where they are explained further.

51

2.2.2. How Man is Bound to the Body (Verses 76-82, 7 No.)

The Bondage that has been briefly described above, is now explained further:

Verse 76: The Danger in Each Sense Organ

zÉoSÉÌSÍpÉÈ mÉgcÉÍpÉUåuÉ mÉgcÉ
MÑU…¡ûqÉÉiÉ…¡ûmÉiÉ…¡ûqÉÏlÉpÉ×…¡ûÉ
mÉgcÉiuÉqÉÉmÉÑÈ xuÉaÉÑhÉålÉ oÉ®ÉÈ |
lÉUÈ mÉgcÉÍpÉUÎgcÉiÉÈ ÌMüqÉç || 76||

1
shabdaadibhih panchabhih eva
pancha
By just one of the five senses (sound to smell),
the following five creatures respectively –
2
kurangga, maatangga,
patangga, meena,
bhringgaa;
the deer (by sound), elephant (by touch),
moth (by sight), fish (by taste), and
honeybee (by fragrance) –
3
panchatvam aapuh
svagunena baddhaah;
meet their dissolution into elements, i.e. death,
because of their slavery to that one sense.
4
narah panchabhih anchitah kim. What of Man, who is attached by all five senses!

1-3 These five creatures are bound to one particular sense:
i) Deer – sense of hearing. It needs highly developed hearing for a deer to detect a
tiger, but the same highly developed sense gets addicted to sweet music by which it gets
entrapped by hunters.
ii) Elephant – sense of touch. Elephants love the touch of fellow elephants. But that
also attracts them into traps set up by hunters.
iii) Moth – sense of sight. It circles around light, and dies of dizziness.
iv) Fish – sense of taste. It is easily trapped by setting up a bait of tasty worms.
v) Honey-bee – sense of smell. Drawn by the fragrance of flowers, the honeybee falls
a prey to this sense and gets caught.
4 Man: How much greater is the plight of man, who falls prey to all the five senses!
This is the punchline of the verse.

Verse 77: Poisonous Nature of Sense Organs

SÉåwÉåhÉ iÉÏuÉëÉå ÌuÉwÉrÉÈ M×üwhÉxÉmÉïÌuÉwÉÉSÌmÉ |
ÌuÉwÉÇ ÌlÉWûÎliÉ pÉÉå£üÉUÇ Sì¹ÉUÇ cÉ¤ÉÑwÉÉmrÉrÉqÉç || 77||

1
doshhena teevrah vishhayah In their tragic effects, sense objects are more
2
krishhna-sarpa-vishhaad-api; venomous than the poison of a cobra.
3
vishham nihanti bhoktaaram For poison to kill, one has to at least swallow it;
4
drashhtaaram
chakshhushhaa api ayam.
But with sense objects, just one look at it
with the eye is enough to trap one for life.

52

1-4 A snake bite is deadly because the poison enters the bloodstream. But sense
objects are deadly through a mere sight of them! Hence, the Senses are considered to be
more venomous.
‘Window-shopping’ is a typical example of how use is made of man’s weakness for
sense objects. Merely doing window-shopping is not as innocent as it sounds. It plants the
seed of desire in the mind, which sooner or later impels the person to fulfil it.
Traders know that all the senses are weak. So some traders even allow their
customers to touch the objects – one more sense is added into the net. A food store may
allow you to taste as well. That speeds up the return of the customer to buy the goods. For
this reason Dama is prescribed to aspirants to avoid all contact with sense objects.

Verse 78: The Terrible Bonds of Desires

ÌuÉwÉrÉÉzÉÉqÉWûÉmÉÉzÉÉ±Éå ÌuÉqÉÑ£üÈ xÉÑSÒxirÉeÉÉiÉç |
xÉ LuÉ MüsmÉiÉå qÉÑYirÉæ lÉÉlrÉÈ wÉOèzÉÉx§ÉuÉå±ÌmÉ || 78||

1
vishhaya aashaa-mahaa-paashaad The terrible bonds of desire for sense objects,
2
sudustyajaat
yah vimuktah;
are extremely difficult to renounce.
He who has liberated himself from them,
3
sa eva kalpate muktyai na anyah he alone becomes worthy for liberation, none else,
4
shhat-shaastra-vedyapi. even if well-versed in all six schools of philosophy.

1-2 The job of the senses is done as soon as Desire is born in the mind. Desire now
takes over. Its strength is enormous. The message here is that unless one detaches himself
from the objects, and tunes his mind to the goal of liberation, he is never going to succeed.
3-4 The emphasis on dispassion must surely make its value quite clear by now to the
young student of Vedanta. Liberation is not a theoretical science. Being a professor of all
philosophies is not in itself a qualification for spiritual life. More is required than just that.

Verse 79: Fate of the Apparently Dispassionate

AÉmÉÉiÉuÉæUÉarÉuÉiÉÉå qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÔlÉç
pÉuÉÉÎokÉmÉÉUÇ mÉëÌiÉrÉÉiÉÑqÉÑ±iÉÉlÉç |
AÉzÉÉaÉëWûÉå qÉ‹rÉiÉåÅliÉUÉsÉå
ÌlÉaÉ×½ MühPåû ÌuÉÌlÉuÉirÉï uÉåaÉÉiÉç || 79||

1
aapaata vairaagyavatah
mumukshhoon
Those who have only an apparent dispassion –
if they are desirous of liberation,
2
bhava abdhi paaram
pratiyaatum udyataan;
and, wishing to cross the “Ocean of Change”,
begin to undertake the journey,
3
aashaa-grahah majjayate
antaraale
they get drowned by the shark of desire
in the middle of the ocean;
4
nigrihya kanthe
vinivartya vegaat.
they are caught by the throat,
violently turned around, and dragged back.

53

1-2 There are people who are failures in the world, and so they develop a superficial
dispassion. This is here described as Aapaata or “apparent” dispassion. Based on this
dispassion, they begin the path of renunciation. This is the wrong reason to renounce.
This, of course, does not mean that if one is a failure then his dispassion is not
genuine; or that if he is successful in the world his dispassion is genuine. No! Such a
correlation is illogical and invalid. The case of Swami Ramdas of Anandashram is an example
of the former. He was a failure at whatever worldly undertaking he took up. Yet he had a
dispassion that was very deep. In his case, one may deduce that his failures were a message
from God to make him take up spiritual life where alone he would find true success.
The test of dispassion rests purely on being free from cravings or desire for objects.
3-4 The verse sounds a warning to those who chance their ‘luck’ to pass off as
dispassionate people (perhaps to attract a following). They are in for a shock. The verse
gives us a striking simile which is a self-explanatory warning for would-be pretenders.

Verse 80: Success of the Truly Dispassionate

ÌuÉwÉrÉÉZrÉaÉëWûÉå rÉålÉ xÉÑÌuÉUYirÉÍxÉlÉÉ WûiÉÈ |
xÉ aÉcNûÌiÉ pÉuÉÉqpÉÉåkÉåÈ mÉÉUÇ mÉëirÉÔWûuÉÎeÉïiÉÈ || 80||

1
vishhayaakhya-grahah yena He by whom the shark called ‘sense objects’
2
suviraktyasinaa hatah; is destroyed with the sword of mature dispassion,
3
sa gachhati bhavaam-bhodheh he safely crosses the Ocean of Change and reaches
4
paaram, pratyoohavarjitah. the other shore, without facing any obstruction.

1 This is the reverse of the previous verse. A genuine seeker will have no problem. In
his case, it is the mid-ocean sharks that will soon meet their doom!
2 Using the sword of dispassion founded on Viveka or discrimination, the sharks of
sense objects are destroyed. Through Viveka we understand the true nature of our
attachment to objects. The sword of discrimination is driven through the mind itself, where
the shark resides. There is no external shark; the mind is where the shark of desire resides.
Acharyaji gave the example of a dog which chews a bone with much relish, thinking
it is very tasty. Actually, the bone rips its mouth and its own blood is what makes the bone
so ‘tasty’. The mind is like that blood which makes the sense objects appear pleasant. An
opposite example is Nachiketas who remained untouched by Yama’s offer of temptations.
3-4 Once the mental sharks of desire are killed, the ocean becomes safe to cross
over. In fact, the moment we kill the mind-born sharks of desire, we are already on the
other shore. That is why the verse says, “without facing any obstruction.”
We learn from this verse that it is not the world that catches us; we catch hold of the
world and refuse to let it go. The world itself is inert; it can have no intrinsic power to bind
us. To the dispassionate seeker, the world does not pose itself as a forbidding obstacle.
Here Acharyaji gave us some idea of why worldly people see real Vairagis as queer,
morose and dull people. They cannot understand that happiness lies in the absence of
desire, not fulfillment of desire.

54

Verse 81: Choice 1: Pleasure or Nobility

ÌuÉwÉqÉÌuÉwÉrÉqÉÉaÉæïaÉïcNûiÉÉåÅlÉcNûoÉÑ®åÈ
mÉëÌiÉmÉSqÉÍpÉrÉÉiÉÉå qÉ×irÉÑUmrÉåwÉ ÌuÉÎ® |
ÌWûiÉxÉÑeÉlÉaÉÑÃYirÉÉ aÉcNûiÉÈ xuÉxrÉ rÉÑYirÉÉ
mÉëpÉuÉÌiÉ TüsÉÍxÉÎ®È xÉirÉÍqÉirÉåuÉ ÌuÉÎ® || 81||

1
vishhama vishhaya maargaih
gachchhatah anachchhabuddheh,
The dangerous path of sense pleasures –
one who walks it is a man of foolish intellect:
2
pratipadam abhiyaatah mrityuh
api eshha viddhi;
at every step he is overtaken by death;
at least understand this.
3
hita-sujana-gurooktyaa
gachchhatah svasya yuktyaa,
But, the well-meaning path of noble teachers –
one who walks it is a man of sound reason:
4
prabhavati phalasiddhih
satyam iti eva viddhi.
the achievement of the fruit comes to him;
know for certain this is true.

1-2 Path of Pleasure: Sense indulgence is likened to death itself in this verse.
3-4 Path of Nobility: However, the way out of it is to sincerely stick to one’s spiritual
goal, and follow the instruction of the “well-meaning, noble Teacher” who has the interest
of his disciple at heart.
The example given in class is of a man who missed his train because he was attracted
to go and buy a vada just before the train was to leave. He just had to sit on the platform
and watch the train speed away, eating his delicious vada!

Verse 82: Choice 2: Poison or Nectar

qÉÉå¤ÉxrÉ MüÉXç¤ÉÉ rÉÌS uÉæ iÉuÉÉÎxiÉ
irÉeÉÉÌiÉSÕUÉÌ²wÉrÉÉÎluÉwÉÇ rÉjÉÉ |
mÉÏrÉÔwÉuÉ¨ÉÉåwÉSrÉÉ¤ÉqÉÉeÉïuÉ-
mÉëzÉÉÎliÉSÉliÉÏpÉïeÉ ÌlÉirÉqÉÉSUÉiÉç || 82||

1
mokshhasya kaangkshhaa
yadi vai tava asti,
A burning yearning for liberation,
if indeed you have such a thing,
2
tyaja atidooraat vishhayaan
vishham yathaa;
then keep sense objects at a far distance away,
avoid them as you would avoid poison.
3
peeyooshhavat toshha-
dayaa-kshhamaa-aarjava-
In contrast, like nectar are the virtues of contentment,
sympathy, forgiveness, straight-forwardness,
4
prashaanti-daanteeh,
bhaja nityam aadaraat.
calmness and self-control –
cultivate these daily and religiously.

1-4 The final advice on this subject is to keep sense objects at a distance, as if they
are poison. We should not look with envy at what we do not have, but be contented with
what we have. The other virtues listed in the verse are aids to tread the path of dispassion.
They are Sattwic qualities, and are needed to overcome the Rajasic urge to enjoy pleasures.

55

2.2.3 Fascination for the Body (Verses 83 – 86, 4 No.)
In these four verses we are advised of the danger of doing ‘Deha’ Pooja instead of
‘Deva’ Pooja (that is, worshipping the body instead of worshipping the Deity)!

Verse 83: Choice 3: Procrastinate or Liberate

AlÉÑ¤ÉhÉÇ rÉimÉËU™irÉ M×üirÉÇ
AlÉÉ±ÌuÉ±ÉM×üiÉoÉlkÉqÉÉå¤ÉhÉqÉç |
SåWûÈ mÉUÉjÉÉåïÅrÉqÉqÉÑwrÉ mÉÉåwÉhÉå
rÉÈ xÉ‹iÉå xÉ xuÉqÉlÉålÉ WûÎliÉ || 83||

1
anukshhanam yat
parihritya krityam
He (who is full of body-consciousness) at every moment,
procrastinates what he ought to be doing, namely:
2
anaadi-avidyaa-krita
bandha-mokshhanam;
from beginningless Ignorance which is the cause of
bondage – to liberate himself from its hold on him.
3
dehah paraarthah ayam
amushhya poshhane
This body is intended for realizing Paramatman,
that is why it is nourished.
4
yah sajjate sa svam
anena hanti.
He who clings to it just for his own selfish needs,
he, by the body itself, gets destroyed!

1-4 If we are not using the body to free ourselves from Ignorance then we are surely
using it to tighten the noose of bondage. There is no sitting on the fence.
The body is a ladder with which we can either go upwards to liberation or
downwards towards further bondage! We have to decide what we want to do and act
quickly to escape.

Verse 84: Can one Choose Both?

zÉUÏUmÉÉåwÉhÉÉjÉÏï xÉlÉç rÉ AÉiqÉÉlÉÇ ÌSSØ¤ÉÌiÉ |
aÉëÉWÇû SÉÂÍkÉrÉÉ kÉ×iuÉÉ lÉSÏÇ iÉiÉÑïÇ xÉ aÉcNûÌiÉ || 84||

1
shareera poshhanaarthee san By devoting himself to the whims of the body,
2
ya aatmaanam didrikshhati; while yet seeking to rediscover the Self;
3
graaham daarudhiyaa dhritvaa is like holding on to a shark mistaking it for a log,
4
nadeem tartum sa gachchhati. while proceeding to cross over a river.

1-2 Someone may ask: “Is it possible to choose both pleasure and spirituality?” It is
sheer self-delusion to seek liberation by giving oneself to bodily pleasures. That is self-
contradictory. It just cannot happen.
3-4 A brilliant simile is given here. What kind of a person will grab a shark, thinking it
to be a log of wood? It can only be someone who is under severe delusion.
Acharyaji gave the example of Sri Hanuman. He had to cross the ocean to reach
Lanka. He flew high above the ocean. The ocean represents the ‘Body Idea’ which we have
to overcome. There was not a trace of selfish body-idea in Hanuman. Hence he succeeded.

56

Verse 85: Infatuation Has to be Abandoned

qÉÉåWû LuÉ qÉWûÉqÉ×irÉÑqÉÑïqÉÑ¤ÉÉåuÉïmÉÑUÉÌSwÉÑ |
qÉÉåWûÉå ÌuÉÌlÉÎeÉïiÉÉå rÉålÉ xÉ qÉÑÌ£ümÉSqÉWïûÌiÉ || 85||

1
moha eva mahaa mrityuh Still being Infatuated with the body, is ‘death’
2
mumukshhoh vapuraadishhu; for a student who seeks liberation, too.
3
mohah vinirjito yena He who has totally conquered this infatuation,
4
sa muktipadamarhati. he alone deserves the state of liberation.

We have seen that an attached mind is unfit for spiritual Sadhana and cannot take
one to liberation. If such is the case, what to speak of an infatuated mind, where the
intensity of attachment is hundredfold more! Such a mind would find it impossible to let go
of sense objects, and be totally unavailable for Sadhana.
To the person who loves sleep, it is certain that waking up is going to be difficult.
If we leave the doors and windows of our mind open, the mosquitoes of sense
objects are bound to come and disturb us!

Verse 86: . . . Lock, Stock & Barrel!

qÉÉåWÇû eÉÌWû qÉWûÉqÉ×irÉÑÇ SåWûSÉUxÉÑiÉÉÌSwÉÑ |
rÉÇ ÎeÉiuÉÉ qÉÑlÉrÉÉå rÉÉÎliÉ iÉÌ²whÉÉåÈ mÉUqÉÇ mÉSqÉç || 86||

1
moham jahi mahaa mrityum Therefore, kill infatuation before it kills you –
2
dehadaara sutaadishhu; i.e. infatuation over body, wife, children, etc.
3
yam jitvaa munayo yaanti By conquering these, sages reach
4
tadvishhnoh paramam padam. the supreme state of Lord Vishnu.

When we drop infatuation, we must apply it uniformly to the whole ‘package’.
The whole ‘Parivar’ or family of objects connected with the body is to be abandoned
once and for all. This means wife, children, pets, relations, friends, etc. – everything that
links up with promoting the ‘body-idea’.
The example was of a bird who is flying with its prey held in its beak. Many other
pirate birds are wanting to attack it. The bird then drops the prey, and with that action, all
the other birds also stop following it. They were only after the prey, not the bird. The same
applies to the whole Parivar connected to this body. People only run behind a rich person
because of his money, not because they love him. We should learn from these examples.

2.2.4. Overcoming the Fascination for Body (Verses 87-91, 5 No.)
Verse 87: An Aid to Cultivate Dispassion

iuÉ‰ÉÇxÉÂÍkÉUxlÉÉrÉÑqÉåSÉåqÉ‹ÉÎxjÉxÉƒ¡ÓûsÉqÉç |
mÉÔhÉïÇ qÉÔ§ÉmÉÑUÏwÉÉprÉÉÇ xjÉÔsÉÇ ÌlÉl±ÍqÉSÇ uÉmÉÑÈ || 87||

57

1 tvak maamsa rudhirasnaayu Skin, flesh, blood vessels,
2 medo majja asthi sangkulam; fat, marrow, and bones – composed of these;
3 poornam mootra pureeshhaa-bhyaam Filled with urine and faecal matter,
4 sthoolam nindyam idam vapuh. this gross body is most offensive.

1-4 When the outer packaging is removed, the body’s contents appear truly
repulsive. We won’t tolerate them. It is a wonder that we get attached to the whole
collection of these unsightly contents when they are packaged neatly. Are we likely to
remember this verse when we are sitting in front of the mirror doing our ‘make-up’?
We can take the aid offered or we can leave it. Its purpose is clear: to deliberately
create a sense of repulsion for the body. After all, that is what it actually is physically. The
intention would be that we stop pampering it and spend the time saved by engaging
ourselves in spiritual pursuits.

Verse 88: The Seat of Various Experiences

mÉgcÉÏM×üiÉåprÉÉå pÉÔiÉåprÉÈ xjÉÔsÉåprÉÈ mÉÔuÉïMüqÉïhÉÉ |
xÉqÉÑimÉ³ÉÍqÉSÇ xjÉÔsÉÇ pÉÉåaÉÉrÉiÉlÉqÉÉiqÉlÉÈ |
AuÉxjÉÉ eÉÉaÉUxiÉxrÉ xjÉÔsÉÉjÉÉïlÉÑpÉuÉÉå rÉiÉÈ || 88||

1
pancheekritebhyo bhootebhyah After undergoing Pancheekarana, the 5 gross
2
sthoolebhyah poorvakarmanaa; elements arise; ordered by past actions (Karma),
3
samutpannam idam sthoolam is produced this gross body,
4
bhogaayatanam aatmanah; the seat of experience for the Self.
5
avasthaa jaagarah tasya In the state of wakefulness of this (body)
6
sthoola artha anubhavah yatah. is experienced the gross objects by it.

Verse 89: Drama in the WAKING STATE

oÉÉ½åÎlSìrÉæÈ xjÉÔsÉmÉSÉjÉïxÉåuÉÉÇ
xÉëYcÉlSlÉx§rÉÉÌSÌuÉÍcÉ§ÉÃmÉÉqÉç |
MüUÉåÌiÉ eÉÏuÉÈ xuÉrÉqÉåiÉSÉiqÉlÉÉ
iÉxqÉÉimÉëzÉÎxiÉuÉïmÉÑwÉÉåÅxrÉ eÉÉaÉUå || 89||

7
baahyendriyaih
sthoola-padaartha-sevaam
By means of the outgoing sense organs,
all the gross objects are enjoyed, such as
8
srak-chandana-
stryaadi vichitraroopaam;
garlands (fame), sandal-paste (wealth), and
women (sex), all of an endless variety;
9
karoti jeevah svayam
etat aatmanaa,
The individualized ego itself
identifies with this gross body.
10
tasmaat prashastih
vapushhah asya jaagare.
Therefore, the greatest scope
this body has is during the WAKING STATE.

58

These two verses are taken together. They are an expansion of verses 74-75. At that
point, we did not explain them. Now we give the detailed explanation. They present the true
spiritual purpose for which the body has been given to us, which is to reduce the load of
Karmas we have brought forward with us from past births, not increase it.
1 The Pancheekarana is the process by which the Tanmatras or Subtle Elements are
converted into gross elements. The process has been explained in Tattwa Bodha. The subtle
elements are mixed in such a way that each gross element consists of half of its own subtle
element, and an eighth part of each of the other four subtle elements.
2-3 Then the Karmas of the person are taken into account. From the total Karma
(Sanchita), a portion (Prarabdha) is allocated for the current birth. The gross body produced
is in accordance with this Prarabdha Karma.
4 The purpose of the body is to gain experience of the world. The manner in which
we accept or reject these experiences, leads to either working out of our Karma or creating
further Karma respectively.
5-6 It is only in the waking state that these experiences can be had.
7-8 More details are given here of the kind of experiences obtained through the
body. They can be classified into three categories.
i) Keerti: “fame”. This is represented by garlands presented to one in public.
ii) Kanchana: “gold”. This is wealth and is represented here by sandal-paste.
iii) Kaamini: “lust”. This refers to sexual enjoyment and is referred here as woman.
Just as the three basic colours – blue, red and green – make up the countless combi-
nations of colours, so also these three symbolic types of sense objects combine in
innumerable ways to produce the pageantry of sense objects in the world. And all of that is
available to us only in our waking state, via the mind.
9 The “I”-sense is present in all experiences with the body. Whatever the gross or
subtle bodies experience, is imbued with the ego-sense. A person usually is entirely
identified with his gross and subtle bodies.
10 Since all the Upadhis are available and fully functional in the waking state, this is
the state that is responsible for all the bondage to the world. If we can check our tendencies
in this state it is sufficient to work out all our Karmas in this birth itself.

The Creation of our “Mental World”
The waking state is where we perceive the gross objects. It is also the state when we
add to those perceptions our own mental inclinations towards those objects. The external
objects arive in their neutral state into the mind. Once in the mind, they get tainted by the
likes and dislikes that prevail in the mind. This intermixing of our mental inclinations onto
the external object is what sows the seed for bondage.
If the mind does not interfere with our perceptions, then we can live fully in the
present moment, the NOW. When we are fully in the NOW, there is true awareness of our
environment. This state is very close to our true Self. However, when our minds bring in past
memories into the present moment, our perceptions get contaminated and we see a mental
version of the external world. Our waking state then resembles the dream state since it is a
mentally constructed world that we see, not the actual external world.
Where our mind is tells us how spiritual we are.

59

Verse 90: Transactional Purpose of the Body

xÉuÉÉåïÅÌmÉ oÉÉ½xÉÇxÉÉUÈ mÉÑÂwÉxrÉ rÉSÉ´ÉrÉÈ |
ÌuÉÎ® SåWûÍqÉSÇ xjÉÔsÉÇ aÉ×WûuÉªØWûqÉåÍkÉlÉÈ || 90||

1
sarvah api baahyasamsaarah All the dealings with the world outside,
2
purushhasya yad-aashrayah; for all men, are dependent on one thing only –
3
viddhi deham idam sthoolam this Gross Body. Know this to be their shelter,
4
grihavat grihamedhinah. just as a house is the shelter of a householder.

1-2 All our transactions with the world take place over the counter of this body. The
incoming and outgoing dealings are done via this Gross Body. This is as per Tattwa Bodha.
3-4 The idea of body as a shelter is an extension to Tattwa Bodha. The body houses
the subtle body. One may say that the body is the ‘address’ of the subtle body. The body is
their home to conduct their business. If anyone wants to contact a person’s mind, he has to
find his gross body first and through it only can he access his mind. The entire subtle body
(mind, intellect, sense organs and Pranas) is given shelter in the gross body. In order to
serve this purpose well, it is necessary for us to maintain our body in a healthy condition,
just as the office building needs to be maintained regularly.

Verse 91: Modifications of the Body

xjÉÔsÉxrÉ xÉqpÉuÉeÉUÉqÉUhÉÉÌlÉ kÉqÉÉïÈ
xjÉÉæsrÉÉSrÉÉå oÉWÒûÌuÉkÉÉÈ ÍzÉzÉÑiÉÉ±uÉxjÉÉÈ |
uÉhÉÉï´ÉqÉÉÌSÌlÉrÉqÉÉ oÉWÒûkÉÉÅÅqÉrÉÉÈ xrÉÑÈ
mÉÔeÉÉuÉqÉÉlÉoÉWÒûqÉÉlÉqÉÑZÉÉ ÌuÉzÉåwÉÉÈ || 91||

1
sthoolasya sambhava-jaraa-
maranaani dharmaah
This gross body has birth, decay and
death as its essential properties;
2
sthaulyaadayo bahuvidhaah
shishutaadi avasthaah;
It has different conditions such as fatness, etc.,
childhood, etc., and such other states;
3
varna-aashramaadi niyamaa
bahudhaa aamayaah syuh
It has a variety of rules of caste and orders of life;
it is affected by numerous diseases;
4
poojaa-vamaana-bahumaana
amukhaa visheshhaah.
Worship, dishonour, honour, etc,
are the different kinds of treatment it receives.

The body is subject to many variables. Some of these changes or modifications are
discussed in this verse:
1 Passing through the period from birth to death the gross body goes through six
modifications, three of which are mentioned here. These six are the full range and form a
cycle: Existence, birth, growth, maturity, decay and death. After death comes Existence once
again, followed by the next birth, and so on. Existence is Sat, and is the only permanent
aspect of the body. Sat is one of the aspects of the Supreme Reality.
2-3 Everything else (other than Sat) changes. These are described one after the other
in the rest of the verse.

60

These changing conditions depend essentially on the Prarabdha Karma we bring
with us into this life. The physical dimensions of the body are dependent on the food and
exercise we give to it. There are social rules which are imposed that depend on the family
one is born into. All such considerations which are based on our body are meaningless
beyond the body. To a seeker of Truth (Sat) they have little significance. What matters to
him is the condition of his mind to walk this path.
4 This body is also subject to being treated in different ways, sometimes praised and
sometimes criticized. All this has to be borne with equanimity.

*****

61

2.3 THE SUBTLE BODY

(Verses 92-105, 14 No.)

2.3.1 The Components of the Subtle Body (Verses 92-96, 5 No.)
Verse 92: The Organs of Knowledge & Action

oÉÑ®ÏÎlSìrÉÉÍhÉ ´ÉuÉhÉÇ iuÉaÉÍ¤É
bÉëÉhÉÇ cÉ ÎeÉÀûÉ ÌuÉwÉrÉÉuÉoÉÉåkÉlÉÉiÉç |
uÉÉYmÉÉÍhÉmÉÉSÉ aÉÑSqÉmrÉÑmÉxjÉÈ
MüqÉåïÎlSìrÉÉÍhÉ mÉëuÉhÉålÉ MüqÉïxÉÑ || 92||

1

buddheendriyaani
shravanam tvag akshhi
The organs of knowledge are:
the ears, skin, eyes,
2
ghraanam cha jihvaa,
vishhaya avabodhanaat;
nose and tongue;
they help us to gain knowledge of objects.
3
vaak-paani-paadaa gudam api upasthah Speech, hands, legs, anus and genitals –
4
karmendriyaani
pravanena karmasu.
these are the organs of action,
since they have a tendency for action.

1-2 The input from the world to the mind is done through the five senses of
knowledge. They bring their respective sensory information to the mind. The ears, eyes and
nose can detect their objects from a distance. The skin can only detect what comes in
contact with it. The tongue can taste what enters the mouth.
3-4 The output from the mind back to the world is done through the 5 senses of
action. The hands and legs provide the physical movement; the speech provides interaction
through communication; the anus and genitals execute their respective personal functions.

Verse 93: “The Inner Instrument” – Mind & Intellect

ÌlÉaÉ±iÉåÅliÉÈMüUhÉÇ
qÉlÉÉåkÉÏÈ AWûƒ¡ÙûÌiÉÍ¶É¨ÉÍqÉÌiÉ xuÉuÉ×Ì¨ÉÍpÉÈ |
qÉlÉxiÉÑ xÉƒ¡ûsmÉÌuÉMüsmÉlÉÉÌSÍpÉÈ
oÉÑÎ®È mÉSÉjÉÉïkrÉuÉxÉÉrÉkÉqÉïiÉÈ || 93||

1
nigadyate antahkaranam Termed jointly as the “inner instrument”, it is made of:
2
manah dheeh ahangkritih
chittam iti svavrittibhih
the mind, intellect, ego-sense and memory,
called so according to their functions.
3
manah tu sangkalpa-
vikalpana-aadibhih
Mind – due to its function of
doubting and hesitating;
4
buddhih padaartha-
adhyavasaaya dharmatah.
Intellect – due to its function of
determining the truth of things;

62

Verse 94: “The Inner Instrument” – Ego & Memory

A§ÉÉÍpÉqÉÉlÉÉSWûÍqÉirÉWûƒ¡ÙûÌiÉÈ |
xuÉÉjÉÉïlÉÑxÉlkÉÉlÉaÉÑhÉålÉ ÍcÉ¨ÉqÉç || 94||

5
atra abhimaanaat
aham iti ahangkritih;
Ego-Sense – due to its function of
identification with the “I am” thought;
6
svaartha anusandhaana
gunena chittam.
Memory – due to its function of
constantly illumining the things of interest (to the mind).

1-2 Antahkarana: “inner instrument”, is the overall term given for the four parts,
namely, mind, intellect, Chitta and Ego. One instrument functions with four departments. If
the four aspects are healthy and functioning well, the person is said to be well-integrated.

The Buddhi & Ahamkara (Intellect & Ego)
4 & 5 These two form a pair. The intellect is where the ‘I’ thought is created. The
pure Consciousness strikes first in the intellect, and the Ego is the reflection that is
produced. The Self, as it were, appoints the Ego as its manager to run the body. Instead of
acting on behalf of the Self, the Ahamkara most often takes over the function as its own due
to ignorance, delusion and impurity in the inner equipment.
When it does so, it behaves in a manner totally different from what it was meant for
by God. It develops its own identity and starts dictating its own terms on the body in an
effort to get its desires fulfilled. The Ego literally hijacks the inner equipment for its own
purpose. We shall give it more attention to it later on in this text.
In this way, the Ahamkara plays its illegitimate role, instructing the intellect that is
contrary to the interests of the embodied soul. An instruction like “Keep Smiling” may suit
the Ego, but it gives a headache to the intellect to manage it practically. In practice such an
instruction can make one look very idiotic.

The Manas & Chitta (Mind & Memory)
3 & 6 These two form a second pair. The memory operates as the secretary to the
mind. It stores all the information in proper files and sequence. When any information is
needed by the mind, the Chitta sets about its work of finding the right cabinet, opening the
right file and pulling out the requested information.
It is also a very dynamic system. Old files that are no longer needed get deleted. The
information is stored in conceptual groups. As concepts are reviewed and updated, so are
old files discarded and new files added. It is a wonder to see the Chitta at work. If its boss,
the mind, decides to ‘change its mind’, the Chitta is expected to perform a miracle and re-
shuffle all the files within an instant! Like a dutiful secretary, it does so without complaint.
Sometimes an old redundant file does get opened through carelessness. Then the
behaviour resulting from it will be along the old lines of thought, by force of habit. It may
not represent the new thought patterns being adopted. This is a challenge to the Chitta. A
Chitta which is free from the biases of the other three departments – mind, intellect and
ego – can operate very efficiently. Such a condition is called Chitta Shuddhi, or purity of
mind. This condition, we shall see, is one of the most important requirements upon which
the control and silencing of the mind depends.

63

Verse 95: Prana & the Five Sub-Pranas

mÉëÉhÉÉmÉÉlÉurÉÉlÉÉåSÉlÉxÉqÉÉlÉÉ pÉuÉirÉxÉÉæ mÉëÉhÉÈ xuÉrÉqÉåuÉ |
uÉ×Ì¨ÉpÉåSÉÌ²M×üÌiÉpÉåSÉixÉÑuÉhÉïxÉÍsÉsÉÉÌSuÉiÉç || 95||

1
praana apaana vyaana udaana
samaanaa – bhavati asau
praanah svayam eva;
Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, and Samana –
becoming these (five), the one and the same
Prana (the life-force) itself is responsible for
2
3
vrittibhedaad

vikriti bhedaat
different functions in the body (inhalation, exhalation, circulation,
ejection and digestion respectively);
and its different modifications (birth, growth, old age, death);
4
suvarna-
salilaadi-vat.
just as gold (has different forms like earrings, necklace, etc),
or water (has different forms like waves, bubbles, steam, ice, etc).

[The details placed in brackets in the translation above are from Tattwa Bodha.]
1-2 The idea of the same Prana splitting into 5 sub-Pranas to perform different
functions has been dealt with exhaustively in Tattva Bodha.
3 Prana, the life energy, also spreads throughout the body, and manifests differently
according to the functions it performs in the body.
4 We see this daily in the example of electricity which is a power that can be used to
perform different functions: it can heat food as well as keep it refrigerated. Power expresses
itself differently through different equipment.

Verse 96: The “Eight Cities” of the Subtle Body

uÉÉaÉÉÌS mÉgcÉ ´ÉuÉhÉÉÌS mÉgcÉ
mÉëÉhÉÉÌS mÉgcÉÉpÉëqÉÑZÉÉÌlÉ mÉgcÉ |
oÉÑSèkrÉÉ±ÌuÉ±ÉÌmÉ cÉ MüÉqÉMüqÉïhÉÏ
mÉÑrÉï¹MÇü xÉÔ¤qÉzÉUÏUqÉÉWÒûÈ || 96||

1
vaagaadi pancha
shravanaadi pancha
1. The five organs of action such as speech, etc.,
2. the five organs of perception such as ears, etc.,
2
praanaadi panchaa
bhramukhaani pancha;
3. the five sub-Pranas,
4. the five elements starting with space, etc.,
3
buddhi-aadi
avidyaa api cha kaama
karmanee
5. the fourfold “inner instrument” (intellect, etc.),
6. Ignorance, 7. desire, and
8. all the actions of the body.
4
puri ashhtakam
sookshhma shareeram aahuh.
These eight ‘cities’ together
constitute the subtle body.

1-3 All the different parts of the subtle body are grouped into 8 ‘cities’ in this verse.
Together they constitute the subtle body. Compared to Tattva Bodha, the only difference
here is that Ignorance, desire and actions are included under subtle body, primarily because
they are “not seen” by the senses, hence they cannot be gross. Desires are in the mind;
Ignorance is in the intellect; and actions, although they are seen, their essential part is not
physical but the motivation behind it, and therefore they are part of the subtle body.

64

4 Describing these eight as ‘cities’ conveys the message that each one is a major
role-player in the functioning of this body. Each of them has many sub-functions with a sub-
structure within it to manage its affairs, just as the municipalities in cities. Not a single ‘city’
is to be neglected.

2.3.2 The Functions of the Subtle Body (Verses 97-105, 9 No.)
Verse 97: Characteristics of the Subtle Body

CSÇ zÉUÏUÇ zÉ×hÉÑ xÉÔ¤qÉxÉÇÍ¥ÉiÉÇ
ÍsÉ…¡Çû iuÉmÉgcÉÏM×üiÉpÉÔiÉxÉqpÉuÉqÉç |
xÉuÉÉxÉlÉÇ MüqÉïTüsÉÉlÉÑpÉÉuÉMÇü
xuÉÉ¥ÉÉlÉiÉÉåÅlÉÉÌSÂmÉÉÍkÉUÉiqÉlÉÈ || 97||

1
idam shareeram shrinu
sookshhma samjnitam linggam
Listen carefully, this composite body (as above) is:
1. known as the “Subtle Body” or “Linga Sharira”.
2
tu apancheekrita
bhoota-sambhavam;
2. Prior to their having undergone “grossification”,
the subtle elements make up the subtle body.
3
savaasanam
karmaphala anubhaavakam
3. It is possessed of Vasanas, which cause one to
experience the fruits of past actions.
4
sva-ajnaanatah
anaadih,
upaadhih aatmanah.
4. It is brought about by its own Ignorance.
5. It is beginningless; and, 6. it is a
conditioning superimposed on the Self.

The Influence of Vasanas
1 “Linga” here refers to a sign indicating Life which otherwise cannot be perceived.
2 The subtle body is made of Tanmatras or the five subtle elements, prior to them
undergoing the process of grossification to become gross elements. This is why it cannot be
perceived by the senses.
3 At the heart of the subtle body are the Vasanas or past impressions which
determine what is in store for us in life. They are the seeds or the subconscious tendencies
which the mind has inherent in it. They form the ‘blueprint’ of life from birth to death, but
are not known until at the proper time they surface in our conscious mind.
Certain environments have the power to activate certain Vasanas. An Ashram may
bring up ones spiritual urges, whereas a nightclub will activate sensual tendencies. As
Vasanas drop off, we begin to see things differently, our viewpoint changes, and we evolve
spiritually. When all Vasanas are dropped, we attain the state called Chitta Shuddhi.
To exhaust all the Vasanas through experience may take many lifetimes. We can
speed up the process by doing spiritual Sadhana. Self-knowledge and intense reflection is
needed to speed up the removal of Vasanas from the Chitta. All the ‘folders’ connected with
the old outdated Vasanas get deleted. Each such deletion renders the mind purer;
4 The subtle body is a conditioning. Pure Consciousness (the Self) is conditioned
according to the purity of this conditioning. The purity of the mind and intellect are most
important in determining the amount by which Consciousness is conditioned.

65

Verse 98: Drama in the DREAM STATE – 1

xuÉmlÉÉå pÉuÉirÉxrÉ ÌuÉpÉYirÉuÉxjÉÉ
xuÉqÉÉ§ÉzÉåwÉåhÉ ÌuÉpÉÉÌiÉ rÉ§É |
xuÉmlÉå iÉÑ oÉÑÎ®È xuÉrÉqÉåuÉ
eÉÉaÉëiÉç MüÉsÉÏlÉlÉÉlÉÉÌuÉkÉuÉÉxÉlÉÉÍpÉÈ || 98||

1
svapnah bhavati asya
vibhakti avasthaa
The DREAM STATE is this:
1. Quite distinct from the waking state.
2
sva-maatra-sheshhena
vibhaati yatra;
2. Where the Jiva remains by itself, all alone,
and has a unique experience.
3
svapne tu buddhih svayameva 3. Indeed, in dream the subtle body revels by itself.
4
naanaavidha-vaasanaabhih
jaagrat kaaleena.
4. Its cause is the various impressions gathered
during the time of waking.

Verse 99: Drama in the DREAM STATE – 2

Mü§ÉÉïÌSpÉÉuÉÇ mÉëÌiÉmÉ± UÉeÉiÉå
rÉ§É xuÉrÉÇ pÉÉÌiÉ ½rÉÇ mÉUÉiqÉÉ |
kÉÏqÉÉ§ÉMüÉåmÉÉÍkÉUzÉåwÉxÉÉ¤ÉÏ
lÉ ÍsÉmrÉiÉå iÉiM×üiÉMüqÉïsÉåzÉæÈ |
rÉxqÉÉSxÉ…¡ûxiÉiÉ LuÉ MüqÉïÍpÉÈ
lÉ ÍsÉmrÉiÉå ÌMüÎgcÉSÒmÉÉÍkÉlÉÉ M×üiÉæÈ || 99||

5
kartraadibhaavam
pratipadya raajate
5. The idea of doership, “I am the doer”, that is
presumed (in the intellect), manifests itself.
6
yatra svayam bhaati
hi ayam paraatmaa;
6. Here (in dream), reigning supreme in all its glory,
is this Antahkarana or “inner instrument”.
7
dheemaatrakopaadhih
asheshha saakshhee
7. The Antahkarana is its only conditioning and it is
witness to everything.
8
na lipyate tat-krita-karma-
leshaih;
8. Dream is untouched even by the least function of
the Pranas (senses of knowledge and action).
9
yasmaat asanggah tata eva
karmabhih
9. For the same reason, dream is entirely detached
from the transactional world of activities;
10
na lipyate kinchid-
upaadhinaa kritaih.
10. (In summary,) Dream is not touched in the least
by any action done by any of the conditionings.

1 The dream state is distinct from the waking state in many ways. These are:
2 The Jiva is all alone in dream, not interacting with the world as in the waking state.
3 The Subtle Body has dominant sway. The gross body is inactive or unavailable.
4 Everything that gets recorded in the Chitta during the waking state gets played
back without physical restraints. The waking state provides the content of dream.
5-7 In dream, the “inner instrument” alone, is active. There is the sense of doership
and enjoyership in dream. Recollection of dream is possible because the mind is active.

66

8 The Pranas are not present in the senses during dream. Thus the senses are
unavailable. Only the involuntary “emergency services” of breathing and blood circulation
are open in order to sustain life.
9 Since the senses are not functioning, there can be no transaction of activities.
10 None of the Upadhis function in dream. The mental activity that does take place
is spontaneous and not driven by the will.

Verse 100: Subtle Body as an Instrument

xÉuÉïurÉÉmÉ×ÌiÉMüUhÉÇ ÍsÉ…¡ûÍqÉSÇ xrÉÉÎŠSÉiqÉlÉÈ mÉÑÇxÉÈ |
uÉÉxrÉÉÌSMüÍqÉuÉ iÉ¤hÉxiÉålÉæuÉÉiqÉÉ pÉuÉirÉxÉ…¡ûÉåÅrÉqÉç || 100||

1
sarva-vyaapriti-karanam
linggam idam
For all activities the instrumental cause
is this subtle body.
2
syaat chidaatmanah pumsah; It is in the hands of the Atman, the knowing Self,
3
vaasyaadikamiva takshhnas just as tools are in the hands of the carpenter.
4
tena eva aatmaa bhavati
asanggah ayam.
That is reason enough for the Self
to be considered unattached (to activity).

1-4 The Antahkarana as the “inner instrument” is described here. The carpenter and
his tools are related to each other in the same way as the Self and the Antahkarana are
related. A modern example of this is the mobile phone. People can be so obsessed by the
mobile that all else gets neglected completely. Even driving is affected while on the mobile.
In the same way, the ego-self is obsessed with the instruments of body and mind.

Verse 101: Instruments can be Defective, not Self

AlkÉiuÉqÉlSiuÉmÉOÒûiuÉkÉqÉÉïÈ
xÉÉæaÉÑhrÉuÉæaÉÑhrÉuÉzÉÉÎ® cÉ¤ÉÑwÉÈ |
oÉÉÍkÉrÉïqÉÔMüiuÉqÉÑZÉÉxiÉjÉæuÉ
´ÉÉå§ÉÉÌSkÉqÉÉï lÉ iÉÑ uÉå¨ÉÑUÉiqÉlÉÈ || 101||

1
andhatva-mandatva-patutva-
dharmaah
Blindness, weakness or sharpness
are conditions
2
saugunya-vaigunya-vashaat hi
chakshhushhah;
due merely to the defectiveness or fitness
of the eye;
3
baadhirya-mookatva-mukhaah
tathaa eva shrotraadi-dharmaa
Deafness and dumbness, in the same way, are
conditions that belong to the ear or mouth;
4
na tu vettuh aatmanah. but never can they be attributed to the inner Self.

1-4 Defects in the tools do not affect the operator, except that the work done may
not be of the expected standard. Similarly, if the mind and intellect are not sharp enough, it
is not a reflection of a ‘defective Self’. The Seer is always unaffected by the seen.

67

Verse 102: The Functions of the Sub-Pranas & Prana

EcduÉÉxÉÌlÉÈµÉÉxÉÌuÉeÉ×qpÉhÉ¤ÉÑiÉç-
mÉëxrÉlSlÉÉ±Ñi¢üqÉhÉÉÌSMüÉÈ Ì¢ürÉÉÈ |
mÉëÉhÉÉÌSMüqÉÉïÍhÉ uÉSÎliÉ iÉ¥ÉÉÈ
mÉëÉhÉxrÉ kÉqÉÉïuÉzÉlÉÉÌmÉmÉÉxÉå || 102||

1
uchchhvaas-anihshvaasa-
vijrimbhana-kshhut-
Inhalation, exhalation,
yawning, sneezing,
2
prasyandana-aadi-utkramana-
aadikaah kriyaah;
secretion, etc., and death,
etc. – these are actions
3
praanaadikarmaani
vadanti tajnaah
which are the functions of the sub-Pranas;
thus declare those who are knowledgable.
4
praanasya dharmau
ashanaa pipaase.
The functions of Prana as a whole
are hunger and thirst.

1-3 The bodily functions are divided into five main departments and each one is run
by its respective sub-Prana.
4 However, the major function of creating hunger and thirst to remind the person to
take his food is so important that the main Prana controls it, for without food the Pranic
system will collapse as it cannot be replenished in any other way.

Verse 103: The Function of the Inner Instrument

AliÉÈMüUhÉqÉåiÉåwÉÑ cÉ¤ÉÑUÉÌSwÉÑ uÉwqÉïÍhÉ |
AWûÍqÉirÉÍpÉqÉÉlÉålÉ ÌiÉ¸irÉÉpÉÉxÉiÉåeÉxÉÉ || 103||

1
antahkaranam eteshhu The inner instrument is within (subtler than) these
2
chakshhuraadishhu
varshhmani;
five senses (representing the Pranic sheath),
which in turn are within the Body sheath;
3
aham iti abhimaanena It identifies itself with the “I am” thought which
4
tishhthati aabhaasatejasaa. has its origin in the “reflection of the Self” (not the Self).

1-2 Since the Antahkarana is subtler than the Pranic or Food sheaths, it is erron-
eously given the status of being the Self by an ordinary person.
3-4 However, the “I” with which the Antahkarana identifies itself is not the true Self,
but a reflection of the true Self off the Antahkarana’s intellect. The reflection is mistaken by
the Antahkarana to be the original Self. The false Ego has its origin in this mistaken identity.
Usually, this error never gets corrected in an ordinary person. Only in the case of a spiritual
seeker are efforts made to correct it and realise one’s true Self.
The Light of the Self is reflected through the inner instrument. If the latter is very
pure, the reflection will closely resemble the Self, as in a Sattwic person. But if the inner
instrument is impure with many desires then the reflection will have that colouring and also
appear to be very dull.

68

Verse 104: The Sense of “Doership” or Ego

AWûƒ¡ûÉUÈ xÉ ÌuÉ¥ÉårÉÈ MüiÉÉï pÉÉå£üÉÍpÉqÉÉlrÉrÉqÉç |
xÉ¨uÉÉÌSaÉÑhÉrÉÉåaÉålÉ cÉÉuÉxjÉÉ§ÉrÉqÉzlÉÑiÉå || 104||

1
ahangkaarah sah vijneyah Know that it is the Ego which,
2
kartaa bhoktaa
abhimaani ayam;
becomes the doer or the experiencer,
by identifying with this (the body-mind-intellect).
3
sattvaadi-guna-yogena In conjunction with the Gunas (Sattwa, etc) the Ego
4
cha avasthaa-trayam ashnute. gets into any one of the three states (waking, etc).

1 Once the pure Consciousness is reflected through the prism of the mind, it is called
the Ego or Ahamkara. 2 This develops the sense of doership by identifying with the actions;
and the sense of enjoyership by identifying with the experiences obtained.
3-4 The three Gunas determine the quality of such experiences. The three Gunas
also determine in which state we are at any given time. It could be either the waking, dream
or deep sleep states.

Verse 105: The Ego’s Joys & Sorrows

ÌuÉwÉrÉÉhÉÉqÉÉlÉÑMÔüsrÉå xÉÑZÉÏ SÒÈZÉÏ ÌuÉmÉrÉïrÉå |
xÉÑZÉÇ SÒÈZÉÇ cÉ iÉ®qÉïÈ xÉSÉlÉlSxrÉ lÉÉiqÉlÉÈ || 105||

1
vishhayaanaam aanukoolye When the sense objects are conducive,
2
sukhee duhkhee viparyaye; one is happy; if it is contrary, one is miserable.
3
sukham duhkham cha
tat dharmah
Happiness and misery are, therefore,
the Dharmas or properties of the Ego;
4
sadaanandasya na aatmanah. they do not belong to the ever-blissful Self.

1-2 The experience resulting from the sense objects coming into contact with the
senses is relayed to the mind and is interpreted there by the ego-self, from its own
standpoint. This may be called either joy or sorrow by the ego.
3 Our interpretations of experiences as joyful or sorrowful depend on the type of
Vasanas we have stored in our subconscious mind. Such Vasanas can turn a harmless
situation into a stressful one. In fact, if we have really bad Samskaras, we can never be
happy anywhere, not even in heaven! Our ego will start judging heaven itself by its own
standards and find something there to complain about!
4 As far as the Self is concerned, i.e. the original ray of Light, It is unaffected by the
experiences and remains ever-blissful.

*****

69

2.4 THE CAUSAL BODY

(Verses 106-121, 16 No.)

WE ARE ENTERING THE discussion of the Causal level of creation, having already
dealt with the Gross and the Subtle levels. The deepest concerns in life are at this level.
The search for Happiness is foremost on the list of human concerns. It is something
which every human being lives for. Each one may see Happiness differently but, whatever
there view is, that is what determines their life’s purpose. Happiness lies at the causal level.

Verse 106: The Source of Happiness

AÉiqÉÉjÉïiuÉålÉ ÌWû mÉëårÉÉÎluÉwÉrÉÉå lÉ xuÉiÉÈ ÌmÉërÉÈ |
xuÉiÉ LuÉ ÌWû xÉuÉåïwÉÉqÉÉiqÉÉ ÌmÉërÉiÉqÉÉå rÉiÉÈ |
iÉiÉ AÉiqÉÉ xÉSÉlÉlSÉå lÉÉxrÉ SÒÈZÉÇ MüSÉcÉlÉ || 106||

1
aatmaarthatvena hi
preyaan vishhayah
na svatah priyah;
For the sake of the Self only,
a sense object appears to give pleasure,
and not because it is dear in itself;
2
svata eva hi sarveshhaam
aatmaa priyatamo yatah;
Its very own nature, in contrast to all other objects,
makes the Self most beloved ; for this reason,
3
tata aatmaa sadaanandah
na asya duhkham kadaachana.
therefore, the Self is ever-blissful –
never can there be any grief in It whatsoever.

1 Our encounters in this world are evaluated in terms of our own Self. Everyone
loves his own Self most. The fact is that everything else is loved only for the sake of the Self.
2 When we realize that our true Self is the Supreme Reality alone, then our entire
vision is rendered universal and pure. If we think that we are only an Ego, then our vision is
self-centered, and the resulting relationships are the very opposite in nature.
3 As the Supreme Self, our very nature is to be All-Blissful. This is rarely recognised.

Verse 107: Deep Sleep – The Indicator of Bliss

rÉixÉÑwÉÑmiÉÉæ ÌlÉÌuÉïwÉrÉ AÉiqÉÉlÉlSÉåÅlÉÑpÉÔrÉiÉå |
´ÉÑÌiÉÈ mÉëirÉ¤ÉqÉæÌiÉ½qÉlÉÑqÉÉlÉÇ cÉ eÉÉaÉëÌiÉ || 107||

1
yat sushhuptau nirvishhaya In DEEP SLEEP, independent of the sense objects,
2
aatmaanandah anubhooyate; we experience the Bliss of the Atman.
3
shrutih pratyakshham aitihyam The scriptures, direct experience, tradition,
4
anumaanam cha jaagrati. and inference – all these clearly attest to this fact.

70

Earlier we learnt that the Gross world was experienced during the Waking state, and
the Subtle world in the Dream state. Now we are learning the Causal world is experienced
in the Deep Sleep state.
1-2 The state of deep sleep is the only state when we do not experience any sense
objects. The satisfaction we get during sleep is independent of objects. In no other state do
we enjoy this. It is our daily taste of the bliss of our own Self.
3-4 Four other sources verify this fact. i) the scriptures state this clearly; ii) it is the
common direct experience of all humanity; iii) Resorting to sleep is an accepted tradition in
every human society; and iv) by reason, too, we can deduce that the Self is all-Blissful.
The purpose of this verse is to lay out the scope of the discussion that is to follow in
this Chapter. Each item mentioned here is explained in the rest of this Chapter.

2.4.1 The Power of Maya (Verses 108-110, 3 No.)

The power of Avidya Maya (causal ignorance) draws us into bondage to the world.
Spiritual seekers, when they are tired of the game of life, turn to Vidya Maya (the power of
knowledge) to extricate themselves from the world.
Maya as Avidya that projects this entire universe. To grasp this we need a clear
intellect, and a clear perception of the effects produced by Avidya Maya. If we grasp well
how bondage takes place and how to free ourselves from it, that is Vidya Maya working in
our favour. It is this Vidya that is presented through these verses.
In these three verses, Maya is explained from three different standpoints – first from
the viewpoint of its effect, which is creation; then from its own viewpoint; and thirdly from
the viewpoint of Brahman the Absolute.
The student of Vedanta is required to study this in detail in order to grasp fully his
situation of bondage and how to free himself from it.

Verse 108: What is Maya?

AurÉ£ülÉÉqlÉÏ mÉUqÉåzÉzÉÌ£üÈ
AlÉÉ±ÌuÉ±É Ì§ÉaÉÑhÉÉÎiqÉMüÉ mÉUÉ |
MüÉrÉÉïlÉÑqÉårÉÉ xÉÑÍkÉrÉæuÉ qÉÉrÉÉ
rÉrÉÉ eÉaÉixÉuÉïÍqÉSÇ mÉëxÉÔrÉiÉå || 108||

1
avyaktanaamnee
parameshashaktih
a. Known by the name ‘Unmanifest’;
b. as the Power (or Shakti) of the Lord;
2
anaadyi
avidyaa
trigunaatmikaa paraa;
c. Without a beginning;
d. as Nescience or Ignorance;
e. as comprising the three Gunas;
3
kaarya anumeyaa
sudhiyaa eva
maayaa
f. inferrable only by its effects; and
g. known only by one who has a clear intellect –
Thus is the description of Maya.
4
yayaa jagatsarvamidam prasooyate. By Her is this entire universe projected.

71

Definitions of Maya
Seven statements are given to describe Maya in this verse. They are from the
standpoint of the effects of Maya.
Brahman and Maya are not two separate entities. Pure Brahman is the Supreme
Reality. He is an undifferentiated “mass of Consciousness, Intelligence, and Light” alone,
without any attributes or qualities attached to Him. He is in a state of complete equilibrium.
Maya is the disturbance from which is generated the whole of Creation. The
disequilibrium in Brahman is called Maya. From this, the following points arise:
a. Maya is known as “Unmanifest” because She stands at the apex of creation, when
nothing is manifested, neither the gross world nor the subtle world. She stands at the
threshold of creation. She is the primary impulse for the cause of Creation.
b. Maya is the power of Brahman, even as strength is the power of a strong man.
c. A beginning cannot be possible for Maya. From Maya alone Time is created. In
fact, many Vedantins equate Time and Maya. Both are considered to be beginningless.
d. Maya is like a screen. She shields or screens off Brahman from the knowledge of
the individual soul. In this She plays Her role as ignorance, illusion and delusion.
e. The disturbance of Maya is of three kinds. They are Sattwa (equilibrium), Rajas
(motion or restlessness) and Tamas (darkness or thick ignorance). All disturbances are
combinations of these three.
f. Since Maya cannot be ‘seen’, She can be known only by inference from Her effects.
g. We are human beings and are a part of Maya’s creation. Thus, we are subject to
Avidya like all Jivas. Only if we purify ourselves of dense Avidya, can our intellect grasp the
true intent and purpose of Maya.

Creation & Dissolution
4 Creation, or rather projection, of this universe is ascribed to Maya. The Vedic
scriptures are the only ones that use the word ‘Projected’ instead of ‘created’ for the
universe. It reflects more clearly the relationship between the world and its ‘Projector’.
The three Gunas are always in conflict with each other. They cannot stand each
other, yet they cannot do without each other! Sattwa’s equilibrium is always threatened by
Rajas and Tamas. Rajas is threatened by Sattwa at one end and sluggishness of Tamas at the
other. The dull inactive state of Tamas is threatened by the restlessness of Rajas.
The net sum of all the forces in creation is always Zero. That is the state of
equilibrium. The law governing this statement is that “For every action there is an equal and
opposite reaction.” In the perfect state of equilibrium there is no world. When this happens
we have the cosmic dissolution spoken about in the Hindu scriptures.

Verse 109: Maya is Indescribable

xÉ³ÉÉmrÉxÉ³ÉÉmrÉÑpÉrÉÉÎiqÉMüÉ lÉÉå
ÍpÉ³ÉÉmrÉÍpÉ³ÉÉmrÉÑpÉrÉÉÎiqÉMüÉ lÉÉå |
xÉÉ…¡ûÉmrÉlÉ…¡ûÉ ½ÑpÉrÉÉÎiqÉMüÉ lÉÉå
qÉWûÉ°ÒiÉÉÅÌlÉuÉïcÉlÉÏrÉÃmÉÉ || 109||

72

1
sat na api asat na api
ubhayaatmikaa no
Maya is: i) Neither existent; nor non-existent;
nor is She of both these natures;
2
bhinna api abhinna api
ubhayaatmikaa no;
ii) She is neither different from them; nor the same as
them; nor is She of both these natures;
3
saangga api ananggaa hi
ubhayaatmikaa no
iii) She is neither made up of parts; nor is She whole;
nor is She of both these natures;
4
mahaa adbhutaa
anirvachaneeya roopaa.
Indeed, most wonderful is She!
Beyond description in words is She!

We now have a definition of Maya from Her own standpoint. In this verse we are
given three anomalies which indicate that to define Maya is a puzzle even for the wise
philosophers. They, too, are at sixes and sevens in trying to define Maya!
1-3 The whole anomaly regarding Maya is due to fact a. of the previous verse, where
we said that Maya stands at the threshold of creation. So, She is at a point between two
realities – She is between the Absolute realm and the transactional realm. In the language of
this verse, She is neither the Reality, nor is She part of the Unreality, nor is She both!
She is like the fulcrum of a see-saw – She does not belong to either side. The only
thing we can say is that She is Mithya, that is, She is an appearance. She only appears to be
there, but actually She does not exist! This is from Her own standpoint.
4 Thus, Maya is impossible to define. She is said to be Aneervachaneeya, meaning
“inexplicable” or “indescribable”. That is the best definition of Maya – She is indefinable!
Let us see what She is from Brahman’s standpoint…

Verse 110: The Transcending of Maya

zÉÑ®É²rÉoÉë¼ÌuÉoÉÉåkÉlÉÉzrÉÉ
xÉmÉïpÉëqÉÉå U‹ÑÌuÉuÉåMüiÉÉå rÉjÉÉ |
UeÉxiÉqÉÈxÉ¨uÉÍqÉÌiÉ mÉëÍxÉ®É
aÉÑhÉÉxiÉSÏrÉÉÈ mÉëÍjÉiÉæÈ xuÉMüÉrÉæïÈ || 110||

1
shuddha advaya brahma
vibodha naashyaa
The pure, non-dual Brahman –
only by realization of That, can Maya be transcended.
2
sarpa-bhramah rajju-
vivekatah yathaa;
Just as the illusion of the snake is removed by the
discriminative knowledge of the rope.
3
rajas-tamah-sattvam
iti prasiddhaa
As Rajas, Tamas and Sattwa –
thus is (Maya) well-known;
4
gunaah tadeeyaa
prathitaih svakaaryaih.
here the (three) Gunas or qualities are
distinguished by their respective (observable) effects.

This is the view of Maya from the standpoint of Brahman, the Lord of Maya.
1 The very first statement tells us under what condition Maya can be destroyed. If
recognition of the Self makes it disappear, then non-Recognition of the Self must be the
cause of Maya! That is a revelation worth pondering over.
2 The snake-rope analogy illustrates this well. The snake is seen to exist because the
rope has not been recognized. When we look at this problem from Brahman’s point of view,

73

that is, from the rope’s point of view, the snake does not exist, it never existed. So it is with
Maya, She never exists. The only reason we cannot not say that from the earlier standpoints
is that we feel the influence of Maya over us, and we cannot honestly declare it to be non-
existent – at least not until we become Self-realised. Only Knowledge of the Self renders
Maya non-existent.
Maya is like a mirror. When we look at a mirror we see reflections in it. But if we
stand behind the mirror, there are no reflections in it. Brahman’s viewpoint is like observing
the mirror of Maya from behind it – there is nothing to see!
3 It is the same with the three Gunas. We can only tell the Gunas apart from their
functions in the world. When there are no functions, the Gunas are not manifest in any
manner and cannot be deduced. As soon as there is disturbance of the state of equilibrium,
and activity takes place in the world, we can talk of Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas.
4 Tamas and Rajas entrap us through bondage; Sattwa, by its power of revealing
knowledge, helps us to come out of bondage. These are observable qualities of the Gunas.
An example given in class is of a monkey that puts its hand into a narrow-necked pot
with its favourite food inside. The monkey grabs the food but cannot take its hand out of
the neck of the pot because it is holding onto the food, which it does not want to let go.
When Sattwa dawns in the monkey’s mind, it releases the food and its hand slips out easily
from the bondage it was in. Sure, the monkey is liberated, but it never had the chance to
sample its favourite food!
In general, the expansion of the universe is limitless. Starting with Maya = 0, we go
to the 3 Gunas; then to the 5 great elements; then to the 24 principle Tattvas; and from
there to the billions of offshoots that make up the content of this universe.

2.4.2 THE THREE GUNAS (Verses 111-119, 9 No.)

2.4.2.1 i) Rajas Guna (Verses 111-112, 2 no.)

Verse 111: Rajas – the Projecting Power of Maya

ÌuÉ¤ÉåmÉzÉ£üÏ UeÉxÉÈ Ì¢ürÉÉÎiqÉMüÉ
rÉiÉÈ mÉëuÉ×Ì¨ÉÈ mÉëxÉ×iÉÉ mÉÑUÉhÉÏ |
UÉaÉÉSrÉÉåÅxrÉÉÈ mÉëpÉuÉÎliÉ ÌlÉirÉÇ
SÒÈZÉÉSrÉÉå rÉå qÉlÉxÉÉå ÌuÉMüÉUÉÈ || 111||

1
vikshhepa shaktee rajasah
kriyaatmikaa
Rajas has the power to project (Vikshepa Shakti),
activity being its very nature.
2
yatah pravrittih prasritaa
puraanee;
From it is initiated activity
the flow of which is since antiquity.
3
raagaadayah asyaah
prabhavanti nityam
From this, likes and dislikes, etc,
are continuously produced.
4
duhkhaadayo
ye manasah vikaaraah.
(Inevitably, the result is) grief and sorrow, etc,
which are the modifications of the mind.

74

Verse 112: The Attributes of Rajas

MüÉqÉÈ ¢üÉåkÉÉå sÉÉåpÉSqpÉÉ±xÉÔrÉÉ
AWûƒ¡ûÉUåwrÉÉïqÉixÉUÉ±ÉxiÉÑ bÉÉåUÉÈ |
kÉqÉÉï LiÉå UÉeÉxÉÉÈ mÉÑqmÉëuÉ×Ì¨É-
rÉïxqÉÉSåwÉÉ iÉSìeÉÉå oÉlkÉWåûiÉÑÈ || 112||

5
kaamah krodhah lobha
dambha-aadi asooyaa
Desire, anger, greed,
hypocricy and its train, namely, spite,
6
ahangkaara eershhyaa matsara-
aadi-aah tu ghoraah;
egoism, jealousy, envy,
and many others too dreadful to name –
7
dharmaah ete raajasaah
pum-pravrittih
these are the attributes of Rajas.
The worldly tendencies of man
8
yasmaat eshhaa
tat rajah bandha-hetuh.
stream forth from these.
Thus, Rajas is the cause for bondage in life.

1-2 All activities begin from Rajas Guna. It is the Projecting Power of Maya. How
does the projection take place? Activity itself sets off a chain of effects which bind man from
head to foot. The activities produce more activities in an endless stream. These produce
mental modifications continuously that make us get into a vicious circle of activity again,
from which there seems to be no escape. The Rajasic activities have the following effect:
3 After impelling man into activity, they then produce effects which bind him. The
Rajasic vision is narrow, produced by ignorance of our Self. The narrow vision expresses
itself as likes and dislikes.
4-8 Our narrow view sets up jealousy, hatred, fear, arrogance, etc, in us. From that
background we act. It goes without saying that actions stemming from such a low vision of
life, will lead us into a bottomless pit of sorrow and suffering. We are firmly bound.

2.4.2.2 ii) Tamas Guna (Verses 113-116, 4 no.)

Verse 113: Tamas – the Veiling Power of Maya

LwÉÉÅÅuÉ×ÌiÉlÉÉïqÉ iÉqÉÉåaÉÑhÉxrÉ
zÉÌ£ürÉïrÉÉ uÉxiuÉuÉpÉÉxÉiÉåÅlrÉjÉÉ |
xÉæwÉÉ ÌlÉSÉlÉÇ mÉÑÂwÉxrÉ xÉÇxÉ×iÉåÈ
ÌuÉ¤ÉåmÉzÉ£åüÈ mÉëuÉhÉxrÉ WåûiÉÑÈ || 113||

1
eshhaa aavritih naama
tamogunasya shaktih
There is also a power that veils, named Aavriti,
which belongs to the quality of Tamas;
2
yayaa vastu avabhaasate
anyathaa;
By this power, a thing appears to be
other than what it actually is.
3
saa eshhaa nidaanam
purushhasya samsriteh
This power is also the root cause
of man’s repeated transmigration.
4
vikshhepa shakteh
pravanasya hetuh.
The projecting power (of Rajas, see above)
is actually initiated into motion by this veiling power.

75

1 The Veiling Power is also called Avarana. The ‘veil’ is a metaphor. It is as though a
screen is placed between us and the Truth and so we cannot comprehend the Truth. Our
understanding is clouded by this veil. Hence it is also called the veil of Delusion. It is at the
root of the human predicament.
The Veiling power of Tamas is often compared to darkness, in which no objects can
be seen. Even as the blind cannot know where they are going, so also a man under delusion
gropes in darkness without any direction to his life.
2 Due to the veiling, something very strange happens to man. He sees everything “to
be other than what it actually is.” Everything is reversed. Truth appears as untruth; violence
appears as non-violence, etc. All one’s values get reversed. The whole logic system of the
intellect is, as it were, corrupted.
3 Once out of delusion, the very cause of this entire cycle of birth and death is
removed and thereby Transmigration ends. This is the meaning of Liberation in Vedanta.
4 The projecting power of Rajas works hand in hand with the veiling power of Tamas.
Together, these two Powers of Maya bind man into the tangle of Avidya. Under delusion,
we resort to various activities projected into the world of objects. If Tamas were not there
to veil, Rajas would have no motive power to project.
Man slips periodically between Rajas and Tamas. Tamas does not enlighten, it only
thickens the veil of ignorance. When we come out of Tamas we are hurled into the
whirlpool of activity with no respite.

Verse 114: Failure to Grasp the Teaching

mÉë¥ÉÉuÉÉlÉÌmÉ mÉÎhQûiÉÉåÅÌmÉ cÉiÉÑUÉåÅmrÉirÉliÉxÉÔ¤qÉÉiqÉSØaÉç-
urÉÉsÉÏRûxiÉqÉxÉÉ lÉ uÉåÌ¨É oÉWÒûkÉÉ xÉqoÉÉåÍkÉiÉÉåÅÌmÉ xTÑüOûqÉç |
pÉëÉlirÉÉUÉåÌmÉiÉqÉåuÉ xÉÉkÉÑ MüsÉrÉirÉÉsÉqoÉiÉå iÉªÒhÉÉlÉç
WûliÉÉxÉÉæ mÉëoÉsÉÉ SÒUliÉiÉqÉxÉÈ zÉÌ£üqÉïWûirÉÉuÉ×ÌiÉÈ || 114||

1
prajnaavaan api pandhitah api
chaturah, api atyanta-
sookshhm-aatma-drig-
Even the wise and the learned, even those who are
proficient and have a profound
insight into the subtleties of the Self; (even they
2
vyaaleedhhah tamasaa
na vetti sambodhitah
bahudhaa api sphutam;
at times) can get overpowered by Tamas,
and fail to grasp the teaching even when it is
explained in various ways very clearly.
3
bhraantyaa aaropitam eva
saadhu kalayati,
aalambate tadgunaan
What is simply superimposed by delusion,
they consider to be real,
and get attached to its effects.
4
hanta asau prabalaa
duranta-tamasah,
shaktih mahatee aavritih.
Alas! It is amazing to see how powerful is
this primary attribute of Tamas, namely,
its treacherously great power of veiling!

Difficulty in Grasping Spiritual Knowledge
1-4 Under Tamas it is not possible to grasp the Truth. Only Sattwa can pull us out of
this whirlpool because of the knowledge that it awakens in us. Knowledge is the only thing

76

that can help us, since it is ignorance that brings us into bondage. But cultivation of Sattwa
is a long and laborious process. We shall learn more of this as we move on with the text.

Verse 115: The Secondary Attributes of Tamas

ApÉÉuÉlÉÉ uÉÉ ÌuÉmÉUÏiÉpÉÉuÉlÉÉ-
ÅxÉqpÉÉuÉlÉÉ ÌuÉmÉëÌiÉmÉÌ¨ÉUxrÉÉÈ |
xÉÇxÉaÉïrÉÑ£Çü lÉ ÌuÉqÉÑgcÉÌiÉ kÉëÑuÉÇ
ÌuÉ¤ÉåmÉzÉÌ£üÈ ¤ÉmÉrÉirÉeÉxÉëqÉç || 115||

1
abhaavanaa vaa
vipareeta bhaavanaa-
There is lack of belief in the very existence of Truth, or
there is contrary tendencies despite knowledge; or
2
asambhaavanaa
vipratipattih asyaah;
there is lack of belief in the possibility of knowing Truth,
and the nurturing of doubt over it;
3
samsargayuktam
na vimunchati dhruvam
One who is firmly gripped by the veiling power,
certainly (these tendencies) never leave him.
4
vikshhepa-shaktih
kshhapayati ajasram.
The projecting power, too, (following the veiling power),
gives endless trouble of its own.

The plight of the man under Tamas is traced out in detail here.
1a Abhavana: “non-apprehension or non-acceptance of the Truth”. There is
insufficient Sattwa in the person even to make Sravana possible..
1b Vipareeta Bhavana: “incorrect judgements or perverted understanding”. Due to
the deep darkness of Tamas, the person’s intellect is muddled by contrary tendencies,
making Nididhyasana impossible.
2 Asambhavana: “Doubt in the possibility of knowing Truth”. There is no faith or
conviction in one’s intellect even to believe that the spiritual path is the right solution.
Manana is impossible in such a person.
3 Veiling of the intellect is so strong that one holds on to it for life. Only by coming in
contact with saints can one slowly lift the veil and peep into the Truth of things.
4 The projecting power adds insult to injury. Like Kumbhakarana, as long as we
remain dormant in sleep, we do not trouble anyone. No sooner we get up, every act we do
becomes a trouble to others! This is humorously described in the following anecdote:
The boss asked a worker, “How come you commit more mistakes than the others?”
The worker replied, “I start work earlier, and put in more hours than the others!”

Verse 116: External Signs of Tamas

A¥ÉÉlÉqÉÉsÉxrÉeÉQûiuÉÌlÉSìÉ-
mÉëqÉÉSqÉÔRûiuÉqÉÑZÉÉxiÉqÉÉåaÉÑhÉÉÈ |
LiÉæÈ mÉërÉÑ£üÉå lÉ ÌWû uÉåÌ¨É ÌMüÎgcÉiÉç
ÌlÉSìÉsÉÑuÉixiÉqpÉuÉSåuÉ ÌiÉ¸ÌiÉ || 116||

77

1
ajnaanam aalasya jadhatva nidraa, Ignorance, laziness, dullness, sleep,
2
pramaada moodhhatva-
mukhaah tamogunaah;
inadvertence, stupidity, etc.,
are the ‘faces’ or external signs of Tamas.
3
etaih prayuktah
na hi vetti kinchit
One tied up with these
cannot comprehend anything;
4
nidraaluvat stambhavat
eva tishhthati.
He is like one asleep, or like a stump of wood –
does he verily remain.

1-2 The detailed description of one steeped in Tamas is given. Tamas makes one so
insensitive to his surroundings that he becomes inconsiderate towards others. Acharyaji said
we become like the buffaloes walking in the street, paying no heed to what is around them,
knocking and bumping into everything they pass!
3 The laziness is so thick, we do not bother about personal cleanliness even. Clothes
remain unwashed, room is just left untidy. The bed is not made after getting up. Sheer
heedlessness rules our lives. People just trample over the rights of others.
4 It is no wonder that the Rishi calls such people “stumps of wood”!
Swami Vivekananda had said, “Football will help you to come to Vedanta quicker
than your meditation.” He meant that one had to first get out of heedless Tamas into active
Rajas before he can enter Sattwa.

2.4.2.3 iii) Sattwa Guna (Verses 117-119, 3 no.)

Verse 117: The Clarity of Sattwa

xÉ¨uÉÇ ÌuÉzÉÑ®Ç eÉsÉuÉ¨ÉjÉÉÌmÉ
iÉÉprÉÉÇ ÍqÉÍsÉiuÉÉ xÉUhÉÉrÉ MüsmÉiÉå |
rÉ§ÉÉiqÉÌoÉqoÉÈ mÉëÌiÉÌoÉÎqoÉiÉÈ xÉlÉç
mÉëMüÉzÉrÉirÉMïü CuÉÉÎZÉsÉÇ eÉQûqÉç || 117||

1
sattvam vishuddham jalavat tathaa api Pure Sattwa is like clear water. However,
2
taabhyaam militvaa
saranaaya kalpate;
when it combines with the other two (Rajas and Tamas),
the way is paved for transmigration to take place.
3
yatra aatmabimbah pratibimbitah san Wherever the light of the Self gets reflected,
4
prakaashayati arkah iva
akhilam jadham.
there (in the intellect) is revealed, just as by sunlight,
the entire gross world of inert matter.

1 Pure Sattwa is like the clean surface of a mirror. It reflects the light of the Self with
great clarity. It is Sattwa that leads us to a clear understanding of the Self. In fact, one with
pure Sattwa slips naturally into the state of enlightenment.
2 However, the other two Gunas, Rajas and Tamas, discolour the mirror according to
their proportions. The discolouring varies from person to person, and even in the same
person from time to time.
3-4 In general, any intellect, of whatever combination of Gunas, reflects the Light of
the Self, and thereby reveals the world of objects to the person.

78

Verse 118: The Attributes of “Mixed Sattwa”

ÍqÉ´ÉxrÉ xÉ¨uÉxrÉ pÉuÉÎliÉ kÉqÉÉïÈ
iuÉqÉÉÌlÉiÉÉ±É ÌlÉrÉqÉÉ rÉqÉÉ±ÉÈ |
´É®É cÉ pÉÌ£ü¶É qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÑiÉÉ cÉ
SæuÉÏ cÉ xÉqmÉÌ¨ÉUxÉÍ³ÉuÉ×Ì¨ÉÈ || 118||

1
mishrasya sattvasya
bhavanti dharmaah
Of predominantly Sattwa, (mixed with very little
Rajas and Tamas), the characteristics are:
2
tvamaanitaadyaah
niyamaa yamaadyaah;
a. Utter absence of pride, and its train of vices;
b. Niyama and Yama (prevalence of purity & virtue);
3
shraddhaa cha bhaktih cha
mumukshhutaa cha
c. Faith and devotion, and
d. Burning yearning for liberation;
4
daivee cha sampattih
asat nivrittih.
e. All the divine tendencies; and
f. A natural turning away from everything unreal.

The previous verse explained how each Guna contributes to the quality of the
reflection. In this verse, six qualities of a predominantly Sattwic intellect are given. We see
from the qualities that Sattwa ennobles a person to heights of divinity.
1 When Rajas and Tamas are found only in small traces, the man is considered to be
a predominantly Sattwic person. He possesses all the Sattwic qualities.
2-4 These qualities are practically equivalent to Sadhana Chatushtaya or the pre-
qualifications needed to tread the Path of Vedanta. Due to the traces of Rajas and Tamas,
such a person may not be enlightened but he is ready and eligible for the Sadhana. All the
qualities necessary for the spiritual path are there in him. He is well-placed to progress
towards final liberation.

Support from the Bhagavad Geeta
The six qualities present in him are listed in greater detail In Chapter 16 of the Geeta,
verses 1 to 3. The divine tendencies listed there are quoted below:
“Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in Yoga, charity, control of the
senses, sacrifice, study of the scriptures, austerity and straightforwardness;
“Harmlessness, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness,
absence of crookedness, compassion to living beings, uncovetousness, gentleness,
modesty, absence of fickleness;
“Vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride –
these belong to one born for the Divine State, O Bharata!”

Verse 119: Attributes of “Pure Sattwa”

ÌuÉzÉÑ®xÉ¨uÉxrÉ aÉÑhÉÉÈ mÉëxÉÉSÈ
xuÉÉiqÉÉlÉÑpÉÔÌiÉÈ mÉUqÉÉ mÉëzÉÉÎliÉÈ |
iÉ×ÎmiÉÈ mÉëWûwÉïÈ mÉUqÉÉiqÉÌlÉ¸É
rÉrÉÉ xÉSÉlÉlSUxÉÇ xÉqÉ×cNûÌiÉ || 119||

79

1
vishuddha sattvasya
gunaah
prasaadah
Pure Sattwa (with no Rajas & Tamas)
has the following characteristics:
a. Cheerfulness,
2
svaatmaanubhootih
paramaa prashaantih;
b. Experience of one’s own Self,
c. Supreme peace,
3
triptih praharshhah
paramaatma nishhthaa
d. Contentment, and Bliss,
e. Constant devotion to the Supreme Self,
4
yayaa sadaananda rasam
samrichchhati.
By these, the essence of everlasting Bliss
is enjoyed (by the realised sage).

1-4 When the last traces of Rajas and Tamas are removed, the personality becomes
completely pure. Five qualities of the realized state are listed in the verse.

2.4.3 THE “UNMANIFEST” (Verses 120-121, 2 No.)

Verse 120: What is the Unmanifest?

AurÉ£üqÉåiÉÎi§ÉaÉÑhÉæÌlÉïÂ£Çü
iÉiMüÉUhÉÇ lÉÉqÉ zÉUÏUqÉÉiqÉlÉÈ |
xÉÑwÉÑÎmiÉUåiÉxrÉ ÌuÉpÉYirÉuÉxjÉÉ
mÉësÉÏlÉxÉuÉåïÎlSìrÉoÉÑÎ®uÉ×Ì¨ÉÈ || 120||

1
avyaktam etat trigunaih niruktam The Unmanifest is said to be the three Gunas;
2
tat kaaranam naama shareeram aatmanah; it is verily the individual Causal Body;
3
sushhuptih etasya vibhakti avasthaa it is specially similar to “Deep Sleep”, since
4
praleena sarva indriya buddhi vrittih. all functions of mind and senses are dormant.

1-2 The “Unmanifest” is another way of looking at the Causal Body. We have just
explained Maya and the three Gunas. That is also referred to as the “Unmanifest”, because
nothing has yet been created, but the conception of creation is present. The whole blueprint
of what is to be created has already been designed, but it is in an unmanifest state. It just
needs a contractor to execute the plan and bring it to the manifest state.
3-4 A comparison is drawn between the Causal state and the Deep Sleep state. The
basis of the comparison is that in both cases, the subtle body and the gross body are
dormant or inactive. For this reason the Causal body is associated with the deep sleep state.

Verse 121: Actual Deep Sleep State

xÉuÉïmÉëMüÉUmÉëÍqÉÌiÉmÉëzÉÉÎliÉÈ
oÉÏeÉÉiqÉlÉÉuÉÎxjÉÌiÉUåuÉ oÉÑ®åÈ |
xÉÑwÉÑÎmiÉUåiÉxrÉ ÌMüsÉ mÉëiÉÏÌiÉÈ
ÌMüÎgcÉ³É uÉå©ÏÌiÉ eÉaÉimÉëÍxÉ®åÈ || 121||

80

1
sarvaprakaara pramiti prashaantih All kinds of perceptions completely cease;
2
beejaatmanaa avasthitih eva buddheh; mind remains in a subtle seed-like form;
3
sushhuptih etasya kila prateetih Indeed, in deep sleep the experience is:
4
kinchit na vedmi iti jagatprasiddheh. “I did not know anything.” This is universal.

1 The deep sleep state is not a state in which knowledge takes place. If it were we
would all get up more knowledgeable the next morning. An engineer does not get up and
find that he has become a doctor!
2 In deep sleep we get temporary relief from the mind and body. That gives us the
refreshing rest that we desire each night.
3-4 When we are in deep sleep, we are one with Maya, in a state of “not-knowing-
anything”. Ignorance still needs to be removed by knowledge. Hence we do not benefit
spiritually from our daily closeness to the Self in deep sleep.
Many people whilst practicing meditation go into the deep sleep state. This is not
unusual and is nothing to be alarmed or embarrassed about. There is a fine line between
consciously entering the “deep sleep” region as during meditation, and slipping into it
unconsciously as during deep sleep.

*****

81

2.5 ANATMA – THE “NOT-SELF”

(Verses 122-123, 2 No.)

QUESTION FIVE OF THE disciple is now answered: “What is the not-Self?”
Everything from the gross body, subtle body and causal body right up to Maya is
classified as Anatma or not-Self. By this it is not meant that they have to be ignored or
treated with contempt. We are advised only not to get identified with them as our Self.

Verse 122: The Scope of the “Not-Self”

SåWåûÎlSìrÉmÉëÉhÉqÉlÉÉåÅWûqÉÉSrÉÈ
xÉuÉåï ÌuÉMüÉUÉ ÌuÉwÉrÉÉÈ xÉÑZÉÉSrÉÈ |
urÉÉåqÉÉÌSpÉÔiÉÉlrÉÎZÉsÉÇ cÉ ÌuÉµÉÇ
AurÉ£ümÉrÉïliÉÍqÉSÇ ½lÉÉiqÉÉ || 122||

1
deha indriya praana
manah aham-aadayah
The body, sense organs, Pranas,
mind and ego (including memory and intellect);
2
sarve vikaaraah vishhayaah
sukhaadayah;
all their modifications or changes; the sense objects,
as well as the pleasures (and sorrows) they bring;
3
vyomaadi bhootaani
akhilam cha vishvam
all the elements such as space, etc. (subtle & gross);
and the whole manifested universe;
4
avyakta paryantam idam hi
anaatmaa.
in fact, everything right up to the ‘Unmanifest’ –
these constitute the Not-Self.

Verse 123: Maya – Threshold Between Self & Not-Self

qÉÉrÉÉ qÉÉrÉÉMüÉrÉïÇ xÉuÉïÇ qÉWûSÉÌSSåWûmÉrÉïliÉqÉç |
AxÉÌSSqÉlÉÉiqÉiÉ¨uÉÇ ÌuÉÎ® iuÉÇ qÉÂqÉUÏÍcÉMüÉMüsmÉqÉç || 123||

5
maayaa maayaakaaryam sarvam Everything is due to the effect of Maya –
6
mahad-aadi deha-paryantam; from Mahat down to the gross body.
7
asat idam anaatma-tattvam viddhi Know thou that all this makes up the not-Self;
8
tvam marumareechikaa kalpam. they are all illusory like the water of a mirage.

*****

82

2.6 THE “SELF”

(Verses 124-136, 13 No.)

QUESTION SIX OF THE disciple is now being answered: “What is the Self?”
In practice, it is only when all the other six questions have been answered, that
Question Six can be answered and realisation becomes a definite Goal.
These verses are all about our true being or identity. They give us a very clear picture
of the goal to be aimed for. By whichever path we strive, our ultimate destination is the Self.
We are seeing the first verses which introduce us to the Self. The rest of the book deals with
all the Sadhanas needed in order to realise the Self.
Once the Self is realised, bondage disappears. The first four questions, which
concern bondage, get fully answered. We return to Bondage in the next chapter, more in
order to round up the topic of Sravana. The question on the Self is the last of the seven
questions to be answered by the Teacher.

Verse 124: Introduction to the Self

AjÉ iÉå xÉqmÉëuÉ¤rÉÉÍqÉ xuÉÃmÉÇ mÉUqÉÉiqÉlÉÈ |
rÉÌ²¥ÉÉrÉ lÉUÉå oÉlkÉÉlqÉÑ£üÈ MæüuÉsrÉqÉzlÉÑiÉå || 124||

1
atha te sampravakshhyaami Now I will tell you in detail
2
svaroopam paramaatmanah; of the real nature of the Supreme Self,
3
yat vijnaaya narah bandhaat realizing which man, from all his bondages,
4
muktah kaivalyam ashnute. becomes freed and attains liberation.

1-4 From the description of the not-Self in the last chapter, one may wonder if there
is such a thing as the Self, for what could have been left out of the exhaustively long list of
the not-Self? A common conclusion about the Self is that “It is Nothing!” But the scriptures
emphatically deny this possibility, for how can something come from Nothing?

Verse 125: The Absolute Entity

AÎxiÉ MüÍ¶ÉixuÉrÉÇ ÌlÉirÉqÉWûqmÉëirÉrÉsÉqoÉlÉÈ |
AuÉxjÉÉ§ÉrÉxÉÉ¤ÉÏ xÉlmÉgcÉMüÉåzÉÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉÈ || 125||

1
asti kashchit svayam nityam Something there is, which is, i) the Absolute Entity:
2
aham pratyaya lambanah; ii) the Substratum for the very awareness of Ego.
3
avasthaa-traya-saakshhee san iii) the Witness of the three states,
4
pancha-kosha-vilakshhanah. iv) distinct from all the five sheaths.

83

Each statement attempts to identify something that is distinct from that which we
already know. This indicates the Self indirectly. In fact, that is all that can be done to define
the Self – viz. indicate it by what it is not or indicate it relative to something that we know.
1-4 The Statement Asti Kashchit tells us, “Yes, there is something” – it is the
Absolute Entity, the Substratum, the Witness of the three states, and that which is not the
five sheaths. These are the four indicators given of the Reality in this verse.

Verse 126: The True “I” or Self

rÉÉå ÌuÉeÉÉlÉÉÌiÉ xÉMüsÉÇ eÉÉaÉëixuÉmlÉxÉÑwÉÑÎmiÉwÉÑ |
oÉÑÎ®iÉ²ØÌ¨ÉxÉ°ÉuÉqÉpÉÉuÉqÉWûÍqÉirÉrÉqÉç || 126||

1
yo vijaanaati sakalam v) That which knows everything that happens
2
jaagrat-svapna-sushhuptishhu; in the waking, dream and deep sleep states;
3
buddhi tat vritti-sad-bhaavam the intellect is aware of It only through its presence
4
abhaavam, aham iti ayam. or absence – it recognises It as “I am”.

Here an intellectual approach is used to find out what the Self is.
1-4 The verse has reference to a Vedantic procedure named Anyava-Vyatireka,
which is a method to pinpoint the Self by a process of elimination. The presence (Anvaya) or
absence (Vyatireka) of four principles is noted by the intellect in each of the four different
states. That which is present in all four states has to be the Self.
The following table illustrates the method:

THE “ANVAYA-VYATIREKA” METHOD

THE FOUR
PRINCIPLES
THE FOUR STATES FINAL
VERDICT WAKING DREAM DEEP SLEEP TURIYA*
1. Gross Body Present Absent Absent Absent Vyatireka
2. Subtle Body Present Present Absent Absent Vyatireka
3. Causal Body Present Present Present Absent Vyatireka
4. The SELF Present Present Present Present Anvaya

*Turiya is the state of God-consciousness, also called the “Fourth State”, wherein
one is aware of the Self. Awareness is the key to indicate where we may find the entity
called the Self. In all the three bodies, the Self is present as their Substratum.
In Vedanta the word ‘knows’ is often used to indicate ‘awareness’ or ‘presence’.
Swami Chinmayanandaji gives the example of a person being in three different cities – he is
the only common factor in all three experiences at all three times. This is true for the
waking, dream and deep sleep states.
There is something which witnesses all that goes on in the mind, all its thoughts. It is
the very essence of the ‘I’ thought or Ego-sense. That something is the Self.

84

Verse 127: The Unseen Seer

rÉÈ mÉzrÉÌiÉ xuÉrÉÇ xÉuÉïÇ rÉÇ lÉ mÉzrÉÌiÉ Mü¶ÉlÉ |
rÉ¶ÉåiÉrÉÌiÉ oÉÑSèkrÉÉÌS lÉ iÉ±Ç cÉåiÉrÉirÉrÉqÉç || 127||

1
yah pashyati svayam sarvam vi) That which sees itself as all,
2
yam na pashyati kashchana; but which no one can see;
3
yah chetayati buddhyaadi vii) that which illumines the intellect, etc.,
4
na tat yam chetayati ayam. but which they cannot illumine – That is “This”.

1-4 This verse illustrates how the Self is the only “knowing principle” that there is.
“Knowing” is equivalent to ‘seeing’ and ‘illumining’. Acharyaji gave us a beautiful modern
simile for this description of the Self, to illustrate how the Self is able to “know everything”.

Simile of CCTV Cameras & Control Tower
The Self has installed CCTV cameras everywhere and Itself sits in the control tower
watching what is going on. Everything we do is seen by Him. It all gets recorded for
reference. In case we lodge a complaint, the Self can rewind the tapes and show us all the
photographic evidence!
Where are the cameras hidden? Our senses are the cameras, and the mind is the
control tower. The Self is the witness of the mind. Nothing can thus escape the Self.

Verse 128: It Shines First, All Shine After It

rÉålÉ ÌuÉµÉÍqÉSÇ urÉÉmiÉÇ rÉÇ lÉ urÉÉmlÉÉåÌiÉ ÌMügcÉlÉ |
AÉpÉÉÃmÉÍqÉSÇ xÉuÉïÇ rÉÇ pÉÉliÉqÉlÉÑpÉÉirÉrÉqÉç || 128||

1
yena vishvam idam vyaaptam viii) That by which this universe is pervaded,
2
yam na vyaapnoti kinchana; but which is not pervaded by anything;
3
aabhaa-roopam idam sarvam ix) All this is only a reflection
4
yam bhaantam anubhaatyayam. of That which, when It shines, all shines after It.

1-2 Vyaaptam: “all-pervading”. The entire universe is pervaded by His unmanifest
Form. He is not just an inert screen in the background, as we imagined earlier. On close
scrutiny the screen simile has its limitations. To be more precise, as we feel that we pervade
our individual body, so also the Self pervades the Universal Body.
3-4 Bhaantam: “when It shines”. That which is luminous in creation, which has the
power to know, to be aware and to be conscious, is the Self alone. Even at night, He is there
still “shining” (as awareness).

Verse 129: The Enlivening Presence

rÉxrÉ xÉÍ³ÉÍkÉqÉÉ§ÉåhÉ SåWåûÎlSìrÉqÉlÉÉåÍkÉrÉÈ |
ÌuÉwÉrÉåwÉÑ xuÉMüÐrÉåwÉÑ uÉiÉïliÉå mÉëåËUiÉÉ CuÉ || 129||

85

1
yasya sat nidhimaatrena x) By the very Presence of That One Reality,
2
deha indriya manah dhiyah; the body and sense organs, the mind and intellect
3
vishhayeshhu svakeeyeshhu vartante perform their respective functions,
4
preritaah iva. like a team of servants prompted by their master.

1-4 The Presence of the Self should not be difficult for us to grasp. It is the most
natural thing that everyone can notice. Acharyaji illustrated the verse with this story:

Story of “Who Am I?”
In a certain kingdom, one day a very poorly clad person went and sat down on the
king’s throne. People were surprised to see him do this so boldly.
They asked him, “Who are you? Are you some landlord?” The man replied, “No, I am
greater than that.”
Then he was asked, “Are you a neighbouring king?” He said, “No, greater than that.”
Then they asked, “Are you some great religious priest?” “No, greater than that.”
“Are you a Deity then?” “No, even greater than that.”
“Then you must be Ishwara Himself?” “No greater than that”.
“But there is nothing greater than Ishwara.” “Yes, I am that Nothing!”
The mystic aspect of this verse is quite evident. The Self can be known by meditation
on the content of this verse as one examines the functions of every item listed, from body to
intellect. Deep reflection will bring us closer to the Truth than any words can. There is a
Presence which is common in all these aspects of our being. That is “This”.

Verse 130: Nature of Eternal Knowledge

AWûƒ¡ûÉUÉÌSSåWûÉliÉÉ ÌuÉwÉrÉÉ¶É xÉÑZÉÉSrÉÈ |
uÉå±liÉå bÉOûuÉ±ålÉ ÌlÉirÉoÉÉåkÉxuÉÃÌmÉhÉÉ || 130||

1
ahangkaaraadi dehaantaah xi) From the ego, down to the gross body;
2
vishhayaah cha sukhaadayah; the sense objects, and their pleasures and pains;
3
vedyante ghatavat yena That by which everything is known as clearly as a jar;
4
nitya bodha svaroopinaa. That is of the nature of Eternal Knowledge.

1-2 Here the knowledge aspect of the Self is brought out. When we say “I know” it is
relative to our own experience of what we are aware of, at our level.
3-4 The sage ‘knows’ in a different sense. Knowledge or Awareness is the very nature
of the Self. The sage’s knowing is from a different standpoint altogether.
Here is an interesting illustration from the life of Sage Ashtavakra: The sage got his
name from the 8 twists in his body. He looked quite a caricature, and people laughed at him
when he entered the court of King Janaka. He turned back at them and asked, “Are you
laughing at the pot, or the maker of the pot? i.e. Are you laughing at my body, or at Me?”
Such was the level of awareness in Ashtavakra, beyond all body-consciousness.

86

Verse 131: Nature of Infinite Bliss

LwÉÉåÅliÉUÉiqÉÉ mÉÑÂwÉÈ mÉÑUÉhÉÉå
ÌlÉUliÉUÉZÉhQûxÉÑZÉÉlÉÑpÉÔÌiÉÈ |
xÉSæMüÃmÉÈ mÉëÌiÉoÉÉåkÉqÉÉ§ÉÉå
rÉålÉåÌwÉiÉÉ uÉÉaÉxÉuÉ¶ÉUÎliÉ || 131||

1
eshhah antaraatmaa
purushhah puraanah
xii) He is the innermost Self,
the ancient Purusha, (the great Truth);
2
nirantara akhandha
sukha anubhootih;
xiii) He is constant and unbroken,
experienced as the very nature of Infinite Bliss;
3
sadaa eka roopah
pratibodha-maatrah
xiv) He is ever the same, yet
is known differently due to mental modifications;
4
yena eeshhitaa vaag
asavah charanti.
xv) By His command, the organ of speech
and the Pranas perform their functions.

1 Although known as ‘Ancient Purusha’, He is ever-new and fresh. He is right here,
this very moment, working through my mind and senses. How much fresher can He be?
2 The Self is Infinite, and therefore He is fully contented in Himself and all-Bliss. In
Vedanta, Infinity is a quality that is essential for the experience of Bliss.
3 Mental modifications are the changes which occur in one’s mental state. It is sure
to affect how one views the Reality, just as the quality of a mirror surface affects the
reflection from it. As with mental modifications, so with intellectual modifications.
4 This Pada highlights the sentiency aspect of the Self. Only something with
sentiency can give orders. The organ of speech is in itself inert. So too, the Prana that
functions in the body is also only an inert source of energy, needing a sentient being to
command it.

Verse 132: In the Womb of Sattwa

A§ÉæuÉ xÉ¨uÉÉiqÉÌlÉ kÉÏaÉÑWûÉrÉÉÇ
AurÉÉM×üiÉÉMüÉzÉ EzÉimÉëMüÉzÉÈ |
AÉMüÉzÉ EŠæ UÌuÉuÉimÉëMüÉzÉiÉå
xuÉiÉåeÉxÉÉ ÌuÉµÉÍqÉSÇ mÉëMüÉzÉrÉlÉç || 132||

1
atra eva sattvaatmani
dhee-guhaayaam
xvi) In this very body, in a mind full of Sattwa,
in the secret cave of the intellect,
2
avyaakrita aakaashe
ushat prakaashah;
in the atmosphere of the Unmanifest,
of captivating glory,
3
aakaashe uchchaih ravivat prakaashate like the sun that shines high in the sky,
4
sva-tejasaa vishvam
idam prakaashayan.
illuminating this universe by its very effulgence,
is This, the illumining Self.

The source of the greatness of a realised saint lies in his own purity, not elsewhere.

87

1 This fact is brought out in this verse. The Sattwic-ness of a human being
determines how perfectly he reflects the glory of the Self. The luminous Self is there
everywhere, but it needs a pure instrument to reflect its glory faithfully. This happens
naturally through a body in which the mind and intellect are full of Sattwa.
2 When this happens, the Self in such an instrument captivates people by its
brilliance and luminosity.
3 “High in the sky”, could also be taken to refer to the great heights scaled by the
liberated sage in comparison to a worldly person having a more earth-oriented mentality.
4 For the universe, one saint’s presence is sufficient to motivate many thousands of
others to follow his teaching and example. The saint becomes a Light for the whole
universe, just as the sun is the light for the whole galaxy of planets.

Verse 133: Relationship Between Self & Upadhis

¥ÉÉiÉÉ qÉlÉÉåÅWûƒ¡ÙûÌiÉÌuÉÌ¢ürÉÉhÉÉÇ
SåWåûÎlSìrÉmÉëÉhÉM×üiÉÌ¢ürÉÉhÉÉqÉç |
ArÉÉåÅÎalÉuÉ¨ÉÉlÉlÉÑuÉiÉïqÉÉlÉÉå
lÉ cÉå¹iÉå lÉÉå ÌuÉMüUÉåÌiÉ ÌMügcÉlÉ || 133||

1
jnaataa manah
ahangkriti vikriyaanaam
xvii) The Self is the Knower behind the mind’s
and the ego’s modifications;
2
deha-indriya-praana
krita-kriyaanaam;
xviii) Behind the body, the sense organs and the Pranas,
the Self is the Actor of the activities done by them;
3
ayah agnivat taan
anuvartamaanah
xix) Like the iron ball in a furnace of fire, the Self
mutually exchanges appearances with the Upadhis,
4
na cheshhtate
no vikaroti kinchana.
although in reality, the Self neither acts
nor undergoes any change in the least, (It appears to).

The relationship between the Self and the Upadhis or conditionings is described
here. There is a mutual exchange of properties between the two.
1 In conjunction with the mind and intellect (or ego), the Self is the Knower of all the
changes that occur in the latter.
2 In conjunction with the body, senses and Pranas, the Self is the Actor performing
all the functions through them.
3 Just as an iron ball appears red like the fire, and the fire appears round like the ball,
the Self takes up the shape of the iron ball-Upadhi, and the Upadhi takes on the red colour
of the glowing Self.
4 In truth, the Self does nothing of the sort. It ever remains its own nature,
untouched by the changing properties of the Upadhis.

Verse 134: Unchanging & Independent

lÉ eÉÉrÉiÉå lÉÉå ÍqÉërÉiÉå lÉ uÉkÉïiÉå lÉ ¤ÉÏrÉiÉå
lÉÉå ÌuÉMüUÉåÌiÉ ÌlÉirÉÈ |

88

ÌuÉsÉÏrÉqÉÉlÉåÅÌmÉ uÉmÉÑwrÉqÉÑÎwqÉ-
³É sÉÏrÉiÉå MÑüqpÉ CuÉÉqoÉUÇ xuÉrÉqÉç || 134||

1
na jaayate no mriyate
na vardhate na kshheeyate
xx) Neither is It born, nor does It die;
Neither does It grow, nor does It decay;
2
no vikaroti nityah; being eternal, it changes not.
3
vileeyamaane api vapushhi
amushhmin na leeyate
xxi) Even when this body is destroyed,
It does not cease to exist.
4
kumbhe iva ambaram svayam. Like the space in a jar, It ever remains independent.

1-2 The modifications which every living being is subject to, do not affect the Self.
The six modifications are: Existence, birth, growth, maturity, decay and death. After death
comes Existence again, and so the cycle continues.
3-4 The Self is also totally independent of the human being. It always remains the
same through all the above six modifications. One may say that It remains forever as Sat or
Existence.

Verse 135: The Self & the Universe

mÉëM×üÌiÉÌuÉM×üÌiÉÍpÉ³ÉÈ zÉÑ®oÉÉåkÉxuÉpÉÉuÉÈ
xÉSxÉÌSSqÉzÉåwÉÇ pÉÉxÉrÉÍ³ÉÌuÉïzÉåwÉÈ |
ÌuÉsÉxÉÌiÉ mÉUqÉÉiqÉÉ eÉÉaÉëSÉÌSwuÉuÉxjÉÉ-
xuÉWûqÉWûÍqÉÌiÉ xÉÉ¤ÉÉixÉÉÍ¤ÉÃmÉåhÉ oÉÑ®åÈ || 135||

1
prakriti-vikriti-bhinnah
shuddha-bodha-svabhaavah
xxii) Different from Prakriti and its modifications,
(the Self is) of the form of pure Knowledge;
2
sat asat idam asheshham
bhaasayan nirvisheshhah;
xxiii) The entire visible and invisible Universe is a
manifestation of That attributeless Absolute;
3
vilasati paramaatmaa
jaagradaadishhu avasthaasu
xxiv) The Supreme Self manifests itself
in all the three states – waking, dream, sleep –
4
aham aham iti saakshhaat-
saakshhiroopena buddheh.
as the “I am, I am” ego-sense directly in the intellect,
and the witnessing consciousness behind intellect.

Sri Shankaracharyaji is exhausting all his ideas to make us grasp what the Self is. Sri
Ramana Maharshi used to say we should be like the dog who just sticks to following the
scent of his master and leaves all other scents alone. In the same manner, Shankaracharyaji
is asking us to follow only the “scent of the Self”.

Verse 136: Being Established in Brahman

ÌlÉrÉÍqÉiÉqÉlÉxÉÉqÉÑÇ iuÉÇ xuÉqÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉÉiqÉ-
lrÉrÉqÉWûÍqÉÌiÉ xÉÉ¤ÉÉÌ²Î® oÉÑÎ®mÉëxÉÉSÉiÉç |
eÉÌlÉqÉUhÉiÉU…¡ûÉmÉÉUxÉÇxÉÉUÍxÉlkÉÑÇ
mÉëiÉU pÉuÉ M×üiÉÉjÉÉåï oÉë¼ÃmÉåhÉ xÉÇxjÉÈ || 136||

89

1
niyamita manasaa amum tvam
svam aatmaanam aatmani
With a regulated mind , realise your
own Self while in this body.
2
ayam aham iti saakshhaad-
viddhi buddhi prasaadaat;
“This Self I am” – realise this directly
with a purified intellect;
3
janimarana tarangga
apaara samsaara-sindhum
Births and deaths are the waves of this
shoreless ocean of Samsara,
4
pratara bhava kritaarthah
brahma-roopena samsthah.
Cross it, and become blessed and fulfilled
by getting firmly established in Brahman,

1-2 Vedanta is not just theory. It is the actual experience of oneness after purifying
oneself.
3-4 As we come to the end of the Chapter on the Self, we place a foot into the next
Chapter that deals with Bondage to the world. The bondage is to the world of births and
deaths which is figuratively described as “waves in the shoreless ocean of Samsara”. To
cross this ocean through knowledge of the Self is to come out of bondage and be liberated
from endless transmigration of the soul.
That is dealt with in the next chapter, the last in Part 2 on Sravana. That completes
the scope of the theoretical knowledge of the Self that one needs to ponder over in Part 3
on Manana.

*****

90

2.7 WHAT IS BONDAGE?

(Verses 137-146, 10 No.)

THE THREE GOALS IN THE VEDAS

AS AN INTRODUCTION to this Chapter, it is useful to place it in the overall context of
the Hindu scriptures, the Vedas. The Vedas are written for all mankind and caters for the
different stages of growth of people. There are three distinct categories among men, and
the Vedas hold out a goal applicable to each of these three types. The first two are optional
goals while the third is the ultimate spiritual Goal of life. These are summarised here:

Goal 1: Material Success in This World
This is what most people are satisfied to strive for. They wish to lead a comfortable
life with all their material desires fulfilled. The Vedas recognise this as the first stage of
fulfillment desired by people. Accordingly, it provides instructions in the Karma Kanda on
how to achieve this goal legitamately. By following the Laws of Nature, by leading a Dharmic
life in accordance with the Laws of Righteousness, by going about one’s material pursuits in
an orderly manner without harming others, the Vedas provide for such people to achieve
the Material Success they desire.

Goal 2: Attainment of Higher Worlds
At another level altogether comes the desire in people to attain higher planes of
existence. Material satisfaction in earthly life has innumerable setbacks and limitations.
There comes the desire to enjoy the same type of satisfaction without any earthly restraints.
The Vedas recognise this as a valid goal and provide the Upasana Kanda as a means to
achieve this end. Practices of self-denial and endurance of hardships are prescribed to
accumulate extraordinary merits by which one obtains a “Visa” to go to extra-terrestrial
realms, called Heavens, where such enjoyment is possible. When the “Visa” expires, or
when the accumulated merit is exhausted, then one returns to earthly life once again and
continues, perhaps to accumulate more merit for the next trip to Heaven!

Goal 3: End of Transmigration
However, when a soul realises that all these experiences, however intense and
however pleasant they may be, ultimately boil down to achieving nothing really, then that
soul starts desiring something that is more lasting. It seeks spiritual progress. It seeks to
transcend the realms bound by transmigration, the cycle of endless births and deaths in this
world or in a higher world. Such a soul prepares itself for the ultimate Goal of life, the most
difficult of all spiritual endeavours, the path that will take one to its spiritual identity with
the Non-dual Reality of Existence. This is the ultimate Goal offered in the Jnana Kanda of
the Vedas, also known as the Upanishads or as Vedanta. When this goal is achieved, there is
no return to this world, there is no Bondage, one attains Liberation from transmigration.

91

In the context of the three goals just described, we are now ready to understand the
third Goal, the way out of Bondage to worldly existence. The following 10 verses teach us
the essentials of this supreme, spiritual Goal, which culminates in spiritual enlightenment.

Verse 137: The Origin of Bondage

A§ÉÉlÉÉiqÉlrÉWûÍqÉÌiÉ qÉÌiÉoÉïlkÉ LwÉÉåÅxrÉ mÉÑÇxÉÈ
mÉëÉmiÉÉåÅ¥ÉÉlÉÉ‹lÉlÉqÉUhÉYsÉåzÉxÉqmÉÉiÉWåûiÉÑÈ |
rÉålÉæuÉÉrÉÇ uÉmÉÑËUSqÉxÉixÉirÉÍqÉirÉÉiqÉoÉÑSèkrÉÉ
mÉÑwrÉirÉÑ¤ÉirÉuÉÌiÉ ÌuÉwÉrÉæxiÉliÉÑÍpÉÈ MüÉåzÉM×ü²iÉç || 137||

1
atra anaatmani aham iti matih
bandha eshhah asya pumsah
Identifying himself with the not-Self here –
this is the origin of the bondage of man.
2
praaptah ajnaanaat janana-
marana klesha sampaatahetuh;
In the wake of this ignorance come births and deaths
and the miseries associated with them.
3
yena eva ayam vapuh idam asat
satyam iti aatma-buddhyaa
Due to this alone, man regards this perishable body
as real, and with the notion that it is “me”,
4
pushhyati ukshhati avati
vishhayaih, tantubhih
koshakridvat.
He nourishes, bathes and preserves it with the help of
sense objects, and gets bound as a silkworm
in its cocoon woven by its own threads.

In the light of the three goals just presented, it is clear that something fundamental
has to change in our attitude towards the world to make Goal 3 a viable project in life. It is
only in the context of Goal 3 that one starts re-assessing life and the values he chooses to
live for. If Goal 3 is to become our aim, then we need to look at our world in a new way.
1 The most important point to note is that we need to differentiate between two
things: the Self or the permanent Reality, and the not-Self or the apparent reality or
Unreality. This distinction is crucial to coming out of bondage. This is what we have been
learning in this entire Part 2 of Viveka Choodamani, in particular Chapters 5 and 6.
2 By re-evaluating the world into these two categories, we are able to determine the
difference between what binds us and what liberates us from births and deaths.
3 The old idea of holding this body as being ‘real’ now has to be discarded in the light
of what we have discussed so far in this whole Part. There is to be a clear break away from
our old moorings to the body and to the “I” we have generated around it.
4 Our previous preoccupation with the body and the ego needs to be re-examined if
we are to free ourselves from the bondage to this world. This turns out to be a major
project. Indeed, it is held out to us by Sri Shankaracharyaji as the most worthwhile project.

Verse 138: Grasping the Unreal is Bondage

AiÉÎxqÉÇxiÉ¯ÒÎ®È mÉëpÉuÉÌiÉ ÌuÉqÉÔRûxrÉ iÉqÉxÉÉ
ÌuÉuÉåMüÉpÉÉuÉÉ²æ xTÑüUÌiÉ pÉÑeÉaÉå U‹ÑÍkÉwÉhÉÉ |
iÉiÉÉåÅlÉjÉïuÉëÉiÉÉå ÌlÉmÉiÉÌiÉ xÉqÉÉSÉiÉÑUÍkÉMüÈ
iÉiÉÉå rÉÉåÅxÉSèaÉëÉWûÈ xÉ ÌWû pÉuÉÌiÉ oÉlkÉÈ zÉ×hÉÑ xÉZÉå || 138||

92

1
atasmin tadbuddhih prabhavati
vimoodhhasya tamasaa
In that which is unreal, the notion of Real arises
to one who is deluded by Darkness;
2
viveka abhaavaat vai sphurati
bhujage rajju-dhishhanaa;
In the absence of discrimination alone, arises
the notion of a rope where there is a snake!
3
tatah anartha-vraatah nipatati
samaadaatuh adhikah
As a consequence, the dangers that befall him
who seizes the “rope” are grave and enormous.
4
tatah yah asad-graahah sah hi
bhavati bandhah shrinu sakhe.
Therefore, grasping the unreal, thinking it to be
Real is indeed bondage – take note, O dear!

1 We move further in our differentiation between the real and the unreal. If we have
accepted the Unreal as being the Real, then we have made a crucial error. That error is
possible only if we have come under the influence of Delusion – a dense, dark delusion.
2 It means we have not discriminated properly. Somewhere we have become
careless and allowed the Unreal to pass off as the Real in our lives. We have not examined
the world carefully enough. We have accepted it as a rope, when in fact it is a snake!
3 Naturally, the consequences of such misapprehension are going to be very serious.
If we grab a snake, thinking that it is only a rope, we obviously endanger ourselves.
4 That is what we have actually done by grasping the Unreal as the Reality. Sri
Shankaracharyaji draws our attention to this error with great concern. “O my brothers and
sisters, what have you done! How could you have been so careless?”

Verse 139: The Veil of Aavriti Over Truth

AZÉhQûÌlÉirÉÉ²rÉoÉÉåkÉzÉYirÉÉ
xTÑüUliÉqÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉlÉliÉuÉæpÉuÉqÉç |
xÉqÉÉuÉ×hÉÉåirÉÉuÉ×ÌiÉzÉÌ£üUåwÉÉ
iÉqÉÉåqÉrÉÏ UÉWÒûËUuÉÉMïüÌoÉqoÉqÉç || 139||

1
akhandha nitya advaya
bodha-shaktyaa
The indivisible, eternal, and one without a second,
is, through the power of Knowledge,
2
sphurantam aatmaanam
ananta-vaibhavam;
manifesting Itself (in this world)
in an infinite number of glorious ways.
3
samaavrinoti aavriti-shaktih eshhaa This is veiled by a power called Aavriti Shakti ,
4
tamomayee raahuh iva
arka-bimbam.
which, being full of Darkness, is like the moon
which eclipses the sun.

Now Sri Shankaracharyaji’s love and compassion come to the fore. He really shows
how much he cares for our wellbeing:
1-2 The Real is there for us to see everywhere. There is no place where it is not. If
only we have the knowledge to see it, it is surely unmistakable. It is shining in everything
that we see! Have we become so blind not to see it?
3-4 Alas, yes, we are blind. Our eyes have been veiled by Aavriti Shakti. Like the
eclipse of the sun, this veil has covered up all the goodness of the Reality from our vision!

93

Verse 140: Merciless Persecution by Rajas

ÌiÉUÉåpÉÔiÉå xuÉÉiqÉlrÉqÉsÉiÉUiÉåeÉÉåuÉÌiÉ mÉÑqÉÉlÉç
AlÉÉiqÉÉlÉÇ qÉÉåWûÉSWûÍqÉÌiÉ zÉUÏUÇ MüsÉrÉÌiÉ |
iÉiÉÈ MüÉqÉ¢üÉåkÉmÉëpÉ×ÌiÉÍpÉUqÉÑÇ oÉlkÉlÉaÉÑhÉæÈ
mÉUÇ ÌuÉ¤ÉåmÉÉZrÉÉ UeÉxÉ EÂzÉÌ£üurÉïjÉrÉÌiÉ || 140||

1
tirobhoote svaatmani
amalatara tejovati pumaan
When a man’s own Self is hidden from him, the
Self that is all purity and splendour, then he,
2
anaatmaanam mohaat aham iti
shareeram kalayati;
out of ignorance, associates “I am” with the Not-
Self, i.e. the body, and identifies himself with it.
3
tatah kaama-krodha-prabhriti-
bhih, amum bandhana-gunaih
Then, by the fetters of lust, anger, and its train of
vices, he gets bound
4
param vikshhepaakhyaa rajasa
urushaktih vyathayati.
inextricably, as the projecting power of Rajas
mercilessly persecutes him.

It must seem a wonder to a sage how the ordinary person allows himself to be
bound so thoroughly by something that is false in the first place.
1-2 Wonder of wonders that he takes a paltry thing like his body to be his Self. And
having done so, he allows himself to be imprisoned into bondage. The full assessment of our
error is this. We are in truth emperors, but we believe that we are just puny helpless
creatures. It is something like an elephant imagining himself to be an ant!
3-4 Once the veiling power has done its job, the rest of the work is done by the
Rajasic projecting power, which mercilessly tosses us up and down on the waves of sense
pleasures, called here as the fetters of lust and anger.
This is done continuously and surreptitiously, so that there is no breathing space for
us to reflect on what is happening to us. We are hurled down by Rajas and mercilessly
tortured.

Verse 141: A Calamitous Fate!

qÉWûÉqÉÉåWûaÉëÉWûaÉëxÉlÉaÉÍsÉiÉÉiqÉÉuÉaÉqÉlÉÉå
ÍkÉrÉÉå lÉÉlÉÉuÉxjÉÉÇ xuÉrÉqÉÍpÉlÉrÉÇxiÉªÒhÉiÉrÉÉ |
AmÉÉUå xÉÇxÉÉUå ÌuÉwÉrÉÌuÉwÉmÉÔUå eÉsÉÌlÉkÉÉæ
ÌlÉqÉerÉÉålqÉerÉÉrÉÇ pÉëqÉÌiÉ MÑüqÉÌiÉÈ MÑüÎixÉiÉaÉÌiÉÈ || 141||

1
mahaa moha graaha grasana-
galita aatma avagamanah
By the shark of blinding ignorance, one whose
knowledge of his Self is swallowed up,
2
dhiyah naanaa avasthaam
svayam abhinayan tad-gunatayaa;
takes the different states of his intellect to be
attributes of his Self and behaves as such.
3
apaare samsaare vishhaya-vishha-
poore jalanidhau
In this boundless ocean of Samsara, filled with
the poison of sense-pleasures, he drifts about,
4
nimajya unmajya ayam bhramati
kumatih kutsitagatih.
sinking and rising. This man, of deluded
intellect, what a calamitous fate is his lot!

94

1 Ignorance is represented as a shark that swallows up one’s knowledge of his true
spiritual nature.
2 Under the delusion of ignorance, the intellect gets paralysed. It loses its power of
discrimination. Thus it comes to mistake its own fluctuating conditions and takes them to be
superimpositions of the Self.
3 Blending with the simile of the shark, we have the simile of the ocean of Samsara
which heaves with the poison of sense pleasures, tossing the man up and down helplessly
on the waves of joys and sorrows.
4 Is this not a tragic calamity for an intellect to succumb to? This is another aspect of
the Bondage in which man is trapped.

Verse 142: Veiling its Own Source!

pÉÉlÉÑmÉëpÉÉxÉgeÉÌlÉiÉÉpÉëmÉÌ‡ûÈ
pÉÉlÉÑÇ ÌiÉUÉåkÉÉrÉ ÌuÉeÉ×qpÉiÉå rÉjÉÉ |
AÉiqÉÉåÌSiÉÉWûƒ¡ÙûÌiÉUÉiqÉiÉ¨uÉÇ
iÉjÉÉ ÌiÉUÉåkÉÉrÉ ÌuÉeÉ×qpÉiÉå xuÉrÉqÉç || 142||

1
bhaanu prabhaa sanjanita
abhrapangktih
Just as, generated by the sun’s rays,
the formations of clouds
2
bhaanum tirodhaaya
vijrimbhate yathaa;
then veil the very sun
that had produced them;
3
aatma udita ahangkritih tathaa So also, arisen from the Self, the Ego
4
aatmatattvam tirodhaaya
vijrimbhate svayam.
then veils the very Self or principle of Reality
that had Itself produced it!

Simile of the Sun & Clouds
1-2 The sunrays generate the formation of the rain-clouds. Then those very clouds
veil the sun that produced them.
3-4 In the same manner, the Ego arises as a result of the Light of the Self reflecting
off the mirror of one’s intellect. The Ego is a product of the Self, so to speak. Then, that very
Ego veils the Self that produced it, so much so that It cannot even be recognised anymore.
The simile brings out the disgraceful behaviour of the ego which receives all its
power from the Self, but never acknowledges it with even the slightest gratitude. It claims
all the glory for itself, posing to be the actor or doer itself.

Verse 143: The Dreadful Blasts of Vikshepa

MüuÉÍsÉiÉÌSlÉlÉÉjÉå SÒÌSïlÉå xÉÉlSìqÉåbÉæÈ
urÉjÉrÉÌiÉ ÌWûqÉfÉgfÉÉuÉÉrÉÑÂaÉëÉå rÉjÉæiÉÉlÉç |
AÌuÉUiÉiÉqÉxÉÉÅÅiqÉlrÉÉuÉ×iÉå qÉÔRûoÉÑÎ®Ç
¤ÉmÉrÉÌiÉ oÉWÒûSÒÈZÉæxiÉÏuÉëÌuÉ¤ÉåmÉzÉÌ£üÈ || 143||

95

1
kavalita dinanaathe durdine
saandrameghaih
Just as, on a cloudy day, the sun is swallowed up
by the dense clouds;
2
vyathayati himajhanjhaa-
vaayuh ugrah yathaa etaan;
then come the persecuting cold blasts of wind,
bringing shivering and destruction in its wake;
3
avirata tamasaa aatmani
aavrite moodhha-buddhim
So too, by the clouds of utter ignorance, when the
Atman is screened off, the foolish man
4
kshhapayati bahuduhkhaih
teevra vikshhepa shaktih.
is persecuted with endless sorrows
too dreadful, by the blasts of the Projecting Power.

We now have the same simile as above, but there is a slight twist to its application.
1-2 As before, the clouds cover up the sun. We are now interested in the result of
that cover-up, i.e. how it affects us down here, not the sun up there. When the bright sun is
shielded by the clouds, cold sets in below. With it come cold blasts of wind. Anyone in the
icy Himalayas would have experienced this kind of weather. The final result is the shivering
and perhaps destruction which these blizzards bring in their wake.
3-4 When applied to our situation of ignorance of the Self, what does this simile
teach us? The clouds of ignorance shield off the Self. What happens? The cold winds of
sorrows start blowing in his life. Once the Self is not seen, due to the projecting power that
now has free play, the winds become blizzards of unbearable pain!

Verse 144: The Mischief of Maya’s Powers

LiÉÉprÉÉqÉåuÉ zÉÌ£üprÉÉÇ oÉlkÉÈ mÉÑÇxÉÈ xÉqÉÉaÉiÉÈ |
rÉÉprÉÉÇ ÌuÉqÉÉåÌWûiÉÉå SåWÇû qÉiuÉÉÅÅiqÉÉlÉÇ pÉëqÉirÉrÉqÉç || 144||

1
etaabhyaam eva shaktibhyaam From these two ‘powers’ (veiling & projecting),
2
bandhah pumsah samaagatah; man’s bondage has sprung forth.
3
yaabhyaam vimohitah deham Deluded by them, man mistakes his body
4
matvaa aatmaanam bhramati ayam. for the Self, and wanders from life to life!

1-2 The topic of bondage is brought to a close. The two powers of Maya are
pinpointed as the fundamental causes.
3-4 The two fundamental effects of bondage are also summed up. They are
mistaking the body’s five sheaths to be the Self. As a result of this mis-apprehension, a
whole range of restless activities are acted out by the soul which thoroughly bind to the
world of Samsara, leading him aimlessly from birth to birth.

Verse 145: The “Tree” of Bondage

oÉÏeÉÇ xÉÇxÉ×ÌiÉpÉÔÍqÉeÉxrÉ iÉÑ iÉqÉÉå, SåWûÉiqÉkÉÏUƒ¡ÓûUÉå
UÉaÉÈ mÉssÉuÉqÉqoÉÑ MüqÉï iÉÑ uÉmÉÑÈ, xMülkÉÉåÅxÉuÉÈ zÉÉÎZÉMüÉÈ |
AaÉëÉhÉÏÎlSìrÉxÉÇWûÌiÉ¶É ÌuÉwÉrÉÉÈ, mÉÑwmÉÉÍhÉ SÒÈZÉÇ TüsÉÇ
lÉÉlÉÉMüqÉïxÉqÉÑ°uÉÇ oÉWÒûÌuÉkÉÇ, pÉÉå£üÉ§É eÉÏuÉÈ ZÉaÉÈ || 145||

96

1
beejam samsriti bhoomijasya
tu tamah,
dehaatmadheeh angkurah
a. The seed for the Tree of Samsara
is verily Ignorance.
b. Body-identification is the sprout;
2
raagah pallavam ambu karma
tu vapuh skandhah,
asavah shaakhikaah;
c. desires are its tender leaves; d. work is its water;
e. while the body is its trunk;
f. the Pranas are its branches;
3
agraani indriyasamhatih
cha vishhayaah pushhpaani,
duhkham phalam
g. the sense organs are its twigs;
h. the sense objects are its flowers;
i. miseries are the fruit;
4
naanaa karma-samudbhavam
bahuvidham, bhoktaa
atra jeevah khagah.
born out of different actions
of a variety of kinds; j. the experiencer (Jiva)
here is the individual bird (perched upon the tree)!

Besides serving the purpose of a summary to the whole subject of Bondage, this
simile also conveys the idea that it is a dynamic, organic growth. There is no end to the
growth potential of this tree – it can go on growing like the huge banyan tree.
At the other extreme, if we are careful and continue to prune the tree regularly, we
can succeed in keeping its size to the dimensions of a cute little Japanese “Bonsai” tree. Due
to it being regularly trimmed, the Bonsai does not get a chance to grow large, and remains
as a small stunted tree of managable size. The Japanese have mastered the cultivation of
Bonsai trees so that they can be placed in tiny glass showcases on the desktop of an office
table!
Perhaps that is what is needed to contain the “tree of bondage” from becoming a
forest.

Verse 146: The Bondage is Self-Caused!

A¥ÉÉlÉqÉÔsÉÉåÅrÉqÉlÉÉiqÉoÉlkÉÉå
lÉæxÉÌaÉïMüÉåÅlÉÉÌSUlÉliÉ DËUiÉÈ |
eÉlqÉÉmrÉrÉurÉÉÍkÉeÉUÉÌSSÒÈZÉ-
mÉëuÉÉWûmÉÉiÉÇ eÉlÉrÉirÉqÉÑwrÉ || 146||

1
ajnaanamoolah ayam
anaatmabandhah
This (bondage) springs from ignorance,
and it is caused by the not-Self.
2
naisargikah
anaadih-ananta eeritah;
It is self-caused,
and is described as without beginning or end.
3
janma apyaya vyaadhi jaraadi Birth, death, disease, and senility –
4
duhkha-pravaahapaatam
janayati amushhya.
an endless flood of miseries
lies in store for one who is bound.

Conclusion on Bondage
1. From the jails of this world one can escape in many ways, and there are some
countries which even free prisoners as a gesture of their strength. There is no such thing in
the spiritual world. Bondage is due to a life lived in the aimless pursuit of material values;
freedom from it cannot be won by any amount of bribing or means of escape.

97

2. In the jail of Samsara, the sentences could be quite long. Even a life-long term is
too short. It could go on and on indefinitely – until ignorance is destroyed by knowledge.
3. The metaphor of a tree to represent our bondage to this world is very appropriate.
There is no end in sight and if we are looking for an external solution we will wait forever.
Unless the tree is axed with knowledge, there is no end.
4. After numberless births in bondage, one gets used to being bound and there is the
danger of becoming a “happy slave” in prison. The bondage is enticing. Many may not even
complain or fight against it. In fact, many are not even aware that they are in bondage,
especially when life is flowing smoothly for them.
5. This bondage is self-made. There is divine justice at work in administering it. The
heaviness of the sentence is fully commensurate with the degree to which we cling to the
world. It is Divine Grace alone that leads one to the spiritual knowledge by which one may
be liberated forever.

END OF PART 2
*****

98

DIAGRAM OF INTEGRAL YOGA

BHAKTI
YOGA

ASHTANGA
YOGA

JNANA
YOGA
(LOWER LIMB)

“MAHAVAKYA”
YOGA

JNANA
YOGA
(UPPER LIMB)
THE OCEAN OF SAMSARA
CHITTA SHUDDHI

Purity of Mind

CHITTA EKAGRATA

One
-
Pointedness of Mind

JIVA
-
BRAHMA AIKYA

Oneness of Sou
l & Brahman

DEVOTION SELF-CONTROL KNOWLEDGE
DUALITY
NON-DUALITY

THE BOAT OF KARMA YOGA


1

TEXT
11.2

|| ÌuÉuÉåMücÉÔQûÉqÉÍhÉÈ ||
VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
VOLUME 2 of 4

The Crest Jewel of
Discrimination
PART 3: MANANA – Reflection on the Teaching
PART 4: NIDIDHYASANA 1– Theoretical Aspects

“THE SANDEEPANY EXPERIENCE”

Reflections by
SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA

Sandeepany’s Vedanta Course
List of All the Course Texts in Chronological Sequence:

Text
No.
TITLE OF TEXT
Text
No.
TITLE OF TEXT
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
11.2 Viveka Choodamani – Vol 2/4 34 Aitareya Upanishad
12 Jnana Sara 35 Narada Bhakti Sutras
13 Drig-Drishya Viveka 36 Taittiriya Upanishad
14 “Tat Twam Asi” – Chand Up 6 37 Jivan Sutrani (Tips for Happy Living)
15 Dhyana Swaroopam 38 Kena Upanishad
16 “Bhoomaiva Sukham” Chand Up 7 39 Aparoksha Anubhuti (Meditation)
17 Manah Shodhanam 40 108 Names of Pujya Gurudev
18 “Nataka Deepa” – Panchadasi 10 41 Mandukya Upanishad
19 Isavasya Upanishad 42 Dakshinamurty Ashtakam
20 Katha Upanishad 43 Shad Darshanaah
21 “Sara Sangrah” – Yoga Vasishtha 44 Brahma Sootras
22 Vedanta Sara 45 Jivanmuktananda Lahari
23 Mahabharata + Geeta Dhyanam 46 Chinmaya Pledge

AUTHOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO 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 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.

– Swami Gurubhaktananda, 30
th
June 2018, the Auspicious Birthday of Guruji

Om Namah Shivaaya!

|| ÌuÉuÉåMücÉÔQûÉqÉÍhÉÈ ||
VIVEKA CHOODAMANI – Vol. 2
“Crest-Jewel of Discrimination”
Composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji

Volume 2 of 4: (Verses 147-266 of 581)

PART 3: MANANA – Reflection on the Teaching
PART 4: NIDIDHYASANA 1 – Theoretical Aspects

Reflections by
SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA

on the 109 Lectures by Swami Advayanandaji & Swami Nikhilanandaji
at the 15
th
Vedanta Course, Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai
from January 28
th
to July 3
rd
, 2012

Adi Shankaracharya Swami Sivananda Swami Tapovanji Swami Chinmayananda
SERVE  LOVE  GIVE  PURIFY  MEDITATE  REALISE
Text
11.2

Copyright & Author’s Details

Author: Swami Gurubhaktananda, born 1954 as Bipin R. Kapitan, in Durban, South Africa.
Residence: Sivanandashram, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
Email: [email protected]

© 2018 All Rights Reserved. Copyright held by Swami Gurubhaktananda.

About This Edition:
Web Edition: 30
th
June 2018, the Auspicious Birthday of Guruji
Website: www.chinfo.org hosted by Chinmaya International
Foundation, Kerala, India:
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 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
the 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.

*****

VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
CONTENTS OF THE WHOLE BOOK

VOLUME 1:

PART 1: The PURPOSE of Human Life (Verses 01 – 66, 66 no.) 001

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
1.1 Invocation & Overview 1 – 2 2 1
1.2 Preciousness of Human Birth 3 – 5 3 4
1.3 The Essential Means to Liberation 6 – 16 11 6
1.4 Qualifications of Disciple & Guru 17 – 32a 15 12
1.5 Approaching One’s Guru 32b – 40 9 21
1.6 Loving Advice of the Guru 41 – 47 7 28
1.7 The Disciple’s Questions 48 – 55 8 33
1.8 Freedom from Bondage? 56 – 61 6 38
1.9 Direct Experience of Self 62 – 66 5 42

PART 2: SRAVANA – The Guru’s Teaching (Verses 67 – 146, 80 no.) 045

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
2.1 Introduction to Sravana 67 – 71 5 45
2.2 The Gross Body 72 – 91 20 49

2.2.1 Formation of the Body 72 – 75 4 49

2.2.2 How Man is Bound to the Body 76 – 82 7 52

2.2.3 Fascination for Body 83 – 86 4 56

2.2.4 Overcoming the Fascination 87 – 91 5 57

2.3 The Subtle Body 92 – 105 14 61

2.3.1 The Components of the Subtle Body 92 – 96 5 61

2.3.2 The Functions of the Subtle Body 97 – 105 9 64

2.4 The Causal Body 106 – 121 16 69

2.4.1 The Power of Maya 108 - 110 3 70

2.4.2 The Gunas – Sattwa, Rajas & Tamas 111 - 119 9 73

2.4.3 The “Unmanifest” 120 – 121 2 79

2.5 Anatma – the “Not-Self” 122 – 123 2 81
2.6 Atman – the Self 124 – 136 13 82
2.7 What is Bondage? 137 – 146 10 90

.

VOLUME 2:

PART 3: MANANA – Reflection on the Teaching (Verses 147 – 224, 78 no.) 099

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
3.1 Discriminating Self from Not-Self 147 – 153 7 99
3.2 The Annamaya Kosha 154 – 164 11 105
3.3 The Pranamaya Kosha 165 – 166 2 111
3.4 The Manomaya Kosha 167 – 183 17 113

3.4.1 What is MIND? 167 – 171 5 113

3.4.2 Bondage & Liberation 172 – 176 5 117

3.4.3 “It’s All in the MIND” 177 – 183 7 120
3.5 The Vijnanamaya Kosha 184 – 206 23 125

3.5.1 The Intellect Sheath 184 – 191 8 125

Discussion on Vijnanamaya Kosha:

3.5.2 Jiva’s Confusion with Self 192 – 206 15 132

3.6 The Anandamaya Kosha 207 – 224 18 144

3.6.1 The Bliss Sheath 207 – 211 5 145

Discussion on Anandamaya Kosha:

3.6.2 The Self & “Nothingness” 212 – 224 13 148

PART 4: NIDIDHYASANA 1 – Theoretical Aspects (Verses 225 – 266, 42 no.) 159

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
4.1 The Vision of Oneness 225 – 236 12 159
4.2 The Nature of Brahman 237 – 240 4 169
4.3 Explanation of “Tat Twam Asi” 241 – 249 9 172
4.4 Balancing “This” with “That” 250 – 253 4 178
4.5 Aids to Meditation – “Brahma Tat-Twam-Asi” Verses 254 – 266 13 182
.

*****

VOLUME 3:

PART 5: NIDIDHYASANA 2 – Practical Aspects (Verses 267 – 341, 75 no.) 189

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
5.0 Introduction to Savikalpa Samadhi -

189
5.1 Scrubbing Out the Vasanas 267 – 276 10 191

5.1.1 “I-Thought” & “I am Brahman” Thoughts 267 – 269 3 191

5.1.2 The Three Doorways for Disturbance 270 – 272 3 193

5.1.3 The Stench of Vasanas 273– 276 4 194
5.2 Negating the Superimpositions 277 – 285 9 197
5.3 Upasanas – Meditational Exercises 286 – 292 7 202
5.4 Who is the Ego? 293 – 297 5 206
5.5 The Play of the Ego 298 – 309 12 210
5.6 The Trio: Vasanas – Rumination – Ego 310 – 319 10 219
5.7 Spiritual Inadvertance 320 – 329 10 226
5.8 In the Safe Harbour of Non-Duality 330 – 341 12 233

PART 6: NIRVIKALPA SAMADHI – Realisation (Verses 342 – 425, 84 no.) 243

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
6.1 The Entrance Examination 342 – 348 7 243
6.2 How to Recognise Samadhi 349 – 353 5 250
6.3 Samadhi Seen in Daily Life 354 – 364 11 254
6.4 Escaping the Mind’s Captivity 365 – 372 8 262
6.5 The Face of Dispassion in Samadhi 373 – 378 6 268
6.6 The Basic Technique of Meditation 379 – 383 5 273
6.7 Fine-Tuning the Technique 384 – 397 14 276
6.8 The State of Non-Duality 398 – 406 9 284
6.9 Points to Ponder 407 – 413 7 290
6.10 Nirvikalpa Samadhi is Irreversible 414 – 418 5 293
6.11 “Trouble-Shooting” Samadhi 419 - 425 7 297

*****

VOLUME 4:

PART 7: JIVANMUKTI – Liberation While Living (Verses 426 – 479, 54 no.) 303

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
7.1 Signs of a Realised Seer 426 – 445 20 303

7.1.1 Four Aspects of a Jivanmukta 427 – 431 5 305

7.1.2 The “Jivanmukta Lakshana” Verses 432 – 442 11 309

7.1.3 Dispassion – the Acid-Test of Jivanmukti 443 – 445 3 314
7.2 How a Saint Handles Karma 446 – 464 19 317

7.2.1 Sanchita Karma – Past Karma 448 – 449 2 319

7.2.2 Agama Karma – Future Karma 450 – 451 2 320

7.2.3 Prarabdha Karma – Present Karma 452 – 464 13 321
7.3 “Brahman Alone is There” 465 – 471 7 331
7.4 Conclusion of the Teaching 472 - 479 8 334

PART 8: FEEDBACK – From the Disciple (Verses 480 – 520, 41 no.) 341

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
8.1 Introduction to Feedback 480 – 481 2 341
8.2 Feedback from Personal Standpoint 482 – 489 8 343
8.3 Feedback from World’s Standpoint 490 – 500 11 349
8.4 Feedback from Upadhis’ Standpoint 501 – 512 12 355
8.5 Feedback from Absolute Standpoint 513 – 517 5 363
8.6 Conclusion of Feedback 518 – 520 3 367

PART 9: CONVERSATION of Two Saints (Verses 521 – 581, 61 no.) 369

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
9.0 Introduction - - 369
9.1 Glory of Realisation 521 – 530 10 370
9.2 On the Means of knowledge 531 – 536 6 377
9.3 A Riddle in Simplicity 537 – 550 14 382
9.4 The Attitude of a Saint 551 – 554 4 391
9.5 Videhamukti – Dropping the Body 555 – 567 13 395
9.6 Transmigration & Liberation 568 – 575 8 403

9.6.1 Transmigration & Rebirth 568 – 569 2 403

9.6.2 Bondage & Liberation 570 – 575 6 406
9.7 Conclusion to the Whole Book 576 – 581 6 412

*****

|| ÌuÉuÉåMücÉÔQûÉqÉÍhÉÈ ||
VIVEKA CHOODAMANI – Vol. 2
“The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination”

VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
"The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination"

GENERAL INTRODUCTION
PUJYA SWAMI CHINMAYANANDAJI writes the following in his Introduction to his
book on the Viveka Choodamani:
“Vedanta is truly the Science of Life. Sri Shankara, the great interpreter of Vedanta,
not only gave us his commentaries on the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad
Gita, but also many primary texts which introduce the seeker to the joys of Vedanta. One of
the greatest texts he has written as an introduction to Vedanta, is the Viveka Choodamani,
which means, ‘The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination’.
“A careful study of these verses with the full freedom to enquire will give any
student a correct understanding of the entire theory of Vedanta and he can, even without a
very serious study of the scriptures, start his daily practices with tremendous benefits.
“There are hundreds of seekers who, without understanding the fundamentals, are
aimlessly struggling along a so-called spiritual path. Naturally, they suffer agonies of painful
disappointment, although they have behind them years of painstaking practices. An
exhaustive and careful study of this text helps to avoid all the pitfalls on the way to
progress. It is my intention to bring forth from every verse not only its obvious meaning, but
also its hidden import which gives out a wealth of information and helpful suggestions to
ensure a steady progress.”

The Viveka Choodamani is a prime text in the Vedanta Course at Sandeepany.
Bondage is caused by a lack of enquiry, and ceases only by making an enquiry. If we
turn to differentiate Self from the non-Self, if we shift our attention from the world of
names and forms to their substratum Brahman, then we can arrive at the final goal quickly.
The Viveka Choodamani is a Prakarana Grantha. Its theme is: DISCRIMINATION.
It is a very famous text of Bhagavan Sri Shankaracharyaji. It has great poetic beauty.
Swami Chinmayanandaji has said, “This text is sufficient to lead the spiritual life.”

*****

99

VIVEKA CHUDAMANI – Vol.2

PART 3: (Verses 147-224, 78 No.)

MANANA – Reflection on the Teaching

3.1 DISCRIMINATING SELF FROM NOT-SELF

(Verses 147 – 153, 7 No.)

MANANA IS THE reflection upon the teachings received from the Guru during
Sravana. The most essential requirement for this stage of Sadhana is Discrimination. This
opening chapter of Part 3 of Viveka Choodamani brings out the type of discrimination that is
needed by the spiritual seeker.
The discrimination is done on oneself. The human being is a conglomerate of five
sheaths. These sheaths are differentiated, not from each other, but from the Self which is
the essential, unchanging part of the human being. Each sheath is taken in turn and the
Manana is done by which one comes to the conclusive conviction that he is not the sheath
but the sheath is an instrument for him to use. He is the Self which is the foundation of each
sheath. This is the limit of Manana that is precribed by Sri Shankaracharyaji in this text.

Verse 147: Discrimination & Purification

lÉÉx§ÉælÉï zÉx§ÉæUÌlÉsÉålÉ uÉÌ»ûlÉÉ
Nåû¨ÉÑÇ lÉ zÉYrÉÉå lÉ cÉ MüqÉïMüÉåÌOûÍpÉÈ |
ÌuÉuÉåMüÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉqÉWûÉÍxÉlÉÉ ÌuÉlÉÉ
kÉÉiÉÑÈ mÉëxÉÉSålÉ ÍxÉiÉålÉ qÉgeÉÑlÉÉ || 147||

1
na astraih na shastraih
anilena vahninaa
Neither by weapons of any kind,
nor by wind, nor by fire;
2
chhettum na shakyah na cha
karma-kotibhih;
Nor can this bondage be destroyed
by millions of actions.
3
viveka-vijnaana mahaa
asinaa vinaa
Knowledge born of discrimination is the wonder-
sword. It is the exception (to destroy bondage).
4
dhaatuh prasaadena
sitena manjunaa.
By the purification of the mind,
(the sword) can be kept well-sharpened.

1-2 Sri Shankaracharyaji at once gets to the point about the nature of the bondage
he is speaking about. It is clearly something that is very deep and non-physical in nature

100

(cannot be cut, blown or burnt). Any amount of actions cannot destroy it. It can only be
destroyed by careful discrimination in combination with purification.
Immediately it has to strike us that we are dealing with a bondage that is due to
some impurity in our intellect, and therefore discrimination and purification are its cure.
3-4 Equipped with perfect purity and a razor-sharp intellect to steer one to a proper
understanding of life, one should be well-set for the journey to Self-realization. This is the
great Teacher’s assessment at the very outset of Manana. We are clearly told what we are
in for.

Verse 148: Purification = Dharma + Duties

´ÉÑÌiÉmÉëqÉÉhÉæMüqÉiÉåÈ xuÉkÉqÉï
ÌlÉ¸É iÉrÉæuÉÉiqÉÌuÉzÉÑÎ®UxrÉ |
ÌuÉzÉÑ®oÉÑ®åÈ mÉUqÉÉiqÉuÉåSlÉÇ
iÉålÉæuÉ xÉÇxÉÉUxÉqÉÔsÉlÉÉzÉÈ || 148||

1
shruti-pramaana ekamateh
svadharma nishhtaa
One who trusts the authority of the scriptures;
and one who sticks firmly to his own duties;
2 tayaa eva aatma-vishuddhih asya; by these two alone can the mind be purified.
3
vishuddha-buddheh
paramaatma vedanam
Having thus gained purity of his mind,
he becomes fit for knowledge of the Supreme Self.
4
tena eva samsaara
samoola naashah.
By this knowledge alone is Samsara (worldliness)
destroyed, root and branch.

This verse is typical of the style adopted by Sri Shankaracharyaji. He gives us a
lightning review of how he intends to explain the first step, i.e. purification. In one verse is
covered the how and the why of the purification process.
1-2 Impurity is basically due to drifting away from the Laws of Dharma or
righteousness. These laws are well covered in the scriptures, here meaning the Vedas. The
Vedas are the scriptural Pramana or means to obtain the direction needed to walk the
straight and narrow path of righteousness.
Another fundamental requirement for puification is to perform one’s Swadharma or
ordained duties alone and not drift into all the other avenues open to us in the field of
actions. Impurity arises because we permit ourselves the freedom to do all sorts of actions
beyond what is our essential dutiful action. The moment we stray beyond the boundary line
of ‘dutiful action’, we are looking for trouble.
As this is a preliminary verse, the groundwork is being set for further details on these
two points in the present chapter. What is it that we shall gain by purifying ourselves?
3 Initially, purification qualifies us for carrying out the discrimination needed in
Manana. With an impure intellect it is not possible to do the surgical operation of dissecting
our sheaths and investigating it in a scientific manner. This is the first benefit of purity.
4 The second gain follows from the first. Once the knowledge of the Self (see Part 2)
is thoroughly understood and grasped using the techniques given in this Part, then the next
step is to fell the entire “tree of worldly life” with the axe of this knowledge.

101

PANCHA KOSHA VILAKSHANA

Verse 149: The Five Sheaths Hide the Self

MüÉåzÉæU³ÉqÉrÉÉ±æÈ mÉgcÉÍpÉUÉiqÉÉ lÉ xÉÇuÉ×iÉÉå pÉÉÌiÉ |
ÌlÉeÉzÉÌ£üxÉqÉÑimÉ³ÉæÈ zÉæuÉÉsÉmÉOûsÉæËUuÉÉqoÉÑ uÉÉmÉÏxjÉqÉç || 149||

1
koshaih panchabhih
annamayaadyaih
By the five sheaths,
such as the food, Prana, etc.,
2 aatmaa na samvritah bhaati; is covered the Self, which then ceases to appear,
3 nijashakti samutpannaih though they owe their origin to the Self’s power.
4
shaivaala-patalaih iva
ambu vaapeestham.
This is like the moss which grows out of water, and
then hides it by covering its surface in a tank.

From the next chapter till the end of this Part, we shall be dealing only with the
method called Pancha Kosha Vilakshana, or “the Differentiation of the Five Sheaths”. This is
a key method taught in the science of Vedanta. The procedure, when fully grasped, is all one
needs before proceeding on to the next phase of Sadhana called Nididhyasana (Part 4).

THE FIVE KOSHAS:

The five Koshas are as follows, in order of increasing subtlety:
a) The Annamaya Kosha: the food sheath or gross physical body.
b) The Pranamaya Kosha: the Pranic sheath controlling the Life-forces.
c) The Manomaya Kosha: the sheath of he mind and its realm of thoughts.
d) The Vijnanamaya Kosha: the sheath of the intellect which integrates and places
our thoughts in order.
e) The Anandamaya Kosha: which is the innermost or causal sheath whence arises
the ignorance of our Self. It is the master switch between delusion and enlightenment.

1-2 The idea conveyed by the word ‘sheaths’ is that they are wrapping something
very precious inside them. It is like a small diamond gem. Because it is so precious, it is
packed away with great care. It is placed in a beautiful tiny casket; the casket is then placed
inside a jewellery box; the box is then placed inside a steel safe; and the safe is then placed
in a vault made for that purpose alone.
The Rishis wished to convey this idea of preciousness of the Self by using the simile
of the sheaths. The Self is the most precious part of the entire human composite being.
3-4 The simile of the moss and water is to compare them to the sheaths and the Self.
It’s negative purpose is explained here. The positive benefits gained from it are explained in
the next two verses.
The Sheaths owe their existence to Maya, the Power of the Self. Once they are
created, then they actually shield the Self from being recognised. It is just like the moss that
is produced by the water, and then it shields the very same clear water from view. The moss
and the sheaths appear to be ungrateful to their creators.

102

Verse 150: As Moss Obscures the Water . . .

iÉcNæûuÉÉsÉÉmÉlÉrÉå xÉqrÉMçü xÉÍsÉsÉÇ mÉëiÉÏrÉiÉå zÉÑ®qÉç |
iÉ×whÉÉxÉliÉÉmÉWûUÇ xÉ±È xÉÉæZrÉmÉëSÇ mÉUÇ mÉÑÇxÉÈ || 150||

1 tat shaivaala apanaye samyak When the moss is removed completely,
2 salilam prateeyate shuddham; pure water then becomes visible,
3 trishhnaa santaapaharam sadyah which can quench the pangs of thirst at once
4 saukhyapradam param pumsah. and give the man immense satisfaction.

1 Here we see the positive side of the same simile. The removal of the moss from the
surface of the water has three beneficial results:
2 i) It reveals the pure, crystal clear water to our view. It is no longer ‘dirty’.
3 ii) What was unreachable and undrinkable, is now reachable and drinkable.
4 iii) When the moss is cleared, we can swim in the water and enjoy many water
sports. The water now gives us “immense satisfaction”.
It sounds as if we are digging too deep into the simile, but not so. When we see the
application of the simile, we see how each benefit has its meaningful counterpart.

Verse 151: . . . the Sheaths Obscure the Self

mÉgcÉÉlÉÉqÉÌmÉ MüÉåzÉÉlÉÉqÉmÉuÉÉSå ÌuÉpÉÉirÉrÉÇ zÉÑ®È |
ÌlÉirÉÉlÉlSæMüUxÉÈ mÉëirÉaÉëÔmÉÈ mÉUÈ xuÉrÉgerÉÉåÌiÉÈ || 151||

1 panchaanaam api koshaanaam Even so, when the five sheaths
2 apavaade, vibhaati ayam shuddhah; are removed, this pure Self shines out
3 nitya aananda ekarasah pratyag as the essence of everlasting inner Bliss,
4 roopah parah svayam jyotih. of the form of Supreme, self-effulgent Light.

1 Here we see the positive side of the application of the simile. The removal of the
sheaths by differentiating them from the Self brings the very same three beneficial results:
2 i) It reveals the pure, crystal clear Self to our view. We no longer feel we are ‘dirty’.
3 ii) What was unreachable and therefore never enjoyed, is now reached and we can
drink the pure Bliss that oozes out of the Self. It fully quenches our thirst for true Happiness.
4 iii) When the sheaths are cleared, we can swim in the eternal, crystal clear waters
of the Self, refresh ourselves in It, and enjoy the peace of its placid and soothing waters. The
Self gives us full and “immense satisfaction”.
In this way Sri Shankaracharyaji not only shows us how we can attain our own true
nature, but makes us look forward to the experience by giving us a foretaste of the great
pleasure that awaits us in making the discovery! The process is clearly summarized as
removal or negation of all the five sheaths, each of which veils the Truth in some way.

103

Verse 152: Discrimination – the Key Process

AÉiqÉÉlÉÉiqÉÌuÉuÉåMüÈ MüiÉïurÉÉå oÉlkÉqÉÑ£ürÉå ÌuÉSÒwÉÉ |
iÉålÉæuÉÉlÉlSÏ pÉuÉÌiÉ xuÉÇ ÌuÉ¥ÉÉrÉ xÉÎŠSÉlÉlSqÉç || 152||

1 aatma anaatma vivekah kartavyah Self has to be discriminated from the not-Self;
2 bandha-muktaye vidushhaah; the wise do this in order to remove bondage.
3 tena eva aanandee bhavati svam Only then does he become happy in his Self
4 vijnaaya sachchidaanandam. and know It to be Sat-Chid-Ananda.

As we come to the end of this introductory chapter, we are once again reminded of
the main step – Discrimination.
1 There are many things that can be discriminated. In South Africa we are aware of
racial discrimination, or discrimination on the basis of one’s race. Here, it is nothing short of
the ultimate in discrimination – that between the Reality and the Unreality, the Self and not-
Self, the Truth and the False, the unchanging and the changing.
2 The purpose of the whole exercise is to be kept in view at all times. Some people
are interested in this subject so that they can preach it to others. Some may seek name and
fame through this knowledge. But the wise ones seek it solely for removing their Bondage to
the world of joys and sorrows. That is their only motivation.
3 If discrimination is done for the right reason, the end result is the Bliss of the Self.
Nothing could be more satisfying than this. If, however, it is done for the wrong reasons
mentioned earlier, then the end result could be great frustration and disapointment.
4 Knowing the Self means knowing it to be Pure Existence, Pure Knowledge and Pure
Bliss. These are three descriptions of the one and the same Reality. They are not three
different things or three different qualities. They are the closest in words one can get to
describing the nature of Reality.

Verse 153: The Full Process of Negation

qÉÑgeÉÉÌSwÉÏMüÉÍqÉuÉ SØzrÉuÉaÉÉïiÉç
mÉëirÉgcÉqÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉxÉ…¡ûqÉÌ¢ürÉqÉç |
ÌuÉÌuÉcrÉ iÉ§É mÉëÌuÉsÉÉmrÉ xÉuÉïÇ
iÉSÉiqÉlÉÉ ÌiÉ¸ÌiÉ rÉÈ xÉ qÉÑ£üÈ || 153||

1
munjaat ishheekaam iva
drishyavargaat
Like the sheaths in the stalk of a grass stem,
are the sheaths of the “seen”, the not-Self.
2
pratyancham aatmaanam
asangam akriyam;
i) The Subjective Self that is
unattached and actionless,
3
vivichya tatra
pravilaapya sarvam
is first differentiated from them (the sheaths);
ii) then the sheaths are all merged into It; and
4
tat aatmanaa tishhthati
yah sah muktah.
iii) finally one remains identified with It.
He who does this, becomes free.

104

The discrimination process has to be thorough and complete. We have to learn to
identify all that is not the Self. An incomplete analysis would leave us still in the realm of
ignorance. The reed within the sheaths of the Kusha grass stem remains hidden until the
very last layer is removed. So also is it with the Self.
The Sadhana of Atma-Anatma Viveka has to become part and parcel of our life, until
we begin to clearly distinguish in what way objects bind us, and in what way those same
objects are manifestations of God.. We have to find God in the same world that we are
rejecting! There is no other world in which to behold God. He is seen in the very same
world, nay, in the very same spot which is being negated. The negation is so subtle that it
leads us to see divinity in the very place where we once found enticing pleasure.
An optical illusion – perhaps that may be one way of seeing Negation.

*****

105

3.2 THE ANNAMAYA KOSHA

(Verses 154 – 164, 11 No.)

Out of the five sheaths, the first two, known as the Annamaya Kosha and the
Pranamaya Kosha, are insentient. They are the physical Body sheath which is inert in itself;
and the Life-Force sheath immediately subtler to it.
They may be compared to the body of a car and the petrol that powers it. Both these
are inert as they require a sentient principle to control and direct them. Neither of them has
the sentiency to determine its own course.

Verse 154: The Food Sheath

SåWûÉåÅrÉqÉ³ÉpÉuÉlÉÉåÅ³ÉqÉrÉxiÉÑ MüÉåzÉ-
¶ÉÉ³ÉålÉ eÉÏuÉÌiÉ ÌuÉlÉzrÉÌiÉ iÉÌ²WûÏlÉÈ |
iuÉYcÉqÉïqÉÉÇxÉÂÍkÉUÉÎxjÉmÉÑUÏwÉUÉÍzÉUç-
lÉÉrÉÇ xuÉrÉÇ pÉÌuÉiÉÑqÉWïûÌiÉ ÌlÉirÉzÉÑ®È || 154||

1
dehah ayam annabhavanah
annamayah tu koshah
The body is a product of food.
It constitutes the food-sheath.
2
cha annena jeevati
vinashyati tat viheenah;
It exists because of food
and dies without it.
3
tvak charma maamsa rudhira
asthi pureeshha raashih
It is a bundle of skin, flesh, blood,
bones and filth.
4
na ayam svayam bhavitum arhati
nitya-shuddhah.
It cannot by itself be the Reality,
which is “ever-pure”.

1-2 The name Food sheath comes from the fact that the body is born of food and
dies without food.
3-4 Having contents which are anything but pure, how can the body be placed in the
same category as the ever-pure Self?
Yet it is surprising that so many people consider the body to be their God!

Verse 155: Body is Only a Sense Object

mÉÔuÉïÇ eÉlÉåUÍkÉqÉ×iÉåUÌmÉ lÉÉrÉqÉÎxiÉ
eÉÉiÉ¤ÉhÉÈ ¤ÉhÉaÉÑhÉÉåÅÌlÉrÉiÉxuÉpÉÉuÉÈ |
lÉæMüÉå eÉQû¶É bÉOûuÉimÉËUSØzrÉqÉÉlÉÈ
xuÉÉiqÉÉ MüjÉÇ pÉuÉÌiÉ pÉÉuÉÌuÉMüÉUuÉå¨ÉÉ || 155||

106

1
poorvam janeh adhimriteh api na
ayam asti
Before birth as well as after death,
it (the body) does not exist;
2
jaata-kshhanah kshhanagunah
aniyata-svabhaavah;
When born, it is of a fleeting nature,
and full of uncertainty, i.e. ever-changing;
3
na ekah jadah cha ghatavat
paridrishyamaanah
It is diversified and inert, and, like a jar,
has all the qualities of only a sense object;
4
svaatmaa katham bhavati
bhaava-vikaaravettaa.
How then can it be the Self, which is
the witness of all changes in all things?

1-4 The vast distinction between the unchanging Self and the ever-changing body is
made more clear in this verse. How is it possible to mistake one for the other?

Verse 156: Body is a Subject, not a Ruler

mÉÉÍhÉmÉÉSÉÌSqÉÉlSåWûÉå lÉÉiqÉÉ urÉ…¡åûÅÌmÉ eÉÏuÉlÉÉiÉç |
iÉ¨ÉcNû£åüUlÉÉzÉÉŠ lÉ ÌlÉrÉqrÉÉå ÌlÉrÉÉqÉMüÈ || 156||

1 paani paadaadimaan dehah The body which is made of arms, legs, etc.,
2
na aatmaa
vyange api jeevanaat;
cannot be the Self,
since even when amputated it still lives;
3 tat tat shakteh anaashaat cha its various functions continue just as efficiently;
4 na niyamyah niyaamakah. This proves it is subject to a rule, and not a Ruler.

1-4 As different as a slave from a king, so is the body different from the Self. Only if
one is under a delusion can he mistake the body for the Self.

Verse 157: The Self is Distinct from Body – 1

SåWûiÉ®qÉïiÉiMüqÉïiÉSuÉxjÉÉÌSxÉÉÍ¤ÉhÉÈ |
xÉiÉ LuÉ xuÉiÉÈÍxÉ®Ç iÉ²æsÉ¤ÉhrÉqÉÉiqÉlÉÈ || 157||

1 deha tat dharma tat karma From the body’s characteristics and its activities; and
2 tat avasthaadi saakshhinah; from the Self being the witness of the (three) states;
3 satah eva svatahsiddham It is self-evident that the Self alone is the Reality.
4
tat vai lakshhanyam aatmanah. It is only too clear that the Self is distinct
from the body.

1-4 If one is really looking for the Reality, the body would be the last place where
one will find It. Yet, we have so much attachment for it. We give the body so much attention
when all it needs is just to be kept reasonably clean and be given sufficient food. But to
pamper it and to be hurt by remarks made about it is the height of delusion.
Sri Shankaracharyaji still feels he has not done enough to convince us that the body
can never be taken as the real person we are. We must be under acute delusion if we do.

107

Verse 158: The Self is Distinct from Body – 2

zÉsrÉUÉÍzÉqÉÉïÇxÉÍsÉmiÉÉå qÉsÉmÉÔhÉÉåïÅÌiÉMüzqÉsÉÈ |
MüjÉÇ pÉuÉåSrÉÇ uÉå¨ÉÉ xuÉrÉqÉåiÉÌ²sÉ¤ÉhÉÈ || 158||

1 shalyaraashirh maamsaliptah A packet of bones, covered with flesh,
2 malapoornah atikashmalah; full of filth and extremely impure –
3 katham bhavet ayam vettaa How can this ever be the Knower?
4 svayam etat vilakshhanah. Indeed, from the Self this body is quite distinct.

Verse 159: Yet Body Mistaken as Self !

iuÉ‰ÉÇxÉqÉåSÉåÅÎxjÉmÉÑUÏwÉUÉzÉÉuÉç-
AWÇûqÉÌiÉÇ qÉÔRûeÉlÉÈ MüUÉåÌiÉ |
ÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉÇ uÉåÌ¨É ÌuÉcÉÉUzÉÏsÉÉå
ÌlÉeÉxuÉÃmÉÇ mÉUqÉÉjÉïpÉÔiÉqÉç || 159||

1
tvak maamsa medah asthi
pureeshharaashau
Skin, flesh, fat, bones –
with this mass of filth,
2 aham matim moodha-janah karoti; does the foolish man identify himself.
3
vilakshhanam vetti
vichaarasheelah
But he who knows the distinction (of Self from
body), such a man of discrimination
4
nija-svaroopam
paramaartha-bhootam.
knows the Self to be his very own nature,
as the Absolute Reality.

Verse 160: The Foolish & the Wise – Poles Apart

SåWûÉåÅWûÍqÉirÉåuÉ eÉQûxrÉ oÉÑÎ®È
SåWåû cÉ eÉÏuÉå ÌuÉSÒwÉxiuÉWÇûkÉÏÈ |
ÌuÉuÉåMüÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉuÉiÉÉå qÉWûÉiqÉlÉÉå
oÉë¼ÉWûÍqÉirÉåuÉ qÉÌiÉÈ xÉSÉiqÉÌlÉ || 160||

1
dehah aham iti eva jadasya
buddhih
“I am the body”, thus alone
thinks the foolish man.
2
dehe cha jeeve
vidushhah tu aham dheeh;
“A combination of the body and soul”, thus indeed
does a learned man consider himself to be.
3
viveka-vijnaanavatah
mahaatmanah
But, one possessing knowledge born of discrimination,
for such a great realised soul,
4
brahma aham iti eva matih
sat aatmani.
“I am Brahman”, thus alone
thinks he who has identification with the Eternal Self.

108

Three Points of View
We have three points of view in this verse:
1 “I am the body” – this is the view of one who is deluded;
2 “I am a combination of body and soul” – this is the view of a learned man;
3-4 “I am Brahman” – this is the view of a man of realisation.
The whole spectrum of mankind falls anywhere in between these viewpoints.

Verse 161: O Fool, Become Wise!

A§ÉÉiqÉoÉÑÎ®Ç irÉeÉ qÉÔRûoÉÑ®å
iuÉ‰ÉÇxÉqÉåSÉåÅÎxjÉmÉÑUÏwÉUÉzÉÉæ |
xÉuÉÉïiqÉÌlÉ oÉë¼ÍhÉ ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉå
MÑüÂwuÉ zÉÉÎliÉÇ mÉUqÉÉÇ pÉeÉxuÉ || 161||

1
atra aatmabuddhim tyaja
moodhabuddhe
Cease to identify yourself with this,
O foolish one!
2
tvak maamsa medo asthi
pureeshharaashau;
this packet of skin, flesh, fat, bones –
with this mass of filth.
3
sarvaatmani
brahmani nirvikalpe
Instead, identify yourself with the Self of all,
with the Absolute Brahman;
4
kurushhva shaantim
paramaam bhajasva.
do this and the experience of Peace
Supreme will be yours for the taking.

1-4 There are some people who dare to argue that the consciousness is an accessory
of the body! They consider the mind and intellect to be instruments of the body. Such is the
thickness of their attachment to body. Perhaps Sri Shankaracharyaji had such persons in
mind when he wrote this verse.

Verse 162: Learning by Itself Cannot Liberate

SåWåûÎlSìrÉÉSÉuÉxÉÌiÉ pÉëqÉÉåÌSiÉÉÇ
ÌuÉ²ÉlÉWûliÉÉÇ lÉ eÉWûÉÌiÉ rÉÉuÉiÉç |
iÉÉuÉ³É iÉxrÉÉÎxiÉ ÌuÉqÉÑÌ£üuÉÉiÉÉï-
mrÉxiuÉåwÉ uÉåSÉliÉlÉrÉÉliÉSzÉÏï || 162||

1
deha indriyaadau
asati bhrama uditaam
The body, sense organs, etc.,
are unreal, and are products of delusion;
2
vidvaan ahantaam
na jahaati yaavat;
however learned one may be, false identification,
as long as it is not given up,
3
taavat na tasya asti
vimukti-vaartaa
so long, for him there can be not even
the talk of liberation;
4
api astu eshhah
vedaanta-nayaanta-darshee.
even if he be very well-versed in all
the intricasies of Vedanta philosophy.

109

1-4 An all-too-common danger is brought to light here. Sri Shankaracharyaji, being
involved in the field of propagation of knowledge, is aware that learning alone cannot free
us from body-consciousness. Awareness of the delusion that lies behind the thought, “I am
the body”, can remove the basic false identification with the body.

Verse 163: How to Erase False Identification

NûÉrÉÉzÉUÏUå mÉëÌiÉÌoÉqoÉaÉÉ§Éå
rÉixuÉmlÉSåWåû ™ÌS MüÎsmÉiÉÉ…¡åû |
rÉjÉÉiqÉoÉÑÎ®xiÉuÉ lÉÉÎxiÉ MüÉÍcÉeÉç-
eÉÏuÉcNûUÏUå cÉ iÉjÉæuÉ qÉÉÅxiÉÑ || 163||

1
chhaayaa-shareere
pratibimbagaatre
With the shadow of your body,
or with your own reflection,
2
yat svapna-dehe
hridi kalpitaange;
or even with your own self in dream,
or for that matter any imagination of yourself –
3
yathaa aatmabuddhih tava na
asti kaachit
Just as you would not identify yourself
with these in the least,
4
jeevat shareere cha tathaa eva
maa astu.
so too, with your living BODY you should not
identify yourself even one bit.

1-2 Shankaracharyaji’s practical hint is to think of the body in one of four ways: as a
shadow, as a reflection, as a dream or as a mere imagination. All four techniques help us to
reduce the importance we give to our body.
3-4 Unless we reduce its importance to us, it will continue to dominate our
attention. “Not even one bit” should we yield to the whims and fancies demanded by our
body. That is the prescription from one of the greatest Masters of all time, Sri Shankara.

Verse 164: Giving Up Body-Identification

SåWûÉiqÉkÉÏUåuÉ lÉ×hÉÉqÉxÉÎ®rÉÉÇ
eÉlqÉÉÌSSÒÈZÉmÉëpÉuÉxrÉ oÉÏeÉqÉç |
rÉiÉxiÉiÉxiuÉÇ eÉÌWû iÉÉÇ mÉërÉ¦ÉÉiÉç
irÉ£åü iÉÑ ÍcÉ¨Éå lÉ mÉÑlÉpÉïuÉÉzÉÉ || 164||

1
deha-aatmadheeh eva nrinaam
asat dhiyaam
Identification with the body is the only cause
of man’s attachment to the unreal,
2
janmaadi duhkha
prabhavasya beejam;
of the misery of birth and all its modifications.
It is the seed of all sorrow.
3
yatah tatah tvam jahi taam
prayatnaat
Therefore, to destroy it you should
put in all your efforts.
4
tyakte tu chitte na
punar bhava aashaa.
If this identification caused by mind is renounced,
there can be no chance of transmigration.

110

Summary of Chapter:
In these eleven verses the main factual points are:
i) The shift from “I am the body” to “I am Brahman” is most essential.
ii) The folly of identifying with the body is emphatically pointed out.
iii) Even a great Vedantin can know theory but fail in practice.
iv) We learn to see the body as our shadow, etc. Then it ceases to delude us.
v) Liberation is certain for those who are not tainted with the body-idea.

Some Points to Ponder
1. The body is only our outer uniform, like the uniform of a traffic officer. A traffic
officer trainee was asked the question what would he do if he had to handle a particular
traffic jam which involved hundreds of cars and pedestrians. He said, “I will take off my
uniform and mingle with the crowd!”
2. Here is an amusing example illustrating body identification: Suppose two people
meet with an accident and are taken to the same hospital. Both require the head to be
removed, repaired and replaced. Somehow, their heads get swopped when reassembled.
Their wives are now in a fix: do they take as husband the one with the familiar head or the
one with the familiar body!
3. The great difficulty in giving up attachment to body is that people would rather
live with a known problem than go to an unknown solution. Fear of the unknown deters
them from giving up the familiar body-idea, which is very strong.
4. The case of Nisargadata Maharaj, a great saint and former resident of Mumbai,
was quoted by Acharyaji. He was an ordinary businessman selling bidis (handmade
cigarettes). A saint asked him to undertake the Vedantic practice of “I am Brahman”. He
took it up very seriously. Within a few months his entire way of thinking was transformed.
He became a Self-realised Master! His book, I am That, is accepted now as a spiritual classic.
5. The body is 80% water. If dehydrated it would require very little space! Why build
our life on such an unsteady foundation?

*****

111

3.3 THE PRANAMAYA KOSHA

(Verses 165 – 166, 2 No.)

Verse 165: Composition & Function of Pranamaya Kosha

MüqÉåïÎlSìrÉæÈ mÉgcÉÍpÉUÎgcÉiÉÉåÅrÉÇ
mÉëÉhÉÉå pÉuÉåimÉëÉhÉqÉrÉxiÉÑ MüÉåzÉÈ ||
rÉålÉÉiqÉuÉÉlÉ³ÉqÉrÉÉåÅlÉÑmÉÔhÉïÈ
mÉëuÉiÉïiÉåÅxÉÉæ xÉMüsÉÌ¢ürÉÉxÉÑ || 165||

1
karmendriyaih panchabhih
anchitah ayam
The five faculties of the organs of action
together with the
2
praanah bhavet
praanamayah tu koshah;|
Prana or the vital airs, constitute
the Pranamaya Kosha, indeed.
3
yena aatmavaan
annamayah anupoornah
By this sheath, the life-force is breathed into
every part of the Food sheath.
4
pravartate asau
sakala kriyaasu.
Then only is this body able to perform
all its various activities and functions.

Under Sravana, we studied that the Pranic body is made up of the Rajasic portion of
the all five Tanmatras or subtle elements before Pancheekarana, the grossification process
that integrates them into gross elements. The general term for life-force is Prana.
Prana is further sub-divided into five Upapranas, according to the function it
performs in the body. Each Upaprana is made up respectively from the Rajasic portion of
one of the five Tanmatras.
Prana occupies an important place in every ritual prescribed in the Vedas. Fire is an
integral part of every Vedic ritual or sacrifice. It is Agni, the Fire Deity, who conveys our
subtle thought messages to the respective Deities concerned with our prayer requests. Agni
or Fire is the Deity of Prana.
1-2 Karmendriyaih: The five “organs of action”. They are part of the Pranamaya
Kosha. They perform the five external sub-functions of the body. The five Karmendriyas pair
up with the five Upapranas to perform the external functions of grasping, locomotion,
speaking, generation and evacuation.
There are also the five internal sub-functions performed by the body, namely,
inhalation and exhalation, digestion, circulation and expulsion. Again, each of these
functions is associated with its respective Upaprana.
3-4 It is the Prana that supplies the energy to every part of the body. All functions
performed by the body are powered by the Prana, using one or more of the Upapranas.
Kindly note the difference between the terms Pranamaya and Pranayama.
Pranayama is the science by which the flow of the Pranic life-force is controlled throughout
the body, mainly by controlling the breath.

112

Verse 166: Why Pranamaya Kosha is Non Self

lÉæuÉÉiqÉÉÌmÉ mÉëÉhÉqÉrÉÉå uÉÉrÉÑÌuÉMüÉUÉå
aÉliÉÉÅÅaÉliÉÉ uÉÉrÉÑuÉSliÉoÉïÌWûUåwÉÈ |
rÉxqÉÉÎiMüÎgcÉiYuÉÉÌmÉ lÉ uÉå¨ÉÏ¹qÉÌlÉ¹Ç
xuÉÇ uÉÉlrÉÇ uÉÉ ÌMügcÉlÉ ÌlÉirÉÇ mÉUiÉl§ÉÈ || 166||

1
na eva aatmaa api praana-
mayah vaayu-vikaarah
The vital air sheath cannot be the Self
because it is a modification of air (Vayu).
2
gantaa aagantaa vaayuvat
antah bahih eshhah;
As air, the Prana enters and goes
inside and outside of the body.
3
yasmaat kinchit kvaapi
na vetti ishhtam anishhtam
Of any thing, at any place, at any time – the Prana
cannot know the joys and sorrows,
4
svam vaa anyam vaa kinchana
nityam paratantrah.
neither of its own nor that of others; this means
it is always dependent on something else.

Now the reasons are given why Pranamaya Kosha cannot be the Self:
1 Firstly, it is a modification of the elements, mainly the Air element. Prana can enter
the body via any of the five elements, but Air is the predominant one.
2 Breathing is the main way for the intake of Prana into the body. Food and water
are also other significant channels.
3 Prana is inert, having no sentiency. It cannot think; thus it cannot know anything of
the joys and sorrows which drive the Jiva to utilize Prana for its own purposes. Prana is
helpless in the matter of choosing what is to be done with it. It is purely the motive power.
4 Although subtler and therefore in control of the physical body, the Pranic sheath
has subtler sheaths that control it. Its dependency on the Manomaya Kosha is quite clear to
recognize. It is always dependent on the three sheaths subtler than it.
For the above reasons, Prana cannot be the Self.

However, Prana is proud of one compliment paid to it. It is regarded with respect by
the Rishis as the “most noble of all the five sheaths” because of its selflessness. It does all its
work silently and in the background, without any recognition. It is the great Karma Yogi
among all the sheaths, working without rest. It only takes one break in a person’s life-time,
and that is quite a long, long break!

*****

113

3.4 THE MANOMAYA KOSHA

(Verses 167 – 183, 17 No.)

SENTIENCY IS REQUIRED to drive the Body and to direct the Prana. This is provided
to the extent possible by the next two sheaths, known as the Manomaya and Vijnanamaya
Koshas. Together they constitute the Antahkarana or “the inner instrument”, the main part
of the subtle body. The Antahkarana is split into these two major sheaths.
The sentient element enters the scene at the Mind level in the form of Thoughts.
The two previous sheaths cannot support thoughts, and for that reason they are considered
to be inert. With the entry of thought, there is now a determining factor introduced that
changes the mechanics of the Manomaya Kosha. It is so vastly superior to the previous two
sheaths, that it becomes a serious contender to be considered the Self.
The Manomaya Kosha is in fact considered by the majority of mankind to be the real
Self. It is most unfortunate, but true. Its C.V. to stand as candidate for Self-hood is quite a
solid one. It is very difficult to show why Manomaya is not the Self, and this poses one of the
most serious challenges to the Vedanta philosophy. In comparison, to prove the first two
sheaths as being not-Self is like a romp in the park. For no one but the most deluded among
men would ever accept body or Prana to be the Self. But with Mind, the case is very strong.
The Pranamaya, Manonaya and Vijnanamaya sheaths together form the Subtle body.
The Manomaya is the mental sheath and because of its great significance in spiritual life, a
lengthy discussion is begun here on its workings.
With this background we begin the discussion on Manomaya Kosha.

3.4.1 WHAT IS MIND? (Verses 167-171, 5 no.)

Verse 167: Composition of Manomaya Kosha

¥ÉÉlÉåÎlSìrÉÉÍhÉ cÉ qÉlÉ¶É qÉlÉÉåqÉrÉÈ xrÉÉiÉç
MüÉåzÉÉå qÉqÉÉWûÍqÉÌiÉ uÉxiÉÑÌuÉMüsmÉWåûiÉÑÈ |
xÉÇ¥ÉÉÌSpÉåSMüsÉlÉÉMüÍsÉiÉÉå oÉsÉÏrÉÉÇ-
xiÉimÉÔuÉïMüÉåzÉqÉÍpÉmÉÔrÉï ÌuÉeÉ×qpÉiÉå rÉÈ || 167||

1
jnaana indriyaani cha manah
cha manomayah syaat
The organs of perception along with the mind
form the “Mental Sheath”.
2
koshah mama aham iti vastu-
vikalpa hetuh;
The proliferation of the ‘I’ and ‘mine’ thoughts
has its sole cause in this sheath.
3
samjnaadibheda kala-
naakalitah baleeyaan
Creating differences of names, etc., is the essential
powerful faculty it is endowed with.
4
tat poorva-kosham abhipoorya
vijrimbhate yah.
The vital air sheath that precedes it,
is pervaded by it, and is a manifested form of it.

114

1 Jnanendriyas: “organs of knowledge”. The Prana and the five Karmendriyas were
classified under the Pranamaya Sheath. The Manas or mind, together with the five
Jnanendriyas are classified under Manomaya Sheath. The Manas includes the Chitta or
memory also, which functions in conjunction with the mind.
2 The “I”-thought that is produced in the Vijnanamaya Kosha, is passed on to the
mind. On being received by the mind, this thought proliferates into an endless variety of
thoughts connected to the “I”-thought. The diversity is produced in the mind. Everything
that the mind touches gets contaminated by this “I”-thought. When possessiveness is added
to them, they become “mine”-thoughts.
3 The raw material of thoughts that make up the Manomaya Kosha may collectively
be termed as the world of names and forms. The mind takes great pride in differentiating
things and concepts. It takes up a thought and sees how it varies from other thoughts. Then
it gives each idea and object a name and associates it with a form. This is the essential
nature of the mind.
4 As the Manomaya Kosha is high up in the hierarchy of sheaths, it is subtler than its
two predecessors and therefore pervades them both, while also extending a little beyond
them. It has controlling power over the previous two sheaths. Except for the involuntary
functions which take place automatically within the body, all the voluntary functions
performed by Prana and Body are controlled by the mind sheath. It is the mind that
provides the sentiency to them.

Verse 168: The Fire & Priest Simile

mÉgcÉåÎlSìrÉæÈ mÉgcÉÍpÉUåuÉ WûÉåiÉ×ÍpÉÈ
mÉëcÉÏrÉqÉÉlÉÉå ÌuÉwÉrÉÉerÉkÉÉUrÉÉ |
eÉÉeuÉsrÉqÉÉlÉÉå oÉWÒûuÉÉxÉlÉålkÉlÉæÈ
qÉlÉÉåqÉrÉÉÎalÉuÉïWûÌiÉ mÉëmÉgcÉqÉç || 168||

1
pancha indriyaih
panchabhih eva hotribhih
The five sense organs of perception
act in the same way as five priests in a havan;
2
pracheeyamaanah vishhaya
aajya dhaarayaa;
they feed the respective impressions of objects
(into the mind), which is like a stream of ghee.
3
jaajvalyamaanah
bahuvaasanaa indhanaih
Having thus been set ablaze
by the fuel of numerous desirable objects,
4
manomaya agnih
vahati prapancham.
the mind sheath becomes the fire that keeps the
inferno of the phenomenal world going.

The simile used here brilliantly describes the function of the mental sheath.
1 The senses are like the priests performing a Havan. 2 They bring into the mind a
continuous stream of sense objects of desirable form, taste, etc; this is like pouring the ghee
and samaghree into the havan-kund (the sacrificial fire vessel) which represents the mind.
3 The oblations of “numerous desirable objects” are the inflamable materials. 4 They
inflame the mind with desire to enjoy more pleasures in a continuous stream. The mind
burns with desire all the time, as more oblations of sense objects get poured into it. This is
the simile of the Havan which sets aflame the fire of desire in the mind.

115

The Havan-simile in Reverse
The Vedic seers have intelligently reversed this process by creating the actual Havan.
The Sadhaka, wanting to come out of the fire of the sensory world, uses his sense organs of
action to offer the same mind back to the Lord. The mind that was once filled with sense
objects by the senses of knowledge, is now emptied of these objects by the senses of action.
This sacred act is accompanied by a prayer to the Lord to take them once and for all away
from his mind.
Thus, we find that the Havan can be a two-way symbol. First it served to inflame the
mind with desire, and then in reverse, it empties the mind of that desire. The former simile
filled the mind with impurities; the latter simile purifies the mind of the same impurities.

Verse 169: The Mind is Ignorance Itself!

lÉ ½xirÉÌuÉ±É qÉlÉxÉÉåÅÌiÉËU£üÉ
qÉlÉÉå ½ÌuÉ±É pÉuÉoÉlkÉWåûiÉÑÈ |
iÉÎxqÉÎluÉlÉ¹å xÉMüsÉÇ ÌuÉlÉ¹Ç
ÌuÉeÉ×ÎqpÉiÉåÅÎxqÉlxÉMüsÉÇ ÌuÉeÉ×qpÉiÉå || 169||

1
na hi asti avidyaa
manasah atiriktaa
Verily there is no ignorance (Avidya)
apart from the mind;
2
manah hi avidyaa bhava-
bandha-hetuh;
The mind itself is Ignorance
which is the cause for the bondage of rebirth.
3
tasmin vinashhte
sakalam vinashhtam
When the mind is destroyed,
everything else is destroyed.
4
vijrimbhite asmin
sakalam vijrimbhate.
When the mind manifests,
everything else manifests.

A whole book could be written on the lines of this verse, so deep and profound is its
meaning and significance. Swami Sivananda’s book, Mind – Its Mysteries and Control, is one
such book that is virtually a commentary on this verse.
1-2 We do not normally think of the mind in this way, but here we have the thought
from Sri Shankaracharyaji himself. The mind itself is the Avidya that obstructs the Self from
our vision! Thus the mind itself has to take all the responsibility for keeping the flames of
attachment burning inside us. These are the flames that result in our endless rebirth.
3-4 We have seen a similar idea expressed in Upadesh Sara of Sri Ramana Maharshi.
The Maharshi identifies two aspects to each thought – the ‘Idam’ Vritti and the ‘Aham’
Vritti. The former relates to the object of the thought (which is invariably a sense object)
and the latter relates to the sense of “I-ness” which comes from the reflection of the Self in
the mind. When ‘Idam’ Vritti is brought to zero (“when the mind is destroyed”), what
remains is pure consciousness of the Self.
The destruction of the mind is actually the destruction of the wrong notions held in
the mind. The Aham Vritti is the basic wrong notion, a misconception of the true Self. From
it arises the Idam Vritti or the outgoing nature of the mind that makes it dependent on
outer objects for its pleasure.

116

Verse 170: In Dream, Mind Alone Rules

xuÉmlÉåÅjÉïzÉÔlrÉå xÉ×eÉÌiÉ xuÉzÉYirÉÉ
pÉÉåY§ÉÉÌSÌuÉµÉÇ qÉlÉ LuÉ xÉuÉïqÉç |
iÉjÉæuÉ eÉÉaÉëirÉÌmÉ lÉÉå ÌuÉzÉåwÉÈ
iÉixÉuÉïqÉåiÉlqÉlÉxÉÉå ÌuÉeÉ×qpÉhÉqÉç || 170||

1
svapne artha-shoonye
srijati svashaktyaa
In the dream state, though there is no sense object,
by the power of one’s own mind is projected
2
bhoktraadi vishvam
manah eva sarvam;
enjoyership and doership, the universe,
the mind itself and everything else.
3
tathaa eva jaagrati api
na u visheshhah
Similarly, in the waking state also
it is hardly any different:
4
tat sarvam etat
manasah vijrimbhanam.
All this (the pluralistic phenomena, without any
exception), is but a projection of the mind.

The mischief that is caused in the mind during the waking state has been described
in 168 and 169 above. Now the same mischief is seen to extend into the dream state, due to
the power of the mind itself to reproduce the waking experience in one’s dream.
1-4 Verses like this show us that one’s mental world is what really counts when it
comes to deciding matters like bondage and liberation. For this reason, the Manomaya
Kosha is the centre stage of all our efforts to divinise our life. Practically all the Sadhana we
do is aimed at the realignment of our mind – the eradication of its old grooves and
moorings, and the creation of new ones that divinise our mind.
We see in this verse the enormity of the role played by the mind and its functions –
first in leading us into Bondage, and thereafter in leading us out of it into Liberation. The
text is moving to highlight the importance of Manomaya Kosha in our Sadhana.

Verse 171: In Deep Sleep, Mind is Dormant

xÉÑwÉÑÎmiÉMüÉsÉå qÉlÉÍxÉ mÉësÉÏlÉå
lÉæuÉÉÎxiÉ ÌMüÎgcÉixÉMüsÉmÉëÍxÉ®åÈ |
AiÉÉå qÉlÉÈMüÎsmÉiÉ LuÉ mÉÑÇxÉÈ
xÉÇxÉÉU LiÉxrÉ lÉ uÉxiÉÑiÉÉåÅÎxiÉ || 171||

1
sushhupti-kaale
manasi praleene
In the state of deep sleep,
the mind is reduced to its causal state;
2
na eva asti kinchit
sakala prasiddheh;
nothing perceivable exists,
as is proved by the universal experience of all people.
3
atah manah kalpita
eva pumsah
Therefore, created or imagined by the mind
of man alone,
4
samsaara etasya
na vastutah asti.
is this entire transitory world of change –
it has no objective reality.

117

The three states – waking, dream and deep sleep – are shown with respect to the
role played in them by the mind. It proves one thing – that everything happens in the mind.
1-2 When the mind is not available (deep sleep). It is the only state when the mind
gets a good rest. The entire subtle body, excepting the Prana, is at rest. In sleep, everybody
becomes equal. In this state only the Aham Vritti is said to exist; there is no Idam Vritti
available. The state is one of total absorption into the Causal body, into fundamental
Ignorance. For the Cosmos, the same state is attained during Pralaya or cosmic dissolution.
Pralaya is the “deep sleep” of the whole cosmos!
3-4 The dormancy of the mind in deep sleep is to emphasise to us by contrast that
the mind is at the root of everything in our life. Without the mind, nothing happens.
When we go to sleep, we turn the lights out. “Lights out” is also a phrase used to
indicate the mind is not functioning. Deep sleep is “lights out” for the mind. When it is
“lights on” again, then the whole world is seen and everything starts happening. The whole
drama starts all over again. The point is to show the great importance of the mind in all that
we do and think – everything “created (in waking) or imagined (in dream)”.

3.4.2 BONDAGE & LIBERATION (Verses 172-176, 5 no.)

In this section, another great principle of spirituality is expounded. The problem of
identity is pointed out. Our real problem is one of identity, not the mind. The mind is only
the carrier of that identity in thought. In itself the mind is a neutral instrument; it can be
used to go further into bondage or lead us out of it into liberation, depending upon the
vision and direction we give to it. A spiritual view of life will necessarily make us use the
mind to take us towards the goal of liberation.
The Sadhaka is explained the principle of increasing Sattwa and removing Rajas and
Tamas. This is the approach in Sadhana for one who has not yet perfected Viveka and
Vairagya. Imperfection in these two practices is due solely to the preponderance of Rajas
and Tamas.
We keep in mind that all this discussion is in the context of explaining the Manomaya
Kosha where desires are the most predominant concern.

Verse 172: The Mind Binds & Liberates

uÉÉrÉÑlÉÉÅÅlÉÏrÉiÉå qÉåbÉÈ mÉÑlÉxiÉålÉæuÉ lÉÏrÉiÉå |
qÉlÉxÉÉ MüsmrÉiÉå oÉlkÉÉå qÉÉå¤ÉxiÉålÉæuÉ MüsmrÉiÉå || 172||

1 vaayunaa aaneeyate meghah The wind gathers the clouds together,
2 punar tena eva neeyate; and the wind itself scatters them.
3 manasaa kalpyate bandhah So too, the mind is responsible for bondage
4 mokshhah tena eva kalpyate. and liberation, too, is the work of the mind.

The simile of Wind to represent the mind is introduced in the context of the subject.
1-2 Wind & Clouds: The simile is introduced. The wind is neutral with respect to the
clouds. It can bring the clouds together or it can scatter them.

118

3-4 Mind & Bondage/Liberation: The simile is applied. The mind is neutral with
respect to bondage or liberation. It can bring bondage under certain conditions, and it can
bring liberation under the opposite conditions. The conditions for each are now described.

Verse 173: The Mind can Attach & Detach

SåWûÉÌSxÉuÉïÌuÉwÉrÉå mÉËUMüsmrÉ UÉaÉÇ
oÉklÉÉÌiÉ iÉålÉ mÉÑÂwÉÇ mÉzÉÑuÉªÒhÉålÉ |
uÉæUxrÉqÉ§É ÌuÉwÉuÉiÉç xÉÑÌuÉkÉÉrÉ mÉ¶ÉÉSè
LlÉÇ ÌuÉqÉÉåcÉrÉÌiÉ iÉlqÉlÉ LuÉ oÉlkÉÉiÉç || 173||

1
dehaadi sarva-vishhaye
parikalpya raagam
For the body and the sense objects,
attachment is caused by the mind of man.
2
badhnaati tena purushham
pashuvat gunena;
By them is a man bound,
even as an animal is bound by a rope.
3
vairasyam atra vishhavat
suvidhaaya pashchaad
A distaste is created when they are seen as poison
after having pondered over them well.
4
enam vimochayati tat manah
eva bandhaat.
The very same mind now liberates him
whom it previously kept bound!

Conditions for Bondage
1-2 The simile of a rope is used for the mind to show how it binds.
A beast of burden is tied down to its task by using a rope. Even so, the mind is the
rope by which the body and other sense objects are tied to it. The point being made is that
the body and objects are not at fault. By themselves they do not have the power to bind a
man. The fault lies with the mind which is the rope that binds them to itself.

Conditions for Liberation
3-4 The simile of poison is used for the sense objects to create dispassion for them.
If we know that some drops of poison have been mixed into the milk, we will treat
the whole glass of milk as poison. Even so with the sense objects, if through time and
experience our mind begins to ponder over their poisonous nature, then the same mind
develops a repulsion for the objects and avoids them.
What once bound us, now becomes the cause to liberate us.

Verse 174: The Two Conditions of Mind – Pure & Impure

iÉxqÉÉlqÉlÉÈ MüÉUhÉqÉxrÉ eÉliÉÉåÈ
oÉlkÉxrÉ qÉÉå¤ÉxrÉ cÉ uÉÉ ÌuÉkÉÉlÉå |
oÉlkÉxrÉ WåûiÉÑqÉïÍsÉlÉÇ UeÉÉåaÉÑhÉæÈ
qÉÉå¤ÉxrÉ zÉÑ®Ç ÌuÉUeÉxiÉqÉxMüqÉç || 174||

119

1
tasmaat manah kaaranam
asya jantoh
Therefore, the mind is the cause
of this Jiva’s
2
bandhasya mokshhasya cha
vaa vidhaane;
bondage as well as liberation
being brought about.
3
bandhasya hetuh
malinam rajogunaih
The cause of bondage is
the blemished state resulting from Rajas;
4
mokshhasya shuddham virajah
tamaskam.
and of liberation it is the pure state
of being free from Rajas and Tamas.

In the above verse the conditions were seen from the angle of the external objects.
In this verse the same conditions are explained from the angle of the mind itself.
1-2 This is the general conclusion of both verses.
3 The cause of bondage is seen to be the predominance of Rajas and Tamas, which
produces a blemished state within the mind. The blemish is the attraction and repulsion
that the mind develops for sense objects due to the presence of Rajas and Tamas in it.
4 The cause of liberation is the opposite of the above – the reduction of Rajas and
Tamas, or, when seen positively, the increase of Sattwa in the mind, which produces a
favourable state in the mind. The favour is the purity of the mind by which it repels the
sense objects and gives up all likes and dislikes for them.

Verse 175: The Foremost Task – Purification

ÌuÉuÉåMüuÉæUÉarÉaÉÑhÉÉÌiÉUåMüÉ-
cNÒû®iuÉqÉÉxÉÉ± qÉlÉÉå ÌuÉqÉÑYirÉæ |
pÉuÉirÉiÉÉå oÉÑÎ®qÉiÉÉå qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÉå-
xiÉÉprÉÉÇ SØRûÉprÉÉÇ pÉÌuÉiÉurÉqÉaÉëå || 175||

1
viveka vairaagya
guna atirekaat
When discrimination and dispassion
arise due to the predominance of the quality of
2
shuddhatvam aasaadya manah
vimuktyai;
Purity (Sattwa), they turn or lead
the mind towards liberation.
3
bhavati atah buddhimatah
mumukshhoh
Therefore, by one who is an intelligent
seeker of liberation,
4
taabhyaam dridhaabhyaam
bhavitavyam agre.
these two must be strengthened;
this is the foremost task needed to be done.

In the above two verses the conditions for bondage and liberation were explained
from the external and the internal perspectives, using similes. But how do we actually
achieve those conditions in real life? How do we avoid making our mind a rope that binds?
How do we avoid sense objects being poison? How do we turn Rajas and Tamas into
Sattwa? This verse looks at how to bring about the ripe conditions.
1 The virtues needed are Discrimination and Dispassion. How to get these?
2 It is through more and more purity in the mind. Purity comes from doing acts of
sacrifice, charity and austerity (according to the Geeta).

120

3-4 Thus one who is intelligent – and the person who wishes to liberate himself is
undoubtedly the most intelligent – will do his utmost to develop these two qualities of
discrimination and dispassion. All efforts to cultivate these qualities are to be considered as
his foremost task. Everything else can wait, but not this task.

Verse 176: The “Tiger-like” Mind Ensnares

qÉlÉÉå lÉÉqÉ qÉWûÉurÉÉbÉëÉå ÌuÉwÉrÉÉUhrÉpÉÔÍqÉwÉÑ |
cÉUirÉ§É lÉ aÉcNûliÉÑ xÉÉkÉuÉÉå rÉå qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉuÉÈ || 176||

1 manah naama mahaavyaaghrah A huge tiger called ‘mind’,
2 vishhaya aranyabhoomishhu; in the thick jungles of sense pleasures,
3 charati atra na gachchhantu prowls there. Let not those wander therein
4 saadhavah ye mumukshhavah. who are virtuous and desirous of liberation.

The theme of bondage and liberation is concluded by presenting a simile that
reflects the true danger of sensual pleasures to an aspirant on the spiritual journey.

Simile of the “Tiger”
1-2 The mind is the “tiger”. Its prime habitat is the thick jungle, which represents the
forest of sense pleasures. The mind just loves sense pleasures. It is completely at home in
such a habitat. The Acharya sage always finds the right simile for the right situation.
3-4 For a seeker who desires liberation, this forest of sense pleasure has to be
avoided. He can find another habitat for his ‘tiger-mind’, but avoid this forest where the
tiger is ‘at home’. If he tames his mind to become like the calm, Sattwic cow, he can graze it
on the pastures of Karma Yoga, where it will be quite safe.
In concluding this section, Shankaracharyaji reminds us of the virtue of having a
desire for liberation. It is the most noble of all desires to have for a human being.

3.4.3 “IT’S ALL IN THE MIND” (Verses 177-183, 7 no.)

The next six verses 177-182, reveal the dark side of how the mind operates under a
“Rajasic government”. It makes for a study in mind-tricks, how the mind is swayed helplessly
by three strategies:
i) The Variety Show of sense objects;
ii) The Propaganda of distinctions;
iii) The Whipping up of endless desires.
This aspect of the mind has found its place in many beautiful proverbs in all
languages. Poets have been inspired to bring out the tricks of the mind in their poetry.
All three are utilized to the maximum degree by advertisers to obtain maximum
commercial gain for their companies. The indiscriminate man becomes an easy prey in their
hands; the spiritual aspirant has to beware of their strategies every moment, to avoid
“being tossed around like clouds”.

121

Verse 177: The “Mind Shop”

qÉlÉÈ mÉëxÉÔiÉå ÌuÉwÉrÉÉlÉzÉåwÉÉlÉç
xjÉÔsÉÉiqÉlÉÉ xÉÔ¤qÉiÉrÉÉ cÉ pÉÉå£ÑüÈ |
zÉUÏUuÉhÉÉï´ÉqÉeÉÉÌiÉpÉåSÉlÉç
aÉÑhÉÌ¢ürÉÉWåûiÉÑTüsÉÉÌlÉ ÌlÉirÉqÉç || 177||

1
manah prasoote
vishhayaan asheshhaan
The mind delivers continuously
all varieties of sense objects,
2
sthoolaatmanaa sookshhmatayaa
cha bhoktuh;
of a gross nature as well as subtle nature,
to the experiencer or enjoyer.
3
shareera varna aashrama
jaati-bhedaat
The body, caste, order of life and creed –
distinctions based upon these
4
guna kriyaa hetu
phalaani nityam.
qualities are the cause for all actions;
which are endlessly producing their results.

From the beginning of this chapter we have been seeing, from its volatile nature,
that the mind can never meet the requirements of being the Self. This verse begins to show
this unambiguously. It begins the thorough dissection of the mind so that “no trick is left
unturned”! Everything is revealed as it really is. After this treatment, the mind will have
nothing to hide and no place to hide.
1-4 The whole verse reveals the “shopkeeping” tendency of the mind, specialising in
creating all sorts of varieties to amuse the Jiva residing in it. If it is not shopkeeping then it is
the “shopping” tendency of being attracted by this variety. And if these two tendencies go
beyond their limit, they deteriorate into the “shoplifting” tendency!

Verse 178: The Fall of the Jiva

AxÉ…¡ûÍcÉSìÖmÉqÉqÉÑÇ ÌuÉqÉÉå½
SåWåûÎlSìrÉmÉëÉhÉaÉÑhÉæÌlÉïoÉSèkrÉ |
AWûqqÉqÉåÌiÉ pÉëqÉrÉirÉeÉxÉëÇ
qÉlÉÈ xuÉM×üirÉåwÉÑ TüsÉÉåmÉpÉÑÌ£üwÉÑ || 178||

1
asanga chidroopam
amum vimohya
To the unattached pure intelligence (of the Jiva),
comes the beguiling, deluding ties of
2
deha indriya praanagunaih
nibaddhya;
the body, sense organs and Pranas,
which bind down (the Jiva)
3
aham mama iti
bhramayati ajasram
with the ideas of “I” and “mine”, and
make him wander about endlessly,
4
manah svakrityeshhu
phala upabhuktishhu.
gathering into his mind by itself
all sorts of experiences resulting from them.

The Fall of the Jiva is depicted in this verse. The Jiva begins as an innocent child with
a blank slate, with pure intelligence free of all attachments. From that high and aloof
position of purity, the Jiva’s mind slips to its amazing fall into the ditch of Bondage.

122

1-2 What a wizard this mind turns out to be! No one is spared from its “beguiling,
deluding” nature. The mind machine sets into motion the body, senses and Prana, i.e. the
two previous sheaths. Interacting through them, it wreaks havoc with the Jiva, leaving him
helplessly mesmerised.
3-4 The mind seems to be fitted with magical fingers dipped in “I”-ness and “mine”-
ness. Everything it makes contact with, be it incoming or outgoing signals, gets tarnished.
Like bees that pick up nectar and pollen from flowers, the mind collects “I” and “my”
thoughts from all sources and stores them away in its hive, the Chitta or memory.
Every thought that comes in and goes out of the mind is smeared with “I” and “my”.
It creates a sticky mess within the workshop of the mind, from which no relief is in sight.

Verse 179: The Impure Mind is Blamed

AkrÉÉxÉSÉåwÉÉimÉÑÂwÉxrÉ xÉÇxÉ×ÌiÉÈ
AkrÉÉxÉoÉlkÉxiuÉqÉÑlÉæuÉ MüÎsmÉiÉÈ |
UeÉxiÉqÉÉåSÉåwÉuÉiÉÉåÅÌuÉuÉåÌMülÉÉå
eÉlqÉÉÌSSÒÈZÉxrÉ ÌlÉSÉlÉqÉåiÉiÉç || 179||

1
adhyaasa doshhaat
purushhasya samsritih
Due to the evil of superimposition,
arises the transmigration of man.
2
adhyaasa bandhah tu
amunaa eva kalpitah;
The bondage of superimposition – indeed,
the mind alone is responsible for it.
3
rajas-tamo-doshhavatah
avivekinah
For a man who is tainted with Rajas and Tamas,
and who lacks discrimination,
4
janmaadi duhkhasya
nidaanam etat.
all the miseries of birth, etc.,
is the result of this only.

The step by step analysis of the downfall of the Jiva from its pure state to the state of
bondage continues. The details of the fall are now given.
1-2 The impurity of the mind gives rise to the “evil of superimposition”. Superim-
position of Unreality over Reality is a huge defect, and gives rise to the bondage of
transmigration. Sri Shankaracharyaji places the blame for this bondage squarely upon the
shoulders of the mind.
3 The fall starts with the taint of Rajas and Tamas in the mind. Hence the impure
mind is the cause of the downfall.
4 Transmigration covers all the miseries of endless births and deaths. The Manomaya
Kosha, being at the heart of all dealings of the human being, has to take the responsibity of
all this misery. Every finger points to the mind for the downfall of man.

Verse 180: Mind Itself is AVIDYA

AiÉÈ mÉëÉWÒûqÉïlÉÉåÅÌuÉ±ÉÇ mÉÎhQûiÉÉxiÉ¨uÉSÍzÉïlÉÈ |
rÉålÉæuÉ pÉëÉqrÉiÉå ÌuÉµÉÇ uÉÉrÉÑlÉåuÉÉpÉëqÉhQûsÉqÉç || 180||

123

1 atah praahuh manah avidyaam Hence the mind is considered to be Ignorance
2 panditaah tattva darshinah; by sages who have discovered its secret.
3 yena eva bhraamyate vishvam By this alone is the universe of experience tossed
4 vaayunaa iva abhramandalam. around, as masses of clouds are by the wind.

Even impurity in the mind has a cause above it which is the ultimate cause of all
misery leading to transmigration. We go now to the foremost cause Bondage. That cause is
AVIDYA or Ignorance. This verse repeats what was said in verse 169 at the outset.
1-2 Some sages consider the crude, unrefined mind itself to be Avidya. Avidya is not
something different from the mind, but the mind itself in its state of Rajas and Tamas. The
Bhagavad Geeta calls this the “lower mind” which is to be regarded as our greatest enemy.
3-4 This Avidya is the ultimate cause. It is the “Wind” mentioned in verse 172 that
scatters the clouds. The inability to recognise the Divine is due to some screen that shields
us from the Divine. This verse pinpoints that ‘screen’ to be none other than the impure
mind. Hence, it states the truth that “the mind itself is Avidya.”

Verse 181: Road Between Purification & Liberation

iÉlqÉlÉÈzÉÉåkÉlÉÇ MüÉrÉïÇ mÉërÉ¦ÉålÉ qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÑhÉÉ |
ÌuÉzÉÑ®å xÉÌiÉ cÉæiÉÎxqÉlqÉÑÌ£üÈ MüUTüsÉÉrÉiÉå || 181||

1 tat manahshodhanam kaaryam Thus purification of the mind is most needed,
2 prayatnena mumukshhunaa; by diligent effort from one who desires liberation.
3 vishuddhe sati cha etasmin When the mind has been purified,
4 muktih karaphalaayate. liberation comes readily as a fruit in one’s own hand!

Verse 182: Road Between Purification & Sravana

qÉÉå¤ÉæMüxÉYirÉÉ ÌuÉwÉrÉåwÉÑ UÉaÉÇ
ÌlÉqÉÔïsrÉ xÉ³rÉxrÉ cÉ xÉuÉïMüqÉï |
xÉcNíû®rÉÉ rÉÈ ´ÉuÉhÉÉÌSÌlÉ¸Éå
UeÉÈxuÉpÉÉuÉÇ xÉ kÉÑlÉÉåÌiÉ oÉÑ®åÈ || 182||

5
mokshha ekasaktyaa
vishhayeshhu raagam
With single-pointed devotion for liberation,
attachments for sense objects
6
nirmoolya sannyasya cha
sarvakarma;
are rooted out, and when by the renunciation
of all actions
7
sat shraddhayaa yah
shravanaadi nishhthah
with unflinching faith in the Truth,
one receives the divine Knowledge through Sravana,
8
rajah-svabhaavam sah
dhunoti buddheh.
then the Rajasic nature of such a person
is purged and his intellect gets purified.

As we approach the end of the discussion of Manomaya Kosha, we return to the
primary step concerning it – that of its purification, as mentioned in verse 174.

124

1-2 Purification of the mind is the aim of all the preliminary Sadhana in spiritual life.
When Sri Krishna asked Arjuna to begin with Karma Yoga and leave Buddhi Yoga alone, it
was because He had purification in mind for Arjuna, who was not ready yet to start
meditating. He was required to purify himself first.
3-4 These lines take a leap in the logic and skip some of the steps in the logic that
connects purification and liberation. The full logical sequence has six steps in it:
i) Purification here refers to the removal of the gross impurities;
ii) Only then is it possible to grasp the knowledge of heard during Sravana;
iii) Only after Sravana is successful can the Manana, which we are presently busy
with, be successful in clearing all doubts relating to the knowledge.
iv) Only after Manana, Nididhyasana becomes a fruit-bearing exercise. Prior to it, it is
not possible to meditate. The mind will be too restless.
v) Only when one is able to succeed in meditation, does realisation come.
vi) Following upon the heels of realisation is Liberation.
When verses like 181 these occur, the student has to be aware that all the
intervening steps are being taken for granted. For brevity they are omitted.
5-8 Only in the light of the full sequence of the connecting logic as given above, can
we understand that verse 182 is actually a zooming in between steps i) and ii) given above!
Sri Shankaracharyaji is breathtaking at times in how he deals with logic. He omits the
details (as in 181) and fills in details (as in 182) with consummate skill. The omission is to
give us the broad picture; the filling in of details is to focus our mind on the current point.

Verse 183: Why Mind Cannot be the Self

qÉlÉÉåqÉrÉÉå lÉÉÌmÉ pÉuÉåimÉUÉiqÉÉ
½É±liÉuÉ¨uÉÉimÉËUhÉÉÍqÉpÉÉuÉÉiÉç |
SÒÈZÉÉiqÉMüiuÉÉÌ²wÉrÉiuÉWåûiÉÉåÈ
Sì¹É ÌWû SØzrÉÉiqÉiÉrÉÉ lÉ SØ¹È || 183||

1
manomayah na api bhavet
paraatmaa
And so, the mind sheath cannot be
the Self either,
2
hi aadi antavattvaat
parinaamibhaavaat;
i) for it has a beginning and an end;
ii) it is subject to modifications;
3
duhkhaatmakatvaat vishhayatva
hetoh
iii) pain and suffering characterize it;
iv) and it is an object of cognition.
4
drashhtaa hi drishyaat-matayaa
na drishhtah.
For a subject to be an object of knowledge –
we just do not see that happening!

Concluding this section, the point made is that the mind sheath is also not the Self.
The whole section is summarized by the points listed in this verse.

*****

125

3.5 THE VIJNANAMAYA KOSHA

(Verses 184 – 206, 23 No.)

WE NOW COME TO the fourth sheath in order of increasing subtlety. In this section
the function of the Intellect is covered with special focus on how it, too, entraps the Jiva
into the cycle of transmigration. It is the sheath where thought reaches closest to the Self.
One may say that it is the sheath where thought is born, the first thought being the Aham
Vritti or the “I-thought”.
With the birth of thought, it becomes possible to know Reality as Consciousness or
Chit. Thus it is in the intellect that we first connect to Reality as Consciousness. It is in the
intellect where the Light of Pure Consciousness gets reflected as the thought of “I”. The
intellect is the only component of the subtle body which is steady enough to hold this
thought and convey it to the other sheaths below it.
The binding power of this sheath is founded on the strong feeling of being in charge
of everything. When this ‘being-in-charge’ functions under ego-consciousness, the intellect
becomes a prime mover of the ‘Avidya Package’ that produces man’s bondage. Being in
charge, it leads us further into delusion by propping up the ego. This it does with great
dexterity by using all its great powers of differentiation, by carving out an identity for itself,
and thereby plunging the Jiva into greater delusion.
However, when it is educated in the knowledge of the Self and taught to think
independently, and when its working environment is Sattwic, it is the one instrument which
can take us very rapidly to the goal of Liberation. When the mind is rendered pure, mainly
through the practice of Viveka and Vairagya, the intellect comes into its own and can then
single-handedly break the chains of bondage, haul us out of it and lead us towards
Liberation, despite the most difficult circumstances that the other Koshas may be bearing
simultaneously.
Such is the greatness of this unique instrument which we now take up.

3.5.1 THE INTELLECT SHEATH (Verses 184-191, 8 No.)

Verse 184: Composition of Vijnanamaya Kosha

oÉÑÎ®oÉÑï®ÏÎlSìrÉæÈ xÉÉkÉïÇ xÉuÉ×Ì¨ÉÈ MüiÉ×ïsÉ¤ÉhÉÈ |
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉqÉrÉMüÉåzÉÈ xrÉÉimÉÑÇxÉÈ xÉÇxÉÉUMüÉUhÉqÉç || 184||

1 buddhih buddhi-indriyaih i) The intellect along with the organs of perception;
2
saardham savrittih
kartru-lakshhanah;
ii) together with its special thought modification,
the root idea “I am the doer” that it itself creates;
3 vijnaanamaya-koshah syaat these comprise the Intellect Sheath.
4 pumsah samsaara-kaaranam. It is the cause of man’s transmigration.

126

1 Sri Shankaracharyaji begins in the usual way with the composition of the Kosha. It
is composed of the Intellect together with the Jnanendriyas or organs of perception.
2 The special thought called the Aham Vritti, “I am”, is produced in the intellect. The
actual process is explained later. This “I-thought” becomes a component of every other
thought that passes through the mind. Thus, immediately we are shown the deep impact
that the intellect has on the overall aim and purpose of life set by an individual.
3 The above three items compose the Vijnanamaya Kosha.
4 This is an interesting deduction. We have earlier (verse 179 under Manomaya
Kosha) learnt that “the evil of superimposition” causes transmigration. Now it is said that
the Intellect Sheath causes it. There is no contradiction here. The fundamental super-
imposition, that of taking the ego-sense to be the Self, occurs in the intellect. From that first
superimposition, the mind brings about all the other superimpositions upon Reality.
We also note here that the sheaths are not totally independent of each other. They
work hand in hand, supporting each other.

Transmigration & Liberation
We should also remember that transmigration is a very big thing, and many factors
contribute towards it at different levels. Transmigration is a subject in itself, and concerns
everything relating to the Why and How of taking birth again and again. The opposite of
Transmigration is the path of Liberation, which is equally a major subject of its own.
It is like this: When entering a city from the westerly direction, we may come to a
major interchange which has two boards reading “North Coast” and “South Coast”, each
going in opposite directions. These boards are like the two boards in life that read
“Transmigration” and “Liberation”, at the major interchange in our life’s journey.

Verse 185: The “Reflection of Consciousness”

AlÉÑuÉëeÉÎŠimÉëÌiÉÌoÉqoÉzÉÌ£üÈ
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉxÉÇ¥ÉÈ mÉëM×üiÉåÌuÉïMüÉUÈ |
¥ÉÉlÉÌ¢ürÉÉuÉÉlÉWûÍqÉirÉeÉxÉëÇ
SåWåûÎlSìrÉÉÌSwuÉÍpÉqÉlrÉiÉå pÉ×zÉqÉç || 185||

1 anuvrajat chit pratibimba-shaktih Being but a “reflection of consciousness”,
2 vijnaana-samjnah prakriteh vikaarah; this sheath is a modification of Prakriti.
3 jnaana-kriyaavaan aham iti ajasram It is always the “knower” and the “doer”
4
deha indriyaadishhu abhimanyate
bhrisham.
in respect of the body and sense organs,
and is completely identified with them.

This verse goes into more detail with the second component of the Kosha listed
above, viz. the “I-thought”. When it is examined carefully, the following is observed:
1-2 Pure Consciousness is everywhere as the substratum of everything that exists.
Gross objects do not undergo any change in its Presence. However, subtle objects do.
Among them, the intellect interacts with Consciousness in a very special way. It has, as it
were, an aerial which picks up the signal from Consciousness and draws it into itself.

127

2 Having done so, the signal it produces is known in Vedanta as “reflection of
consciousness”. The reflection is a far cry from the original Pure Consciousness, but it bears
a similarity to it. The difference between the original consciousness and its reflection in the
intellect is like the difference between a high voltage powerline carrying about 100,000
megawatts of electricity and an ordinary 220V cable tapped off it, leading to a small
residence. The step-down transformer required to drop from the high voltage to the low
voltage would resemble what happens in the intellect!
The “I-thought” produced is the reflected consciousness. It is billions of times less
powerful than the original. Hence it is called here “a modification of Nature”.
3 In Vedanta, knowership and doership are major concepts, having far-reaching
consequences. It is big statement to say that knowership and doership are produced in the
intellect. It goes to show the enormous significance of the intellect. Just this fact, begins the
swing of the Jiva’s steering wheel in the “Transmigration” direction, instead of the
“Liberation” direction. It is as significant as that!
4 Another major process takes place in the intellect. It is the identification of every
thought connected to the body and senses with the “I-thought”.
In addition to merely associating with these other parts of the human being, it also
gets identified with them in a possessive sense. Thus from the “I-ness” is born the “mine-
ness”. This is the essential function of the intellect. From this as input, the mind takes over
and propagates the “I-sense” even further.

Verse 186: The Nature of “Jiva”

AlÉÉÌSMüÉsÉÉåÅrÉqÉWÇûxuÉpÉÉuÉÉå
eÉÏuÉÈ xÉqÉxiÉurÉuÉWûÉUuÉÉåRûÉ |
MüUÉåÌiÉ MüqÉÉïhrÉÌmÉ mÉÔuÉïuÉÉxÉlÉÈ
mÉÑhrÉÉlrÉmÉÑhrÉÉÌlÉ cÉ iÉiTüsÉÉÌlÉ || 186||

1
anaadi-kaalah ayam
aham-svabhaavah
i) The intellect sheath is beginningless with respect to
time; ii) It has the nature of Ego
2
jeevah samasta
vyavahaara-vodhaa;
which is the Jiva or the individual personality;
iii) It carries out all the activities on the relative plane;
3
karoti karmaani api poorva-
vaasanah
iv) It performs both good and evil actions
according to previously gathered Vasanas; and
4
punyaani apunyaani cha
tat phalaani.
v) It accumulates merits and demerits respectively
as the fruits of these actions.

In this verse, the Vijnanamaya Kosha is spoken of as being equivalent to the Jiva
itself, that is, the transmigrating individual soul who is undergoing the entire human
experience birth after birth from beginningless time. The reason for equating it to the Jiva is
because the essential Jiva – the “I-sense” – is produced in the intellect, from where it
spreads to all the other Koshas. One may say the intellect is the CEO of Jiva Pty Ltd.
With this background, it becomes easier to understand this entire verse.
1 The Jiva is beginningless as Maya and Avidya Herself who produced it.

128

2 The Jiva functions in the Vyavaharic plane (the phenomenal plane). All its dealings
are at this level. This excludes the Absolute plane above it, and the dream plane below it.
3 When intellect is taken as Jiva, this line can be accepted as it is. For those who
insist on taking it to refer only to the intellect, then instead of “performs good and bad
actions”, we have to say “sanctions good and bad actions”. This makes the intellect the one
in-charge of running the Jiva’s affairs on earth, and acting on its behalf.
4 The same applies to this line also. As Jiva, the line remains unchanged. As intellect,
we should view the intellect as being the Jiva’s accountant or auditor, keeping track of the
accumulation of merits and demerits on behalf of the Jiva.
The main point brought out here is that the intellect performs a key role within the
Jiva. As we said earlier, it acts as nothing short of the CEO of a company. In that sense, there
is no difficulty in calling it the ‘Jiva’. If the Prime Minister consents to a decision, it is as good
as the country itself consenting to it.

Verse 187: The Jiva’s Experiences & their Purpose

pÉÑ‡åû ÌuÉÍcÉ§ÉÉxuÉÌmÉ rÉÉåÌlÉwÉÑ uÉëeÉ-
³ÉÉrÉÉÌiÉ ÌlÉrÉÉïirÉkÉ FkuÉïqÉåwÉÈ |
AxrÉæuÉ ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉqÉrÉxrÉ eÉÉaÉëiÉç-
xuÉmlÉÉ±uÉxjÉÉÈ xÉÑZÉSÒÈZÉpÉÉåaÉÈ || 187||

1
bhunkte vichitraasu api yonishhu
vrajan
In order to have various experiences,
the soul keeps wandering from womb to womb,
2
aayaati niryaati
adhah oordhvam eshhah;
coming and going (taking birth and death),
sometimes a high birth, sometimes a low birth.
3
asya eva vijnaanamayasya
jaagrat
To this intellect sheath alone,
belong the waking state,
4
svapnaadi avasthaah
sukha-duhkha-bhogah.
and the dream states, and (it encounters in them)
experiences of joy and sorrow and enjoyment.

1-2 The theme of transmigration of the soul continues from the previous verse. In
the previous verse we discussed the good and bad actions performed by the Jiva. From
these actions, arise merits and demerits respectively. Now, the chain continues.
From merits and demerits come the necessity to take birth after birth, i.e. go from
womb to womb, in order to reap their fruits, as joys and sorrows respectively. In this verse a
‘high birth’ refers to joys; ‘low birth’ refers to sorrows. We get the following sequence:

Input of ACTIONS GOOD BAD
Accumulation in ACCOUNT MERITS DEMERITS
Output of REACTIONS JOYS SORROWS

3-4 Waking & Dream States: The experiences of joy and sorrow can only take place
when the mind is active, i.e. in the dream and waking states. In these two states, the
intellect (Jiva) reaps the fruits of joys and sorrows.

129

Verse 188: The Radiance of the Intellect

SåWûÉÌSÌlÉ¸É´ÉqÉkÉqÉïMüqÉï-
aÉÑhÉÉÍpÉqÉÉlÉÈ xÉiÉiÉÇ qÉqÉåÌiÉ |
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉMüÉåzÉÉåÅrÉqÉÌiÉmÉëMüÉzÉÈ
mÉëM×ü¹xÉÉÍ³ÉkrÉuÉzÉÉimÉUÉiqÉlÉÈ |
AiÉÉå pÉuÉirÉåwÉ EmÉÉÍkÉUxrÉ
rÉSÉiqÉkÉÏÈ xÉÇxÉUÌiÉ pÉëqÉåhÉ || 188||

1
dehaadi-nishhtha
aashrama-dharma karma
Belonging to the body, etc, are
the duties and functions of the orders of life;
2
guna abhimaanah
satatam mama iti;
However, by identifying with these attributes
always, one considers them to be his own.
3 vijnaanakoshah ayam atiprakaashah The Intellect Sheath is extremely radiant
4 prakrishhta saannidhya vashaat para due to its close proximity to the Supreme
5 aatmanah; atah bhavati eshha upaadhih asya Self, but it is only a superimposition.
6 yat aatmadhee samsarati bhramena. Rebirth is due to deludedly identifying with it.
.
Since we are seeing the intellect as the CEO of the company named Jiva, we will
appreciate that all major factors of life will become the concern of the intellect. In this verse,
another two major factors in life are taken up for consideration. They are:
i) The Jiva’s connection with the four Orders of Life; and
ii) The Jiva’s proximity to the Self.

The Orders of Life
1-2 The Jiva, when seen from the point of view of its interactions in the world, gets
associated with playing a role in life. This role carries with it certain duties and functions.
Four distinct Orders of Life are identified in the Vedas. They are Brahmins, the
Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Shudras. These are functions determined by the nature one
is endowed with as an individual. Each person is different in constitution, and can only
function in the measure of what his constitution permits. The constitution depends on the
proportions of Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas in a person.
Since these qualities are endowments of Nature, they are part of the superim-
position on the Reality, not the Reality itself. However, the intellect mistakes them to be the
Reality. This error of taking the Unreal to be the Real, is made in the intellect. The Jiva thus
thinks it is limited to one of the Orders of life, to one role: e.g. “I am a farmer; farming is my
duty; I have limited power only over this piece of land; this is my family; I have such and
such duties to take care of them”, etc.
By orders of life, one accepts for oneself certain parameters which define his
limitations in the world.
The experience of the intellect is limited by its own capacity. It is used to think of
itself as an isolated human being, and so, that is exactly what it prepares itself to
experience. Anything more than that becomes unacceptable to it. It is unprepared to
receive it; its boundaries are too small for it.

130

Proximity to the Self
3-4 The intellect is the sheath closest to the Self, hence it is the most radiant among
the sheaths. It pervades all the other sheaths. It is subtler than them and controls them.
What this means in practice is that intellect is in a position to exercise maximum
control within the Jiva. Again the CEO example helps. The CEO has the task of seeing to the
overall running of his company. He has to look at the big picture, he is not so concerned
over the finer details; he appoints managers to see to them.
5-6 It is the same with the intellect. Nothing is excluded from its concern, but it does
not get involved in everything that takes place in the Jiva. Although the intellect has such an
important job to do, it is after all only its job (a superimposition). The intellect is not the Self
or God, it is only a limited Jiva. It will go on like this birth after birth until its wrong habits of
thinking and acting are corrected.

Verse 189: Intellect has a Conditioned Experience

rÉÉåÅrÉÇ ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉqÉrÉÈ mÉëÉhÉåwÉÑ ™ÌS xTÑüUirÉrÉÇ erÉÉåÌiÉÈ |
MÔüOûxjÉÈ xÉ³ÉÉiqÉÉ MüiÉÉï pÉÉå£üÉ pÉuÉirÉÑmÉÉÍkÉxjÉÈ || 189||

1 yah ayam vijnaanamayah This Intellect sheath is actually this:
2
praaneshhu hridi
sphurati ayam jyotih;
In the heart (or core) of the human being
there shines the Light of the Self.
3 kootasthah san aatmaa That Light of the Self is Immutable,
4
kartaa bhoktaa bhavati
upaadhisthah.
yet It appears as the ‘doer’ or the ‘experiencer’
when it is conditioned by the intellect.

1-4 This verse summarises what has been said by the previous verses. The full
infinite power of the Self is available to man. Yet, his intellect can draw only a small fraction
of it in its present state of limitation.
The limitations of the intellect are self-made. That is the main point driven home.
With clearer understanding of this limitation, combined with a vision of what it could be
capable of if it widened its horizons, the intellect can extend itself beyond all its self-created
barriers and limitations and eventually function as the unlimited Self!
This then is the top role played by the intellect. It is the boss. When the boss makes a
mistake the consequences are enormous. The boss’s mistakes cannot be covered up by
anybody. If not solved now, he has to solve them in his next birth!

Verse 190: The Absolute Appears as Limited Jiva

xuÉrÉÇ mÉËUcNåûSqÉÑmÉåirÉ oÉÑ®åÈ
iÉÉSÉiqrÉSÉåwÉåhÉ mÉUÇ qÉ×wÉÉiqÉlÉÈ |
xÉuÉÉïiqÉMüÈ xÉ³ÉÌmÉ uÉÏ¤ÉiÉå xuÉrÉÇ
xuÉiÉÈ mÉ×jÉYiuÉålÉ qÉ×SÉå bÉOûÉÌlÉuÉ || 190||

131

1
svayam parichchhedam
upetya buddheh
A limited version of the pure Atman Itself
is assumed (or reflected) in the presence of intellect.
2
taadaatmya-doshhena param
mrishhaa aatmanah;
Because of its identification with a defective medium,
the Self acquires a totally false (limited) identity.
3
sarvaatmakah san api
veekshhate svayam
Even though the Self exists in everything alike,
yet It Itself is made to appear
4
svatah prithak tvena
mridah ghataan iva.
to be something different from Itself,
just as pots appear different from the clay they consist of.

1 The point touched on in the previous verse about limitations is now expanded and
well explained. We are given a clear picture of the limitation of the intellect and how it can
be transcended. To grasp this point, we think of the intellect as a mirror.
2 If the mirror’s surface is full of dust, it will not give a good reflection. The limitation
of the intellect is due to it being a “defective medium”. The one universal Self is seen as a
limited individual self. This is the defect. This means that if the defect is removed, in theory
the potential for expansion could be unlimited.
3-4 To transcend the limitation self-imposed by the intellect, the means are given. A
clay pot can teach us how to do that. If it thinks that it is a pot, then it immediately
separates itself from all the other pots. If, however, it gets it into its head to think that it is
clay, then the very opposite happens; it immediately connects itself to all other clay pots.
If something like that is achieved in human consciousness, it will be a breakthrough.
If the intellect can learn to widen its horizons and take a broader view of itself, it can be a
partner among other intellects, rather than a competitor amidst them. What a change that
would result in! This would not be an idle fantasy, but in harmony with the larger truth that
“the Self exists in everything alike”.

Verse 191: The Unchanging Appears as the Changing

EmÉÉÍkÉxÉqoÉlkÉuÉzÉÉimÉUÉiqÉÉ
½ÑmÉÉÍkÉkÉqÉÉïlÉlÉÑpÉÉÌiÉ iÉªÒhÉÈ |
ArÉÉåÌuÉMüÉUÉlÉÌuÉMüÉËUuÉÌ»ûuÉiÉç
xÉSæMüÃmÉÉåÅÌmÉ mÉUÈ xuÉpÉÉuÉÉiÉç || 191||

1
upaadhi sambandha-
vashaat paraatmaa
Due to its relationship with the superimpositions,
(that is, the five sheaths), the Supreme Self
2
hi upaadhi-dharmaan
anubhaati tadgunah;
alone assumes the characteristics of these sheaths,
and seems to act just as those sheaths of equipment do.
3
ayo-vikaaraan avikaari
vahnivat
Even as the changing forms of iron pieces
are taken by the one changeless fire ;
4
sadaa ekaroopah api
parah svabhaavaat.
so also, although It is always Non-Dual in form,
It takes on the nature of the other as its own.

1-4 This opening section of the chapter is now concluded. The net effect of the five
sheaths on the Self is to make It appear to be like themselves through identification. The
Non-dual appears as Duality. This is the predicament which faces the intellect.

132

Parable: “The Third Donkey”
The following parable illustrates such a false identity:
A travelling trader used to always tie his three donkeys to a stump. One day when he
lost one of the ropes, he could not tie the third donkey and so he sat beside it. A wise man
noticed this and advised him a solution. Following the advice the trader pretended to tie the
third donkey and left it for the night. The trick was to make the donkey believe that it was
tied. The next morning, the trader was to leave the place. He untied the first two donkeys
and tugged the third one to follow. The donkey refused to follow. In its mind it was still tied.
The same wise man saw the whole episode. He approached the trader and advised him to
now pretend that he was ‘untying’ the donkey. This solved the problem!
The Jiva in bondage is very much like that third donkey.

*****

DISCUSSION ON VIJNANAMAYA KOSHA:

3.5.2 JIVA’S CONFUSION WITH SELF (Verses 192-206, 15 No.)

3.5.2.1 The Disciple’s Question (Verses 192-193, 2 no.)
Verse 192: Question: Self & Jiva are Beginningless

ÍzÉwrÉ EuÉÉcÉ |
pÉëqÉåhÉÉmrÉlrÉjÉÉ uÉÉÅxiÉÑ eÉÏuÉpÉÉuÉÈ mÉUÉiqÉlÉÈ |
iÉSÒmÉÉkÉåUlÉÉÌSiuÉÉ³ÉÉlÉÉSålÉÉïzÉ CwrÉiÉå || 192||

shishhya uvaacha; The disciple asked:
1 bhramena api anyathaa vaa astu Through delusion or otherwise,
2 jeevabhaavah paraatmanah; the supreme Self considers itself to be only the Jiva.
3 tat upaadheh anaaditvaat That is a superimposition which is beginningless.
4
na anaadeh
naashah ishhyate.
Surely, that which is beginningless cannot
be said to have an end?

Common logic tells us:
A. If a thing is beginningless (i.e. it exists but we cannot know since when), then it
also has to be endless (i.e. it will go on existing for ever).
B. If a thing has a beginning (a birth), then it must also have an end (a death).
C. If a thing has no beginning (this is different from being ‘beginningless’), then it will
have no end (again this is different from being ‘endless’). This means it never exists, so it can
never lose its existence!
D. The present verse is asking about a possible fourth category – Can a thing be
beginningless and still have an end?

133

Let us consider the first three categories in Vedanta: Sat, Vishaya and Asat.
Sat is “Existence”. It falls into category A, i.e. it is beginningless and endless.
Brahman, the Absolute Reality is the only thing that is Sat. There is one and only one item in
this category. There cannot be a second. There cannot two Sats! That is illogical.
Vishaya is “an object”. It falls into category B, i.e. it has a beginning and an end. A
human body is an object that has a birth and a death. All physical objects fall into this
category. Nothing can last forever in this world.
Asat is “non-existence”. It falls into category C, i.e. it has neither a beginning nor an
end. It can never exist. It is like the horns of a hare, or a barren woman’s son.
Is there anything in the D category? This is the question being asked. What has made
this question necessary?

1-4 The topic earlier was transmigration. It was said that the Jiva is only a
superimposition on the Self. The Jiva is subject to transmigration, so transmigration is also a
superimposition. Jiva and transmigration must both then be beginningless. If so, then should
they not also be endless? Yet, it is said that there is an end to transmigration, that there is
an end to phenomenal existence (the Jiva). This is what is understood to be Liberation. How
is this possible? It does not seem logical. That is the question in the context of the text.

Verse 193: 8. Transmigration – Is it Forever?

AiÉÉåÅxrÉ eÉÏuÉpÉÉuÉÉåÅÌmÉ ÌlÉirÉÉ pÉuÉÌiÉ xÉÇxÉ×ÌiÉÈ |
lÉ ÌlÉuÉiÉåïiÉ iÉlqÉÉå¤ÉÈ MüjÉÇ qÉå ´ÉÏaÉÑUÉå uÉS || 193||

1 atah asya jeevabhaavah api So the Jiva-hood of the Self must also (be endless)
2 nityaa bhavati samsritih; This means that transmigration will be forever!
3 na nivarteta tat mokshhah Since it will not cease, what can liberation mean?
4 katham me shreeguro vada. O revered Guru, please explain this to me.

[The numbering backwards from 8 to 1 will be clear at the end of the Chapter.]
1 The student deduces that both Jiva and transmigration have to be beginningless. If
such is the case, then surely they both must be endless, too, i.e. in category A.
2-3 If transmigration is endless, then no matter what one does, there is no escape
from this world of bondage. How can there be Liberation?
4 It’s a very logical point. And the teacher sees the intelligent sparkle behind it . . .

3.5.2.2 The Guru’s Reply (Verses 194-206, 13 no.)
Verse 194: Reply: Imagination is not Reason

´ÉÏaÉÑÂÂuÉÉcÉ |
xÉqrÉYmÉ×¹Ç iuÉrÉÉ ÌuÉ²lxÉÉuÉkÉÉlÉålÉ iÉcNØûhÉÑ |
mÉëÉqÉÉÍhÉMüÐ lÉ pÉuÉÌiÉ pÉëÉlirÉÉ qÉÉåÌWûiÉMüsmÉlÉÉ || 194||

134

shreegururuvaacha; The Guru replies:
1 samyak prishhtam tvayaa vidvan O learned boy! you have put a proper question.
2 saavadhaanena tat shrinu; Listen then, very carefully!
3 praamaanikee na bhavati Never accept as a fact
4 bhraantyaa mohitakalpanaa. anything that is conjured up by imagination.

1-2 These days it may be that teachers would have to praise their students so that
they do not leave the study prematurely. But that is hardly likely during the Vedic period,
and unnecessary for students as the one we have here. The praise of the teacher is not just
a formality. It really is a good question, logically sound and very likely to trouble a young,
sincere seeker.
3-4 At the outset the Teacher warns the student against using false standards to
measure the Truth or, as in this case, using the standards of Truth to measure falsity. What
is in the realm of illusion cannot be used to gauge Reality, or vice versa. We define Truth to
be that which is beginningless as well as endless. For that reason, we cannot extrapolate
that the Jiva has to be the same. The Jiva is not Reality, but Unreality. Why should it have
claim to be the same as Reality? It would be merely an imagination to extrapolate without
any firm reason behind it.
It takes Sri Shankaracharya the next 12 verses to expand on this answer, and convey
the message to his satisfaction. Perhaps that is a measure of the seriousness of the
question. The whole answer is based firmly on reason.

Verse 195: The Sage’s Connection with World

pÉëÉÎliÉÇ ÌuÉlÉÉ iuÉxÉ…¡ûxrÉ ÌlÉÎw¢ürÉxrÉ ÌlÉUÉM×üiÉåÈ |
lÉ bÉOåûiÉÉjÉïxÉqoÉlkÉÉå lÉpÉxÉÉå lÉÏsÉiÉÉÌSuÉiÉç || 195||

1 bhraantim vinaa tu asangasya Without delusion, without attachment,
2 nishhkriyasya niraakriteh; without activity and formless – such a person (a sage)
3 na ghateta artha-sambandhah can have no connection with the objective world;
4 nabhasah neelataadivat. just as the sky has no connection with its blueness.

Delusion is at the heart of the question. The Teacher appropriately begins by
considering what the situation would be like in a case where there is no delusion. This is the
top end of the argument.
1-2 The case of a sage is taken up as an obvious example of someone who has gone
beyond delusion. In such a case what do we see?
3 The sage considers the world with total indifference. He is indifferent in the sense
that he has no likes or dislikes concerning the world and its objects. This is because he has
no illusions or delusions about what the world actually is. He has the conviction that it is
only a superimposition upon Reality; that it has no substance in itself.
4 Is there an example of this in nature? Yes, the sky is indifferent to its blueness!

135

Verse 196: 7. Jivahood – Founded on Delusion

xuÉxrÉ Sì¹ÒÌlÉïaÉÑïhÉxrÉÉÌ¢ürÉxrÉ
mÉëirÉaoÉÉåkÉÉlÉlSÃmÉxrÉ oÉÑ®åÈ |
pÉëÉlirÉÉ mÉëÉmiÉÉå eÉÏuÉpÉÉuÉÉå lÉ xÉirÉÉå
qÉÉåWûÉmÉÉrÉå lÉÉxirÉuÉxiÉÑxuÉpÉÉuÉÉiÉç || 196||

1
svasya drashhtuh
nirgunasya akriyasya
The Witness-ship of the Self is
beyond all qualities and is also actionless;
2 pratyag bodhaananda-roopasya It is of the nature of inner Bliss & Knowledge.
3
buddheh bhraantyaa praaptah
jeevabhaavah na satyah
But through a delusion produced by the intellect,
It is experienced as Jivahood, not as Reality.
4
moha apaaye na asti
avastusvabhaavaat.
When the delusion is lifted, so too is individuality
since by nature, individuality is an unreal entity.

The Teacher carefully explains the situation from his elevated position of a sage –
only a sage will be in a position to have this vision.
1-2 He states: “There is a ‘sage’ in every human being, but he is hidden. He sits there
in man’s intellect as the Witness of the mind. It is his true Self. It has all the qualities
possessed by a sage, because the sage actually is fully identified with this Witness in himself.
That is what makes him a sage. This Witness is of the nature of Bliss and Knowledge, even as
an actual sage is.
3-4 Now we step down from the heights to the common level of man, for not all men
are sages. What do we see here? – The presence of Delusion, brought on by Avidya or
Ignorance. Due to delusion, we do not experience Reality as It actually is, but as a caricature
of Reality called the Jiva.
The sage continues, “While one is under delusion, he will remain as a Jiva. But – and
this is an important ‘but’ in terms of your question – when the delusion lifts, so too does the
individuality caused by it. There is no more individuality, for after all it is a very false thing,
created by a false entity.”
The fundamental explanation is done. The rest of the 10 verses give more details
that are needed by the student’s intellect to give him full conviction to believe it.
The basic point to grasp here is that the intellect is an object of creation. While it has
Avidya (which is the dark aspect of Maya) as the predominant part of its make-up, it cannot
help but be in delusion and therefore see Reality as a mere Jiva, an individual entity. It
cannot help it. We are all in the same situation – the state of ignorance or delusion . . .

Verse 197: 6. Delusion – an Error of Judgement

rÉÉuÉSèpÉëÉÎliÉxiÉÉuÉSåuÉÉxrÉ xÉ¨ÉÉ
ÍqÉjrÉÉ¥ÉÉlÉÉå‹×ÎqpÉiÉxrÉ mÉëqÉÉSÉiÉç |
UeeuÉÉÇ xÉmÉÉåï pÉëÉÎliÉMüÉsÉÏlÉ LuÉ
pÉëÉliÉålÉÉïzÉå lÉæuÉ xÉmÉÉåïÅÌmÉ iÉ²iÉç || 197||

136

1
yaavat bhraantih taavat eva
asya sattaa
Only as long as the delusion lasts,
can Jiva-hood (individuality) exist.
2
mithya-ajnaana ujjrimbhi-
tasya pramaadaat;
It is caused by an error of judgement, and further
propagated by inadvertance (in daily living).
3
rajjvaam sarpah
bhraanti-kaaleena eva
The rope is mistaken to be the snake
only when there is an illusion present.
4
bhraanteh naashe
na eva sarpah, api tadvat.
Once the illusion is destroyed,
there can be no snake; so too, is it in this case.

The Teacher in Sri Shankaracharyaji is always at the forefront. He goes on repeating
the Truth which we do not know, while explaining the Falsity which we do. The structure of
his argument, typified by this verse, is to always keep the Truth in mind, and then keep
working on (correcting) the false until it gets aligned to the truth.
1 This is the repeat of the statement of truth. Delusion, as long as it is there, will
always present before us the Jiva as our imagined self; it will not allow us to behold the true
Self. The imagined self is where we will be while still under delusion.
2 Now we inch closer to the truth step by step from where we are. The first step
towards Truth is to tell us how the delusion arises, what is its cause.
The answer lies in “an error of judgement”. Where? Judgement is the function of the
intellect, so the error takes place in the intellect. The error gets propagated or blown up in
the mind, which is what we use to interact with the world. If the mind is not aware that it is
propagating something false, that is termed inadvertance. By definition Inadvertance is
something we do without having proper knowledge.
3 For instance, we mistake a rope to be a snake because we do not have the proper
knowledge of it.
4 Once the illusion is removed, that it is a rope and not a snake, then the snake
simply disappears.
In this verse we learn that “Delusion is an error; therefore, it can be corrected.”

Verse 198: 5. Avidya – Destroyed by Vidya

AlÉÉÌSiuÉqÉÌuÉ±ÉrÉÉÈ MüÉrÉïxrÉÉÌmÉ iÉjÉåwrÉiÉå |
EimÉ³ÉÉrÉÉÇ iÉÑ ÌuÉ±ÉrÉÉqÉÉÌuÉ±MüqÉlÉÉ±ÌmÉ || 198||

1 anaaditvam avidyaayaah “Beginningless” – this is said of Avidya (Ignorance);
2 kaaryasya api tathaa ishhyate; The same is said of the effects of Avidya.
3 utpannaayaam tu vidyaayaam But when there is a rise of Vidya (Knowledge),
4 aavidyakam anaadi api Avidya is destroyed, even though it is beginningless.

1 Why is Avidya said to be beginningless? It is the Tamas Guna of Nature, while Maya
is the Sattwa Guna. Both are integral parts of Nature (Prakriti). Since Prakriti is ever present
with Brahman, She is beginningless. It follows that Avidya, too, has to be beginningless.
2 For the same reason, everything that arises from Avidya also has to be
beginningless. The first of these is the Jiva; thereafter, everything arising from Jiva.

137

3-4 Now for the destruction of Avidya. If Avidya is destroyed, it will spell the end of
delusion; the end of delusion means end of Jivahood; and end of Jiva means end of
transmigration. This is the line of reasoning that follows from the destruction of Avidya.
How is this achieved? The only possible way is through Vidya or Knowledge. That is
the sole means of destroying Avidya. That which is beginningless, finally comes to an end
when Knowledge dawns. Once Avidya dies, all its ‘soldiers’ (its effects), take to their heels.
They have no leg to stand on, their General is vanquished, and the war is over.

Verse 199: As Dreams Die Upon Waking

mÉëoÉÉåkÉå xuÉmlÉuÉixÉuÉïÇ xÉWûqÉÔsÉÇ ÌuÉlÉzrÉÌiÉ |
AlÉÉ±mÉÏSÇ lÉÉå ÌlÉirÉÇ mÉëÉaÉpÉÉuÉ CuÉ xTÑüOûqÉç || 199||

1 prabodhe svapnavat sarvam On waking up, the entire dream
2 sahamoolam vinashyati; along with its root, is destroyed.

3

anaadi api idam na u nityam
(So too, this phenomenal world . . .)
Even though it is beginningless, it is not eternal.
4 praag abhaava iva sphutam. The theory of “former non-existence” proves this.

Is there an example to illustrate the death of Avidya on the rise of Vidya?
1-2 Dream is an example that stands for Avidya. Waking up stands for Vidya. When
we wake up, the whole dream ends. So too, when Vidya arises, Avidya ends!
3 The phenomenal world is the effect of Avidya. It is considered as beginningless
since it is the effect of something beginningless. When Avidya ends (as it does for a sage),
then the phenomenal world as we know it also ends.
4 Praak Abhaava: “former non-existence”. This is a technical Vedantic theory used
by the Nyayayis in logic. Sri Swami Chinmayananda gives the example of a pot to illustrate
the theory, A pot is made of clay. Before the pot is made, it exists in potential form as clay
only. For how long it existed like that no one knows. We can only say that it did so from
beginningless time, ever since the earth (clay) was created. However, as soon as the pot is
made, the potential form of the pot ceases to exist. The point is that what was once
beginningless, now comes to an end. This is the theory of Praak Abhava. The application
follows in the next verse.

Verse 200: Jiva, Being Unreal, Has to End

AlÉÉSåUÌmÉ ÌuÉkuÉÇxÉÈ mÉëÉaÉpÉÉuÉxrÉ uÉÏÍ¤ÉiÉÈ |
rÉ¯ÒSèkrÉÑmÉÉÍkÉxÉqoÉlkÉÉimÉËUMüÎsmÉiÉqÉÉiqÉÌlÉ || 200||

1 anaadeh api vidhvamsah Although it may be beginningless, an end in
2 praag abhaavasya veekshhitah; “former non-existence” has been discovered;
3 yat buddhi upaadhi-sambandhaat So it is with Jiva: due to its contact with intellect
4 parikalpitam aatmani. it is only falsely superimposed upon the real Self.

138

1-2 The end of Praak Abhava, as in the case of the pot example, is seen to happen in
the case of Avidya and all its effects. Although they are all beginningless, that does not mean
that they are endless, too. Once Avidya is toppled by Vidya, then Delusion, Jivahood and
transmigration, in that order, get toppled one by one.
Once right knowledge is obtained, then the ‘beginningless’ nature of all these ends.
As we said earlier, the effects don’t have a leg to stand on once their General dies.
3-4 Here we see the difference between Sat, the Self, and any other category such as
Vishaya, Asat and “Category D”, for which we have not yet found a name because we do not
yet know what it is. Sat is said to be the only item in Category A which is beginningless and
endless. Category D is beginningless and we have just shown that it does have an end.

Verse 201: Self Intrinsically Different from Jiva

eÉÏuÉiuÉÇ lÉ iÉiÉÉåÅlrÉxiÉÑ xuÉÃmÉåhÉ ÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉÈ |
xÉqoÉlkÉxiuÉÉiqÉlÉÉå oÉÑSèkrÉÉ ÍqÉjrÉÉ¥ÉÉlÉmÉÑUÈxÉUÈ || 201||

1 jeevatvam na tatah anyah tu But the other (the Self) is not like Jivahood.
2 svaroopena vilakshhanah; It is intrinsically different from it.
3
sambandhah tu
aatmanah buddhyaa
Indeed, Its relationship
with the little “self” is created by the intellect
4 mithyaa-jnaana-purahsarah. due to the false knowledge (caused by delusion).

Now the answer comes through . . .
Category A: Sat is the only item here because it is the Reality and is indestructible
and unchanging always. There is nothing else that has these qualities.
Category B: Vishaya falls into this category because it has a birth and a death;
Category C: Asat is in C because it never existed in the first place, so it cannot end.

MITHYA: The Category D
Category D: Mithya is anything that is beginningless, but has an end. A new term has
just been given to this category – Mithyaa. It is the category where a false superimposition
from time immemorial ends when the condition for its existence no longer prevails, as when
knowledge arises ignorance can no longer prevail.
To the one who has posed this question, we can now say, “Yes, there is Category D
called Mithya. It differs from A on the ground that it is destructible under certain conditions.
Avidya is destroyed under the condition of Vidya; then, in consecutive order, Delusion is
destroyed when Avidya is destroyed; Jivahood is destroyed when delusion is destroyed; and
finally Transmigration is destroyed when Jivahood is destroyed.
4 The “false knowledge” refers to the original blunder of misplaced identification
which mistakes “I-ness” for the Self. This happens in the intellect where the Self is reflected
and the reflected consciousness through delusion imagines that “I”-ness belongs to the
body and the other sheaths. If this fundamental “error of judgement” is corrected by
intellectual enquiry, then one can have direct realization of the Self. That is the topic under
discussion in this section.

139

Verse 202: 4. Vidya – Right Knowledge

ÌuÉÌlÉuÉ×Ì¨ÉpÉïuÉå¨ÉxrÉ xÉqrÉa¥ÉÉlÉålÉ lÉÉlrÉjÉÉ |
oÉë¼ÉiqÉæMüiuÉÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉÇ xÉqrÉa¥ÉÉlÉÇ ´ÉÑiÉåqÉïiÉqÉç || 202||

1 vinivrittih bhavet tasya Its (the Jiva’s) termination will occur
2 samyag jnaanena na anyathaa; only by right knowledge, and in no other way.
3 brahma aatma ekatva vijnaanam The realisation of identity of Brahman and Self
4 samyag jnaanam shruteh matam. is right knowledge – the Shrutis are clear on this.

1-4 We have an idea of what “False knowledge” is. It refers to the error made in the
intellect. It is an error of judgement, or better still an error in false identification. If this is
the case with false knowledge, then “Right Knowledge” must be true identification. True
identification can only be the Self. This is confirmed again and again in the scriptures. It is
the clarion call of the Upanishads.

Verse 203: 1. Discrimination – Turning Point to Knowledge

iÉSÉiqÉÉlÉÉiqÉlÉÉåÈ xÉqrÉÎauÉuÉåMåülÉæuÉ ÍxÉkrÉÌiÉ |
iÉiÉÉå ÌuÉuÉåMüÈ MüiÉïurÉÈ mÉëirÉaÉÉiqÉxÉSÉiqÉlÉÉåÈ || 203||

1
tat
aatma-anaatmanoh
Regarding that (i.e. the realisation of identity):
Between the Self and the not-Self,
2
samyag vivekena
eva sidhyati;
the right discrimination between these two –
by that alone does realisation come.
3 tatah vivekah kartavyah Hence, it is one’s duty to discriminate thoroughly
4 pratyag aatma sad-aatmanoh. between the inner Self (Jiva) and Brahman.

In the previous verses we have seen the following sequence or “Chain of Mithya”:

4. VIDYA  5. AVIDYA  6. DELUSION  7. JIVAHOOD  8. TRANSMIGRATION

From this verse onwards we work our way in the opposite direction from Vidya,
known as the “Chain to Vidya”, or the “Knowledge Chain”:

1. DISCRIMINATION  2. PURIFICATION  3. NEGATION  4. VIDYA

1-2 Samyag Vivekena: “by right discrimination”. The definition of discrimination is
the differentiation between the Self (Atman) and the not-Self (Anatman).
3-4 To “discriminate thoroughly” refers to the specific method of Self-enquiry used in
Manana, the subject of this entire Part 3 of the book. Vedantic Manana is a specific process
by which the student removes all his doubts, i.e. his Asambhavana.

140

Verse 204: 2. Purification – Removal of Impurities

eÉsÉÇ mÉƒ¡ûuÉSirÉliÉÇ mÉƒ¡ûÉmÉÉrÉå eÉsÉÇ xTÑüOûqÉç |
rÉjÉÉ pÉÉÌiÉ iÉjÉÉiqÉÉÌmÉ SÉåwÉÉpÉÉuÉå xTÑüOûmÉëpÉÈ || 204||

1 jalam pankavat atyantam Consider water which is extremely muddy:
2 panka apaaye jalam sphutam; When the mud is removed, it appears clear.
3 yathaa bhaati tathaa aatmaa api Even so, it is the same with the inner Self (Jiva):
4 doshha abhaave sphuta-prabhah. When impurities are absent, its lustre is visible!

Sri Shankaracharyaji has opted to use one of the simplest of similes to illustrate the
purity of mind required for knowledge of the Self to be understood.
1-2 Perhaps there is a message in this choice. Purification should be kept as a simple
exercise in order to fulfil its purpose. If we try to complicate the process of purification, it
will recede away from our grasp. There is nothing difficult to ‘understand’ about
purification; getting down to it is the only difficult thing about it.
3-4 Purification is in relation to transactions with the world or Samsara. It is linked
very closely to Dispassion in the mind. It concerns every thought, word and deed with
regard to the world of objects and people. It requires us to be ever mindful of the dangers of
temptations that exist outside of us. It is best accomplished with sincerity of purpose and
pure intention. It is that without which spiritual life has no meaning.

Verse 205: 3. Negation – Non-Identification With Unreality

AxÉÍ³ÉuÉ×¨ÉÉæ iÉÑ xÉSÉiqÉlÉÉ xTÑüOÇû
mÉëiÉÏÌiÉUåiÉxrÉ pÉuÉåimÉëiÉÏcÉÈ |
iÉiÉÉå ÌlÉUÉxÉÈ MüUhÉÏrÉ LuÉ
xÉSÉiqÉlÉÈ xÉÉkuÉWûqÉÉÌSuÉxiÉÑlÉÈ || 205||

1
asat nivrittau tu
sadaatmanaa sphutam
When the unreal ceases to exist
then the eternal Self, as clear as crystal,
2 prateetih etasya bhavet prateechah; is seen in the place of this gross individual self.
3 tatah niraasah karaneeya eva Therefore, the negation should certainly be done
4
sadaatmanah saadhu
aham aadi vastunah.
from the Eternal Self, as thoroughly as possible,
of all that is unreal such as the ego, etc.

1-2 One sees here how much Vedanta strives to assert the Eternal Self, the Truth. For
the Truth the highest price is demanded. Negation is absolutely necessary. There is no other
way. There is no ‘alternative path’ available to the Truth. There is no compromise on this.
3-4 But before we judge Vedanta too harshly, we have to be fair to acknowledge
that its main aim is to attain something much greater than that which it asks us to negate. It
is to the benefit of the student to practice negation “as thoroughly as possible”. It makes the
seeker one-pointed in his devotion to the Truth. No loophole is permitted to the student to
escape the greatest transformation in life.

141

A Few Thoughts on NEGATION
Thus, central to Vedantic Sadhana is the negation of the Unreal because the goal is
the Real. This has to be done without compromise. This can be done only through the
human intellect, after it is prepared by sharpening and cleaning. The Teacher is saying,
“Here’s a dust-pan to pick up the dirt; don’t just sweep the dust forward to the next corner.”
In fairness to Vedanta, it has to be said that Vedanta is not an approach that rejects
the world. Negation is not rejecting. Negation is simply asserting one’s true spiritual nature
above all mundane demands. Negation does not ask the seeker to look down upon the
world. Ultimately, the same Vedanta which asks us to negate the Unreal, also asks us to see
the Divine in everything.
Here is something to think about. The Unreal and the Real are not two separate
things, nor are they two contradictory things. The Unreal is more like the visible foreground
and the Real is the invisible background of the same thing. Vedanta is asking us to give
importance to the Real more than to the superficial Unreal. Negation, rather than being a
rejection, is an acceptance of the more important Real aspect of a thing than the superficial
ever-changing aspect of the same thing.

Verse 206: Conclusion: Vijnanamaya Cannot be Self

AiÉÉå lÉÉrÉÇ mÉUÉiqÉÉ xrÉÉÌ²¥ÉÉlÉqÉrÉzÉoSpÉÉMçü |
ÌuÉMüÉËUiuÉÉ‹QûiuÉÉŠ mÉËUÎcNû³ÉiuÉWåûiÉÑiÉÈ |
SØzrÉiuÉÉSèurÉÍpÉcÉÉËUiuÉÉ³ÉÉÌlÉirÉÉå ÌlÉirÉ CwrÉiÉå || 206||

1 atah na ayam paraatmaa syaad Therefore, the supreme Self cannot be
2 vijnaanamaya shabda-bhaak; the intellect sheath so far spoken of. The reasons:
3
vikaaritvaat
jadatvaat cha
i) because it is subject to change;
ii) because it is inert and insentient;
4 parichchhinnatva hetutah; iii) for the reason that it is limited;
5
drishyatvaat
vyabhichaaritvaat
iv) because it is an object of the senses,
v) and because it is not constant.
6 na anityah nityah ishhyate. Conclusion: No mortal can be said to be immortal.

1-2 This verse concludes Vijnanamaya Kosha. As with the other Koshas, the focus of
this whole chapter is to show in what way the Kosha is not the Self. The intellect sheath is
not the Self for the following five reasons (the summary explanations given here are quoted
from Swami Chinmayanandaji):

3a i) Vikaaritvaat: “because it is subject to changes or modifications of thought”. The
intellect sheath is subject to change. Our ideas and ideals are always changing. Our
intelligence varies from time to time. Therefore, this cannot be the Self.
3b ii) Jadatvaat: “because it is inert and insentient”. The intellect by itself is inert.
When the Light of Consciousness touches it, then alone does it become sentient, and shines
out of the individual to think, to rationalise, to discriminate, to judge, etc.

142

4 iii) Parichhinnatvaat: “because it is limited”. Every intellect has its limitations. A
great artist may know everything about art, but may know nothing about physics. Each one
may be great in his own field, but not in others. The intellect in everyone is limited.
5a iv) Drushyatvaat: “because it is an object of the senses”. We know our own
intellects. We say, “I am dull”, “I am intelligent”, etc. We are conscious of our intellects. The
intellect is an object of Consciousness. An object cannot be the subject.
5b v) Vyabhichaaritvaat: “because it is not constantly present”. The intellect is not
faithfully serving at all times. In deep sleep, the intellect is not available; in the waking
condition it is. In a perverted condition it slaves in the dream. When in a swoon or under
chloroform, it does not work at all. Due to it being available at times and unavailable at
other times, it cannot be the Atman.
6 vi) Anityatvaat: “because it is not Eternal”. The intellect is mortal, changing and
variable, being made of the subtle elements. Hence the intellect cannot be the Self, the
Reality, which is Eternal.
We conclude this chapter on Vijnanamaya Kosha with the following Summary:

SUMMARY OF ENQUIRY IN MANANA

The Procedure in MANANA
We are in Manana, which is quite an advanced stage in Vedantic Sadhana. Although
there is still one more Kosha to be covered, we may summarise the Sadhana of Self-enquiry
in Manana, along the basis of the above diagram.

A. Steps in Sadhana (Items 1 to 4):
1. Discrimination: The importance given here is to discrimination. That is the primary
Sadhana. The whole idea is to convince the intellect of what exactly is the Non-dual Self, the
Reality. All that is the not-Self has to be distinguished from it.
2. Purification: The bulk of the initial purification has been done already before
Sravana. From here onwards it is more a ‘fine-tuning’ of what has largely been achieved.
This goes on till the realisation of complete identity with Brahman.
leads to
4. VIDYA
Build-up of these Destruction of these
5. AVIDYA
3. NEGATION
2. PURIFICATION
1. DISCRIMINATION
6. DELUSION
7. JIVAHOOD
8. TRANSMIGRATION

143

3. Negation: Side by side with discrimination, negation is the practice of self-
observation to actually bring into effect the results of discrimination. In negation, the seeker
loosens himself from the grip of the sheaths. He no longer allows them to govern him.
4. Vidya: This is actual direct Knowledge obtained by attaining identity with
Brahman. This is not referring to the intellectual knowledge obtained during Sravana. We
will deal with it in greater detail as the text proceeds.

B. Results after Realisation (Items 5 to 8):
Once realisation comes, steps 5-8 happen one after the other. These are given
importance under Manana only in the sense that they form a clear picture of where the
Sadhaka is heading. They are all achieved simultaneously with God-realisation. They are not
really steps, but aspects or results that follow realisation.
5. Avidya: The first result or aspect following immediately on the heels of realisation
is the total elimination of the barrier of Ignorance that veils us from the Reality.
6. Delusion: It is the veil of Avidya that causes the delusion in our intellect which
makes us act and think incorrectly in the first place. That now disappears.
7. Jivahood: Our entire ego-driven personality based on our individuality or
separation from the universal Reality, comes to an end once the delusion is removed.
8. Transmigration: There being no individual Jiva present anymore in our
consciousness, how can there be any more rebirth for the Jiva? Realisation, therefore, spells
the death-knell of transmigration of the soul from birth to birth.

*****

144

3.6 THE ANANDAMAYA KOSHA
(Verses 207 – 224, 18 No.)

THE BLISS SHEATH IS where resides Avidya - Mrs Ignorance Herself! She is the
source of the delusion by which man enters into Samsara in the first instance. Unlike the
other four sheaths which can be negated by using the power of the pure Sattwic intellect,
this sheath is not an Upadhi that may be similarly negated, but fundamental delusion which
needs to be destroyed totally by the dawn of Self-knowledge.
The whole validity of Vedanta as a spiritual science rests on its fulfilling this part of
the human transformation and accomplishing the goal it sets before mankind. For this
reason Sri Shankaracharyaji patiently builds up the student’s understanding of this sheath so
that he is left in no doubt as to what is expected of him to achieve Self-realisation.
A preamble to the Anandamaya sheath will help before beginning the verses.
The Reality is often called by the term Satchidananda. This contains the three words,
Sat-Chit-Ananda, meaning “Existence, Knowledge and Bliss Absolute”. This triple definition
of Reality actually represents the same Reality. They are not three parts of the Reality, but
three aspects seen in degrees at different levels of the human being.
i) Existence aspect: It is seen as Existence by the Manomaya Kosha. The mind
receives the signals from the senses and, from seeing its gross body in action, it is able to
deduce the thought “I exist” as this body enlivened by the Prana. The mind, being
concerned with the outer sensory world, existence alone is sufficient for it to function.
ii) Consciousness aspect: At the Vijnanamaya Kosha, Reality is seen as Consciousness.
It is now able to develop the thought “I know”. This is more comprehensive than simply “I
exist”. A bit more of Reality is picked up by the intellect, which is more concerned about
knowledge, identity and the process of decision-making.
iii) Bliss aspect: At a level even prior to and subtler than the intellect, at the causal
level, one may say at the very core of the human being, lies the Anandamaya Kosha where
no thought has yet developed. Here Reality is seen in its aspect of Bliss. That is what we are
dealing with in this chapter.
At each of these three levels, Pure Consciousness may be said to be captured as a
Reflection. Naturally, the reflection has a semblance of the original, but it is also greatly
weaker than the orginal. The word reflection tells us that we are seeing a modified and a
very ‘adulterated’ version of Reality. The preliminary awareness is only of the existence of
the gross body. At the next level is the subtle ego-sense of “I know”. And at the third or
causal level is awareness of the deepest aspect of Reality which thought itself is too ‘gross’
to grasp. It is a deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, a fullness, a completeness which
we describe as happiness generally and say “I am happy”. This happiness is a tiny fraction of
the Pure Bliss of the Self.
Where this experience of happiness arises is the Anandamaya Kosha.

*****

145

3.6.1 THE BLISS SHEATH (Verses 207-211, 5 No.)

Verse 207: Composition & Features of Anandamaya Kosha

AÉlÉlSmÉëÌiÉÌoÉqoÉcÉÑÎqoÉiÉiÉlÉÑuÉ×ïÌ¨ÉxiÉqÉÉåeÉ×ÎqpÉiÉÉ
xrÉÉSÉlÉlSqÉrÉÈ ÌmÉërÉÉÌSaÉÑhÉMüÈ xuÉå¹ÉjÉïsÉÉpÉÉåSrÉÈ |
mÉÑhrÉxrÉÉlÉÑpÉuÉå ÌuÉpÉÉÌiÉ M×üÌiÉlÉÉqÉÉlÉlSÃmÉÈ xuÉrÉÇ
xÉuÉÉåï lÉlSÌiÉ rÉ§É xÉÉkÉÑ iÉlÉÑpÉ×lqÉÉ§ÉÈ mÉërÉ¦ÉÇ ÌuÉlÉÉ || 207||

1
aananda-pratibimba
chumbita-tanuh, vrittih
tama-ujrimbhitaa
A reflection of the Bliss of the Self
is “kissed” by a modification
that has risen from Tamas or Ignorance –
2
syaat aanandamayah priyaadi
gunakah, sva ishhtaartha
laabha-udayah;
This (modification) is the Anandamaya Kosha.
Priya, Moda and Pramoda are its triple qualities
that arise on some gaining of a desired object;
3
punyasya anubhave vibhaati
kritinaam,
aananda-roopah svayam
When the fruits of good actions* manifest as the
experiences of such fortunate ones, the (three)
forms of this happiness come spontaneously;
4
sarvah nandati yatra saadhu
tanubhrit-maatrah prayatnam
vinaa.
In this state, everyone feels happy and pleased;
This happens to all embodied beings,
and it happens without the least effort by them!

* Punya or merit only; the implication is that Paapa or demerit also manifests as sorrow.

Composition of the Anandamaya Kosha
1 The Tamas referred to here is Avidya. In Avidya, there is no manifestion of the
subtle or gross elements yet, so there can be no thought. Only the three Gunas of Nature
are present. The predominant Sattwa Guna is called Maya; the predominant Tamas Guna is
called Avidya. One may even think of Avidya as a ‘sedimentary’ layer within Maya. The
degree of Bliss reflected depends on the degree of Avidya present for each person.
2 The reflected Bliss is a modification of the original Bliss, many times reduced. It is
generally simplified by classifying it into three degrees, viz. Priya, Moda and Pramoda. These
are three degrees of intensity of the happiness. Priya is the least intense and is experienced
when the object is merely seen; Moda is a little more intense and is experienced when the
object is possessed; and Pramoda is the most intense, experienced when the object is
actually in contact or being enjoyed.
3 These states of happiness are the fruits of the Punya or merits earned by doing
good deeds in this world. It goes without saying that by doing bad actions we produce
Paapa or demerits which bring the experience of sorrow. Joys and sorrows are reaped in the
measure of the Punya and Paapa respectively that is stored as our Karma.
4 Effort is required only in performing good or bad actions. The results that come do
not require any further effort. They come automatically. Good actions bring joy and bad
actions bring sorrow.
The verse focuses on the positive experience of joy and pleasure; but the negative
state is understood as included.

146

Verse 208: Its Manifestation in the Three States

AÉlÉlSqÉrÉMüÉåzÉxrÉ xÉÑwÉÑmiÉÉæ xTÔüÌiÉïÂiMüOûÉ |
xuÉmlÉeÉÉaÉUrÉÉåUÏwÉÌS¹xÉlSzÉïlÉÉÌSlÉÉ || 208||

1 aanandamaya koshasya The Bliss sheath
2 sushhuptau sphoortih utkataa; is fully manifested in the deep sleep state, and
3 svapna-jaagarayoh eeshhad, only partially in the dream and waking states,
4 ishhta-sandarshan-aadinaa. depending upon the sight of pleasing objects, etc.

2 In deep sleep, when both the subtle body and the gross body is not available, we
are actually totally within the Anandamaya Kosha, experiencing ‘nothing’. It is the
experience of Avidya. We are lying asleep in our inner bedroom called Anandamaya Kosha!
No one can disturb us when we are here, in the blissful company of Avidya.
3-4 In the other two states, the experience of bliss is partial and greatly dependent
on the objects that we associate with pleasure. Only in sleep, there is no connection with
any object and so the experience is complete. However, because we do not have our subtle
body present in this state, we are not conscious of this deep state of bliss.

Verse 209: Conclusion: Anandamaya Cannot be Self

lÉæuÉÉrÉqÉÉlÉlSqÉrÉÈ mÉUÉiqÉÉ
xÉÉåmÉÉÍkÉMüiuÉÉimÉëM×üiÉåÌuÉïMüÉUÉiÉç |
MüÉrÉïiuÉWåûiÉÉåÈ xÉÑM×üiÉÌ¢ürÉÉrÉÉ
ÌuÉMüÉUxÉ†¡ûÉiÉxÉqÉÉÌWûiÉiuÉÉiÉç || 209||

1
na eva ayam aananda-
mayah paraatmaa
This Bliss sheath, too, can never be
the Supreme Self
2
sopaadhi-katvaat
prakriteh vikaaraat;
i) because it has attributes that are ever changing:
ii) it is a modification of Prakriti;
3
kaaryatva hetoh
sukrita-kriyaayaa
iii) it is created as a result of
good actions done in the past (perhaps past lives);
4
vikaara-sanghaata
samaahitatvaat.
iv) and it lies embedded in the other sheaths,
which are in themselves all modifications.

1 The Anandamaya Kosha cannot be the Self for the following four reasons:
2a i) It is ever-changing. Sometimes we experience it, at other times we don’t.
2b ii) Avidya is a modification of Prakriti or Nature, which is not the Self but a power
of the Self.
3 iii) The happiness is also dependent on our good Karma. Even sleep depends on
our good Karma to deserve it. Some people cannot have good sleep because of bad Karma.
4 iv) The happiness is also dependent on the other four sheaths, all of which are also
not the Self. If the body is in pain or if the mind is disturbed, we cannot enjoy happiness,
even if the best objects are surrounding us.

147

An Anecdote: Mulla Nasruddin
A humorous incident from the life of Mulla Nasruddin was told to us to illustrate the
power of delusion of Avidya. Mulla saw the moon deep down in the well and decided to
rescue it from its ‘fall’. He got the ropes, bucket, etc., ready and began to lower them into
the well to lift the moon out to safety.
The Mulla tugged for all he was worth. Something snapped and the Mulla was flung
back and fell flat on his back, rather dazed. When he came around eventually, he was facing
the sky. In sheer relief at what he saw there he gasped out, “O thank God, the moon is back
where it should have been!”

Verse 210: The Witness Survives the Negation

mÉgcÉÉlÉÉqÉÌmÉ MüÉåzÉÉlÉÉÇ ÌlÉwÉåkÉå rÉÑÌ£üiÉÈ ´ÉÑiÉåÈ |
iÉÍ³ÉwÉåkÉÉuÉÍkÉ xÉÉ¤ÉÏ oÉÉåkÉÃmÉÉåÅuÉÍzÉwrÉiÉå || 210||

1 panchaanaam api koshaanaam Regarding the five sheaths, when they have been
2 nishhedhe yuktitah shruteh; negated through reasoning based upon scriptures,
3 tat nishhedha avadhi saakshhee then, at the acme of the process, the Witness-ship
4 bodha-roopah avashishhyate. which is Knowledge Absolute, is what remains.

1-4 The process of negating all the sheaths is now summarised. The purpose of the
negation is that after negating all that is not-Self, what remains is that which witnesses them
all without getting involved in any of them. The neutral-standing Self always survives the
process of negation. Thus, the negation comes to an end.

Verse 211: Summary: What is the Self?

rÉÉåÅrÉqÉÉiqÉÉ xuÉrÉgerÉÉåÌiÉÈ mÉgcÉMüÉåzÉÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉÈ |
AuÉxjÉÉ§ÉrÉxÉÉ¤ÉÏ xÉÍ³ÉÌuÉïMüÉUÉå ÌlÉUgeÉlÉÈ |
xÉSÉlÉlSÈ xÉ ÌuÉ¥ÉårÉÈ xuÉÉiqÉiuÉålÉ ÌuÉmÉÍ¶ÉiÉÉ || 211||

1 yah ayam aatmaa svayam jyotih This Atman or Self is self-effulgent;
2 pancha kosha vilakshhanah; It is distinct from the five sheaths;
3 avasthaa traya saakshhee, It is the witness of the three states,
4 sat nirvikaarah niranjanah; It is Real, free of all modifications and blemish;
5 sadaanandah sah vijneyah It should be realised as bliss everlasting
6 svaatmatvena vipashchitaa. by the wise man as his own Self.

Here is the positive side of what is left after negation – the Atman or Self.

*****

148

DISCUSSION ON ANANDAMAYA KOSHA:

3.6.2 THE SELF & “NOTHINGNESS” (Verses 212-224, 13 No.)

3.6.2.1 The Disciple’s Question (Verses 212)
Verse 212: Disciple: “Nothing Left After Negation!”

ÍzÉwrÉ EuÉÉcÉ |
ÍqÉjrÉÉiuÉålÉ ÌlÉÌwÉ®åwÉÑ MüÉåzÉåwuÉåiÉåwÉÑ mÉgcÉxÉÑ |
xÉuÉÉïpÉÉuÉÇ ÌuÉlÉÉ ÌMüÎgcÉ³É mÉzrÉÉqrÉ§É Wåû aÉÑUÉå |
ÌuÉ¥ÉårÉÇ ÌMüqÉÑ uÉxiuÉÎxiÉ xuÉÉiqÉlÉÉÅÅiqÉÌuÉmÉÍ¶ÉiÉÉ || 212||

shishhya uvaacha; The Disciple asked:
1 mithyaatvena nishhiddheshhu After negating as unreal
2 kosheshhu eteshhu panchasu; these five sheaths,
3 sarva abhaavam vinaa kinchit except the absence of everything
4 na pashyaami atra he guro; I find nothing else here, O revered Teacher!
5 vijneyam kim u vastu asti What entity then is there to be realised
6 svaatmanaa aatmavipashchitaa. by a seeker of the Self as his own Self?

Too much theory and not enough practice is disclosed by this question. The student
is puzzled from the relative standpoint of the world. If the world is negated, then from what
foothold does he reach the Self? This puzzle facing the student is very similar to the one
faced by the child in this delightful example from Acharyaji:

Example: How to Eat Ice-Cream?
A child is learning from his father how to eat ice-cream. It is a very theoretical
process. The father takes great pains to describe to what height the ice-cream bowl must be
lifted, how the spoon must be used to pick up the ice-cream at the precise angle to cut
through the ice-cream. Then it has to be brought slowly to the lips. With a flick of the wrist
which has to synchronise with the parting of the lips, the ice-cream is tossed into the mouth
cavity. When removing the small wooden flat spoon, care must be taken not to keep the
mouth too tight, or else only half the spoon will come out! Nor must the mouth be too open
or else half the ice-cream will come out, and the joy of eating will be halved! And so on, the
child goes through a quick crash course. He awaits the moment when he can put into
practice these instructions with real ice-cream. In the first few attempts, he does not think
of the delicious ice-cream as his whole mind is set on how to execute the steps he learnt.
When the child has mastered the art of eating ice-cream, he does it mechanically.
Now he actually enjoys the ice-cream, not having to think about the complicated procedure.
Many in the class would have loved to try the experiment themselves!
The same is what happens to the enthusiastic beginner in meditation. He is so
caught up in the techniques that he does not enjoy the presence of God within. After some
attempts he begins to master the outer details and enjoy the practice more and more.

149

3.6.2.2 The Guru’s Reply (Verses 213-224)

Verse 213: Teacher: “Yes, Good Question!”

´ÉÏaÉÑÂÂuÉÉcÉ |
xÉirÉqÉÑ£Çü iuÉrÉÉ ÌuÉ²Í³ÉmÉÑhÉÉåÅÍxÉ ÌuÉcÉÉUhÉå |
AWûqÉÉÌSÌuÉMüÉUÉxiÉå iÉSpÉÉuÉÉåÅrÉqÉmrÉlÉÑ || 213||

shreegururuvaacha; The Guru answers:
1 satyam uktam tvayaa vidvan Rightly have you spoken, O learned one.
2 nipunah asi vichaarane; You are indeed clever in your discrimination.
3 aham-aadi vikaaraah te All modifications like the ego, etc, and indeed
4 tat abhaavah ayam api anu. also their absence (during deep sleep) is This.

1-2 The teacher admires an attentive student, even if he has not been able to arrive
at the answer. He admires the zeal of the student to want to know more! But there is a
difference between being clever and being correct. The Teacher moves swiftly to attend to
the correctness of the question posed.
3-4 He brings it out in the form of a riddle. The riddle is about ‘This’ and ‘That’. ‘This’
is everything produced by Maya and Avidya. It falls on the side of the Superimposition on
Reality, and is hence part of the Unreality. The negation process can only negate ‘This’. The
student at this stage is not aware that ‘That’ is still there. ‘That’ alone is the Reality.
The example of deep sleep is used again to show how nature daily forces us to drop
‘This’. The whole gross and subtle world is dropped daily in deep sleep. All that is left is
‘That’. But we are not conscious of ‘That’ due to the presence of Avidya.

Verse 214: “This” and “That”

xÉuÉåï rÉålÉÉlÉÑpÉÔrÉliÉå rÉÈ xuÉrÉÇ lÉÉlÉÑpÉÔrÉiÉå |
iÉqÉÉiqÉÉlÉÇ uÉåÌSiÉÉUÇ ÌuÉÎ® oÉÑSèkrÉÉ xÉÑxÉÔ¤qÉrÉÉ || 214||

1 sarve yena anubhooyante All This is perceived by That
2 yah svayam na anubhooyate; but That you cannot perceive with This!
3 tam aatmaanam veditaaram That is the Self, the real You, the only Knower.
4 viddhi buddhyaa susookshhmayaa. Realise That with an extremely subtle intellect.

1-2 The Teacher toys with the riddle to great effect on the student. He makes it a
game of hide-and-seek! ‘That’ has to do the hiding, while ‘This’ does the finding. ‘That’ can
see where ‘This’ is at all times, but ‘This’ is at a loss as to where ‘That’ is.
3 Then the Teacher throws the clue to the riddle. Both ‘That’ and ‘This’ are in the
same person. ‘This’ is the apparent person, the ego-self. The truth is ‘That’ cannot be found
by ‘This’; it is impossible. The only way for ‘This’ is to drop its own identity and realise it is in
fact ‘That’. When it does so, it has a good laugh at how silly it was not to have known ‘That’!

150

4 It sounds easy, but in practice it requires an intellect that is Susookshmayaa,
“extremely subtle”. That quality only comes through extreme purity of mind. One has to be
able to make the leap from ‘This’ to ‘That’, which is like leaping from the edge of a cliff
called Bondage onto the edge of another cliff on the opposite side called Liberation. It may
be only two meters away, but who is willing to take the risk! Only a true hero.
Swami Chinmayananda gives a down to earth example of the subtlety needed. “At
first we no more see a woman going along; we only see ‘lust’moving on legs. When the mind
is made a little subtle, you see ‘beauty’ going. A little more subtle and you see a ‘living
being’. Make it as subtle as that of a philosopher’s and you will see ‘divinity’on the move!”

Verse 215: The Witnessed has to have a Witness

iÉixÉÉÍ¤ÉMÇü pÉuÉå¨É¨É±±±ålÉÉlÉÑpÉÔrÉiÉå |
MüxrÉÉmrÉlÉlÉÑpÉÔiÉÉjÉåï xÉÉÍ¤ÉiuÉÇ lÉÉåmÉrÉÑerÉiÉå || 215||

1 tat saakshhikam bhavet tat tad There has to be a “That” as witness of all “This”;
2 yat yat yena anubhooyate; By “That” all “This” is said to be witnessed.
3 kasya api ananubhootaarthe When there is no entity to witness a thing,
4 saakshhitvam na upayujyate. witnesshood itself is not possible!

The Teacher realises the intensity of the struggle in the mind of the student: It wants
to play the hero, but has not yet forgotten to play the fool.
1-2 He tries to make it a little easier for the earnest student. He says, “Look, it’s not
all that difficult, you know. Throughout the negation process, don’t you feel at all times that
You are present to do the negating? Who else could it be besides you. Till the very end of
the process, you are always there. That you who is left till the very end is your true Self. You
are the nothing that is left behind after the whole negation is done.
3-4 “It is true, I am not joking. Think of it. If you were not there, who is there to say
‘There is nothing left.’ If there really were nothing, who will know that there is nothing left?
Think! Never forget that you are always there throughout the process.”

Verse 216: The Self Stands Witness to Itself

AxÉÉæ xuÉxÉÉÍ¤ÉMüÉå pÉÉuÉÉå rÉiÉÈ xuÉålÉÉlÉÑpÉÔrÉiÉå |
AiÉÈ mÉUÇ xuÉrÉÇ xÉÉ¤ÉÉimÉëirÉaÉÉiqÉÉ lÉ cÉåiÉUÈ || 216||

1 asau svasaakshhikah bhaavah This Atman has the nature of being witness of Itself.
2 yatah svena anubhooyate; It is realized only by Itself.
3 atah param svayam saakshhaat Hence, the Supreme Brahman Itself directly
4 pratyag aatmaa na cha itarah. is the inner Self, and nothing other than It.

The Teacher gives the student’s confidence a little push here. There is always the
hesitancy in him to believe that he is directly connected to the Supreme Reality.

151

1-2 The teacher says, “You are always there in the thick of it all. You have that
nature, and nothing can stop you from knowing your real nature. That which is really you,
has all the power to know that fact. Have strong faith in yourself in this final lap that you will
jump the final hurdle.
3-4 “As long as you have dropped everything else from your mind and intellect, as
long as you are not holding on to anything external to you, be sure that you cannot be
anything other than the Infinite Brahman. Your very nature tells you that. Believe in it and
press on. When you cross the line, claim your prize without any sense of doubt in your
mind.”
Thus the Teacher spurs the earnest disciple onward and forward with courage,
firmness and fearlessness.

Verse 217: The Absolute ‘That’ & the Individual ‘This’

eÉÉaÉëixuÉmlÉxÉÑwÉÑÎmiÉwÉÑ xTÑüOûiÉUÇ rÉÉåÅxÉÉæ xÉqÉÑ‹×qpÉiÉå
mÉëirÉaÉëÔmÉiÉrÉÉ xÉSÉWûqÉWûÍqÉirÉliÉÈ xTÑüU³ÉæMükÉÉ |
lÉÉlÉÉMüÉUÌuÉMüÉUpÉÉÌaÉlÉ CqÉÉlÉç mÉzrÉ³ÉWûlkÉÏqÉÑZÉÉlÉç
ÌlÉirÉÉlÉlSÍcÉSÉiqÉlÉÉ xTÑüUÌiÉ iÉÇ ÌuÉÎ® xuÉqÉåiÉÇ ™ÌS || 217||

1
jaagrat svapna sushhuptishhu
sphutataram, yah
asau samujjrimbhate
In the waking, dream and deep sleep states,
there is clearly ‘That’ which is witnessing the
manifestation of these states;
2
pratyag roopatayaa sadaa
aham aham iti,
antar sphuran ekadhaa;
‘That’ is the inner Self which always
appears as the ‘I’ or individual Ego-self, and
uniformly witnesses everything from within;
3
naanaa aakaara vikaara
bhaaginah imaan,
pashyan aham dhee-mukhaan
The various forms and modifications –
he who is their experiencer,
is the Jiva working through the intellect, etc.
4
nitya aananda chidaatmanaa
sphurati tam,
viddhi svam etam hridi.
But there is an eternal, blissful, all-knowing Self
which is the Absolute Self witnessing these.
Know ‘That’ as your own Self within your heart.

After priming his student with appropriate words of encouragement, the Teacher
goes straight into an explanation of what it is to be the ‘Witness’ of oneself.
1 The teacher carefully points out that the student has to feel he is witness to the
basic three states of waking, dream and deep sleep. There are only two entities which are
present in all three states, and they are the Self and Avidya. This leaves the ‘Fourth state’ to
be the decider as to which remains ever present. In the fourth state (of realisation) Avidya is
destroyed, and so the Self stands as the victor.
2 The “I” could be any of two “I”s, either the Self or the Ego. It is the former alone
that can witness everything that happens within. The latter, the Ego, is not present during
deep sleep, so it cannot be the inner witness.
3 The day-to-day modifications and forms are experienced by the Jiva, the false self,
which is identified with the various sheaths. Due to its identification with the sheaths, it is
impossible for Jiva to be their witness.

152

4 However, if one observes the inner functions closely with detachment, one can
watch all these little transactions that take place in the phenomenal world. One becomes
aware that his intellect and mind are only his instruments and he is their witness.
In this way, the student is taught to raise his power of observation so that he can
identify himself with this inner witness. Witness-ship of this kind requires him to carry the
“I” thought with him. He is asked to narrow down his identification to just this single
thought of “I”. Without this thought he cannot be a witness; nor can he be the witness if the
thought is accompanied by identification with the instruments of mind and intellect. It has
to be only the “I”-thought, free from anything else. That is the Self, the true “I”.

Verse 218: Simile: From the Ego’s Standpoint

bÉOûÉåSMåü ÌoÉÎqoÉiÉqÉMïüÌoÉqoÉ-
qÉÉsÉÉåYrÉ qÉÔRûÉå UÌuÉqÉåuÉ qÉlrÉiÉå |
iÉjÉÉ ÍcÉSÉpÉÉxÉqÉÑmÉÉÍkÉxÉÇxjÉÇ
pÉëÉlirÉÉWûÍqÉirÉåuÉ eÉQûÉåÅÍpÉqÉlrÉiÉå || 218||

1 ghatodake bimbitam arkabimbam In a jar of water is the reflection of the sun;
2
aalokya moodhah
ravim eva manyate;
The fool, on seeing this,
considers it to be the sun itself.
3
tathaa chidaabhaasam
upaadhisamstham
So too, the reflection of consciousness
is caught in the ‘jar’ of the intellect;
4
bhraantyaa aham iti eva
jadah abhimanyate.
Through delusion, it is considered as ‘I’ itself .
Surely he is a fool who identifies himself with it!

The previous verse placed great emphasis on the ability to be a witness of one’s
inner world, so much so that he can actually feel that he is in charge of the happenings
within and not the other way around. When this capacity becomes fully awakened, it is
possible to take witness-ship to its ultimate stage as seen in this verse.
1-2 An example is used first to compare the situation we are going to observe.
Consider the reflection of the sun in a pool of water. Would it not be foolish to take the
reflection to be the actual sun?
3-4 In the same way, we have the reflection of consciousness in the ‘jar’ of our
intellect. If we take the reflected consciousness as being the original consciousness, would
that not be equally foolish? Yet, that is what we do. Practically all of humanity is making the
same mistake. We take the reflected consciousness to be our true Self.

As we come towards the end of this chapter on Manana, we gather together
thoughts which should bring us total clarity as to what is required on the path to God-
realisation. The purpose of Manana is to remove every trace of doubt about the possibility
of God-realisation. The student should emerge with full conviction that realisation is a
possibility, a certainty. Although there are many other hurdles to cross, the Path to follow
should be well established in his intellect. That is the bottom-line of Manana.

153

Verse 219: Simile: From the Sage’s Viewpoint

bÉOÇû eÉsÉÇ iÉªiÉqÉMïüÌoÉqoÉÇ
ÌuÉWûÉrÉ xÉuÉïÇ ÌuÉÌlÉUÏ¤rÉiÉåÅMïüÈ |
iÉOûxjÉ LiÉÎi§ÉiÉrÉÉuÉpÉÉxÉMüÈ
xuÉrÉqmÉëMüÉzÉÉå ÌuÉSÒwÉÉ rÉjÉÉ iÉjÉÉ || 219||

1 ghatam jalam tadgatam arkabimbam Again, in a jar of water is reflected the sun;
2
vihaaya sarvam
vinireekshhyate arkah;
Leaving aside all this (the jar, the water, the reflection),
one turns and sees the sun directly.
3
tatastha etat tritaya
avabhaasakah
Independent of these three (jar, water, reflection),
is (the sun) that illuminates them all –
4
svayam prakaashah
vidushhaa yathaa tathaa.
In the same way, the Self-luminous Reality is known
by the sage; as for the sun, so also for the Self.

The previous verse considered the simile of reflection from the standpoint of a
‘deluded fool’. Now we look at the same simile but from the standpoint of an ‘enlightened
sage’. The two are seen to be poles apart. The Teacher takes the student a big leap forward
in his understanding of witness-ship of mind and intellect.
1-2 We reconsider the same simile. This time the person who is observing the pool of
water, ignores the pool, the water and the reflection. He turns his gaze directly towards the
sun. What does he see? Naturally, he does not see pool, water or any reflection. He only
sees the bright, luminous sun.
3-4 Applying this simile, what do we get? The student is being taken from the stage
of identifying with the reflection of consciousness to the stage of directly seeing the self-
luminous Self or Atman. That is the shift one makes in being a witness. The witness is never
to get entangled with that which he is witnessing. He should always stand apart from the
witnessed.

Verse 220: Discard the Unreal, Stick to the Real

SåWÇû ÍkÉrÉÇ ÍcÉimÉëÌiÉÌoÉqoÉqÉåuÉÇ
ÌuÉxÉ×erÉ oÉÑ®Éæ ÌlÉÌWûiÉÇ aÉÑWûÉrÉÉqÉç |
Sì¹ÉUqÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉZÉhQûoÉÉåkÉÇ
xÉuÉïmÉëMüÉzÉÇ xÉSxÉÌ²sÉ¤ÉhÉqÉç || 220||

1
deham dhiyam
chit-pratibimbam evam
The body, the intellect
and the reflection of Chit in it –
2
visrijya buddhau
nihitam guhaayaam;
Leaving these aside by an effort of the intellect,
one turns his attention to the ‘Cave of his heart’;
3
drashhtaaram aatmaanam
akhanda-bodham
There he beholds the Witness, the Atman or Self,
which is the unfathomable, Absolute Knowledge,
4
sarva-prakaasham
sad-asad-vilakshhanam.
which is the illuminator of everything,
and distinct from both the gross and the subtle.

154

Witness-ship is now taken to its highest level. The word ‘Witness’, although it can
refer to nothing else but the Self, is a temporary term for the Self. It carries with it traces of
thought and purpose which do not actually belong to the Self. It is, as it were, a blend of the
Self and the highest aspiration of the human intellect. That point is now being brought out
in this verse.
1 When Witness-ship itself has served its purpose of accomplishing all the negation
of the not-Self, when all the sheaths have been successfully negated by raising one’s
consciousness above them all, then it is time for that same Witness-ship to move on.
2 Where can it move on? Having served its purpose in bringing the aspirant face to
face with his “I” sense, it is time to turn this “blend” of intellect and Self towards the Self
alone. It is no longer needed to observe the Upadhis of mind, intellect and the Bliss sheaths.
It is now ready to go on to the completely thought-free state needed for attaining Oneness
with Brahman.
The critical step here is to give up the sense of “I”-ness completely by making the
leap into the unknown. It requires one last supreme effort of the intellect. Witness-ship is
turned around on its heels and now made to face the Guha, the “Cave of the Heart”.
This is what the Teacher is beginning to do in this verse, and continues to do in the
next verse.
3-4 The turnaround is not a ‘physical action’ as we are expressing it. It is simply the
dropping of all thought of the sheaths and giving oneself fully to the Supreme Spirit within.
Sad-Asad Vilakshanam: This holds the key to grasping what the Teacher is trying to
teach his student. It is the step when one turns away from everything that is “subtle and
gross”. Here we have another use of the word Sat. Other than Pure Existence, it is also used
to mean the whole subtle world made of the subtle elements. Asat also has its second
meaning. Other than meaning Non-existence, it is also used to mean the whole gross world
made of gross elements, perceivable by the senses. Both these are now treated in the same
way – both are totally negated. By doing so, one is compelled to turn to the Self and the Self
alone. All the crutches are thrown off! Now it is God and God alone.

Verse 221: Freed of all Sin , Blemish & Death

ÌlÉirÉÇ ÌuÉpÉÑÇ xÉuÉïaÉiÉÇ xÉÑxÉÔ¤qÉÇ
AliÉoÉïÌWûÈzÉÔlrÉqÉlÉlrÉqÉÉiqÉlÉÈ |
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉrÉ xÉqrÉÎXçlÉeÉÃmÉqÉåiÉiÉç
mÉÑqÉÉlÉç ÌuÉmÉÉmqÉÉ ÌuÉUeÉÉå ÌuÉqÉ×irÉÑÈ || 221||

1
nityam vibhum sarva-
gatam susookshhmam
That which is eternal, all-pervading, omni-
present, and extremely subtle;
2
antarbahih-shoonyam
ananyam aatmanah;
which is without exterior or interior,
and non-different from the Self;
3
vijnaaya samyak
nijaroopam etat
By fully realizing one’s own nature
which is his very own Self;
4
pumaan vipaapmaa
virajah vimrityuh.
man becomes freed of all sin,
free from all blemish, and free from death.

155

1-2 The clarity that is required at the end of Manana shines through in this verse. It is
where the Guru wants the disciple to go. The Goal is clearly held before the student.
Nothing else must deflect him from this Goal. The disciple is made to plunge within and find
himself. At this point he has to turn to the Guru within. The external Guru himself asks his
disciple to drop him and turn all his attention to the Guru within.
3-4 The overall fruit of realisation is suddenly brought into the picture. The Guru has
just taken his disciple’s full attention to the Self within. To him, it must seem almost a ‘sin’
to remind the disciple of the mundane world being left behind – with all its sin, blemish and
mortality. What a stark contrast!
Why does the Guru do this to the disciple? The answer follows . . .

Verse 222: “Alone, to the Alone – All Alone!”

ÌuÉzÉÉåMü AÉlÉlSbÉlÉÉå ÌuÉmÉÍ¶ÉiÉç
xuÉrÉÇ MÑüiÉÍ¶É³É ÌoÉpÉåÌiÉ MüÍ¶ÉiÉç |
lÉÉlrÉÉåÅÎxiÉ mÉljÉÉ pÉuÉoÉlkÉqÉÑ£åüÈ
ÌuÉlÉÉ xuÉiÉ¨uÉÉuÉaÉqÉÇ qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÉåÈ || 222||

1
vishokah aanandaghanah
vipashchit
Free of grief, and full of the consciousness of Bliss,
is the wise sage,
2
svayam kutashchit na
bibheti kashchit;
who, in respect of another person, is not
afraid in the least.
3
na anyah asti panthaah
bhava-bandha-mukteh
For there is no other. This is the path trodden by those
seeking liberation from the bonds of transmigration.
4
vinaa sva-tattva-avagamam
mumukshhoh.
Besides wanting to realize his own true Self,
nothing else matters for one desirous of liberation.

The Play of Contrast
It is the nature of the human intellect to grasp things by contrasting them. The poet
in Shankaracharyaji makes the fullest use of this tool to lift the disciple and fire him up for
the ultimate step to realisation.

1 Grief and Bliss are juxtaposed with great poetic effect.
2 The fear element in relationships between people is juxtaposed with complete
fearlessness of another person.
3 Liberation and “bonds of transmigration” are juxtaposed.
4 It makes the quest for God all the more one-pointed when the contrasts are
highlighted so clearly, so deliberately, and with so much poetry! There is a sense of drama
that the Guru builds up in the disciple, who will certainly need it to sustain himself once he
is left all alone to find his own way.
Through contrast, the Guru prepares his disciple for “the most
singular journey that will ultimately unite him to the whole universe!”

156

Verse 223: “Go, my Son, Habe a Pleasant Journey!”

oÉë¼ÉÍpÉ³ÉiuÉÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉÇ pÉuÉqÉÉå¤ÉxrÉ MüÉUhÉqÉç |
rÉålÉÉÌ²iÉÏrÉqÉÉlÉlSÇ oÉë¼ xÉqmÉ±iÉå oÉÑkÉæÈ || 223||

1 brahma abhinnatva vijnaanam The realization of one’s identity with Brahman
2 bhava mokshhasya kaaranam; becomes the cause of the Great Liberation.
3 yena adviteeyam aanandam By it, the One without a second, the Bliss Absolute,
4 brahma sampadyate budhaih. the Supreme Brahman, is attained by the wise.

A Touching “Send-Off”
The Guru, his job now done, gives a “send-off” to his disciple. The spirit of this verse
is effectively saying only one thing: “Go, my son, have a pleasant journey! You have worked
hard for it so far. You have prepared yourself well and thoroughly. Everything is now ready
for you to be on your way.”
1-4 The literal meaning is, of course, something totally different, but to take it would
take away the context of the dramatic moment that has been reached in the Guru-disciple
relationship at this point. There are times when a text has to be seen apart from its word
meaning, and this is an excellent example of such a time. The disciple has come to the end
of Manana, and is ready to be launched into Nididhyasana – it is as rare a moment in one’s
spiritual life, as spiritual life itself is rare among men in this world!
The disciple is in the same situation as an astronaut who has been placed in his space
capsule and been hauled onto the launching pad. The Guru has prepared him in every way
possible for the “blast-off”. He now only has to fire the engines and send his disciple off on
the most amazing journey of his life.
That is what Manana accomplishes for the disciple. No doubt, he will miss the
company of his Guru, the long hours he spent with him getting himself prepared. But it is all
part of the Divine Plan that he should now undertake this journey all on his own.
However, even while in space, he is assured that his Guru will play the role of
“Mission Control” and monitor his safety in outer space from the Earth below. The bond
between Guru and disciple is never lost. It ever persists. Like Brahman their Goal, their
relationship, too, is indestructible, unchanging, Eternal and Adviteeyam or Non-dual!

Verse 224: Conclusion: “Be Free Forever, my Son!”

oÉë¼pÉÔiÉxiÉÑ xÉÇxÉ×irÉæ ÌuÉ²É³ÉÉuÉiÉïiÉå mÉÑlÉÈ |
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉiÉurÉqÉiÉÈ xÉqrÉaoÉë¼ÉÍpÉ³ÉiuÉqÉÉiqÉlÉÈ || 224||

1
brahmabhootah
u samsrityai
Having become of the nature of Brahman,
indeed, to the world of transmigration
2 vidvaan na aavartate punah; such a realised one does not return any more.
3 vijnaatavyam atah samyag Therefore, one should fully realise
4 brahma abhinnatvam aatmanah. the identity between Brahman and his own Self.

157

This is the formal parting moment, the last verse of Part 3, entitled Manana. Our
approach to it is similar to that in the last verse. As one may expect in any parting of two
people, it consists of two poignant aspects:

No Return to Transmigration
1-2 The leap from being a Witness to being in Oneness may be compared to a
swimmer on the diving board about to make a dive. In the context of the Guru-disciple
relationship, there is a similar moment about to take place. Once the swimmer leaves the
springboard, he does not return to it. In the same way, once the aspirant leaves the diving-
board of the “I” thought, he dives straight into the waters of Brahman, into the realm of
Oneness, never to return!
The disciple is going to leave shortly, and be on his own for quite a while – till
Nididhyasa is complete. Will they ever meet? Will the disciple be recognized if they do?
If all goes as per plan, it will be a different person that returns. He will no longer be
‘of this world’; this world would have ended for him. He will belong to ‘the other world’. He
will be born into the infinite world of Brahman, with no connection to the mundane world
any longer. Figuratively, this is the thought that perhaps crosses the Guru’s mind as he says
these parting words.

“Realise and Be Free!”
The second aspect is to actually say the words, “Goodbye!” He says it in Vedantic
language, “Realise and be free!”
Words carry different meanings according to context. Swami Vivekananda says every
night to his disciples at Belur Math, “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.”
Using a full-stop to end his utterance would be normal in this case. But when he says the
same words at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, addressing the whole world,
the meaning changes dramatically, and it will have to end with an exclamation mark!
Here we have a similar case. The Guru says, “Realise God and be free.” Normally that
would call for a philosophical discussion. But here, it means, “I wish you all the success in
the task ahead. Be at it. I have full confidence that you will succeed – you will realize and
you will be free forever, my son!”
Thus ends Part 3 on Manana, revealing the great power of Discrimination.

END OF PART 3
*****

158

MILESTONES IN SADHANA
(A General Pictorial Map of the Whole Spiritual Path)
DESIRE SCALE
(a rough idea)
MAJOR
DIVISIONS
PHASES &
MILESTONES
VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
REF. & STEPS

JNANA
KANDA

PHASE V
JIVANMUKTI
Illumination
PARTS 7, 8 & 9
NIRVIKALPA SAMADHI
Full Abidance in Self
5. Sthitaprajna: Attain Steady Wisdom – Zero Vasanas
PHASE IV
DHYANA YOGA
Meditation
PARTS 4, 5 & 6
NIDIDHYASANA
Intermittant Abidance in Self
4. Yoga-Roodhah: Complete Mounting* – Quietude, Zero doubts
PHASE III
JNANA YOGA
Firm Knowledge
PART 3
MANANA
Reflect & Enquire
3. Yoga-Yuktah: Attain Equipoise – Reduce External Activities
PHASE II
BHAKTI YOGA
Dispassion
PART 2
SRAVANA
Receive Knowledge of Self
2. Aarurukshah: Start Mounting* – Begin Om Japa
PHASE I
KARMA YOGA
Burn Out Karmas
PART 1
GURU UPASADANA
Approach & Serve Guru
Jnana Kandi 1. Saadhaka: Renounce fruits of Actions – Reduce Karmas
UPASANA
KANDA
SIXFOLD VIRTUES
Devotion & Japa
THE AWAKENING
Upaasaka Grihasthi & Vanaprasthi: Increase Chitta Shuddhi, Chitta Ekagrata
KARMA
KANDA
Start Reducing Desire
Perfection in Work
Secular Studies
PART 1
THE PREPARATION
Karma Kandi Brahmachari in Gurukula: Follow Dharma (Righteous Conduct)

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159

VIVEKA CHUDAMANI – Vol.2

PART 4: (Verses 225-266, 42 No.)

NIDIDHYASANA 1 – Theoretical Aspects

4.1 THE VISION OF ONENESS

(Verses 225 – 236, 12 No.)

NIDIDHYASANA IS THE THEME of Part 4 and Part 5. It is the step in Vedantic
Sadhana that follows Manana, which follows Sravana. A good way to grasp these three steps
and their interconnection is to see them from the angle of what each stage achieves:

 SRAVANA: Removes Abhavana, or the doubt about the existence of Reality.
 MANANA: Removes Asambhavana, or the doubt whether we can actually attain it.
 NIDIDHYASANA: Removes Viparita Bhavana, or obstructions caused by latent desires.

Nididhyasana is the Vedantic form of meditation in which the meditator always
keeps before him the goal of attaining oneness with the Supreme Reality, Brahman. There is
a Theoretical part to Nididhyasana, dealt with in this Chapter, which concerns getting to
know more about Brahman. There is also the Practical part of Nididhyasana, dealt with in
the next Chapter, which concerns difficulties which one encounters such as the removal of
Viparita Bhavana and the danger of inadvertance.
We begin the theory with the vision of Oneness, the goal of Vedantic meditation.

Verse 225: What is Universal Consciousness?

xÉirÉÇ ¥ÉÉlÉqÉlÉliÉÇ oÉë¼ ÌuÉzÉÑ®Ç mÉUÇ xuÉiÉÈÍxÉ®qÉç |
ÌlÉirÉÉlÉlSæMüUxÉÇ mÉëirÉaÉÍpÉ³ÉÇ ÌlÉUliÉUÇ eÉrÉÌiÉ || 225||

1 satyam jnaanam anantam brahma Brahman is Existence Knowledge Bliss Absolute
2 vishuddham param svatahsiddham; extremely pure, transcendental, self-existing,
3 nitya ananda ekarasam pratyag eternal, indivisible Bliss, from the inner Self
4 abhinnam nirantaram jayati. not different, and ever victorious!

1-4 The opening verse appropriately begins by giving us an idea of who or what
Brahman is. After all, He is to be the subject of our meditation in this entire Part, so we had
better get to know as much about as possible.

160

BRAHMAN – A CONCEPT UNIQUE TO HINDUISM

BRAHMAN IS THE PILLAR upon which the Vedas stand. He is the subject of every
Upanishad. As a concept, He is unique to the Vedic Scriptures. Other than in India, the
equivalent of Brahman in world religious literature is rarely found. The idea of there being a
Reality that is all-pervading, all-knowing, of the nature of Existence, is unique to India.
In addition to there being this Universal Reality called Brahman, it is also stated in
the Vedas that man can attain Brahmanhood, the state of being fully identified with
Brahman, the state of spiritual enlightenment wherein one is no different from Brahman.
Thus, Brahman becomes the goal of spiritual seekers. Some religions consider this to be
blasphemous; they cannot see how the perfect man can be on par with God. This is due to
their narrow definition of God.
Brahman, the Supreme Reality, is the Divine Universal Being as described in this
verse. He is the impersonal Reality which supports everything that is created, subtle or
gross. This impersonality is a problem to other world religions which are built upon a single
Divine Personality who is the sole messenger or Prophet of God. Such a limited idea also
exists within Hinduism, but it subserves and supports the main idea of the impersonal God.
Not only is Brahman of the Upanishads an impersonal transcendental Reality that is
beyond all worldliness, but He is also equally immanent in creation. This means He is also
present within all creation, within every object and living creature. Such a universal concept
of Reality is not to be found in the other religions of the world.

The Religious Hospitality of Hinduism

Due largely to the broad definition of Brahman, Hindus are characteristically a very
large-hearted people and can absorb the ideas of foreign religions into their own quite
comfortably. Their philosophy is so all-encompassing that Hindus are able to accommodate
all other religions. India has been a land of refuge for many religious groups who have been
persecuted elsewhere in the world. Some of these groups have settled in India for many
centuries and become absorbed in Hindu society quite easily.
However, religions which have not been as broad-minded and tolerant as Hinduism
and who have for political reasons retained a strong identity of their own, have hit into
many difficulties in India. Despite Hinduism’s generous spirit of accommodating them, they
have been belligerent towards the religion of the land which has given them refuge when
they were under persecution. Yet, India still sees them as Her children. This is not seen in
other parts of the world, where religious intolerance is practiced openly, and minorities
have to live with strict limitations or leave the country or allow themselves to lose their
identity. India’s large-heartedness stands out in contrast to this.
In India, thanks to the limitlessness of Brahman, this has never happened. No one is
threatened with death for their beliefs, unless they themselves become a threat to others.
India has seen bloodshed in the name of religion only because of the intolerance of religions
having political objectives in view.

161

Verse 226: That SAT (the Reality) Alone Is

xÉÌSSÇ mÉUqÉÉ²æiÉÇ xuÉxqÉÉSlrÉxrÉ uÉxiÉÑlÉÉåÅpÉÉuÉÉiÉç |
lÉ ½lrÉSÎxiÉ ÌMüÎgcÉiÉç xÉqrÉMçü mÉUqÉÉjÉïiÉ¨uÉoÉÉåkÉSzÉÉrÉÉqÉç || 226||

1
sat idam parama
advaitam svasmaad
This Absolute Oneness alone is real,
because the Self is one without a second;
2 anyasya vastunah abhaavaat; there is nothing other than the Self.
3 na hi anyat asti kinchit samyak Truly, there is no other independent entity
4
paramaartha-tattva
bodha-dashaayaam.
The supreme Truth is the Principle
that is to be known and realised..

“Nothing is greater than God; and (in case that seems egoistic to critics) nothing is
lesser than God, too!”
Acharyaji gave a good anecdote of a person who went to his bank to withdraw
money from his own account. Asked for proof of his identity, he pulled out his pocket
mirror, looked into it for a while, then turned to the teller and said, “Yes, it is me. I am the
right person!”
Other than the Absolute, there is nothing else. The theme of “The Vision of Oneness”
is the anthem of Vedanta, its very pulse. In the minds of many people, Vedanta means
Oneness only. That is due to the Reality which is upheld by Vedanta. The Brahman which
Vedanta proclaims is pure Oneness by its very definition.
Before we enter the practical aspects of meditation, it is but proper that we should
clearly understand what is to be meditated upon.

Verse 227: Brahman is the Universe

rÉÌSSÇ xÉMüsÉÇ ÌuÉµÉÇ lÉÉlÉÉÃmÉÇ mÉëiÉÏiÉqÉ¥ÉÉlÉÉiÉç |
iÉixÉuÉïÇ oÉë¼æuÉ mÉëirÉxiÉÉzÉåwÉpÉÉuÉlÉÉSÉåwÉqÉç || 227||

1 yat idam sakalam vishvam That which is this entire universe,
2
naanaa-roopam prateetam
ajnaanaat;
appearing in infinite forms
because of ignorance,
3 tat sarvam brahma eva That is in fact Brahman alone
4
pratyastaa-sheshha
bhaavanaa-doshham.
when viewed free from all
limitations of thought.

Acharyaji gave a beautiful example to help us grasp the apparent contradiction. A
person goes into a pitch-dark room with a lit Agarbati. He is waving it rapidly in a circular
formation. Another person who enters that darkness sees a circle of light, which we know is
one light but registering rapidly as a series of lights so as to appear as a continuous circle of
light. The second person swears that it is a circle, knowing no better. Only when the incense
is kept still does he see only one point of light.
Similarly, the Many is actually One only, not two or more. Only in appearance do we
see Many.

162

In a room with many mirrors, a person will see a number of ‘himselves’, but he
knows that he is only One. He is like Brahman, and the many images of himself are the
creation in the world. A Vedantic student has to learn to grasp this point thoroughly; the
actual experience of it would, of course, be better.
Names and forms keep changing, but the essential quality of Brahmanhood remains
the same in everything. Here is another example.

Children & Sweets
The children had just returned from an outing with their Dad. They were comparing
what each had bought. Each child had sweets formed into different creatures such as lion,
elephant, rabbit, etc. Dad felt he had to stop the kids from quarreling over the shapes. “They
are all the same; they are just sweets!” he said.
The children wondered what had come over Dad suddenly. He was all right that
morning. What was wrong with him now? The children were not interested in the taste one
bit, they were only carried away by the shapes. It was impossible for Dad to make them
understand his viewpoint as long as they held on to theirs vehemently.
That explains why quarrels take place among people over religion – differing
standpoints, adhered to tenaciously, make a perfect stage for an argumentative display of
verbal fireworks, perhaps even a war!

Verse 228: A Pot is Only Clay

qÉ×iMüÉrÉïpÉÔiÉÉåÅÌmÉ qÉ×SÉå lÉ ÍpÉ³ÉÈ
MÑüqpÉÉåÅÎxiÉ xÉuÉï§É iÉÑ qÉ×ixuÉÃmÉÉiÉç |
lÉ MÑüqpÉÃmÉÇ mÉ×jÉaÉÎxiÉ MÑüqpÉÈ MÑüiÉÉå
qÉ×wÉÉ MüÎsmÉiÉlÉÉqÉqÉÉ§ÉÈ || 228||

1
mrit kaaryabhootah api
mridah na bhinnah
Though only a modification of clay,
and not really different from clay,
2
kumbhah asti sarvatra
tu mritsvaroopaat;
a pot is, in every part of it,
indeed, only the form of clay;
3
na kumbha roopam prithag asti
kumbhah kutah
Apart from the form, a pot is nothing else.
So why call it a pot? (Why not just clay?)
4 mrishhaa kalpita naama maatrah. A false and fancied name it merely is!

1-2 A sage is a sage because he sees the world differently from ordinary men. Where
we see a solid, real object (pot), the sage sees only a form of the Reality (clay) which is
something very different from that form. The clay is in every part of the pot but our deluded
eyes cannot see it. It is what the entire pot is made of, yet it just slips past our vision.
3-4 The falsity of names and forms is brought out in this verse, with a good
smattering on the play of words. The poetic way in which the falsity is brought out is a
lesson in itself. It shows why the objects of the world are held so lightly by a sage. Just as
this verse is a mere jugglery of words, so too, to the sage the world is just a jugglery of
names and forms. We do not see a pot as clay, but as a form. So long as we are carried away
by the name and the form, the Truth of clay will continue to elude us.

163

Verse 229: Pot is an Illusion Caused by Delusion

MåülÉÉÌmÉ qÉ×Î°³ÉiÉrÉÉ xuÉÃmÉÇ
bÉOûxrÉ xÉlSzÉïÌrÉiÉÑÇ lÉ zÉYrÉiÉå |
AiÉÉå bÉOûÈ MüÎsmÉiÉ LuÉ qÉÉåWûÉ-
lqÉ×SåuÉ xÉirÉÇ mÉUqÉÉjÉïpÉÔiÉqÉç || 229||

1
kena api mrid-bhinnatayaa
svaroopam ghatasya
Is there anyone to whom, other than as mud,
the essence of a pot as something else
2 sandarshayitum na shakyate; is seen to be? No, it is just not possible!
3 atah ghatah kalpitah eva mohaat So, the pot is a mere illusion due to delusion.
4 mrit eva satyam paramaartha-bhootam. Mud alone is its enduring reality.

To the same simile of pot and clay is now added the dimension of delusion. The
explanation for our attention being arrested by the pot and overlooking the clay is Delusion.
1-2 Can anyone ever make the mistake of thinking that the pot is made of something
other than clay? No, there is not a chance of that happening. It would be an absurd thing to
happen . . . . unless, of course, there is . . .
3-4 . . . the presence of Delusion. Yes, if delusion is there, anything is possible, for
delusion does not see reason. A deluded man can see two where there is only one, he could
see a train moving when really it is standing still and the train adjacent to it is moving.
When a pot is clearly there before the eyes, and one cannot see the clay it is made
of, there is certainly an acute delusion that is causing it.

The Effect of Bhang:
Bhang is a drug that is smoked commonly in India. Its effect is rather peculiar. If one
laughs when taking it, he continues to laugh until the effect is over. If he is crying when
taking it, he continues to cry. One man once took bhang while thinking, “I want to go
home.” He went on saying “I want to go home”. The people around him did not understand
why. They tried asking him where his house was, but, alas, they received only one line from
him, repeatedly. They found his passbook, and traced his home from there. Even when they
deposited him in his home, he went on saying, “I want to go home”.
The father, who in his early years had enough experience with bhang himself, knew
exactly what to do. He got a bucket of cold water and flung it over his drugged son. After a
few minutes the same sentences faded off, “I want…..to……..go….ho….ho…HOME!” And
there the effect of the bhang finally ended.
Delusion is like a dose of bhang. We cannot see Reality until the drug wears out!

Verse 230: Universe is the Illusion

xÉSèoÉë¼MüÉrÉïÇ xÉMüsÉÇ xÉSåuÉÇ
iÉlqÉÉ§ÉqÉåiÉ³É iÉiÉÉåÅlrÉSÎxiÉ |
AxiÉÏÌiÉ rÉÉå uÉÌ£ü lÉ iÉxrÉ qÉÉåWûÉå
ÌuÉÌlÉaÉïiÉÉå ÌlÉÌSìiÉuÉimÉëeÉsmÉÈ || 230||

164

1
sat brahma-kaaryam sakalam
sat evam tanmaatram
So also, being only the effect of Brahman,
this entire universe itself, in essence,
2 etat na tatah anyat asti; cannot exist apart from Brahman.
3
asti iti yah vakti
na tasya mohah
Anyone who says that “It (the world) is”
has not come out of delusion yet.
4 vinirgatah nidritavat prajalpah. He twaddles like one who has gone to deep sleep.

The simile is now applied. The technical Samskrit term for simile is Drishtaanta, and
for the application it is Daashtaantika.
1-2 The clay is Brahman and the pot is the entire universe. Just as there can be no
pot without clay, so also, there can be no universe without Brahman, its Substratum.
3-4 If anyone, not recognising Brahman, says that the world is real, he is still in deep
delusion. How can the state of such a person be described? One description is to compare
him to someone who is asleep. To a person who is in sleep, what does it matter what his
bed is made of, or what the colour of his bedsheet is, or even whether he is snoring or not?
He is completely unaware of these things while sleeping.
The man who is still in delusion is just the same; he cannot recognise Brahman!

Verse 231: The Substratum & the Superimposition

oÉë¼æuÉåSÇ ÌuÉµÉÍqÉirÉåuÉ uÉÉhÉÏ
´ÉÉæiÉÏ oÉëÔiÉåÅjÉuÉïÌlÉ¸É uÉËU¸É |
iÉxqÉÉSåiÉSèoÉë¼qÉÉ§ÉÇ ÌWû ÌuÉµÉÇ
lÉÉÍkÉ¸ÉlÉÉÎ°³ÉiÉÉÅÅUÉåÌmÉiÉxrÉ || 231||

1 brahma eva idam vishvam iti “This entire universe is Brahman” –
2
eva vaanee shrautee, broote
atharva-nishhthaa varishhthaa;
This is the declaration of the Shrutis;
It is what the Atharva Veda* emphatically declares.
3
tasmaat etat brahma-maatram
hi vishvam
Therefore, Brahman alone is
indeed this universe.
4
na adhishhthaanaat
bhinnataa aaropitasya.
For no superimposition can there be
that is independent of its substratum.
* This is quoted in Mundaka Upanishad, 2.2.11, which is within the Atharva Veda.

1-2 In terms of the argument that is building up, this statement gives the scriptural
side of the argument. It is totally opposite to the viewpoint, “The entire universe is Real,”
which finds no support in the scriptures.
3-4 The scriptures make their claim even stronger by denying the existence of any
“second Brahman”. There can only be one Brahman, one Reality, not two. To fortify this
stand, it is essential, philosophically, to assert that the world is a superimposition, and that
no superimposition can ever be of the same status as the Substratum. On this the scriptures
are as clear as crystal, and unyielding. They cannot afford to yield on this point.

165

Verse 232: Three Defects of Taking World as Real

xÉirÉÇ rÉÌS xrÉÉ‹aÉSåiÉSÉiqÉlÉÉåÅ
lÉliÉ¨uÉWûÉÌlÉÌlÉïaÉqÉÉmÉëqÉÉhÉiÉÉ |
AxÉirÉuÉÉÌSiuÉqÉmÉÏÍzÉiÉÑÈ xrÉÉlÉç-
lÉæåiÉi§ÉrÉÇ xÉÉkÉÑ ÌWûiÉÇ qÉWûÉiqÉlÉÉqÉç || 232||

1 satyam yadi syaat jagat etat If the universe as it is, is regarded as Reality, then:
2
aatmanah anantattva haanih,
nigama apramaanataa;
i) The Self would lose its infinitude;
ii) The Vedic scriptures would lose their validity;
3 asatya-vaaditvam api eeshituh syaat iii) The Lord will bear the defect of being a liar.
4
na etat trayam saadhu
hitam mahaatmanaam.
None of these three is considered acceptable or
wholesome by pure-minded souls.

1 The text now moves to consider what will happen to Vedanta’s solid foundation if
the Vedantin becomes careless enough to admit even the tiniest bit of reality to the world.
We have already gone through five levels of falsity: they are form, name,
imagination, delusion and superimposition. After having taken all this trouble, how foolish
would it be to let this foundation slip by simply admitting a fraction of reality to the world!
2-3 This is how Vedanta would be swept off its feet if such a thing were admitted:
Three defects would arise:
i) Brahman will not be Infinite; there will be two or more Realities;
ii) The scriptures will be falsified;
iii) The Lord will have to be called a liar.
In fact, these are actually only one big Defect – it is Absurdity! The “World-is-Real”
view runs totally contrary to the scriptures, contrary to the Lord’s teaching in the Geeta, and
contrary to the view of wise sages. It has to be denied at all costs.
We have just seen that the world is taken to be real because we have given undue
importance to name and form (the pot), and relegated the spiritual basis (the clay) to a
secondary status. Name and form lead to imagination, delusion and superimposition. All
these five levels of falsity go contrary to the principles by which Reality is accepted by wise
ones. Certainly, the scriptures cannot promote superficial values under the guise of Reality.
4 Since these are considered unacceptable charges laid on the Lord, no wise person
will dare to accord the world even the slightest trace of reality.
How does one avoid seeing the world as Reality? A dog can show us how . . .

Feeding the Dog
Imagine we are feeding a dog. We give him roti; he gobbles it up. We give him rotis
of different sizes and shapes; he gobbles them up, too. We try other varieties of food; he
gobbles them up also. The point is that the dog is seeing one thing alone in all of them – he
sees them as FOOD alone. He is not interested in their names, sizes and shapes. We are
talking of an ordinary dog, not a realized dog!
The last verses in this section bring the “World is Real” case to a fitting closure.

166

Verse 233: The Lord’s Words in the Geeta

DµÉUÉå uÉxiÉÑiÉ¨uÉ¥ÉÉå lÉ cÉÉWÇû iÉåwuÉuÉÎxjÉiÉÈ |
lÉ cÉ qÉixjÉÉÌlÉ pÉÔiÉÉlÉÏirÉåuÉqÉåuÉ urÉcÉÏYsÉ×mÉiÉç || 233||

1 eeshvarah vastu-tattvajnah The Lord knows the secret of all things:
2 na cha aham teshhu avasthitah; “But I do not live in them…”,
3 na cha matsthaani bhootaani “Nor do beings exist in Me.”
4 iti evam eva vyacheeklripat. These words from the Gita, support His view.

The previous verse is substantiated in this verse by quoting the Bhagavad Geeta. The
“World-is-True” view is being refuted by taking a closer look at each of the three defects.

Lord Krishna’s Declaration
The Lord, as the knower of both, the Reality of Brahman as well as the Unreality of
the world, is in the best position to give the true verdict on them. He says “I (meaning
Himself as the Reality) am not in them (meaning the things of this world), nor are they in
Me.” These apparently contradictory words of the Lord are explained by sages as follows:
2 “I am not in them” – Brahman is not in the joys and sorrows experienced by man in
the world through his body and mind. The train of vanity behind the world is rejected.
3 “They are not in Me” – because ‘they’ are not really there; they only appear to be
there. They are not real objects, but only apparent in nature, superimposed on Brahman.
Brahman is not affected by them one bit. The unreality of the world is not accepted.
The only relationship acceptable between World and Brahman is superimposition
and Substratum. A thing that is superimposed can have no reality in itself.

Verse 234: Universe is False & Unreal

rÉÌS xÉirÉÇ pÉuÉåÌ²µÉÇ xÉÑwÉÑmiÉÉuÉÑmÉsÉprÉiÉÉqÉç |
rÉ³ÉÉåmÉsÉprÉiÉå ÌMüÎgcÉSiÉÉåÅxÉixuÉmlÉuÉlqÉ×wÉÉ || 234||

1 yadi satyam bhavet vishvam If the universe were true, it would have
2 sushhuptau upalabhyataam; been perceived even in the deep sleep state.
3 yat na upalabhyate kinchid As it is not at all perceived there,
4 atah asat svapnavat mrishhaa. it must be, like dream, false and unreal.

1-4 All the three defects arise due to taking the world as being real. In this verse this
view is directly refuted by proving that the world is not constantly present. It is absent in the
deep sleep state, partially present in dream, and fully present only in the waking state. A
candidate for Reality has to be uniformly present under all situations.
Even in the waking state, the world is changing all the time. Hence, its true
assessment is that it can have only “dream” reality. The world is to be considered only as a
dream, nothing more and nothing less.

167

Verse 235: A Superimposition Cannot be Independent

AiÉÈ mÉ×jÉXçlÉÉÎxiÉ eÉaÉimÉUÉiqÉlÉÈ
mÉ×jÉYmÉëiÉÏÌiÉxiÉÑ qÉ×wÉÉ aÉÑhÉÉÌSuÉiÉç |
AÉUÉåÌmÉiÉxrÉÉÎxiÉ ÌMüqÉjÉïuÉ¨ÉÉ-
ÅÍkÉ¸ÉlÉqÉÉpÉÉÌiÉ iÉjÉÉ pÉëqÉåhÉ || 235||

1
atah prithak na asti jagat
paraatmanah
Since the world does not exist independent
of the Supreme Self;
2
prithak prateetih tu mrishhaa
gunaadivat;
the notion of its separateness is as false,
as that of Reality possessing any “qualities”.
3 aaropitasya asti kim arthavattaa Can there be an independent superimposition?
4
adhishhthaanam aabhaati
tathaa bhramena.
In fact, the substratum is itself mistaken
to be a superimposition, through delusion!

This verse refutes the “World-is-True” theory outright. It is the climax of the
argument. Some opposition may still say, “Okay, let it be considered inferior in status to
Brahman. We don’t mind that. But at the least you cannot deny that it exists. Surely you
have to agree on this point.”
1 The Vedantin can sense that if the opponent is given an inch in this matter, he will
take a yard! The moment even some reality is conceded to the world, the opponent will
claim everything in favour of the world. The Vedantin has to emphatically deny the world all
status of reality. There cannot be another entity that can claim reality with Brahman,
neither an “inferior reality” nor a “separate reality”. If there is, soon it will be argued to be
another parallel ‘Brahman’. That is inevitable in philosophy.
2 Hence the Vedantin puts forth his counter argument: “No, not even a separate
existence for the world. To give it any existence at all would be as foolish as ascribing any
qualities or properties on Brahman. We know that that will be your next step.
3 “We are sorry to tell you that there simply cannot be an independent
superimposition. To have such a thing would be as ludicrous as to have a Substratum that is
dependent on its superimposition!” No, the World cannot be given the status of being even
separate from Brahman.
4 The error that was predicted in verse 231, is now presented by the text itself:
Under delusion only is it possible not only to see the world as being real, but to see
Brahman as being superimposed upon it! What an advanced stage of delusion must that be!
Thus we are advised by the Vedantic sage never to see the world as being real.

Verse 236: Deluded View of World

pÉëÉliÉxrÉ rÉ±SèpÉëqÉiÉÈ mÉëiÉÏiÉÇ
oÉë¼æuÉ iÉ¨ÉSìeÉiÉÇ ÌWû zÉÑÌ£üÈ |
CSliÉrÉÉ oÉë¼ xÉSæuÉ ÃmrÉiÉå
iuÉÉUÉåÌmÉiÉÇ oÉë¼ÍhÉ lÉÉqÉqÉÉ§ÉqÉç || 236||

168

1
bhraantasya yat yat
bhramatah prateetam
To a deluded man, whatever he perceives,
appears to him as a delusion;
2
brahma eva tat tat rajatam
hi shuktih;
Even Brahman Himself and all that is true,
appears only as the silver in a mother-of-pearl.
3
idantayaa brahma sat eva
roopyate
All this, which in reality is Brahman or truth,
appears only as a form (as this world);
4
tu aaropitam brahmani
naama-maatram.
Everything that is merely superimposed on Brahman,
appears only as name.

This is the final take on the Vision of Oneness.
1-2 To one who is deluded, and that means to the majority of us, whatever we see is
a delusion. Even Brahman Himself, if He had a form, will only appear as a form – yes, a
beautiful, shining form, but only a form. In delusion, we cannot expect anything more.
3-4 The delusion permits only name and form to filter through to our mind and
intellect. That is the tragedy of perception. We see only the superficial form, denoted by an
airy name. It is this fundamental error of perception that we hope to correct through
meditation in the Nididhyasana stage of Sadhana.

Meditation Redefined
Nididhyasana is meditation with a distinct Vedantic tilt to it. That tilt is to ensure that
we keep our intellect focussed on the Reality. This is why in this first chapter it is very
important that we clearly differentiated between the World and Brahman. If we see the
world as name and form, we are bound to be staggered by the multiplicity. If we see the
World as a manifestation of Brahman, then alone can we hope to obtain a vision of Oneness
in and through the World.
The sole obstacle in our perception of Oneness is Delusion. That is what this Chapter
has been trying to make us aware of. This concluding verse summarises the predicament
facing the spiritual seeker of Truth. As long as we are captivated by the external glitter of
the ‘mother-of-pearl’ so long we are to understand that we are still gripped by delusion.
The practice of Nididhyasana can become fruitful only when we are free from the
influence of name and form as we encounter it in the external world. That is the starting
point of Nididhyasana. It is a huge pre-qualification. It has to be – the prize is so huge!
If the prize is worth it, so is the pre-qualification for it.

*****

169

4.2 THE NATURE OF BRAHMAN

(Verses 237 – 240, 4 No.)

BRAHMAN IS THE REALITY. That Reality, we are told, cannot be seen with the
senses. We cannot see Brahman as we may see and feel a fruit in the palm of our hand.
Such being the case, to whom do we turn to find out more about Brahman? Some help is
needed so that at least we know how we may recognise Him during our meditation.
This Chapter provides a basic framework about the Nature of Brahman. When we
count the items listed in the next four verses, it comes to 25. Of what significance is that? –
absolutely no significance; how can the Infinite Brahman ever be described in one word, let
alone 25? Understanding Brahman is not a numerical accomplishment. At the end of this
chapter, we will not be able to say, “I know 25 times more about Brahman than when I
started.”
What we can say, however, is this: “By the Grace of a great Teacher and spiritual
Master, I have been given 25 opportunities to focus my intellect on a very abstract Reality of
which I know very little at present.”
These 25 opportunities, if taken in the spirit in which they have been given by Sri
Shankaracharyaji, are so many pointers to keep our focus on Brahman and to discover Him
within during the course of meditation. We can even view them as 25 implements kept in
the foyer of our meditation room. We pick up one of them before entering the room, and
use it during our meditation to dig out the ‘heaps of rubble’ that have piled up in our mind.
As we progress through these 25 opportunities or implements, with humility and
prayer to the Divine for His guidance, our intellect will gain more clarity of the Reality we are
seeking. That will certainly make our meditation more and more effective day by day.

Verse 237: Defining Characteristics of Reality, 1-7

AiÉÈ mÉUÇ oÉë¼ xÉSÌ²iÉÏrÉÇ
ÌuÉzÉÑ®ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉbÉlÉÇ ÌlÉUgeÉlÉqÉç |
mÉëzÉÉliÉqÉÉ±liÉÌuÉWûÏlÉqÉÌ¢ürÉÇ
ÌlÉUliÉUÉlÉlSUxÉxuÉÃmÉqÉç || 237||

1
atah param brahma
sat adviteeyam
So then, the Supreme Brahman is:
1. the non-dual Reality;
2
vishuddha-vijnaana-ghanam
niranjanam;
2. Full of pure knowledge that lights up the Essence
of all things; 3. it is taintless;
3
prashaantam aadi-anta-
viheenam akriyam
4. supreme peace; 5. timeless, without beginning
or end, and 6. actionless (free of all activity).
4 nirantara aananda-rasa-svaroopam. 7. It is always of the nature of Absolute Bliss.

170

Verse 238: Characteristics Contd., 8-17

ÌlÉUxiÉqÉÉrÉÉM×üiÉxÉuÉïpÉåSÇ
ÌlÉirÉÇ xÉÑZÉÇ ÌlÉwMüsÉqÉmÉëqÉårÉqÉç |
AÃmÉqÉurÉ£üqÉlÉÉZrÉqÉurÉrÉÇ
erÉÉåÌiÉÈ xuÉrÉÇ ÌMüÎgcÉÌSSÇ cÉMüÉÎxiÉ || 238||

1 nirasta maayaakrita sarva-bhedam 8. It Transcends Maya and all Her diversities;
2
nityam sukham nishhkalam
aprameyam; aroopam avyaktam
9. Eternal; 10. the essence of Joy; 11. Indivisible;
12. Immeasurable; 13. Formless; 14. Unmanifest;
3 anaakhyam avyayam 15. Nameless; 16. Immutable (Homogenous);
4
jyotih svayam
kinchit idam chakaasti.
17. Self-effulgent;
Whatever is manifested is That only.

Verse 239: Characteristics Contd. 18-22

¥ÉÉiÉ×¥ÉårÉ¥ÉÉlÉzÉÔlrÉqÉlÉliÉÇ ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉMüqÉç |
MåüuÉsÉÉZÉhQûÍcÉlqÉÉ§ÉÇ mÉUÇ iÉ¨uÉÇ ÌuÉSÒoÉÑïkÉÉÈ || 239||

1
jnaatru-jneya-jnaana-shoonyam 18. Free from the Triads or distinctions of knower,
the known and knowledge;
2 anantam nirvikalpakam; 19. Infinite; 20. Transcendental;
3 kevala akhanda chinmaatram 21. Pure; 22. Indivisible; 2. Absolute Knowledge.
4 param tattvam vidurbudhaah. Such is the Supreme Truth sages have realized.

Verse 240: Characteristics Contd. 23-25

AWåûrÉqÉlÉÑmÉÉSårÉÇ qÉlÉÉåuÉÉcÉÉqÉaÉÉåcÉUqÉç |
AmÉëqÉårÉqÉlÉÉ±liÉÇ oÉë¼ mÉÔhÉïqÉWÇû qÉWûÈ || 240||

1
aheyam
anupaadeyam
It can 23. neither be rejected, diminished or subtracted;
24. nor accepted, accumulated or added;
2 mano-vaachaam agocharam; 25. beyond the limits of mind and speech;
3 aprameyam anaadi-antam 12. Immeasurable; 5. without beginning and end;
4
brahma poornam
aham mahah.
Such is the All-full Brahman or Reality;
such is the glorious Self or Atman, the true “I”!

In these verses, we are told how the sages of realization see Brahman – with no
sense of distinction any more in their vision. When we have completed the whole process of
negation and there is nothing more to be “rejected or accepted”, then we come face to face
with our real nature, the Self. But it is impossible to express its glory.
All these terms indicate the Atman. Swami Chinmayanandaji considers them to be:
“twenty-five exercises in deep meditation for developed Sadhakas. None of them defines

171

Reality, but each one suggests and directly points out the essential Self behind the mind and
its agitations.”
Acharyaji said:
“The eye that sees Him has no tongue to describe him; and the
tongue which can speak of Him has not seen Him.”
“Brahman misrepresented by our misconception is the ‘world’.
The 25 pointers given above, and the many more that can be conceived to convey
the same idea of Brahman, are a meeting point between Vedanta and Zen Buddhism. There
may be differences, of course, but differences are not as constructive as similarities to a
spiritual seeker. Vedanta echoes the truths discovered through any other path open to
spiritual seekers.

*****

The “Eyes of Meditation”

172

4.3 “TAT TWAM ASI” MAHAVAKYA

(Verses 241 – 249, 9 No.)

AN IMPORTANT THEORETICAL point is now brought into the discussion that assists
the seeker during the Nididhyasana stage of his Sadhana. We have been made aware that
Oneness with Reality is the goal of Vedantic meditation. How is Oneness attained in
practice? Some theoretical help on this matter is now given.
The Upanishads have many terse sayings in them called Mahavakyas, meaning
“Great Sentences”. Every Mahavakya expresses the same idea of Oneness with slight
variations. In this Chapter we are going to take up the Mahavakya “Tat Twam Asi”, which
means “That Thou Art”, and occurs in the Chhandogya Upanishad. We shall explore it to find
out what exactly it teaches us about attaining Oneness.
Explanations on Tat Twam Asi are found in many texts. A simple version is in Tattwa
Bodha; a more detailed one in Vedanta Sara; a practical one is in Chhandogya Upanishad,
Chapter 6 itself; Sri Shankaracharyaji himself has written a very detailed one in Vakya Vritti.
All these are a part of the Sandeepany Course.
Upon grasping this intellectually, we shall be in a better position to keep focussed in
our meditational practices. Theory and practice are thus made to work hand in hand.

Verse 241: The Mahavakya “That Thou Art” – an Overview

iÉ¨uÉqmÉSÉprÉÉqÉÍpÉkÉÏrÉqÉÉlÉrÉÉåÈ
oÉë¼ÉiqÉlÉÉåÈ zÉÉåÍkÉiÉrÉÉårÉïSÏijÉqÉç |
´ÉÑirÉÉ iÉrÉÉåxiÉ¨uÉqÉxÉÏÌiÉ xÉqrÉaÉç
LMüiuÉqÉåuÉ mÉëÌiÉmÉÉ±iÉå qÉÑWÒûÈ || 241 ||

1
tat-tvam-padaabhyaam
abhidheeyamaanayoh
By the terms TAT ‘That’ and TWAM ‘Thou’
are indicated respectively two technical principles:
2
brahma aatmanoh
shodhitayoh yat eettham;
Ishwara, the macrocosm, and Jiva, the microcosm.
When their conditionings are eliminated in a way that
3
shrutyaa tayoh
tat-tvam-asi iti samyag
the Shrutis prescribe, i.e. by taking their absolute or
implied meanings, then “TAT-TWAM-ASI” refers to:
4
ekatvam eva
pratipaadyate muhuh.
Brahman as the common identity (between Ishwara
and Jiva). This is established by repeated practice.

1-2 That refers to Ishwara, the Universal Soul; This to Jiva, the individual soul. These
are the two technical entities that are seen initially in contrast to each other, but when the
superimpositions are removed, their Substratum, viz. Brahman, is seen to be the same.
3-4 Removal of the superimpositions is done in accordance with the scriptures. By
developing a firm conviction of the resulting identity, one gets established in it.

173

Verse 242: Remove the Contradictory Qualities

LYrÉÇ iÉrÉÉåsÉïÍ¤ÉiÉrÉÉålÉï uÉÉcrÉrÉÉåÈ
ÌlÉaÉ±iÉåÅlrÉÉålrÉÌuÉÂ®kÉÍqÉïhÉÉåÈ |
ZÉ±ÉåiÉpÉÉluÉÉåËUuÉ UÉeÉpÉ×irÉrÉÉåÈ
MÔümÉÉqoÉÑUÉzrÉÉåÈ mÉUqÉÉhÉÑqÉåuÉÉåïÈ || 242||

1
ekyam tayoh lakshhitayoh na
vaachyayoh
The identity applies to their implied meanings,
not their literal meanings;
2
nigadyate anyonya viruddha
dharminoh;
The latter inculcates mutually contradictory or
opposite attributes between the two;
3
khadyota bhaanvoh iva
raajabhrityayoh
For example, between the glow-worm and the sun;
or between the king and his servants;
4
koopaamburaashyoh
paramaanumervoh.
or between a well and the ocean;
or between a tiny atom and Mount Meru.

The example of concentric circles is used to illustrate how Ishwara and Jiva are
identical in essence. From the same centre point, a small circle is the Jiva’s superimposition,
and a large circle is Ishwara’s superimposition. If we ignore the circles and consider only
their centres, both are identical. All their essential properties lie at the centre.
1-2 The literal meanings of Ishwara and Jiva are quite contradictory. Ishwara is the
omniscient Lord of Creation, and Jiva is steeped in ignorance and a slave of Maya. There is
no similarity seen in the literal meanings, only contradictions. But the implied meanings of
both are the same, viz. Brahman. Identity applies only to their implied meanings.
3-4 Four examples from Nature illustrate the same contrast. There are many other
instances in ordinary life when without a thought we shift from literal to implied meaning. A
person says, “I flew in yesterday”; he means he flew by plane, not as a bird on wings.
Another says, “He is a lion among men”; he means certain superior qualities, not that he has
actually become a lion.

Verse 243: The Conditionings are Different & Unreal

iÉrÉÉåÌuÉïUÉåkÉÉåÅrÉqÉÑmÉÉÍkÉMüÎsmÉiÉÉå
lÉ uÉÉxiÉuÉÈ MüÍ¶ÉSÒmÉÉÍkÉUåwÉÈ |
DzÉxrÉ qÉÉrÉÉ qÉWûSÉÌSMüÉUhÉÇ
eÉÏuÉxrÉ MüÉrÉïÇ zÉ×hÉÑ mÉgcÉMüÉåzÉqÉç || 243||

1
tayoh virodhah ayam
upaadhi-kalpitah
The difference between them is only
created by the superimposed Upadhi or conditioning.
2
na vaastavah kashchit
upaadhih eshhah;
In both cases, ‘Not Real’ are
these superimposed conditionings:
3
eeshasya maayaa
mahad-aadi kaaranam
In the case of Ishwara, the conditioning is Maya (predomi-
nantly Sattwic), resulting in creating the vast universe;
4
jeevasya kaaryam shrinu
panchakosham.
in the case of Jiva, the conditioning is Avidya, resulting in –
listen to this – the five sheaths that compose man.

174

1 Upadhis are one’s paraphernalia. A man in his office is not the same at home.
2 The superimpositions may be seen as being created of three threads of cotton
each of a different colour: the black thread of Tamas, the red thread of Rajas and the white
thread of Sattwa. Weaved from these three threads is every item of creation in all its
variety. When we are dismantling the superimpositions, we shift from the coloured cloth, to
the coloured threads, then from the colour to the cotton itself, and there we find that both
are made of the same stuff.
3 Here the conditionings or Upadhis are compared. Ishwara’s Upadhi is Maya, which
is Sattwa predominant and so it produces this vast, pure creation.
4 Jiva’s Upadhi is Avidya, which is predominantly Rajasic and Tamasic, and this
produces the five sheaths which constitute the human being.

Verse 244: Eliminating the Conditionings

LiÉÉuÉÑmÉÉkÉÏ mÉUeÉÏuÉrÉÉåxiÉrÉÉåÈ
xÉqrÉÎXçlÉUÉxÉå lÉ mÉUÉå lÉ eÉÏuÉÈ |
UÉerÉÇ lÉUålSìxrÉ pÉOûxrÉ ZÉåOûMü-
xiÉrÉÉåUmÉÉåWåû lÉ pÉOûÉå lÉ UÉeÉÉ || 244||

1
etau upaadhee
parajeevayoh tayoh
These two superimpositions
of Ishwara and Jiva respectively,
2
samyak niraase
na parah na jeevah;
when they are completely eliminated,
there is neither Ishwara nor Jiva;
3
raajyam narendrasya
bhatasya khetakah
Compare this to: When the kingdom of the King
and the shield of the soldier –
4
tayoh apohe
na bhatah na raajaa.
when both these are taken away,
there is neither the soldier nor the King.

1 The two superimpositions can be thought of as two masks, worn by Brahman.
When Brahman wears a white mask made of Maya or Sattwa, He appears as Ishwara. When
He wears a black mask made of Avidya or Tamas, He appears as the Jiva.
2 If the masks are removed, then Brahman alone remains in both cases – there is no
more Ishwara or Jiva, for both require their respective masks.
3-4 A mundane example is given of a King and a soldier. If the kingdom is taken away
from the King, he is just like any other man. If the shield is taken away from the soldier, he,
too, is just like any other man. They are no different without their respective ‘claddings’.

Verse 245: Following the Authority of Shrutis

AjÉÉiÉ AÉSåzÉ CÌiÉ ´ÉÑÌiÉÈ xuÉrÉÇ
ÌlÉwÉåkÉÌiÉ oÉë¼ÍhÉ MüÎsmÉiÉÇ ²rÉqÉç |
´ÉÑÌiÉmÉëqÉÉhÉÉlÉÑaÉ×WûÏiÉoÉÉåkÉÉiÉç-
iÉrÉÉåÌlÉïUÉxÉÈ MüUhÉÏrÉ LuÉ || 245||

175

1
atha atah aadeshah iti
shrutih svayam
“Now, in the injunction…”, etc., in these words
the Scriptures themselves
2
nishhedhati brahmani
kalpitam dvayam;
reject having in Brahman
any form of an imagined duality.
3
shruti-pramaana
anugriheeta bodhaat
When the authority of the scriptures
is supported by a sound knowledge of them,
4
tayoh niraasah
karaneeya eva.
then the elimination of the conditionings
should most certainly be done.

1 The injunction referred to here comes from the Brihad-Aranyaka Upanishad, II-3.6.
The quotation starts with, “Now then is the injunction . . .” The point for us to note is simply
that there is a prescribed way to analyse meanings and accept or eliminate them which is
given in the scriptures. It cannot be done willy-nilly, without following any set rules.
This is as we accept in many other worldly situations. A judge in the law courts has to
make his decision strictly in accordance with the laws of the land, not give his own opinion.
2 The rejection procedure is based on the principle that Brahman cannot have any
Duality as He is declared to be Non-dual in the scriptures. There is no argument over this.
3-4 The scriptural rule itself does not simply come about out of someone’s fanciful
whim. The experiences of numerous sages and Rishis is taken into account and their reports
regarding their realisation of Brahman confirms that Brahman is Non-dual. The opinion of
the majority of men is unreliable in this case where we are dealing with specialised
knowledge. In spiritual matters, the consensus of spiritually advanced souls is what matters.
It is the same in mundane matters. When one encounters a problem in the
construction of a dam, the opinion of professional engineers is sought, not that of any Tom,
Dick or Harry!

Verse 246: The “Neti-Neti” Negation Method

lÉåSÇ lÉåSÇ MüÎsmÉiÉiuÉÉ³É xÉirÉÇ
U‹ÑSØ¹urÉÉsÉuÉixuÉmlÉuÉŠ |
CijÉÇ SØzrÉÇ xÉÉkÉÑrÉÑYirÉÉ urÉmÉÉå½
¥ÉårÉÈ mÉ¶ÉÉSåMüpÉÉuÉxiÉrÉÉårÉïÈ || 246||

1
na idam na idam
kalpitatvaat na satyam
Neti-Neti – “neither this (gross), nor this (subtle)” –
being products of the imagination, neither are real.
2
rajju drishhta vyaalavat
svapnavat cha;
They are like a snake seen in the rope,
or like a dream – both being unreal;
3
ittham drishyam saadhu
yuktyaa vyapohya
Thus, by a perfect analysis of the objective world
and elimination of it by reasoning,
4
jneyah pashchaat
eka bhaavah tayoh yah.
one thereby comes to realise
that Oneness which underlies the Jiva and Ishwara.

1 The same verse that has been quoted above, contains the method Neti Neti or ‘not
this, not this’. This refers to how and why the elimination of literal meanings is done.

176

The Upadhis, whether gross like the body or subtle like the mind, are both to be
rejected as they are both equally unreal.
2 The snake seen in a rope is unreal and can, therefore, be rejected. A dream is
unreal and is rejected upon awakening. These are ordinary examples of the same rule.
3-4 When this principle is extended to reject the whole external gross world as well
as the whole mental world, then we finally arrive at the realisation of Oneness underlying
both Ishwara and Jiva. It is a perfectly scientific approach. There is nothing miraculous about
this conclusion. It makes perfect logical sense.
The practical problem encountered is man’s reluctance to ‘let go’ of the external and
the internal comforts that he has got used to. That is a separate issue, not a logical problem.
That issue is dealt with later in the text as we progress to the practical aspect of
Nididhyasana. For now, we consider only the logical necessity of rejecting all that is unreal.

Verse 247: The Indicative (Implied) Meanings Taken

iÉiÉxiÉÑ iÉÉæ sÉ¤ÉhÉrÉÉ xÉÑsÉ¤rÉÉæ
iÉrÉÉåUZÉhQæûMüUxÉiuÉÍxÉ®rÉå |
lÉÉsÉÇ eÉWûirÉÉ lÉ iÉjÉÉÅeÉWûirÉÉ
ÌMüliÉÔpÉrÉÉjÉÉïÎiqÉMürÉæuÉ pÉÉurÉqÉç || 247||

1
tatah tu tau lakshhanayaa
sulakshhyau
Therefore, the two terms should be carefully
considered through their indicative meanings,
2
tayoh akhanda
ekarasatva-siddhaye;
in order that their absolute
identity can be established.
3
na alam jahatyaa
na tathaa ajahatyaa
Neither “the method of total rejection”,
nor “the method of complete retention” will suffice.
4
kintu ubhaya-artha-
atmikaya eva bhaavyam.
But by a combined process of both,
should the solution be reasoned out.

1 Having scientifically come to the logical conclusion of rejecting the outer world
from being taken into consideration, we now turn to the implied meanings of both.
2 What do we find after removing the two masks? We find that both are nothing but
Brahman Himself! This is clear proof that there is identity at the Absolute level, if we can
succeed in eliminating the contradictions at the external and mental levels.
3-4 At this point, some very complex procedures have been worked out by serious
logicians based on pure logic, grammar rules, etc. We shall not go into those details here.
For those who are interested, the texts mentioned at the start of the chapter can be
referred. Here we need only know that after an exhaustive analysis, it is finally shown that
Ishwara and Jiva can be seen to be identical based on the combined process of rejection of
literal meanings and acceptance of implied meanings.
This is as far as we need go regarding the logical proof required for “Tat Twam Asi”,
the great Mahavakya of the Vedic texts, found in the Chhandogya Upanishad, by which
spiritual seekers obtain the necessary intellectual conviction of the validity of pursuing the
goal of attaining identity with Brahman. Without this conviction, the effort appears vain.

177

Verse 248: Example: “This is that Devadatta”

xÉ SåuÉS¨ÉÉåÅrÉÍqÉiÉÏWû cÉæMüiÉÉ
ÌuÉÂ®kÉqÉÉïÇzÉqÉmÉÉxrÉ MüjrÉiÉå |
rÉjÉÉ iÉjÉÉ iÉ¨uÉqÉxÉÏÌiÉuÉÉYrÉå
ÌuÉÂ®kÉqÉÉïlÉÑpÉrÉ§É ÌWûiuÉÉ || 248||

1
sah devadattah ayam iti
iha cha ekataa
“This is that Devadatta” –
this sentence indicates an identity:
2
viruddha dharmaamsham
apaasya kathyate;
Contradictory portions of qualities
are eliminated in order to bring out the identity.
3
yathaa tathaa
tat tvam asi iti vaakye
In the same manner,
in the statement, “That Thou Art”,
4
viruddha dharmaan
ubhayatra hitvaa.
the contradictory elements
on both sides (‘That’ and ‘Thou’) have to be given up.
(Then the identity of Ishwara and Jiva is recognised.)

Verse 249: The Truth Lies in the Essence of Both

xÉÇsÉ¤rÉ ÍcÉlqÉÉ§ÉiÉrÉÉ xÉSÉiqÉlÉÉåÈ
AZÉhQûpÉÉuÉÈ mÉËUcÉÏrÉiÉå oÉÑkÉæÈ |
LuÉÇ qÉWûÉuÉÉYrÉzÉiÉålÉ MüjrÉiÉå
oÉë¼ÉiqÉlÉÉåUæYrÉqÉZÉhQûpÉÉuÉÈ || 249||

1
samlakshhya chinmaatra-
tayaa sadaatmanoh
One carefully notes that Knowledge Absolute
is the essence of both.
2
akhandabhaavah
paricheeyate budhaih;
The indivisible essence, i.e. Jiva = Brahman,
is recognised by the wise.
3
evam mahaavaakya shatena
kathyate
In this way, there are scriptural declarations
by the hundreds which express
4
brahmaatmanoh aikyam
akhandabhaavah.
the identity between Ishwara and Jiva,
and reveal their complete Oneness in essence.

The above two verses bring us to the theoretical conclusion we desired. Now it
remains for us, the seekers, to ‘gird up our loins’ and take up seriously the spiritual practice
of Nididhyasana or Vedantic meditation with greater faith and conviction.
We may compare our approach to that used in other secular fields: One who is a
vegetarian has a natural repulsion to eating meat. A scientist has a natural respect for logic,
regardless of the source it comes from. A music lover adores music, regardless of who the
musician may be. This desire for Truth, which is inborn, is brought to bear in the process of
overcoming the superimpositions and establishing identity or Oneness with Brahman.

*****

178

4.4 BALANCING “THIS” WITH “THAT”

(Verses 250 – 253, 4 No.)

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNT from the “Tat Twam Asi” Mahavakya is now applied to
our day-to-day life. We learnt that Jiva and Ishwara were simply the result of their
respective Upadhis. If that idea is extended to everything in the world, then it is not too
difficult for us to grasp that the World, too, is what it is because of the masks worn by every
object and every creature in it. If I am Brahman, so is my neighbour.
From this fact alone dawns the knowledge that the entire world phenomenon is
nothing but Brahman, if we look beyond its masks. Our whole attitude towards the world
becomes one of reverence and adoration; we see it in an unselfish way. This is the attitude
with which we are to interact with the world, including our ‘inner world’ in meditation.
The world is seen not as an enemy of our spiritual life, but as a means for us to grow
spiritually. The world is not rejected as we would reject a rotten fruit from our pantry. On
the contrary we will not wish to change it. We accept it as it is, without adding to it any of
our own likes and dislikes. The world viewed thus loses its power to enslave us; instead, we
respect it and are thankful to it for effecting our rapid evolution by interacting with it.

Verse 250: Let the “Not-Self” Point Out the Self

AxjÉÔsÉÍqÉirÉåiÉSxÉÍ³ÉUxrÉ
ÍxÉ®Ç xuÉiÉÉå urÉÉåqÉuÉSmÉëiÉYrÉïqÉç |
AiÉÉå qÉ×wÉÉqÉÉ§ÉÍqÉSÇ mÉëiÉÏiÉÇ
eÉWûÏÌWû rÉixuÉÉiqÉiÉrÉÉ aÉ×WûÏiÉqÉç |
oÉë¼ÉWûÍqÉirÉåuÉ ÌuÉzÉÑ®oÉÑSèkrÉÉ
ÌuÉÎ® xuÉqÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉZÉhQûoÉÉåkÉqÉç || 250||

1
asthoolam iti etat
asat nirasya
“It is not gross, etc.,” –
discard the Not-Self in the light of such passages;
2
siddham svatah
vyomavat apratarkyam;
Become Self-established,
unattached like the sky, beyond the pale of thought.
3
atah mrishhaamaatram
idam prateetam
Therefore, consider as being illusory,
‘This’, i.e. all that is perceived by the senses,
4
jaheehi yat svaatmatayaa
griheetam;
negate ‘This’ which as your own Self
you have come to accept;
5
brahma aham iti eva
vishuddha-buddhyaa
“I am Brahman” – thus alone
consider yourself to be, having purified your mind;
6
viddhi svam aatmaanam
akhanda-bodham.
and thereby realise your own true Self,
as ‘That’ Conscious Principle which is Absolute.

179

There are two simultaneous shifts in our identity. The first is detaching oneself from
the not-Self; the second is attaching oneself to the Brahman that remains. One is
renunciation, the other is an acceptance. One creates a vaccuum, the other fills it.
Gradually, the idea is to allow Brahman to replace every “I”-thought in the mind.
There is a fable about Robin Hood. It is said that he robbed the rich and gave to the
poor, trying to correct the imbalance. The spiritual seeker is doing something similar. He is
taking away the excessive attention given to his material aspect, and adding it to his spiritual
aspect which has hitherto been neglected, thereby balancing the two.

Verse 251: Let the Universe Remind us of Brahman

qÉ×iMüÉrÉïÇ xÉMüsÉÇ bÉOûÉÌS xÉiÉiÉÇ , qÉ×lqÉÉ§ÉqÉåuÉÉÌWûiÉÇ
iÉ²ixÉ‹ÌlÉiÉÇ xÉSÉiqÉMüÍqÉSÇ , xÉlqÉÉ§ÉqÉåuÉÉÎZÉsÉqÉç |
rÉxqÉÉ³ÉÉÎxiÉ xÉiÉÈ mÉUÇ ÌMüqÉÌmÉ iÉiÉç , xÉirÉÇ xÉ AÉiqÉÉ xuÉrÉÇ
iÉxqÉÉ¨É¨uÉqÉÍxÉ mÉëzÉÉliÉqÉqÉsÉÇ , oÉë¼É²rÉÇ rÉimÉUqÉç || 251||

1
mritkaaryam sakalam
ghataadi satatam,
mrit-maatram eva aahitam
All the effects or modifications of mud,
such as the pot, etc,
are accepted without question as mud alone.
2
tadvat sad-janitam
sad-aatmakam idam,
sad-maatram eva akhilam;
So too this universe: It is born of Existence alone,
it is of the nature of Existence,
and will ever be entirely Existence alone.
3
yasmaat na asti satah param
kim api tat,
satyam sah aatmaa svayam
Since there is nothing other than Reality,
and whatever there is existing is That,
one’s very own Self also has to be That Reality.
4
tasmaat tat-tvam-asi
prashaantam amalam,
brahma advayam yat param.
Therefore, the “That Thou Art” experience
makes one utterly serene and free of all blemish;
one becomes the non-dual, supreme Reality!

1 We do not argue against the fact that pots are clay (mud) and clay alone, do we?
2 So too, why argue against the fact that the objects of the world are also nothing
but Existence? There is Existence alone in the world, as there is clay alone in pots.
3 Now comes an interesting extension of this thought. Since whatever exists is
nothing but the Reality, can we not also see that we (our soul) also must be the Reality?
4 This is the “Tat Twam Asi” experience. It makes us “serene and free of blemish”. It
is the perfect balancing act between “This” and “That”.

Verse 252: Let the World be Seen as a Dream Only

ÌlÉSìÉMüÎsmÉiÉSåzÉMüÉsÉÌuÉwÉrÉ- , ¥ÉÉ§ÉÉÌS xÉuÉïÇ rÉjÉÉ
ÍqÉjrÉÉ iÉ²ÌSWûÉÌmÉ eÉÉaÉëÌiÉ eÉaÉiÉç , xuÉÉ¥ÉÉlÉMüÉrÉïiuÉiÉÈ |
rÉxqÉÉSåuÉÍqÉSÇ zÉUÏUMüUhÉ- , mÉëÉhÉÉWûqÉÉ±mrÉxÉiÉç
iÉxqÉÉ¨É¨uÉqÉÍxÉ mÉëzÉÉliÉqÉqÉsÉÇ , oÉë¼É²rÉÇ rÉimÉUqÉç || 252||

180

1
nidraa-kalpita
desha kaala vishhaya,
jnaatraadi sarvam yathaa
The projections in a dream are a construction
every place, every moment, every object
made known in the dream – just as all of it
2
mithyaa tadvat iha api
jaagrati jagat,
sva ajnaana-kaaryat-vatah;
is regarded as being unreal, so also even here,
in our waking state, the world that we see,
being the effect of our own ignorance,
3
yasmaat evam
idam shareera karana,
praana aham-aadi api asat
should also be regarded as being unreal.
This body and the organs functioning in it,
the Pranas, the ego, etc, are all just as unreal.
4
tasmaat tat-tvam-asi
prashaantam amalam,
brahma advayam yat param.
Therefore, the “That Thou Art” experience
makes one utterly serene and free of all blemish;
one becomes the non-dual, supreme Reality!

1 This verse very cleverly expresses the very same idea as the previous verse, but in a
reverse manner. Instead of affirming the Reality (as clay in pots), we look at the unreality of
dreams and affirm that everything about a dream, all its individual components, are unreal.
2 Then we compare that to our waking state, and similarly see the whole waking
state as if it were just one long dream! Every component of the waking state is also unreal.
By this means we affirm the unreality of the world, which is produced by our ignorance.
3 As we did in verse 251, we now extend this unreality to our own Upadhis or
sheaths – the body, the Prana, the mind, the ego and the intellect. All of them, because they
are part of the world, they too must necessarily be unreal!
4 This is the “Tat Twam Asi” experience. It makes us “serene and free of blemish”. It
is the perfect balancing act between “This” and “That”.

Verse 253: Let Superimpositions Remind us of the Substratum

rÉ§É pÉëÉlirÉÉ MüÎsmÉiÉÇ iÉÌ²uÉåMåü
iÉ¨ÉlqÉÉ§ÉÇ lÉæuÉ iÉxqÉÉÌ²ÍpÉ³ÉqÉç |
xuÉmlÉå lÉ¹å xuÉmlÉÌuÉµÉÇ ÌuÉÍcÉ§ÉÇ
xuÉxqÉÉÎ°³ÉÇ ÌMü³ÉÑ SØ¹Ç mÉëoÉÉåkÉå || 253||

1
yatra bhraantyaa
kalpitam tat viveke
Where, due to delusion, a thing was once miscon-
strued, in that very place, upon due discrimination,
2
tat tat-maatram na iva
tasmaat vibhinnam;
when the truth or Substratum of it is known, it is
recognised as nothing different from ‘That’ itself.
3
svapne nashhte svapna-
vishvam vichitram
Appearing in dream and subsiding in it, the dream
universe is a variegated, diverse creation all its own.
4
svasmaat bhinnam kim nu
drishhtam prabodhe.
But, as something apart from oneself, does it ever
appear when one awakens (from the dream)?

If from the previous chapter Sri Shankaracharyaji has been singing the song of “Tat
Twam Asi”, we may say that in this verse the “Tat Twam Asi” experience is taken to its
crescendo in grand style!

181

1-2 Without any stretch of the imagination, what we had once been seeing as ‘This’
under delusion, is now, in the absence of that delusion, seen as ‘That’! The place where we
once saw the world of bewitching objects, in that very place we now see, in an entirely
different way after delusion, the Presence of Brahman, the basis of the world we have
dropped or left behind.
There are pictures created which appear from far as a meaningless pattern, but
when seen from a certain close distance with the eyeballs fully relaxed, appear as a three-
dimensional picture of something that is completely different from the original pattern
printed. It is as though we are seeing an optical illusion. It looks like ‘this’ from far, and like
‘that’ from near. It is the same with ‘This’ and ‘That’, the world and Brahman.
3-4 The final line of this small chapter closes with a very convincing example of the
above picture-puzzle. When one awakes, where does the dream go? Does it not dissolve in
the mind which created it? Similarly, when we ‘wake up’ into the world of Brahman from
our ‘dream’ of delusion in the world of relative reality, what happens to that dream? Does it
not simply dissolve into the substratum from which it arose?
The world disappears into ‘me’ when I realise myself to be its Substratum.

*****

“The same am I in all!”

182

4.5 AIDS TO MEDITATION

(Verses 254 – 266, 13 No.)

THE THEORY OF MEDITATION has been explained. As we prepare for Part 5 dealing
with the practical difficulties encountered in meditation, we have the following 13 verses
that are designed to aid meditational practice. They are in a class of their own with the
common refrain, “Meditate upon them in the depths of your mind”. They are not to be
intellectually scrutinized but intuitively experienced. The main themes have been
underlined. Minimal comments have been added.

Verse 254: Being Property-less, It Cannot be Categorised

eÉÉÌiÉlÉÏÌiÉMÑüsÉaÉÉå§ÉSÕUaÉÇ
lÉÉqÉÃmÉaÉÑhÉSÉåwÉuÉÎeÉïiÉqÉç |
SåzÉMüÉsÉÌuÉwÉrÉÉÌiÉuÉÌiÉï rÉSè
oÉë¼ iÉ¨uÉqÉÍxÉ pÉÉuÉrÉÉiqÉÌlÉ || 254||

1 jaati neeti kula gotra dooragam Beyond caste, creed, family and lineage;
2 naama roopa guna doshha varjitam; Without name, form, merit, demerit;
3 desha kaala vishhaya ativarti yad Transcending space, time and sense objects;
4
brahma tat-tvam-asi
bhaavayaatmani.
‘That Brahman Thou Art’ –
meditate on this in the depths of your mind.

Verse 255: Being Pristinely Pure, It Cannot be Described

rÉimÉUÇ xÉMüsÉuÉÉaÉaÉÉåcÉUÇ
aÉÉåcÉUÇ ÌuÉqÉsÉoÉÉåkÉcÉ¤ÉÑwÉÈ |
zÉÑ®ÍcÉ«lÉqÉlÉÉÌS uÉxiÉÑ rÉSè
oÉë¼ iÉ¨uÉqÉÍxÉ pÉÉuÉrÉÉiqÉÌlÉ || 255||

1
yat param sakala
vaag agocharam
That Supreme Fullness
which speech cannot reach;
2
gocharam vimala-
bodha-chakshhushhah;
That which is known only by the pure-hearted
and seen only by the “eye of knowledge”;
3
shuddha chid-ghanam
anaadi vastu yad
which is a pure mass of Consciousness,
a beginningless entity;
4
brahma tat-tvam-asi
bhaavayaatmani.
‘That Brahman Thou Art’ –
meditate on this in the depths of your mind.

183

Verse 256: Beyond Mind & Senses, Untouched by Afflictions

wÉÎQèpÉÃÍqÉïÍpÉUrÉÉåÌaÉ rÉÉåÌaÉ™Sè-
pÉÉÌuÉiÉÇ lÉ MüUhÉæÌuÉïpÉÉÌuÉiÉqÉç |
oÉÑSèkrÉuÉå±qÉlÉuÉ±qÉÎxiÉ rÉSè
oÉë¼ iÉ¨uÉqÉÍxÉ pÉÉuÉrÉÉiqÉÌlÉ || 256||

1 shhadbhih oormibhih ayogi That is untouched by the “Six Waves of Afflictions”;
2
yogihrit bhaavitam
na karanaih vibhaavitam;
That which is meditated upon in the Yogi’s heart,
but never grasped by the senses;
3
buddhi avedyam
anavadyam asti yat
That which is not knowable by the intellect,
yet is its unimpeachable Ruler;
4
brahma tat-tvam-asi
bhaavayaatmani.
‘That Brahman Thou Art’ –
meditate on this in the depths of your mind.

Verse 257: Supporting All, It Cannot be Supported

pÉëÉÎliÉMüÎsmÉiÉeÉaÉiMüsÉÉ´ÉrÉÇ
xuÉÉ´ÉrÉÇ cÉ xÉSxÉÌ²sÉ¤ÉhÉqÉç |
ÌlÉwMüsÉÇ ÌlÉÂmÉqÉÉlÉuÉÎ® rÉSè
oÉë¼ iÉ¨uÉqÉÍxÉ pÉÉuÉrÉÉiqÉÌlÉ || 257||

1
bhraanti-kalpita jagat
kalaa aashrayam
For the universe, projected by delusion, and
for its various sub-projections – the Substratum;
2
sva ashrayam cha
sat asat vilakshhanam;
For Itself, Its own Substratum, and
That which is other than the gross and the subtle;
3
nishhkalam
nirupa-maanavat hi yat
That which is without any parts and
without any form to compare it with;
4
brahma tat-tvam-asi
bhaavayaatmani.
‘That Brahman Thou Art’ –
meditate on this in the depths of your mind.

Verse 258: Being Changeless, It Cannot be Destroyed

eÉlqÉuÉ×Î®mÉËUhÉirÉmÉ¤ÉrÉ-
urÉÉÍkÉlÉÉzÉlÉÌuÉWûÏlÉqÉurÉrÉqÉç |
ÌuÉµÉxÉ×wšuÉÌuÉbÉÉiÉMüÉUhÉÇ
oÉë¼ iÉ¨uÉqÉÍxÉ pÉÉuÉrÉÉiqÉÌlÉ || 258||

1 janma vriddhi parinati apakshhaya Birth, growth, development, decay,
2
vyaadhi naashana
viheenam avyayam;
disease and death –
That “Changeless” is free from the above changes.
3
vishva srishhti ava
vighaata kaaranam
For the creation of the universe, its maintenance
and its eventual dissolution, That is the cause.
4
brahma tat-tvam-asi
bhaavayaatmani.
‘That Brahman Thou Art’ –
meditate on this in the depths of your mind.

184

Verse 259: Being Homogenous, It Cannot be Disturbed

AxiÉpÉåSqÉlÉmÉÉxiÉsÉ¤ÉhÉÇ
ÌlÉxiÉU…¡ûeÉsÉUÉÍzÉÌlÉ¶ÉsÉqÉç |
ÌlÉirÉqÉÑ£üqÉÌuÉpÉ£üqÉÔÌiÉï rÉSè
oÉë¼ iÉ¨uÉqÉÍxÉ pÉÉuÉrÉÉiqÉÌlÉ || 259||

1
astabhedam
anapaasta-lakshhanam
That is homogenous – free from all distinctions;
never of the nature of non-existence;
2 nistaranga jalaraashi nishchalam; Like an ocean without waves, always calm;
3 nityam-uktam avibhakta-moorti yad That is ever-free; and is of indivisible form;
4
brahma tat-tvam-asi
bhaavayaatmani.
‘That Brahman Thou Art’ –
meditate on this in the depths of your mind.

Verse 260: Being Cause of All, Yet Causeless

LMüqÉåuÉ xÉSlÉåMüMüÉUhÉÇ
MüÉUhÉÉliÉUÌlÉUÉxrÉMüÉUhÉqÉç |
MüÉrÉïMüÉUhÉÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉÇ xuÉrÉÇ
oÉë¼ iÉ¨uÉqÉÍxÉ pÉÉuÉrÉÉiqÉÌlÉ || 260||

1
ekam eva sat
aneka kaaranam
That one Existence,
which is the cause for the many;
2
kaarana-antaram
niraasya-kaaranam;
That ultimate cause of all,
but Itself devoid of all cause;
3
kaarya-kaarana-
vilakshhanam svayam
From the cause and from the effect,
That is distinct – for It stands by Itself.
4
brahma tat-tvam-asi
bhaavayaatmani.
‘That Brahman Thou Art’ –
meditate on this in the depths of your mind.

Verse 261: Being Infinite, It Cannot be Tainted

ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉMüqÉlÉsmÉqÉ¤ÉUÇ
rÉi¤ÉUÉ¤ÉUÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉÇ mÉUqÉç |
ÌlÉirÉqÉurÉrÉxÉÑZÉÇ ÌlÉUgeÉlÉÇ
oÉë¼ iÉ¨uÉqÉÍxÉ pÉÉuÉrÉÉiqÉÌlÉ || 261||

1 nirvikalpakam analpam akshharam That is Non-dual, Infinite and Indestructible;
2
yat kshhara-akshhara
vilakshhanam param;
From the perishable (world) and the imperishable (Maya),
That is distinct and higher than both;
3 nityam avyaya-sukham niranjanam That is eternal, indivisible and untainted Bliss;
4
brahma tat-tvam-asi
bhaavayaatmani.
‘That Brahman Thou Art’ –
meditate on this in the depths of your mind.

185

Verse 262: Being Pure Gold, It Refuses to be the Jewellery

rÉÌ²pÉÉÌiÉ xÉSlÉåMükÉÉ pÉëqÉÉ-
³ÉÉqÉÃmÉaÉÑhÉÌuÉÌ¢ürÉÉiqÉlÉÉ |
WåûqÉuÉixuÉrÉqÉÌuÉÌ¢ürÉÇ xÉSÉ
oÉë¼ iÉ¨uÉqÉÍxÉ pÉÉuÉrÉÉiqÉÌlÉ || 262||

1
yat vibhaati sat
anekadhaa bhramaat
That which is the one Reality but appears
variously because of delusion;
2
naama roopa
guna vikriyaatmanaa;
That which assumes names and forms,
and properties as part of its changing nature;
3
hemavat svayam
avikriyam sadaa
That which, like gold, remains Itself,
never subject to any changes;
4
brahma tat-tvam-asi
bhaavayaatmani.
‘That Brahman Thou Art’ –
meditate on this in the depths of your mind.

Verse 263: Being the Beyond, It has Nothing Beyond It

rÉŠMüÉxirÉlÉmÉUÇ mÉUÉimÉUÇ
mÉëirÉaÉåMüUxÉqÉÉiqÉsÉ¤ÉhÉqÉç |
xÉirÉÍcÉixÉÑZÉqÉlÉliÉqÉurÉrÉÇ
oÉë¼ iÉ¨uÉqÉÍxÉ pÉÉuÉrÉÉiqÉÌlÉ || 263||

1
yat chakaasti anaparam
paraat param
That shines on everything, but nothing shines upon it;
which is The Beyond, beyond (Maya);
2
pratyag ekarasam
aatma-lakshhanam;
That is the innermost, Non-dual in Essence,
and of that same nature is one’s own Self;
3
satya chit sukham
anantam avyayam
That is Existence-Knowledge-Bliss
Absolute, and is Immutable;
4
brahma tat-tvam-asi
bhaavayaatmani.
‘That Brahman Thou Art’ –
meditate on this in the depths of your mind.

Verse 264: Not Solid but “Liquid” Reality!

E£üqÉjÉïÍqÉqÉqÉÉiqÉÌlÉ xuÉrÉÇ
pÉÉuÉrÉåimÉëÍjÉiÉrÉÑÌ£üÍpÉÍkÉïrÉÉ |
xÉÇzÉrÉÉÌSUÌWûiÉÇ MüUÉqoÉÑuÉiÉç
iÉålÉ iÉ¨uÉÌlÉaÉqÉÉå pÉÌuÉwrÉÌiÉ || 264||

1
uktam artham imam
aatmani svayam
This Truth must be inculcated
in one’s own heart, deep within oneself;
2
bhaavayet prathita
yuktibhih dhiyaa;
One must meditate on it and, using the recognised
arguments of the scriptures, apply his intellect on them;
3
samshayaadi rahitam
karaambuvat
until all doubts are totally cleared.
Then, with the certainty of holding water in one’s palm,
4
tena tattvanigamah
bhavishhyati.
by these means, the realisation of the Truth
will most certainly take place!

186

Verse 265: Be the King in an Army

xÉqoÉÉåkÉqÉÉ§ÉÇ mÉËUzÉÑ®iÉ¨uÉÇ
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉrÉ xÉ†¡åû lÉ×mÉuÉŠ xÉælrÉå |
iÉSÉ´ÉrÉÈ xuÉÉiqÉÌlÉ xÉuÉïSÉ ÎxjÉiÉÉå
ÌuÉsÉÉmÉrÉ oÉë¼ÍhÉ ÌuÉµÉeÉÉiÉqÉç || 265||

1
sambodhamaatram
parishuddhatattvam
The Knowledge Absolute,
is free from ignorance and all its effects;
2
vijnaaya sanghe
nripavat cha sainye;
Realise That in this cause-effect bundle,
like the king in an army;
3
tat aashrayah svaatmani
sarvadaa sthitah
Take refuge in that Knowledge of one’s own Self,
and remain forever firmly established in it;
4 vilaapaya brahmani vishvajaatam. Merge the entire universe into Brahman.

Verse 266: Three Caves – Intellect, Sheaths & Womb

oÉÑ®Éæ aÉÑWûÉrÉÉÇ xÉSxÉÌ²sÉ¤ÉhÉÇ
oÉë¼ÉÎxiÉ xÉirÉÇ mÉUqÉÌ²iÉÏrÉqÉç |
iÉSÉiqÉlÉÉ rÉÉåÅ§É uÉxÉåªÒWûÉrÉÉÇ
mÉÑlÉlÉï iÉxrÉÉ…¡ûaÉÑWûÉmÉëuÉåzÉÈ || 266||

1
buddhau guhaayaam
sad-asad-vilakshhanam
In the cave of the intellect is Brahman,
distinct from the gross as well as the subtle;
2
brahma asti satyam
param adviteeyam;
Brahman, the Reality, is Existence
Supreme and Non-dual;
3
tat aatmanaa yah
atra vaset guhaayaam
He who realises That Brahman as his own Self,
while yet dwelling here in this cave of five sheaths;
4
punah na tasya
anga guhaa praveshah.
Never again for him is there
entry into the “partial-cave”, the mother’s womb!

The key points of meditation are summarized as:
254 Brahman cannot be categorised;
255 He cannot be described;
256 He is untouched by the six afflictions;
257 He is the substratum of the universe;
258 He has no modifications;
259 He is free from all distinctions and disturbances;
260 Though causeless, He is the cause of all;
261 He is higher than the perishable and the imperishable;
262 He is One but appears as many;
263 He is beyond everything, even Maya;

187

264 He is the Truth to be meditated upon;
265 He is Knowledge Absolute, free from ignorance;
266 Knowing Him, one is free from transmigration.

When the knowledge of the teacher is transmitted to the disciple through listening
to his words, it is the stage of Sravana. When it is pondered over and deeply reflected upon
to become one’s own, it is Manana. When we actually try to experience it ourselves through
meditation and make it our direct experience, it is Nididhyasana.

Acharyaji had another way to explain this:
Astronauts first gather the inspiration and facts about space travel; this is their
Sravana. Then the detailed plans are worked out on the drawing board; this is Manana.
Finally, the spacecraft is launched and is on its way to experience it all; this is Nididhyasana.
The actual landing on the moon is Samadhi.
The next Part deals with the practical side of Nididdhyasana. It covers one of the
most absorbing aspects of spiritual life, and is invaluable for a serious aspirant.

END OF PART 4
*****

188

start here

TEXT
11.3

|| ÌuÉuÉåMücÉÔQûÉqÉÍhÉÈ ||
VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
VOLUME 3 of 4

The Crest Jewel of
Discrimination
PART 5: NIDIDHYASANA 2 – Practical Aspects
PART 6: NIRVIKALPA SAMADHI – Self-Realisation

“THE SANDEEPANY EXPERIENCE”

Reflections by
SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA

Sandeepany’s Vedanta Course
List of All the Course Texts in Chronological Sequence:

Text
No.
TITLE OF TEXT
Text
No.
TITLE OF TEXT
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
11.3 Viveka Choodamani – Vol 3/4 34 Aitareya Upanishad
12 Jnana Sara 35 Narada Bhakti Sutras
13 Drig-Drishya Viveka 36 Taittiriya Upanishad
14 “Tat Twam Asi” – Chand Up 6 37 Jivan Sutrani (Tips for Happy Living)
15 Dhyana Swaroopam 38 Kena Upanishad
16 “Bhoomaiva Sukham” Chand Up 7 39 Aparoksha Anubhuti (Meditation)
17 Manah Shodhanam 40 108 Names of Pujya Gurudev
18 “Nataka Deepa” – Panchadasi 10 41 Mandukya Upanishad
19 Isavasya Upanishad 42 Dakshinamurty Ashtakam
20 Katha Upanishad 43 Shad Darshanaah
21 “Sara Sangrah” – Yoga Vasishtha 44 Brahma Sootras
22 Vedanta Sara 45 Jivanmuktananda Lahari
23 Mahabharata + Geeta Dhyanam 46 Chinmaya Pledge

AUTHOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO 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 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.

– Swami Gurubhaktananda, 30
th
June 2018, the Auspicious Birthday of Guruji

Om Namah Shivaaya!

|| ÌuÉuÉåMücÉÔQûÉqÉÍhÉÈ ||
VIVEKA CHOODAMANI – Vol. 3
“Crest-Jewel of Discrimination”
Composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji

Volume 3 of 4: (Verses 267-425 of 581)

PART 5: NIDIDHYASANA 2 – Practical Aspects
PART 6: NIRVIKALPA SAMADHI – Self-Realisation

Reflections by
SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA

on the 109 Lectures by Swami Advayanandaji & Swami Nikhilanandaji
at the 15
th
Vedanta Course, Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai
from January 28
th
to July 3
rd
, 2012

Adi Shankaracharya Swami Sivananda Swami Tapovanji Swami Chinmayananda
SERVE  LOVE  GIVE  PURIFY  MEDITATE  REALISE
Text
11.3

Copyright & Author’s Details

Author: Swami Gurubhaktananda, born 1954 as Bipin R. Kapitan, in Durban, South Africa.
Residence: Sivanandashram, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
Email: [email protected]

© 2018 All Rights Reserved. Copyright held by Swami Gurubhaktananda.

About This Edition:
Web Edition: 30
th
June 2018, the Auspicious Birthday of Guruji
Website: www.chinfo.org hosted by Chinmaya International
Foundation, Kerala, India:
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 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
the 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.

*****

VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
CONTENTS OF THE WHOLE BOOK

VOLUME 1:

PART 1: The PURPOSE of Human Life (Verses 01 – 66, 66 no.) 001

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
1.1 Invocation & Overview 1 – 2 2 1
1.2 Preciousness of Human Birth 3 – 5 3 4
1.3 The Essential Means to Liberation 6 – 16 11 6
1.4 Qualifications of Disciple & Guru 17 – 32a 15 12
1.5 Approaching One’s Guru 32b – 40 9 21
1.6 Loving Advice of the Guru 41 – 47 7 28
1.7 The Disciple’s Questions 48 – 55 8 33
1.8 Freedom from Bondage? 56 – 61 6 38
1.9 Direct Experience of Self 62 – 66 5 42

PART 2: SRAVANA – The Guru’s Teaching (Verses 67 – 146, 80 no.) 045

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
2.1 Introduction to Sravana 67 – 71 5 45
2.2 The Gross Body 72 – 91 20 49

2.2.1 Formation of the Body 72 – 75 4 49

2.2.2 How Man is Bound to the Body 76 – 82 7 52

2.2.3 Fascination for Body 83 – 86 4 56

2.2.4 Overcoming the Fascination 87 – 91 5 57

2.3 The Subtle Body 92 – 105 14 61

2.3.1 The Components of the Subtle Body 92 – 96 5 61

2.3.2 The Functions of the Subtle Body 97 – 105 9 64

2.4 The Causal Body 106 – 121 16 69

2.4.1 The Power of Maya 108 - 110 3 70

2.4.2 The Gunas – Sattwa, Rajas & Tamas 111 - 119 9 73

2.4.3 The “Unmanifest” 120 – 121 2 79

2.5 Anatma – the “Not-Self” 122 – 123 2 81
2.6 Atman – the Self 124 – 136 13 82
2.7 What is Bondage? 137 – 146 10 90

.

VOLUME 2:

PART 3: MANANA – Reflection on the Teaching (Verses 147 – 224, 78 no.) 099

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
3.1 Discriminating Self from Not-Self 147 – 153 7 99
3.2 The Annamaya Kosha 154 – 164 11 105
3.3 The Pranamaya Kosha 165 – 166 2 111
3.4 The Manomaya Kosha 167 – 183 17 113

3.4.1 What is MIND? 167 – 171 5 113

3.4.2 Bondage & Liberation 172 – 176 5 117

3.4.3 “It’s All in the MIND” 177 – 183 7 120
3.5 The Vijnanamaya Kosha 184 – 206 23 125

3.5.1 The Intellect Sheath 184 – 191 8 125

Discussion on Vijnanamaya Kosha:

3.5.2 Jiva’s Confusion with Self 192 – 206 15 132

3.6 The Anandamaya Kosha 207 – 224 18 144

3.6.1 The Bliss Sheath 207 – 211 5 145

Discussion on Anandamaya Kosha:

3.6.2 The Self & “Nothingness” 212 – 224 13 148

PART 4: NIDIDHYASANA 1 – Theoretical Aspects (Verses 225 – 266, 42 no.) 159

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
4.1 The Vision of Oneness 225 – 236 12 159
4.2 The Nature of Brahman 237 – 240 4 169
4.3 Explanation of “Tat Twam Asi” 241 – 249 9 172
4.4 Balancing “This” with “That” 250 – 253 4 178
4.5 Aids to Meditation – “Brahma Tat-Twam-Asi” Verses 254 – 266 13 182
.

*****

VOLUME 3:

PART 5: NIDIDHYASANA 2 – Practical Aspects (Verses 267 – 341, 75 no.) 189

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
5.0 Introduction to Savikalpa Samadhi -

189
5.1 Scrubbing Out the Vasanas 267 – 276 10 191

5.1.1 “I-Thought” & “I am Brahman” Thoughts 267 – 269 3 191

5.1.2 The Three Doorways for Disturbance 270 – 272 3 193

5.1.3 The Stench of Vasanas 273– 276 4 194
5.2 Negating the Superimpositions 277 – 285 9 197
5.3 Upasanas – Meditational Exercises 286 – 292 7 202
5.4 Who is the Ego? 293 – 297 5 206
5.5 The Play of the Ego 298 – 309 12 210
5.6 The Trio: Vasanas – Rumination – Ego 310 – 319 10 219
5.7 Spiritual Inadvertance 320 – 329 10 226
5.8 In the Safe Harbour of Non-Duality 330 – 341 12 233

PART 6: NIRVIKALPA SAMADHI – Realisation (Verses 342 – 425, 84 no.) 243

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
6.1 The Entrance Examination 342 – 348 7 243
6.2 How to Recognise Samadhi 349 – 353 5 250
6.3 Samadhi Seen in Daily Life 354 – 364 11 254
6.4 Escaping the Mind’s Captivity 365 – 372 8 262
6.5 The Face of Dispassion in Samadhi 373 – 378 6 268
6.6 The Basic Technique of Meditation 379 – 383 5 273
6.7 Fine-Tuning the Technique 384 – 397 14 276
6.8 The State of Non-Duality 398 – 406 9 284
6.9 Points to Ponder 407 – 413 7 290
6.10 Nirvikalpa Samadhi is Irreversible 414 – 418 5 293
6.11 “Trouble-Shooting” Samadhi 419 - 425 7 297

*****

VOLUME 4:

PART 7: JIVANMUKTI – Liberation While Living (Verses 426 – 479, 54 no.) 303

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
7.1 Signs of a Realised Seer 426 – 445 20 303

7.1.1 Four Aspects of a Jivanmukta 427 – 431 5 305

7.1.2 The “Jivanmukta Lakshana” Verses 432 – 442 11 309

7.1.3 Dispassion – the Acid-Test of Jivanmukti 443 – 445 3 314
7.2 How a Saint Handles Karma 446 – 464 19 317

7.2.1 Sanchita Karma – Past Karma 448 – 449 2 319

7.2.2 Agama Karma – Future Karma 450 – 451 2 320

7.2.3 Prarabdha Karma – Present Karma 452 – 464 13 321
7.3 “Brahman Alone is There” 465 – 471 7 331
7.4 Conclusion of the Teaching 472 - 479 8 334

PART 8: FEEDBACK – From the Disciple (Verses 480 – 520, 41 no.) 341

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
8.1 Introduction to Feedback 480 – 481 2 341
8.2 Feedback from Personal Standpoint 482 – 489 8 343
8.3 Feedback from World’s Standpoint 490 – 500 11 349
8.4 Feedback from Upadhis’ Standpoint 501 – 512 12 355
8.5 Feedback from Absolute Standpoint 513 – 517 5 363
8.6 Conclusion of Feedback 518 – 520 3 367

PART 9: CONVERSATION of Two Saints (Verses 521 – 581, 61 no.) 369

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
9.0 Introduction - - 369
9.1 Glory of Realisation 521 – 530 10 370
9.2 On the Means of knowledge 531 – 536 6 377
9.3 A Riddle in Simplicity 537 – 550 14 382
9.4 The Attitude of a Saint 551 – 554 4 391
9.5 Videhamukti – Dropping the Body 555 – 567 13 395
9.6 Transmigration & Liberation 568 – 575 8 403

9.6.1 Transmigration & Rebirth 568 – 569 2 403

9.6.2 Bondage & Liberation 570 – 575 6 406
9.7 Conclusion to the Whole Book 576 – 581 6 412

*****

|| ÌuÉuÉåMücÉÔQûÉqÉÍhÉÈ ||
VIVEKA CHOODAMANI – Vol. 3
“The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination”

VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
"The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination"

GENERAL INTRODUCTION
PUJYA SWAMI CHINMAYANANDAJI writes the following in his Introduction to his
book on the Viveka Choodamani:
“Vedanta is truly the Science of Life. Sri Shankara, the great interpreter of Vedanta,
not only gave us his commentaries on the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad
Gita, but also many primary texts which introduce the seeker to the joys of Vedanta. One of
the greatest texts he has written as an introduction to Vedanta, is the Viveka Choodamani,
which means, ‘The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination’.
“A careful study of these verses with the full freedom to enquire will give any
student a correct understanding of the entire theory of Vedanta and he can, even without a
very serious study of the scriptures, start his daily practices with tremendous benefits.
“There are hundreds of seekers who, without understanding the fundamentals, are
aimlessly struggling along a so-called spiritual path. Naturally, they suffer agonies of painful
disappointment, although they have behind them years of painstaking practices. An
exhaustive and careful study of this text helps to avoid all the pitfalls on the way to
progress. It is my intention to bring forth from every verse not only its obvious meaning, but
also its hidden import which gives out a wealth of information and helpful suggestions to
ensure a steady progress.”

The Viveka Choodamani is a prime text in the Vedanta Course at Sandeepany.
Bondage is caused by a lack of enquiry, and ceases only by making an enquiry. If we
turn to differentiate Self from the non-Self, if we shift our attention from the world of
names and forms to their substratum Brahman, then we can arrive at the final goal quickly.
The Viveka Choodamani is a Prakarana Grantha. Its theme is: DISCRIMINATION.
It is a very famous text of Bhagavan Sri Shankaracharyaji. It has great poetic beauty.
Swami Chinmayanandaji has said, “This text is sufficient to lead the spiritual life.”

*****

189

VIVEKA CHUDAMANI – Vol.3

PART 5: (Verses 267-341) 75 Verses

NIDIDHYASANA 2 – Practical Aspects

AN INTRODUCTION TO
SAVIKALPA SAMADHI

WE ARE PRESENTLY ON the topic of Nididhyasana – Practical Aspects, which takes
us to the point of Savikalpa Samadhi or deep Meditation or Advanced Meditation. The
Savikalpa Samadhi stage is reached during the Nididhyasana stage of Sadhana. Enormous
practical difficulties have to be crossed in this stage. That is the subject of this Part.
In this practical Part, we are going to magnify the Phase of Nididhyasana and see
exactly how the abidance in the Self is progressing. The full checklist is carried out to ensure
that the Ego is completely annihilated. By a thorough check of progress in this uncomprom-
ising part of the book, we can evaluate how far we have progressed in our meditation. Part
5 may be compared to the work of Ground Engineers in an Aviation company, making their
routine check on a jet aircraft just before it takes to the air.
The 75 verses of Part 5 are the “Search Engine” of the Meditative life – designed to
track down the slightest remnants of Ego-consciousness, and eliminate them. It may be
considered as the most significant portion for the seeking aspirant who is almost reaching
his goal of irreversible abidance in the Self, otherwise known as Nirvikalpa Samadhi (Part 6).

The BRIDGE Between Knowledge & Experience
Before plunging into the text, Acharyaji explained the importance of grasping the
context of the point we have reached in the text. We are at a point of enormous significance
in knitting together the complexities of advanced Vedantic Sadhana. It forms a bridge, as it
were, across the valley from theoretical knowledge of the Self to practical application of this
knowledge through the practice of Nididhyasana. In effect, we are sitting at an Examination
to check out the validity of our theoretical understanding on our practice of meditation.
Only after crossing the hurdles of this difficult stage will we qualify for the most advanced
stage of meditation (Part 6) that will take us from Savikalpa Samadhi into Nirvikalpa
Samadhi, the ultimate goal of spiritual life.
Even though the theory required to be known in Nididhyasana has been explained
up to verse 266, this is not yet an irreversible attainment. We have yet to do the practice
and attain the Savikalpa Samadhi stage. The dangers one faces after reaching this state are
examined in great detail to verify the genuineness of the progress made.

EGO – the “I” Factor
A brief re-cap of the process of the Sadhana at this point will be of great help to the
seeker. In Vedanta, ‘Ahamkara’ is a technical word defined, not as ‘pride’ or as an ‘excessive

190

self-centred personality’, but as the ‘I’-thought which thinks it does everything relating to
the individual self. Its very function is to identify itself with the functions relating to the
individuality. The ‘I’-thought is a protective organism placed in our intellect by Nature for
the individual being to function in the world.
That the Ahamkara does this function for the safety of the human being is not a
problem obstructing our spiritual growth. Actually, the Ahamkara viewed as a mechanism of
Mother Nature for steering the individual through his experiences in life is not a spiritual
problem. The spiritual problem facing us is that this Ahamkara acts under delusion and
thinks that its own needs must supercede those of other individuals. The delusion which
makes the Ahamkara identify itself wrongly with all individual considerations, seeing them
as more important than the needs of others and seeing others as being in a competitive
relationship with itself, is the real spiritual problem facing us.
All Vasanas develop solely in the presence of this deluded form of Ahamkara. Our
inability to experience God-vision is due to the dominance of the deluded Ego in our life.
Hence, the whole of Part 5 is devoted to scrutinising the Ego.
In Part 6 we shall be looking at other aspects which will verify if we have arrived
safely at Nirvikalpa Samadhi or at only a semblance of it and not at the genuine state. Such
things do happen in the critical final stages of spiritual life, but we shall deal with them
when the time for it comes.

Glimpses of God-Vision is Savikalpa Samadhi
While doing the Sadhana of Nididhyasana the Vasanas become thinner and thinner.
Acharyaji told us of cases where Sadhakas sometimes get a glimpse of Brahman during
meditation even though Vasanas are not removed 100%. There is a simile for this in ordinary
life:
Many may have experienced times when we suddenly get a touch of ‘dozing off’ and
feel the great satisfaction of deep sleep momentarily during the waking state. Our head
suddenly nods down. We taste the bliss of deep sleep for a short moment. In the same way
during meditation, we can taste the bliss of the realized state for short spells of time. These
come as encouragements from God to inspire us to go on with our Sadhana.
Savikalpa Samadhi is the “upper tip” of Nididdhyasana when we get these short
glimpses of spiritual experiences. Gradually these increase in duration as the Vasanas
dwindle away. When the Vasanas are completely cleared away, the abidance in the Self
becomes firmly established. This is named Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the stage where there is a
total absence of all Vikalpas or thought-forms in the mind.
In the next ten verses the theme is “Rising above superimpositions and getting
established in Self abidance”. These verses, like the 13 (from 254-266) at the end of Part IV,
are very meditational in nature and do not require much by way of comment.

*****

191

5.1 SCRUBBING OUT THE VASANAS

(Verses 267 – 276, 10 No.)

Gross & Subtle Levels of Purification

IN THE EARLIER STAGES of purification spoken of in Part 1, the aspirant is required to
purify his thoughts, words and deeds of all grossness, such as the tendency towards violence
against others, lying, cheating, immoral desires, unfair treatment of others, injustices, etc.
This purification is required at the start of spiritual life. At that time we were concerned with
the purification from the animal level to the human level.
Now we are concerned with the purification that takes us further up from the human
level to the divine level. We are dealing with a more subtle purification. The person is
already good, but certain human weaknesses are there. These are the concerns that are
being addressed at this level under Nididhyasana.
Through the practice of Nididhyasana or meditation, desires or Vasanas that were
lying dormant over a long period, begin to come to the surface. They begin to ripen due to
the pressure of one’s Sadhana. What may have taken months to ripen in the open sun, now
ripens within days under the glasshouse of Sadhana. This is quite in order; it is a sign that
they are “owning up” and are coming out of their hiding places so that they can be
annihilated completely. It is a good sign, even though it can be irksome at times.

5.1.1 “I”-THOUGHT & “I AM BRAHMAN” THOUGHT (Verses 267-269, 3 No.)

Verse 267: Annihilation of “Aham-Vasana”

¥ÉÉiÉå uÉxiÉÑlrÉÌmÉ oÉsÉuÉiÉÏ uÉÉxÉlÉÉÅlÉÉÌSUåwÉÉ
MüiÉÉï pÉÉå£üÉmrÉWûÍqÉÌiÉ SØRûÉ rÉÉÅxrÉ xÉÇxÉÉUWåûiÉÑÈ |
mÉëirÉaSØwšÉÅÅiqÉÌlÉ ÌlÉuÉxÉiÉÉ xÉÉmÉlÉårÉÉ mÉërÉ¦ÉÉ-
lqÉÑÌ£Çü mÉëÉWÒûxiÉÌSWû qÉÑlÉrÉÉå uÉÉxÉlÉÉiÉÉlÉuÉÇ rÉiÉç || 267||

1
jnaate vastuni api
balavatee vaasanaa
anaadireshhaa
Even after receiving the knowledge of the Truth,
there remains a powerful impression (known as
Aham Bhavana) that is beginningless;
2
kartaa bhoktaa api aham iti
dridhaa yaa asya
samsaara hetuh;
It concerns “I am the doer and also the enjoyer”,
an impression which is very firmly set,
and is the cause for our worldly existence.
3
pratyag drishhtyaa aatmani
nivasataa,
saa apaneyaa prayatnaat
By constant identification with the inner Self,
by abiding in It for prolonged periods,
that impression can be consciously removed.
4
muktim praahuh tat
iha munayo
vaasanaa-taanavam yat.
The state of Liberation is redefined
for this phase by the sages: it is the state when
this “Aham-Vasana” itself is finally annihilated.

192

The opening three verses, 267-269, pinpoint what needs to be done.
1-2 The central purpose of advanced meditation (Nididhyaasana) is the total elimi-
nation of the “I-thought”. This step requires freedom from all self-centredness.
All disturbances in the mind are essentially a sign of the presence of the “I-notion” in
conflict with the universal flow of nature. The most common sign of its presence is when we
feel the sense of doership and enjoyership. “I do” and “I enjoy” are signs of identifying with
the ego-sense. This extends itself into “I desire”.
3-4 The aim of deep meditation is to remove these disturbances. The method shown
is to identify oneself with the Self. By repeated practice one finally succeeds.
One day Lord Buddha had just begun to describe this type of meditation to his
students when a bird flew into the class. It twittered away for a few minutes and then flew
off. Buddha then told the class, “What I wanted to say today has been said better by the
bird!” They spent the rest of the lecture meditating on that bird’s behaviour.

Verse 268: Ending the “I-notion”

AWÇû qÉqÉåÌiÉ rÉÉå pÉÉuÉÉå SåWûÉ¤ÉÉSÉuÉlÉÉiqÉÌlÉ |
AkrÉÉxÉÉåÅrÉÇ ÌlÉUxiÉurÉÉå ÌuÉSÒwÉÉ xuÉÉiqÉÌlÉ¸rÉÉ || 268||

1 aham mama iti yah bhaavah ‘I’ and ‘mine’ – this notion is due to
2 deha akshha aadau anaatmani; the not-Self, i.e. the body, sense organs, etc –
3 adhyaasah ayam nirastavyah this superimposition should indeed be ended
4 vidushhaa svaatma-nishhthayaa. by the wise man by identification with his own Self.

1-2 The source of the “I”-notion is first identified. It is association with the body,
senses, mind, etc. These are also called the Upadhis in Vedanta.
3-4 By recognising the source to be only a superimposition, i.e. something unreal
posing itself to be real, one learns to ignore them and turn to the Self within.

Verse 269: The Witness & “I am Brahman” Thought

¥ÉÉiuÉÉ xuÉÇ mÉëirÉaÉÉiqÉÉlÉÇ oÉÑÎ®iÉ²ØÌ¨ÉxÉÉÍ¤ÉhÉqÉç |
xÉÉåÅWûÍqÉirÉåuÉ xÉ²Ø¨rÉÉÅlÉÉiqÉlrÉÉiqÉqÉÌiÉÇ eÉÌWû || 269||

1 jnaatvaa svam pratyag atmaanam Realising your innermost Self as the
2 buddhi tat vritti saakshhinam; witness of your intellect and its disturbances,
3 sah aham iti eva sad-vrittyaa by the counter thought of “I Am That”,
4 anaatmani aatmamatim jahi. shed your identification with the not-Self.

To achieve this in practice, two aids are now being summoned:
1-2 i) Saakshinam: “Witness Consciousness”. The meditator takes up a position of
awareness by which he becomes the observer of his own mind and intellect. He gets behind
them and becomes their witness. By doing this he starts de-identifying himself with them.

193

3-4 ii) Aham Brahmaasmi: “I am Brahman”. While maintaining his distance from the
mind and intellect, he builds a counter-thought, called Sad Vritti here, also known as
Brahmaakara Vritti in some scriptures. This reinforces his efforts to dislodge the former
Aham Vritti (the “I”-thought). It asserts the new identity with the Self.

5.1.2 THREE DOORWAYS FOR DISTURBANCE (Verses 270-272, 3 No.)

Verse 270: Banish these Three Worldly Concerns

sÉÉåMüÉlÉÑuÉiÉïlÉÇ irÉYiuÉÉ irÉYiuÉÉ SåWûÉlÉÑuÉiÉïlÉqÉç |
zÉÉx§ÉÉlÉÑuÉiÉïlÉÇ irÉYiuÉÉ xuÉÉkrÉÉxÉÉmÉlÉrÉÇ MÑüÂ || 270||

1 loka anuvartanam tyaktvaa Set aside your involvement with the world,
2 tyaktvaa deha anuvartanam; set aside all preoccupations with the body,
3 shaastra anuvartanam tyaktvaa set aside unnecessary study of the Shastras,
4 sva adhyaasa apanayam kuru. banish these that have crept upon the Self.

Verses 270-272 refer to the three doorways in life through which disturbances enter
the mind. They are concerns over the world, concerns over the body and concerns over the
scriptures. These three are identified as the areas to be examined in depth in order to
remove all disturbing thoughts from the mind. This applies to life in general, and to
meditation in particular.
1 The first of these is removed by giving up one’s comfort zone. The lesson now is
“Leave the flock and fly alone.” By being daring, we can give up the security of remaining
with the flock. This is the practical way offered by Acharyaji.
2 Giving up body-related identifications is very difficult due to its long previous
associations. It is almost as if it is in our ‘genes’, as it were. But it has to be done.
3 The reference to ‘unnecessary study’ needs a little explanation, especially to
students of Vedanta who may raise their eyebrows at it! It refers to the case where study is
not balanced by practice. Only dry Vedantic study without practice is not recommended and
is useless. The Shastras are meant to serve as a support for our deep inner reflections.
4 The overall instruction is to drop these props and forge ahead with the practical
purpose of overcoming the superimpositions.

Verse 271: They Rob People of Realisation

sÉÉåMüuÉÉxÉlÉrÉÉ eÉliÉÉåÈ zÉÉx§ÉuÉÉxÉlÉrÉÉÌmÉ cÉ |
SåWûuÉÉxÉlÉrÉÉ ¥ÉÉlÉÇ rÉjÉÉuÉ³ÉæuÉ eÉÉrÉiÉå || 271 ||

1 loka vaasanayaa jantoh Because of their desire to run after the world,
2 shaastra vaasanayaa api cha; their thirst for unnecessary study of the Shastras,
3 deha vaasanayaa, jnaanam and their anxiety to pamper the body, realization
4 yathaavat na eva jaayate. as explained above is not attained by people.

194

Why are these three seen as obstacles? All three can serve a good purpose and help
us move forward. After all, are we not supposed to see Brahman in them, too?
This objection may be true from an idealistic view. In practice, the problems are:
i) 1 The world attracts us into its web through desire for name, fame and pleasure;
ii) 2 the scriptures attract us due to the subtle desire to appear learned.
iii) 3 The body attracts us due to its desire for comfort;
4 For these reasons, it is safer to steer clear of them and stick to the spiritual goal.

Verse 272: Free Yourself from their Shackles

xÉÇxÉÉUMüÉUÉaÉ×WûqÉÉå¤ÉÍqÉcNûÉå-
UrÉÉåqÉrÉÇ mÉÉSÌlÉoÉlkÉzÉ×„¡ûsÉqÉç |
uÉSÎliÉ iÉe¥ÉÉÈ mÉOÒû uÉÉxÉlÉÉ§ÉrÉÇ
rÉÉåÅxqÉÉÌ²qÉÑ£üÈ xÉqÉÑmÉæÌiÉ qÉÑÌ£üqÉç || 272||

1
samsaara kaaraagriha
mokshham ichchhoh
From the prison-house of this world,
one should wish to be liberated;
2
ayomayam paada nibandha-
shrinkhalam;
His feet are bound by (these three ) iron-made
chains which are like shackles on them;
3
vadanti tajjnaah patu
vaasanaatrayam
The wise speak of the strong binding power
of the above three Vasanas that control life;
4
yah asmaat vimuktah
samupaiti muktim.
He who frees himself (from these three),
attains liberation or freedom.

4 The urgency of overcoming these three sources of disturbance is now shown:
i) 1 A strong desire for Liberation is required;
ii) 2 We should feel them to be like shackles around our legs;
iii) 3 We should become aware of how much they rule our lives and lead us astray.

5.1.3 THE STENCH OF VASANAS (Verses 273-269, 4 No.)

Verse 273: Simile: The Sandalwood

eÉsÉÉÌSxÉÇxÉaÉïuÉzÉÉimÉëpÉÔiÉ-
SÒaÉïlkÉkÉÔiÉÉÅaÉÂÌSurÉuÉÉxÉlÉÉ |
xÉ†¡ûwÉïhÉålÉæuÉ ÌuÉpÉÉÌiÉ xÉqrÉ-
ÎauÉkÉÔrÉqÉÉlÉå xÉÌiÉ oÉÉ½aÉlkÉå || 273||

1
jalaadi-samsargavashaat
prabhoota-
Due to contact with substances like water, etc.
for a prolonged period,
2
durgandha-dhootaa
agaru divyavaasanaa;
an intolerable stink overpowers
the captivating fragrance of the sandalwood;
3
sangharshhanena eva
vibhaati samyag
Only by thoroughly scrubbing it,
is the original fragrance restored;

195

4
vidhooyamaane sati
baahya-gandhe.
for the scrubbing removes
the external stink that envelopes it.

This verse introduces a simile that is well-known in India. Verses 274-276 apply the
simile and speak of the need to ‘scrub out’ the last traces of Vasanas.
1-2 Sandalwood has a natural, unique fragrance. However, it is well-known to the
people of India that if it is left in water for too long, it develops an unpleasant stench.
3-4 When the water is removed and the sandalwood is dry once more, if it is again
rubbed, the fragrance returns. There is no stink any more.

Verse 274: Application: Fragrance of the Self

AliÉÈÍ´ÉiÉÉlÉliÉSÒUliÉuÉÉxÉlÉÉ-
kÉÔsÉÏÌuÉÍsÉmiÉÉ mÉUqÉÉiqÉuÉÉxÉlÉÉ |
mÉë¥ÉÉÌiÉxÉ†¡ûwÉïhÉiÉÉå ÌuÉzÉÑ®É
mÉëiÉÏrÉiÉå cÉlSlÉaÉlkÉuÉiÉç xTÑüOûqÉç || 274||

1
antahshrita ananta
duranta vaasanaa-
Deeply ingrained in the mind are unending
violent Vasanas or inherent tendencies,
2
dhoolee-viliptaa
paramaatma vaasanaa;
that are like a cover of dust concealing
the fragrance of the Supreme Self;
3
prajnaati sangharshhanatah
vishuddhaa
By a continuous scouring with Knowledge,
the mind is purified (of this dust);
4
prateeyate chandana-
gandhavat sphutam.
and then is experienced, like the sandalwood’s
fragrance, the distinct fragrance of the Self.

1-2 The stench in the simile represents the violent and passionate tendencies that
lurk in the mind. They arise due to neglect in nurturing the mind into good tendencies.
3-4 By scouring the mind with the knowledge of the Self, these tendencies can be
‘dried out’, and the fragrance of the Self restored.

Verse 275: The Net of “Not-Self” Vasanas

AlÉÉiqÉuÉÉxÉlÉÉeÉÉsÉæÎxiÉUÉåpÉÔiÉÉiqÉuÉÉxÉlÉÉ |
ÌlÉirÉÉiqÉÌlÉ¸rÉÉ iÉåwÉÉÇ lÉÉzÉå pÉÉÌiÉ xuÉrÉÇ xTÑüOûqÉç || 275||

1 anaatma-vaasanaa-jaalaih By the net of innumerable Vasanas for the not-Self
2 tirobhoota aatmavaasanaa; the desire for the Self is clouded.
3 nitya aatma-nishhthayaa teshhaam When, by constant abidance in the Self, they
4 naashe bhaati svayam sphutam. are destroyed, the Atman manifests all by Itself.

The application of the sandalwood simile continues, but takes a different turn.

196

1-2 The neglect of the mind permits scores of Vasanas to build up and stagnate in
the mind. The Vasanas are for the things that are not-Self, i.e. sensual pleasures primarily.
When this is permitted to build up unchecked, a cloud-screen shields the Self from shining.
3-4 The more the mind is brought to focus on the Self, the more it withdraws itself
from the objects of the world. When the attraction is got over, the Self shines forth clearly.

Verse 276: Towards Total Self-abidance

rÉjÉÉ rÉjÉÉ mÉëirÉaÉuÉÎxjÉiÉÇ qÉlÉÈ
iÉjÉÉ iÉjÉÉ qÉÑgcÉÌiÉ oÉÉ½uÉÉxÉlÉÉqÉç |
ÌlÉÈzÉåwÉqÉÉå¤Éå xÉÌiÉ uÉÉxÉlÉÉlÉÉÇ
AÉiqÉÉlÉÑpÉÔÌiÉÈ mÉëÌiÉoÉlkÉzÉÔlrÉÉ || 276||

1
yathaa yathaa pratyag
avasthitam manah
To the extent that, in the subjective Self
the mind becomes steadily established,
2
tathaa tathaa munchati
baahya vaasanaam;
to that extent it leaves
its desires for the objects of the world.
3
nihsheshha-mokshhe
sati vaasanaanaam
When one is completely free
from all such desires, then
4
aatma anubhootih
pratibandha-shoonyaa.
the Self is directly realised
due to all obstructions getting reduced to zero.

1-2 The steady increase in establishing oneself in the Self, brings about a corres-
ponding reduction in the desire for sense pleasures (objects).
3-4 When the desire is completely removed, then the Self is fully realised. There are
now no clouds obscuring the sun of the Self. The mind has become like a ‘cloudless sky’.

Thus ends the first chapter of Part 5, dealing with the thorough scouring out of all
the Vasanas that accumulate in the mind.

*****

197

5.2 NEGATING THE SUPERIMPOSITIONS

(Verses 277 – 285, 9 No.)

THE PROCESS OF ABIDING in the Self (Nididhyasana) which has just been outlined
above to thin out and eliminate the Vasanas, is being described here to bring the
meditator’s mind to its natural point of destruction. When that point is reached, it registers
full success in negating all the Superimpositions.
The nine verses of this section address the basic Sadhana of fixing the attention upon
the inner Self. The previous section did this via the causal Vasanas; this section does it via
the subtle and gross superimpositions, which are more ‘external’ to Vasanas. The most
difficult superimposition to remove is the mind. This Chapter may also be called “Conquest
of Mind”. The verses are of enormous practical value to one engaged in meditation.

Verse 277: Remaining Focussed on the Self

xuÉÉiqÉlrÉåuÉ xÉSÉ ÎxjÉiuÉÉ qÉlÉÉå lÉzrÉÌiÉ rÉÉåÌaÉlÉÈ |
uÉÉxÉlÉÉlÉÉÇ ¤ÉrÉ¶ÉÉiÉÈ xuÉÉkrÉÉxÉÉmÉlÉrÉÇ MÑüÂ || 277||

1 svaatmani eva sadaa sthitvaa Being ever fixed on his own Self,
2 manah nashyati yoginah; the mind of the meditator is brought to a halt.
3 vaasanaanaam kshhayah cha atah Then ensure complete cessation of Vasanas and
4 sva-adhyaasa apanayam kuru. the negation of all superimpositions on yourself.

1-2 The overall aim of this chapter is laid bare at the outset itself – the dissolution of
the mind by fixing one’s attention on one’s Self during meditation.
3-4 The fruits of this attainment are also clearly stated. Both chapters so far have the
same purpose in mind, using different routes; they are but different ways of looking at the
same achievement. Chapter 5.1 achieved the cessation of Vasanas; Chapter 5.2 achieves the
cessation of the mind.

Verse 278: Sattwa is the Means

iÉqÉÉå ²ÉprÉÉÇ UeÉÈ xÉ¨uÉÉixÉ¨uÉÇ zÉÑ®ålÉ lÉzrÉÌiÉ |
iÉxqÉÉixÉ¨uÉqÉuÉ¹prÉ xuÉÉkrÉÉxÉÉmÉlÉrÉÇ MÑüÂ || 278||

1 tamah dvaabhyaam rajah sattvaat By Sattwa is destroyed both Tamas and Rajas;
2 sattvam shuddhena nashyati; then Sattwa, too, is destroyed by pure realisation.
3 tasmaat sattvam avashhtabhya Thus, by solely depending upon Sattwa, ensure
4 sva-adhyaasa apanayam kuru. the negation of all superimpositions on yourself.

198

1 Sattwa here stands for the purified mind with Vasanas thinned out. Tamas and
Rajas represent the impure mind, full of all sorts of undesirable Vasanas. This is the
language of Chapter 5.1. The very same thing, when seen purely as a transformation of the
mind without any reference to Vasanas, becomes the Chapter 5.2 way of expressing it.
2-3 The mind is the subtle superimposition. The aim is to destroy it by purifying it. It
gets reduced to nought. ‘No mind’ is equivalent to realisation!
We see here a very good example of how Sri Shankaracharyaji uses different
approaches for seekers of different mentalities. To those who see the problem as being at
the causal level of Desire, he uses the language of Vasanas. To those who see their mind
itself as the root of their problem, he uses the language of superimpositions!
4 This Pada is common in all verses of this Chapter.

Verse 279: Trust Providence and Take Courage

mÉëÉUokÉÇ mÉÑwrÉÌiÉ uÉmÉÑËUÌiÉ ÌlÉÍ¶ÉirÉ ÌlÉ¶ÉsÉÈ |
kÉærÉïqÉÉsÉqorÉ rÉ¦ÉålÉ xuÉÉkrÉÉxÉÉmÉlÉrÉÇ MÑüÂ || 279||

1 praarabdham pushhyati vapuh “Prarabhdha will nourish this body” –
2 iti nishchitya nishchalah; Know this for certain, and remain undisturbed.
3 dhairyam aalambya yatnena Resorting to courage, plunge into the task of
4 sva-adhyaasa apanayam kuru. the negation of all superimpositions on yourself.

1-2 In the method of focussing on the superimpositions (the mind), there is to be no
anxiety about the maintenance of one’s body. Sri Shankaracharyaji takes away that anxiety
by saying that it will be taken care of by one’s good Karma, i.e. his Prarabdha.
An Anecdote: A middle-aged lady asked God if He would guarantee her life for the
next 20 years. Pleased with her openness, God said, “Yes, that is guaranteed for you. There
are no obstacles on your path.” The lady took this assurance to mean that she now had
more time to enjoy herself. She went for a face-lift at once. Looking many years younger,
she dashed off to explore her world of opportunities. A passing truck knocked her dead.
When she met God upstairs she asked Him as to why He had lied to her. God took a hard
look at her and exclaimed, “Gosh! Is that you? I’m sorry, I could not recognize you!”
3 Free from anxiety, the seeker can “plunge” into his Sadhana with more courage.

Verse 280: Deny the Jiva Itself

lÉÉWÇû eÉÏuÉÈ mÉUÇ oÉë¼åirÉiÉSèurÉÉuÉ×Ì¨ÉmÉÔuÉïMüqÉç |
uÉÉxÉlÉÉuÉåaÉiÉÈ mÉëÉmiÉxuÉÉkrÉÉxÉÉmÉlÉrÉÇ MÑüÂ || 280||

1 na aham jeevah param brahma “I am not the Jiva or individual soul” –
2 iti atat vyaavritti poorvakam; by thus eliminating all that is the not-Self,
3 vaasanaavegatah praapta i.e. eliminating all that arises from Vasanas, attain
4 sva-adhyaasa apanayam kuru. the negation of all superimpositions on yourself.

199

1-3 The Jiva is the individual soul. From the standpoint of superimpositions, the Jiva
is the fountainhead of all the superimpositions. If the Jiva itself is denied, what need could
be there to deny anything else? Everything is included under ‘Jiva’. All the Vasanas are
included; the Jiva takes birth only because of the Vasanas.
Any Karate expert knows that If he aims a kick at the jugular vein in the neck region,
the person gets killed immediately. Shankaracharyaji goes for the jugular itself. It sounds
easy, but the jugular is hard to find. The Jiva, too, is not so easy to give up. Shankaracharyaji
seems to have taken recourse to the tactics of a politician in an election campaign!

Verse 281: Help from Shruti, Yukti and Anubhuti

´ÉÑirÉÉ rÉÑYirÉÉ xuÉÉlÉÑpÉÔirÉÉ ¥ÉÉiuÉÉ xÉÉuÉÉïiqrÉqÉÉiqÉlÉÈ |
YuÉÍcÉSÉpÉÉxÉiÉÈ mÉëÉmiÉxuÉÉkrÉÉxÉÉmÉlÉrÉÇ MÑüÂ || 281||

1 shrutyaa yuktyaa sva-anubhootyaa By scriptures, reasoning, and direct experience,
2 jnaatvaa saarvaatmyam aatmanah; Realise your own Self to be the Self in all;
3 kvachit aabhaasatah praapta Even when there is its slightest trace, cultivate
4 sva-adhyaasa apanayam kuru. the negation of all superimpositions on yourself.

1-3 There are two ways of seeing this verse, as an encouragement and as a warning.
i) As an Encouragement: “Go ahead, realise your own Self. You have the backing of
everything behind you. The scriptures support you with every breath of theirs. Your reason
supports you; there is nothing you need to do against your reason. And direct experience is,
of course, the best of all; if you have it, there is no need to look for any other support.”
ii) As a Warning: The verse could be seen to warn us of the danger of over-
estimating ourselves. “Out of over-estimation, you may think that you have reached the
goal. Don’t be too sure. Check it out properly against the scriptures, against your own
reason, and against your own personal experience. That alone confirms your success.”

Verse 282: Freedom from Sense of Doership

AlÉÉSÉlÉÌuÉxÉaÉÉïprÉÉqÉÏwÉ³ÉÉÎxiÉ Ì¢ürÉÉ qÉÑlÉåÈ |
iÉSåMüÌlÉ¸rÉÉ ÌlÉirÉÇ xuÉÉkrÉÉxÉÉmÉlÉrÉÇ MÑüÂ || 282||

1 anaadaana visargaabhyaam Whether he is accepting or rejecting anything,
2 eeshhat na asti kriyaa muneh; the sage bears no idea whatsoever of doership;
3 tat eka-nishhthayaa nityam With single-pointed abidance in the Self, practise
4 sva-adhyaasa apanayam kuru. the negation of all superimpositions on yourself.

1 Accepting or rejecting – here it refers to all actions or all experiences.
2 In any act or experience, the sage does not have doership or enjoyership.
3 This is possible only if he is in tune with Brahman. Since actions are done only in
the waking state, this may be said to apply especially to the waking state.

200

Verse 283: Stengthening of Ties with Brahman

iÉ¨uÉqÉxrÉÉÌSuÉÉYrÉÉåijÉoÉë¼ÉiqÉæMüiuÉoÉÉåkÉiÉÈ |
oÉë¼hrÉÉiqÉiuÉSÉžÉïrÉ xuÉÉkrÉÉxÉÉmÉlÉrÉÇ MÑüÂ || 283||

1 tat-tvam-asi aadi vaakya uttha From great maxims such as “That Thou Art” arises
2 brahma-atmaikatva bodhatah; knowledge of the identity of Brahman and Atman
3 brahmani aatmatvadaardhyaaya to strengthen your ties with Brahman. Thus, effect
4 sva-adhyaasa apanayam kuru. the negation of all superimpositions on yourself.

1 In Chapter 4.3, we had been through the Mahavakya “Tat Twam Asi”, and seen
how heavily it depends on the process of negation of the superimpositions on Ishwara and
Jiva. That is now being referred to in this verse.
2 The treasure of knowledge of Brahman arises after having performed the negation
of one’s superimpositions, namely, the five sheaths or Panchakoshas.
3 Having done so, we develop our tie with Brahman. We discover that we are His
own image. What better tie can we hope to have with the Supreme Reality. If we are related
to Brahman Himself, then we are heirs to His Divine Kingdom.

Verse 284: Concentration and Vigilance

AWûqpÉÉuÉxrÉ SåWåûÅÎxqÉÍ³ÉÈzÉåwÉÌuÉsÉrÉÉuÉÍkÉ |
xÉÉuÉkÉÉlÉålÉ rÉÑ£üÉiqÉÉ xuÉÉkrÉÉxÉÉmÉlÉrÉÇ MÑüÂ || 284||

1 aham-bhaavasya dehe asmin Till the identification with the body
2 nihsheshha vilayaavadhi; is completely rooted out without so much as a trace,
3 saavadhaanena yuktaatmaa being a man of concentration, with vigilance effect
4 sva-adhyaasa apanayam kuru. the negation of all superimpositions on yourself.

1-2 For how long must we go on with the negation process? The answer to this
question is: “Till we cease identifying ourselves with our superimpositions.”
3 We will get over this bodily identification only if we are vigilant enough and
maintain concentration of mind while doing the rejection. It cannot be done inattentively.

Verse 285: No World Even in Dream

mÉëiÉÏÌiÉeÉÏïuÉeÉaÉiÉÉåÈ xuÉmlÉuÉ°ÉÌiÉ rÉÉuÉiÉÉ |
iÉÉuÉÍ³ÉUliÉUÇ ÌuÉ²lxuÉÉkrÉÉxÉÉmÉlÉrÉÇ MÑüÂ || 285||

1 prateetih jeeva-jagatoh The perception of the Jiva and the world –
2 svapnavat bhaati yaavataa; as long as it persists even as a dream,
3 taavat nirantaram vidvan so long, O learned one, continuously strive for
4 sva-adhyaasa apanayam kuru. the negation of all superimpositions on yourself.

201

1-3 The Chapter is concluded by returning to the Jiva, the ‘jugular’ among super-
impositions. When is it certain to have been conquered? The answer is when even in a
dream we do not experience individuality! That is how certain we need to be.

There are two ways of looking at this verse – from the Jnani’s standpoint and from
the Karma Yogi’s standpoint:

The Jnani’s Perspective: The Jnani is one who has the natural temperament that
accords priority to meditation. To him, as long as the Jiva and the world appear even as a
dream, he continues striving to withdraw his senses from the world, i.e. he continues with
his meditational practices.
Not even a dream-like semblance of old desires should persist. This is the Jnani’s
point. The translation given above fits this interpretation. The great Jnanis of the world
come under this category.

The Karma Yogi’s Perspective: The Karma Yogi is the one who has the natural
temperament that accords priority to work, some form of service activity. To him, until the
Jiva and the world appear only as a dream, he continues striving to withdraw his senses
from the world, i.e. he continues with his service activity with due caution.
As soon as the world and his own individuality appear to him only as a dream, he
takes it as a sign to stop the need to be cautious any more and plunges himself fully into
active service, because he now knows the world to be unreal and is no longer deluded by it.
The great Karma Yogis of the world come under this category.

On this subtle note which will certainly engage the intellect of the Vedantic seeker,
ends the second chapter on the theme of eliminating the superimpositions. We have now
tackled the problem from the causal angle of Vasanas (desires); from the subtle angle of the
superimposition of the mind; and the gross angle of the body-superimposition.
In the next chapter we have a few meditational exercises called Upasanas to assist
us in keeeping our ideal ever in view.

*****

202

5.3 UPASANAS – Meditational Exercises

(Verses 286 – 292, 7 No.)

Verse 286: Dangers of Forgetting the Ideal

ÌlÉSìÉrÉÉ sÉÉåMüuÉÉiÉÉïrÉÉÈ zÉoSÉSåUÌmÉ ÌuÉxqÉ×iÉåÈ |
YuÉÍcÉ³ÉÉuÉxÉUÇ S¨uÉÉ ÍcÉliÉrÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉÉiqÉÌlÉ || 286||

1 nidraayaah loka-vaartaayaah Through non-awareness, one indulges in worldly,
2 shabdaadeh api vismriteh; sensual matters, forgetting the Ideal.
3 kvachit na avasaram dattvaa By giving not an iota of chance to these two,
4 chintaya aatmaanam aatmani. maintain steady reflection upon the Self in the mind.

1-2 Forgetfulness can thwart the spiritual seeker very much. By forgetting the ideal
even slightly, one relaxes his hold on the senses, gives them the free play they desire, and
comes to ruin himself.
3-4 For this reason, the seeker is warned of two things: forgetfulness of the ideal and
sense-indulgence. He should, on the other hand, try his utmost to keep his mind always
engaged in thoughts of the Self. In order to do this, some Upasanas or meditational
exercises are necessary to begin with. This chapter offers six such Upasanas.

Verse 287: Upasana 1: Shun Body a Safe Distance Away

qÉÉiÉÉÌmÉ§ÉÉåqÉïsÉÉå°ÕiÉÇ qÉsÉqÉÉÇxÉqÉrÉÇ uÉmÉÑÈ |
irÉYiuÉÉ cÉÉhQûÉsÉuÉ¬ÕUÇ oÉë¼ÏpÉÔrÉ M×üiÉÏ pÉuÉ || 287||

1 maataa-pitroh mala udbhootam Risen from the impurities of the mother and father,
2 mala-maamsa-mayam vapuh; constituted of flesh and its impurities, the body
3 tyaktvaa chaandaalavat dooram has to be shunned a safe distance, like an outcaste.
4 brahmee-bhooya kritee bhava. The nature thus divinised, one fulfills one’s life.

1-4 Sri Shankaracharyaji, from his own experience and vast realization, speaks to us
on a topic that may be repulsive to many today. Purely with a view to instilling dispassion in
our minds, a repulsive picture is created in our minds of the impurities of the body.
The great Teacher says “Shun the body a safe distance away.” How does one shun
one’s own body? Clearly, there is an implied meaning – that is the Upasana technique. The
method is: “Always remember the unwholesomeness of the body; it has unclean origins; it is
a bag of impure substances.” By this one steers himself away from the body. The idea is not
to get attached to the body.

203

Verse 288: Upasana 2: Pot Space & Ego Compared

bÉOûÉMüÉzÉÇ qÉWûÉMüÉzÉ CuÉÉiqÉÉlÉÇ mÉUÉiqÉÌlÉ |
ÌuÉsÉÉmrÉÉZÉhQûpÉÉuÉålÉ iÉÔwhÉÏÇ pÉuÉ xÉSÉ qÉÑlÉå || 288||

1 ghataakaasham mahaakaasha Like the pot space and the infinite space,
2 iva aatmaanam paraatmani; is the finite ego and the supreme Self;
3 vilaapya akhanda bhaavena Merging the two, and meditating on their identity,
4 tooshhneem bhava sadaa mune. remain forever peaceful, O sage!

At this juncture, the Teacher, as ever, offers a helping hand to the seeker. He selects
a suitable way for him to keep his mind on the Self.
1-2 He does this through a simple simile. It is easy to think of the relationship
between the space in a pot and the vast space outside the pot. There is no real difference
between the two, yet there is a physical distinction introduced by the mind.
3-4 The seeker can think of his narrow, individual ego as the pot-space, and the
Universal Self as the vast outside space. By pondering over this identity, at least he will get
some peace of mind, which will lead him towards realisation of God.

Verse 289: Upasana 3: “Pots of Dirt & Filth”

xuÉmÉëMüÉzÉqÉÍkÉ¸ÉlÉÇ xuÉrÉqpÉÔrÉ xÉSÉiqÉlÉÉ |
oÉë¼ÉhQûqÉÌmÉ ÌmÉhQûÉhQÇû irÉerÉiÉÉÇ qÉsÉpÉÉhQûuÉiÉç || 289||

1 svaprakaasham adhishhthaanam The self-luminous Substratum of all things is the
2 svayambhooya sadaatmanaa; sole Reality into which you yourself can merge.
3 brahmaandam api pindaandam The macrocosm and even the microcosm
4 tyajyataam malabhaandavat. are to be rejected, as two pots of dirt and filth.

Here is another aid similar to the one above. We must keep in mind that these are
Upasanas or mental exercises to help us catch the idea of the real thing:
1-2 Think of the Reality as something that underlies all things, such as a swimming
pool which supports all swimmers in it. Then we can feel that we are just floating upon
Reality. Every now and then we dive into the water and merge into that infinite Substratum!
3-4 We can extend the same idea to every other swimmer (the whole world). One
additional aid is added here: We are asked to think of the floating objects as “pots of dirt
and filth” or objects foreign to the swimming pool. This conveys to us an idea of the Reality
of the swimming pool in comparison to the Unreality of the swimmers.

Verse 290: Upasana 4: An Identity Shift From Body to Self

ÍcÉSÉiqÉÌlÉ xÉSÉlÉlSå SåWûÉÃRûÉqÉWûÎlkÉrÉqÉç |
ÌlÉuÉåzrÉ ÍsÉ…¡ûqÉÑixÉ×erÉ MåüuÉsÉÉå pÉuÉ xÉuÉïSÉ || 290||

204

1 chidaatmani sadaanande In the Atman that is Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute,
2 deha aaroodhaam aham dhiyam; the identification, which is now rooted in the body,
3 niveshya lingam utsrijya is shifted to It. Similarly, the subtle body is rejected,
4 kevalah bhava sarvadaa. and to the pure Self alone is one identified.

In Upasanas, which are a quest for Reality, maximum constructive use is made of the
power of imagination in the mind. Here is an example of such an Upasana:
1 The Self is the Absolute level of Reality. It is infinite in every way.
2 Compared to the Self, the body is its very antithesis. It is extremely limited.
3-4 The Upasana is to shift one’s consciousness from the physical body to the subtle
body (mind); and then from the subtle body to the vast infinite of the Absolute.

Verse 291: Upasana 5: See the Mirror, Not the Reflection

rÉ§ÉæwÉ eÉaÉSÉpÉÉxÉÉå SmÉïhÉÉliÉÈ mÉÑUÇ rÉjÉÉ |
iÉSèoÉë¼ÉWûÍqÉÌiÉ ¥ÉÉiuÉÉ M×üiÉM×üirÉÉå pÉÌuÉwrÉÍxÉ || 291||

1 yatra eshhah jagat aabhaasah There wherein is reflected the illusion of the universe,
2 darpanaantah puram yathaa; like the city reflected in a mirror,
3 tat brahma aham iti jnaatvaa knowing “I am That Brahman”,
4 krita krityah bhavishhyasi. you will experience the fulfillment of your life.

This is an interesting Upasana although a little difficult to practise:
1 Yatra: “There”. “There is Brahman”, says the teacher. “Where?” asks the pupil.
“Right where you are seeing the world now, at this very moment,” replies the teacher.
2 “What do you mean?” asks the pupil. The teacher says, “Just imagine a huge mirror
in front of you. The city behind you is being reflected in this mirror! You know that the city
you see is only a reflection, don’t you?”
3 “Yes, that is easy,” says the pupil. The teacher now instructs: “Now forget the
picture of the city. What do you see?” “Just the mirror, Sir.” “Exactly,” returns the teacher
triumphantly. “That’s an excellent answer. Know that mirror to be Brahman!”
4 “Is it as easy as that!” wonders the pupil. The teacher says, “Well, this is just an
Upasana for you to get the idea. Wait till you see the real thing – you will simply be
astounded!”

Verse 292: Upasana 6: Be the Actor, Not the Act

rÉixÉirÉpÉÔiÉÇ ÌlÉeÉÃmÉqÉÉ±Ç
ÍcÉS²rÉÉlÉlSqÉÃmÉqÉÌ¢ürÉqÉç |
iÉSåirÉ ÍqÉjrÉÉuÉmÉÑÂixÉ×eÉåiÉ
zÉæsÉÔwÉuÉ²åwÉqÉÑmÉÉ¨ÉqÉÉiqÉlÉÈ || 292||

205

1
yat satya-bhootam
nijaroopam aadyam
That which is intrinsically one’s essence,
one’s primeval nature;
2
chit advaya aanandam
aroopam akriyam;
which is Absolute Knowledge and Bliss, non-dual,
which is beyond all forms and activities;
3
tat etya
mithyaavapuh utsrijeta
Attaining That,
one should give up the false notions of the body,
4
shailooshhavat veshham
upaattam aatmanah.
just as an actor relinquishes his dress and make-up,
and the false role which he assumes upon himself .

This Upasana gets remarkably close to the “real thing”. We start from the back:
4 “Know that right now you are an actor playing a role. You are not the role you are
playing; so it has to be a false role. To play this false role, you have to put on a false
appearance. To put on the false appearance, you need to wear false clothes, a costume just
for the role you are playing.
3 “Now, at the end of the day’s work as an actor, you are tired, aren’t you? What do
you do? You go home, take off all that falseness you had put on while you were ‘working’.
All the falsity comes off, and what is left is YOU.
2 “But now who are you without all those false, acting outfits? Imagine you are
putting on your real outfit; it is an invisible outfit. Imagine that the real You, without those
false costumes, are an Absolute Being. Just as you had put aside your acting outfit, so also
imagine you have put on your ‘invisible’ outfit. Extend that to your body; you don’t have a
body – you are bodiless!
1 “Now, the big step: Can you accept that That is your primeval nature, that is the
real YOU, got it?”

The power behind Upasanas can be enormous. It is imagination well utilised. It leads
us Godwards. It is, of course, only an exercise, but it is an exercise which toughens our
spiritual muscles. An enormous change takes place deep inside us through such exercises.
Upasanas can be many. We can choose a different one each day, for each meditation
session. Its power to transform our mind can never be overestimated. Eventually, we realise
the real Entity, by transcending the imagination element.

*****

206

5.4 WHO IS THE EGO?

(Verses 293 – 297, 5 No.)

WE CLOSED THE LAST chapter with a beautiful simile that we are actors who should
be ready to undo our make-up. Now, there remains but one ‘make-up’ that is stuck fast to
us and that requires superhuman effort to remove – that ‘make-up’ is the Ego.
The Ahamkara or “Ego-sense” or just Ego for short, is one of the aspects of the
Antahkarana, our “inner instrument”. It is a superimposition. We have already discussed the
superimposition of the mind. The removal of the Ego is even more difficult. It is the most
painful operation for us, but it has to be done if we want enlightenment.
For the false to remove the false is an impossibility. We need to draw on the
knowledge gained from the Theory of Part 4, and meditate intensely upon it. The Upasanas
have given us some idea as to how to detach ourselves enough to be able to observe the
mind. We now build on this knowledge to turn completely within and catch the main culprit.
Sri Ramana Maharshi used to go directly to the point by insisting on the “Who am I?”
enquiry. This short Chapter compels us to adopt the witness attitude and see for ourselves
who Mr Ego is! Two further chapters continue with other aspects of the Ego.

Verse 293: The Ego is “Seen”, Fleeting & Momentary

xÉuÉÉïiqÉlÉÉ SØzrÉÍqÉSÇ qÉ×wÉæuÉ
lÉæuÉÉWûqÉjÉïÈ ¤ÉÍhÉMüiuÉSzÉïlÉÉiÉç |
eÉÉlÉÉqrÉWÇû xÉuÉïÍqÉÌiÉ mÉëiÉÏÌiÉÈ
MÑüiÉÉåÅWûqÉÉSåÈ ¤ÉÍhÉMüxrÉ ÍxÉkrÉåiÉç || 293||

1
sarvaatmanaa drishyam
idam mrishha eva
Everything that is ‘seen’ by the mind
comes under “This”, and is indeed unreal;
2
na eva aham arthah
kshhanikatva darshanaat;
Verily, the EGO also is something that is not real,
for it is seen to be fleeting.
3
jaanaami aham sarvam iti
prateetih
“I know everything” –
this is only an apparent perception;
4
kutah aham aadeh
kshhanikasya sidhyet.
How can the Ego, which possesses
such momentary perceptions, ever be valid?

1 We have already come across the technical words Idam or ‘This’ and Tat or ‘That’
in Part 4 when we discussed the “Tat Twam Asi” Mahavakya. In that context, ‘This’ meant
the Jiva, the individual soul. However, that is its narrowest sense. In its widest sense, ‘This’ is
taken to stand for everything that is unreal, i.e. the not-Self. The way to identify ‘This’ is to
check if it can be seen by anything superior to it.
2 The objects of the world are seen by the senses; the senses themselves are seen by
the mind; and the mind, too, is seen by the inner witness consciousness.

207

The Ego falls under the same category as does the mind, being part of the Antah-
karana. Hence it is to be considered as unreal. It is something that is changing all the time.
3 If that were not sufficient to prove its unreality, let us look at how Ego prides itself
on its knowing everything. How can it know everything when it is limited to just one
individual? Even if it is ‘puffed up’ it cannot know everything!
4 Surely, there is something very twisted in the Ego’s self-estimation. It borders on
lunacy, and therefore it cannot be true. One has to be detached from the Ego in order to be
able to see this truth.

Verse 294: The Real “I” is Witness of Ego

AWûqmÉSÉjÉïxiuÉWûqÉÉÌSxÉÉ¤ÉÏ
ÌlÉirÉÇ xÉÑwÉÑmiÉÉuÉÌmÉ pÉÉuÉSzÉïlÉÉiÉç |
oÉëÔiÉå ½eÉÉå ÌlÉirÉ CÌiÉ ´ÉÑÌiÉÈ xuÉrÉÇ
iÉimÉëirÉaÉÉiqÉÉ xÉSxÉÌ²sÉ¤ÉhÉÈ || 294||

1
aham-padaarthah tu
aham-aadi-saakshhee
But the true import of the word ‘I’, i.e. the real “I”,
is the Witness of the Ego, etc.
2
nityam sushhuptau api
bhaava darshanaat;
Always, even in deep sleep,
Its presence is always seen.
3
broote hi ajah nityah
iti shrutih svayam
“It is unborn, Eternal”, thus speaks
the Shruti Herself of the real “I”.
4
tat pratyag aatmaa
sat asat vilakshhanah.
Therefore, that inner Self
is different from the gross and the subtle objects.

1 The previous verse compelled us to stand apart from this monster called Ego. The
position from which we are able to observe the Ego, is our true Self, which under this
circumstance of being an observer of ego, is called the ‘inner Witness’. There are other
terms for it, such as ‘conscience’, inner awareness, consciousness, etc.
2 The Witness is always present and it is constant. It does not change with changing
circumstances.
3 Regarding this Witness, the Shruti says that “It is unborn and Eternal.” It is obvious
that we cannot know this, and have to take the Shruti’s word on faith.
4 Sat Asat Vilakshanah: This is an important recurring phrase in Vedanta. Sat-Asat in
this case does not refer to the Reality and to Non-existence. It refers to the visible and the
invisible, i.e. the gross and the subtle realities, i.e everything that is created out of the five
elements. We have already come across it in verse 220 under Anandamaya Kosha.

Verse 295: Knower of Change must be Changeless

ÌuÉMüÉËUhÉÉÇ xÉuÉïÌuÉMüÉUuÉå¨ÉÉ
ÌlÉirÉÉÌuÉMüÉUÉå pÉÌuÉiÉÑÇ xÉqÉWïûÌiÉ |
qÉlÉÉåUjÉxuÉmlÉxÉÑwÉÑÎmiÉwÉÑ xTÑüOÇû
mÉÑlÉÈ mÉÑlÉSØï¹qÉxÉ¨uÉqÉåiÉrÉÉåÈ || 295||

208

1
vikaarinaam
sarva-vikaara-vettaa
Of all things which are liable to change,
That which is the Knower of all changes,
2
nityah avikaarah
bhavitum samarhati;
is Eternal and Changeless and
is fully worthy of being called that.
3
manoratha svapna-
sushhuptishhu sphutam
For, in the waking state, in the dream state,
and in the deep sleep state, it is clearly
4
punah punah drishhtam
asattvam etayoh.
perceived, one after the other,
that the other two states do not exist simultaneously.

1-2 From a moving train we cannot tell what is not moving outside – everything
appears to be moving. Only when the train stops, can we definitely tell that. So also from
something that changes we cannot tell whether another object is changing or not. Only
from a changeless standpoint, can we know what else changes or remains still.
3-4 An example of this is given: The three states of waking, dream and deep sleep
are now considered. When we are in any one of those states, the other two appear with
certainty not to exist. This proves that all three must be unreal, and there is a need for a
fourth state from which Reality can be ‘seen’. Indeed, this is so – the Fourth state is the
‘changeless’ state of God-realisation.

Verse 296: Reject the Gross & Subtle Bodies

AiÉÉåÅÍpÉqÉÉlÉÇ irÉeÉ qÉÉÇxÉÌmÉhQåû
ÌmÉhQûÉÍpÉqÉÉÌlÉlrÉÌmÉ oÉÑÎ®MüÎsmÉiÉå |
MüÉsÉ§ÉrÉÉoÉÉkrÉqÉZÉhQûoÉÉåkÉÇ
¥ÉÉiuÉÉ xuÉqÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉÑmÉæÌWû zÉÉÎliÉqÉç || 296||

1
ataho abhimaanam tyaja
maamsa-pinde
Therefore, reject your identification
with this ‘mass of flesh’, the gross body,
2
pinda-abhimaanini api
buddhi-kalpite;
and even this ‘mass of selfishness’, the subtle body,
which is an imaginations of the intellect.
3
kaalatraya abaadhyam
akhanda-bodham
That which cannot be denied in the three periods of time,
That alone is Absolute Knowledge;
4
jnaatvaa svam aatmaanam
upaihi shaantim.
By realizing That as your own Self,
attain to the state of supreme peace.

1-2 For the reason given above (that they are changing), we should reject both the
gross as well as the subtle bodies, called here by their derogatory terms ‘flesh’ and
‘selfishness’. The Ego and the intellect, like the mind, are part of the subtle Antahkarana.
Neither of them is eternal.
3-4 Only that which is Eternal, which “exists in all three periods of time”, is worthy of
being called the Absolute. The only thing that qualifies for that is the Self or Brahman.
A mundane example for this would be an anvil. All steel items are beaten into shape
on an anvil. They all change their shapes, but the anvil remains unchanged by all the beating
and heating. It is the ‘Self’ among all steel items.

209

Verse 297: Expanded Meaning of Gross & Subtle

irÉeÉÉÍpÉqÉÉlÉÇ MÑüsÉaÉÉå§ÉlÉÉqÉ-
ÃmÉÉ´ÉqÉåwuÉÉSìïzÉuÉÉÍ´ÉiÉåwÉÑ |
ÍsÉ…¡ûxrÉ kÉqÉÉïlÉÌmÉ MüiÉ×ïiÉÉSÏÇ-
xirÉYiuÉÉ pÉuÉÉZÉhQûxÉÑZÉxuÉÃmÉÈ || 297||

1
tyaja abhimaanam
kula gotra naama-
Renounce your identification with
family, lineage, name,
2
roopa aashrameshhu
aardrashau aashriteshhu;
form and order of life (attributes of the body),
and all dependence on the “foul” gross body;
3
lingasya dharmaan api
kartrita-aadeen,
(Renounce) even the subtle body
with its attributes such as doership, etc;
4
tyaktvaa bhava
akhanda-sukha-svaroopah.
Thus by renouncing them, become
the very essence of Absolute, unbroken Bliss.

This final verse of the Chapter asks us to make the greatest sacrifice with respect to
all traces of bodily as well as mental and intellectual identifications.
1-2 The previous verse asked us to reject the gross body, which was described as
“this mass of flesh”. The description of this mass is now expanded. Included in it are all that
is associated with them, namely, family ties, lineage, the social standing of the family, the
order of life (whether Brahmin, Kshatriya, etc.). All these are in some way offshoots of gross
body-association.
It is the ego’s trick to make us feel secure in a group. A lonely fish feels unsafe; in a
shoal it feels secure. This is to some extent an illusion, and the seeker is warned of the
danger behind this illusion, even with respect to spiritual organisations.
3-4 The previous verse also asked us to reject the subtle body, which was described
as “this mass of selfishness”. The description does not end there. Included are the mind and
intellect and all that is associated with them, namely, the feelings of doership and
enjoyership, the emotions, likes and dislikes, joys and sorrows, etc. All these are in some
way offshoots of subtle body association.

The final message of this Chapter is: “Just be your own true self. Avoid measuring up
to any past fancy, history, thought, peer pressure, etc. The ego had used all of that in the
past, and now when death awaits it, it will desperately try to cling on to anything that gives
it an identity. The seeker should beware of its strategies.
So crucial is it to dissociate from the clutches of the Ego at this stage, that another
two chapters are required to give more details of it . . .

*****

210

5.5 THE PLAY OF THE EGO

(Verses 298 – 309, 12 No.)

EGO IS THE RINGLEADER of all the obstacles that stand between us and God. Being
the first emanation from cosmic Ignorance, it is the last to leave its hold on us. It needs extra
consideration in the life spiritual. These verses provide valuable insights into the play of the
Ego, and are of great help to an aspirant in treading the path of meditation.
God and Ego cannot reign together. To obtain God we have to drop Ahamkara.
Strangely, the Ego is so cunning that because of the value attached to God-realisation, it
wants to add realisation as a feather under its cap!
The world is full of people who would do anything to get into the Guinness Book of
Records. The Ego drives people towards “achievements”, for it wishes to make a name for
itself. It does the same even to spiritual attainment, sabotaging one’s spiritual progress.
An Example: A man came to Pujya Gurudev saying that he had gone through the
Bhagavad Gita 18 times. Gurudev at once saw what his disease was and said, “Have you let
the Gita go through you even once? Until you do that you will never change.”
The Ego is destroyed by restraining the diverse waves of thought produced by it in
the mind. This can be done through discrimination. Even a trace of the poison of Ego should
not be allowed to remain.

Verse 298: Ego – Root of All Obstacles

xÉlirÉlrÉå mÉëÌiÉoÉlkÉÉÈ mÉÑÇxÉÈ xÉÇxÉÉUWåûiÉuÉÉå SØ¹ÉÈ |
iÉåwÉÉqÉåMüÇ qÉÔsÉÇ mÉëjÉqÉÌuÉMüÉUÉå pÉuÉirÉWûƒ¡ûÉUÈ || 298||

1 santi anye pratibandhaah There are other obstacles also
2
pumsah samsaarahetavo
drishhtaah;
which hurl man into a whirl of births and deaths;
we now take a look at these:
3 teshhaam ekam moolam For all of them, there is one root cause,
4
prathama vikaarah
bhavati ahangkaarah.
the very first modification of Ignorance,
and that is the Ego or Ahamkara.

1-2 It is acknowledged that there are many obstacles which hinder the spiritual
growth of man. We have been dealing with some of them.
3-4 The point is well made that Ego is at the root of all these obstacles.

Verse 299: Ego Not to be Entertained as Friend

rÉÉuÉixrÉÉixuÉxrÉ xÉqoÉlkÉÉåÅWûƒ¡ûÉUåhÉ SÒUÉiqÉlÉÉ |
iÉÉuÉ³É sÉåzÉqÉÉ§ÉÉÌmÉ qÉÑÌ£üuÉÉiÉÉï ÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉÉ || 299||

211

1 yaavat syaat svasya sambandhah As long as there is any relationship
2 ahankaarena duraatmanaa; with this vile Ego,
3 taavat na leshamaatraa api so long there cannot be even the slightest
4 muktivaartaa vilakshhanaa. talk of Liberation, which is unparalleled.

1-2 The question that is raised in our mind is: Who is it that is having any relationship
with the Ego? The Ego is the Chief Officer of the Jiva. The Jiva is the total human being; the
Ego is a major part of this human being. The relationship is between the Jiva and the Ego.
3-4 While Jiva is entertaining Ego daily in his office, it cannot entertain anyone else
whom the Ego does not like. That keeps out the agents of God from coming anywhere near
Jiva’s office.
It is like appointments that are made with salesmen. Companies are very careful to
space out the visits of salespeople, so that one salesman does not meet another in the same
premises. Not only does it arouse natural jealousy between the salespersons, but the
company buyer runs the risk of giving away information about who he is dealing with.
The Jiva is placed in such a situation when it keeps Ego in its office for long hours,
entertaining him with tea and biscuits every time!

Verse 300: The Bliss of an Egoless Man

AWûƒ¡ûÉUaÉëWûÉlqÉÑ£üÈ xuÉÃmÉqÉÑmÉmÉ±iÉå |
cÉlSìuÉÌ²qÉsÉÈ mÉÔhÉïÈ xÉSÉlÉlSÈ xuÉrÉqmÉëpÉÈ || 300||

1 ahamkaara-grahaat muktah Freed from the shackles of Ego,
2 svaroopam upapadyate; man gains his true nature.
3
chandravat
vimalah poornah
Like the moon (that is freed from the eclipse),
is untainted and full (infinite),
4 sadaanandah svayamprabhah. even so is an egoless man ever blissful and glowing.

Here is an extremely effective simile to describe the role played by the Ego. Sri
Shankaracharyaji expresses the whole simile in a positive way, as if there is no Ego.
3 People look forward to seeing the full moon. It is considered a very auspicious
night when the moon is bright and beautiful in the sky. When there is an eclipse, the moon
is sad; it cannot display its full glory. The earth steps into the path of the sunlight from the
sun to the moon. It intercepts the sunlight. Hence we cannot see the full moon. If it is a total
eclipse, we do not see the moon at all.
4 The earth represents the Ego; the moon represents the Jiva. Like the earth, the Ego
intercepts all the light, it ‘steals’ the limelight, as it were, that is due to the Jiva, taking all the
glory away for itself.
1-2 However, if the Jiva receives full light of the Self without it being obstructed by
the ego, he is very happy and wears a contented smile. He displays his true nature of joy.

212

Verse 301: The Freedom of the Egoless Self

rÉÉå uÉÉ mÉÑUå xÉÉåÅWûÍqÉÌiÉ mÉëiÉÏiÉÉå
oÉÑSèkrÉÉ mÉëYsÉ×miÉxiÉqÉxÉÉÅÌiÉqÉÔRûrÉÉ |
iÉxrÉæuÉ ÌlÉÈzÉåwÉiÉrÉÉ ÌuÉlÉÉzÉå
oÉë¼ÉiqÉpÉÉuÉÈ mÉëÌiÉoÉlkÉzÉÔlrÉÈ || 301||

1
yah vaa pure
sah aham iti prateetah
That which, in this ‘body-city’,
is perceived as “I am So-and-so” (the Ego),
2
buddhyaa praklriptah
tamasaa atimoodhayaa;
has been produced by the intellect,
and which is deluded by ‘Nescience’ –
3
tasya eva
nihsheshhatayaa vinaashe
That is the Ego. When this Ego-sense
is totally annihilated beyond resurrection,
4
brahmaatmabhaavah
pratibandhashoonyah.
The identity of one’s Self with Brahman
is rendered free of all obstruction.

Again the emphasis is on the positive side. Rather than speak of the obstruction, the
Acharya chooses to speak highly of the situation where there is no obstruction.
The Ego sticks tenaciously to Ignorance; its email ID is : [email protected].
1-2 What is the inter-relationship among the Jiva (the individual human being),
Buddhi (the intellect), Avidya (Ignorance), Ahamkara (Ego) and Moha (Delusion)? The
answer is given in this line:
As usual, Sri Shankaracharyaji chooses an appropriate simile – that of a City.
The City stands for the Jiva.
The city is run by its Municipality, which stands for the Buddhi of the Jiva.
The municipality is made up of many Councillors. Each councillor represents one of
three political parties, namely Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas. The overwhelming majority of the
councillors are from the Tamas Party, named Avidya. It is Avidya that calls all the shots in
the municipality.
The councillors elect a Mayor. Naturally, he turns out to be the most Tamasic one
among them. This mayor is Ahamkara, the “I am So-and-so” of the City!
The power of Tamas works through the mayor. Since Tamas is a dark force, full of
ignorance, the entire municipality is characterised by Moha.
This is how all the five major players in the city are inter-related.

EGO – the Mayor of the City
3-4 Now we know how the Ego was produced. He was elected into power by
members of the Avidya Party. How can it be “totally annihilated”? Simply by voting. If all the
citizens of the city cease voting for the Tamas Party, and instead bring into power the
Sattwa Party, then there will be a new Mayor in the city who will run it in a totally different
direction. The same city, with the same municipality but under a Sattwic mayor, becomes a
city free from all delusion, ignorance and conflict.
This is a situation worth striving for. Hence, we are urged to make every effort to
turn the Jiva-city into a Sattwic-city. The ‘annihilation of the Ego’ actually means the
complete cleansing of every councillor in the ‘intellect-municipality’.

213

Verse 302: The Ego-Serpent Guards the Self

oÉë¼ÉlÉlSÌlÉÍkÉqÉïWûÉoÉsÉuÉiÉÉÅWûƒ¡ûÉUbÉÉåUÉÌWûlÉÉ
xÉÇuÉåwšÉiqÉÌlÉ U¤rÉiÉå aÉÑhÉqÉrÉæ¶ÉhQæûûÎx§ÉÍpÉqÉïxiÉMæüÈ
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉÉZrÉqÉWûÉÍxÉlÉÉ ´ÉÑÌiÉqÉiÉÉ ÌuÉÎcNû± zÉÏwÉï§ÉrÉÇ
ÌlÉqÉÔïsrÉÉÌWûÍqÉqÉÇ ÌlÉÍkÉÇ xÉÑZÉMüUÇ kÉÏUÉåÅlÉÑpÉÉå£ÑüXç¤ÉqÉÈ || 302||

1
brahmaananda-nidhih
mahaabalavataa,
ahankaara ghora ahinaa
The treasure of Bliss of Brahman,
is, by the mighty
and dreadful serpent of the Ego, which is
2
samveshhtya aatmani
rakshhyate gunamayaih,
chandaih tribhih mastakaih;
encoiled in the mind (for its own selfish use),
jealously guarded by the three Gunas,
the three fierce hoods of the serpent.
3
vijnaana aakhya mahaa asinaa
shrutimataa,
vichchhidya sheershha trayam
With the great sword of Realisation,
in accordance with scriptural teachings,
these three hoods are to be severed.
4
nirmoolya ahim imam
nidhim sukhakaram,
dheerah anubhoktum kshhamah.
By completely destroying this Ego-serpent,
the treasure which brings Bliss
becomes available for the wise man to enjoy!

The great Teacher is not done with the subject yet; more fire is breathed into it.
1-2 A new simile is introduced to show another face of the Ego. It pinpoints the
“vileness” of the Ego mentioned in verse 299. The Ego is depicted as a dreadful, venomous
serpent that stands fiercely on guard over the inner treasure of Eternal Bliss of Brahman. It
guards the treasure jealously with its very life. One has to pass the ‘Snake Test’ to reach it.
The serpent has three fierce-looking hoods. They are Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas, the
three Gunas that constitute Nature. Together the hoods stand for Avidya, since Tamas is
predominant among them when it comes to the human being.
3-4 How can this serpent be killed? The only way is to follow the prescriptions given
in the scriptures which clearly lay down two instructions: increase Sattwa and reduce
Tamas. Once that is done, realisation of the Self becomes a real possibility. Realisation itself
is finally achieved at the funeral of the Mayor of the ‘Body-city’, Chief Councillor His
Honourable Mr Ego, and the gateway of Infinite Bliss is then opened to be enjoyed forever.

Verse 303: Even a Trace of Ego is Poisonous

rÉÉuÉ²É rÉÎiMüÎgcÉÌ²wÉSÉåwÉxTÔüÌiÉïUÎxiÉ cÉå¬åWåû |
MüjÉqÉÉUÉåarÉÉrÉ pÉuÉå¨É²SWûliÉÉÌmÉ rÉÉåÌaÉlÉÉå qÉÑYirÉæ || 303||

1 yaavat vaa yat kinchit Verily, if and as long as there is even a trace
2
vishhadoshha sphoortih
asti chet dehe;
of the effect of the impurity of poison
remaining in the body,
3 katham aarogyaaya bhavet how can one hope for complete recovery?
4
tadvat ahantaa api
yoginah muktyai.
Similarly, the Ego-sense is like poison
to the meditating Yogi seeking liberation.

214

It is not as if the Ego is a snake waiting at the gates of Bliss threatening to bite if one
tries to enter. Such a snake can be avoided, just by avoiding the gates!
1-2 The Teacher closes up that escape route. He now says that we have already been
bitten by the snake of Ego. There is no question of avoiding the snake; it is now a question of
finding the right antidote to neutralise the poison that has been injected into our system.
3 The Ego poison has already spread from head to foot. Every part of the body is
filled with the Ego-sense – my eyes, my hair, my heart, my good looks, etc. How does one
find a snakebite serum for this poison?
4 Clearly, Sri Shankaracharya is cornering our Ego, and is determined, even in spite of
us, to cure it completely so that we can be liberated from the disease of worldliness
produced by the poison. How rare are such doctors in the world today!

Verse 304: The Snakebite Serum – Discrimination

AWûqÉÉåÅirÉliÉÌlÉuÉ×¨rÉÉ iÉiM×üiÉlÉÉlÉÉÌuÉMüsmÉxÉÇ™irÉÉ |
mÉëirÉ£ü¨uÉÌuÉuÉåMüÉÌSSqÉWûqÉxqÉÏÌiÉ ÌuÉlSiÉå iÉ¨uÉqÉç || 304||

1
ahamah atyanta-nivrittyaa,
tatkrita naanaa vikalpa
samhrityaa;
By the complete cessation of the ego-sense,
the diverse mental waves created by it
(the ego itself), are restrained.
2
pratyak tattva-vivekaat
idam aham asmi iti
vindate tattvam.
Through discrimination of the innermost Reality,
“I am This” –
one gains or experiences the Reality.

The right serum is discovered at last, coming directly from the laboratory of the
Divine Doctor, Sri Shankaracharyaji. From the title of the Book we could have guessed what
it is: “Viveksin” – 2 tablets taken daily before meditation.
1-2 The birth of the Ego is an error in the intellect, the creation of the thought “I am”
with respect to everything other than the Self. The only way such a poison can be removed
is by careful Discrimination. How can I be the five sheaths that encase the Self. In such
piercing discrimination between the Self and the not-Self, lies our only hope of eliminating
the poison of Ego-sense once and for all. No other method exists to get rid of this disease.
It is something that Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji has become well-known for. Time and
again he has stressed that if Ignorance is the disease, then Knowledge is the only cure. If
narrow individuality (Ego) is the disease, then opening oneself to universality can be the
only cure. It is as logical as that.
Any trace of identification with the ego-sense implies identification with the body,
mind and intellect. That automatically implies that there is a sense of ‘doership’. This
indicates that we still have a bond with our subtle body that is preventing us from uniting
ourselves fully with the Self. We are anchored to the subtle body, which has its origin in the
Tanmatras or subtle elements. These elements are emanations that fall into the ‘not-Self’
category. Any link with the ‘not-Self’ implies that we are not linked to our Self.
With Sri Shankaracharyaji, that is the only miraculous cure he believed in, as with all
the other Vedantic Masters. To this day, no one has come up with any other “magic pill”!

215

Verse 305: The Ego-Mess!

AWûƒ¡ûÉUå MüiÉïrÉïWûÍqÉÌiÉ qÉÌiÉÇ qÉÑgcÉ xÉWûxÉÉ
ÌuÉMüÉUÉiqÉlrÉÉiqÉmÉëÌiÉTüsÉeÉÑÌwÉ xuÉÎxjÉÌiÉqÉÑÌwÉ |
rÉSkrÉÉxÉÉimÉëÉmiÉÉ eÉÌlÉqÉ×ÌiÉeÉUÉSÒÈZÉoÉWÒûsÉÉ
mÉëiÉÏcÉÍ¶ÉlqÉÔiÉåïxiÉuÉ xÉÑZÉiÉlÉÉåÈ xÉÇxÉ×ÌiÉËUrÉqÉç || 305||

1
ahangkaare kartari
aham iti matim
muncha sahasaa
The ego-sense thinks “I am the Doer”,
“I am So-and-so” – such thinking
should be renounced immediately.
2
vikaara aatmani
aatma-pratiphala-jushhi
sva-sthiti-mushhi;
The Ego’s nature is ever changing;
it is lit up only by a reflection of the Self;
it distracts a man from being established in his Self.
3
yat adhyaasaat praaptaa
jani-mriti-jaraa-
duhkha-bahulaa
Due to the superimposition of the Ego, one has reached
the state where birth, death, decay
and miseries are faced in maximum measure.
4
prateechah chinmoorteh
tava sukhatanoh
samsritih iyam.
You, being the inner Self, the essence of Pure Knowledge,
for you there awaits the very embodiment of Bliss;
yet, look, what a dreadful worldly existence is yours!

Great is Our Loss
1 The biggest problem we encounter comes to us from the “I”-thought produced in
the intellect. The feeling of being the doer and the enjoyer has long-lasting consequences.
2 We get upset when someone takes away our pen. Here we have the Ego who is
stealing our true Self, and we let him do it without any protest! How can we be so foolish to
allow it? We are letting the pounds slip away but we guard our pennies like gold!
3 The blame for transmigration – the endless round of births and deaths – is laid on
the Ego, since it tries to grab everything for itself and incurs all the Karma in doing so. All the
Paapa or demerits incurred eventually bear fruit in the form of sorrow and miseries.
4 Without the Ego we would be emperors of this world. We have infinite property
when we are conscious of being our true Self. Why do we let this Ego deny us access to this
birthright of ours? What we are heir to and what we are claiming are poles apart. We have
become beggars instead of emperors!

A TWO-PRONGED ATTACK ON THE EGO

One approach is to ignore the ego-sense by remaining in Self-abidance. By keeping
our attention on the Self, by continuing to abide in It, we enjoy the higher state of
consciousness and the ego-sense gets thinned out by itself. The best antidote to the ego-
sense is abidance in the Self. This can be done by increasing our period of meditation.
However, when we are not meditating, we can turn our attention to deal with the
ego directly. Both methods may be used to advantage, depending on where our mind is
resting at a particular moment. A two-pronged attack on the enemy can be more effective
to remove the false ego-sense.

216

Verse 306: Slavish Transmigration Due to Ego

xÉSæMüÃmÉxrÉ ÍcÉSÉiqÉlÉÉå ÌuÉpÉÉå-
UÉlÉlSqÉÔiÉåïUlÉuÉ±MüÐiÉåïÈ |
lÉæuÉÉlrÉjÉÉ YuÉÉmrÉÌuÉMüÉËUhÉxiÉå
ÌuÉlÉÉWûqÉkrÉÉxÉqÉqÉÑwrÉ xÉÇxÉ×ÌiÉÈ || 306||

1
sadaikaroopasya
chidaatmanah vibhoh
You are eternally the same,
you are Knowledge Absolute, omnipresent;
2
aanandamoorteh
anavadyakeerteh;
You are Bliss Absolute,
you are of unsullied glory and fame;
3
naiva anyathaa kva api
avikaarinah te
Never can there be transmigration
for you who are immutable;
4
vinaa aham adhyaasam
amushhya samsritih.
In fact, had it not been for identification with the Ego,
there could never be transmigration for you.

Here the psychology applied is to discredit the value of Ego in the eyes of the Jiva.
The Jiva is being addressed as “You”.
1-2 Without the Ego, this is our height, width and depth – Infinity, Absolute
Knowledge and Bliss.
3-4 With the Ego, this is our height – mere slavish transmigration to and fro from this
world to another and back.
What do we want? Do we want to grow taller towards God, or stay on the ground
floor and be suffocated by the pangs of transmigration?

Verse 307: The Thorn of Ego in the Throat!

iÉxqÉÉSWûƒ¡ûÉUÍqÉqÉÇ xuÉzÉ§ÉÑÇ
pÉÉå£ÑüaÉïsÉå MühOûMüuÉimÉëiÉÏiÉqÉç |
ÌuÉÎcNû± ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉqÉWûÉÍxÉlÉÉ xTÑüOÇû
pÉÑXç¤uÉÉiqÉxÉÉqÉëÉerÉxÉÑZÉÇ rÉjÉå¹qÉç || 307||

1 tasmaat ahankaaram imam sva-shatrum Therefore, consider this Ego as your enemy;
2 bhoktuh gale kantakavat prateetam; It is like a thorn in the throat of the eater.
3 vichchhidya vijnaana-mahaa-asinaa Destroy it with the great sword of Realisation
4
sphutam yatheshhtam bhunkshhva
aatma-saamraajya-sukham.
and directly and freely you can enjoy
the Bliss of your own Empire.

1-4 A very unusual simile is brought in here to describe our state of folly. Imagine a
person sitting in front of his favourite dish of food. He wants to relish it, but there is a thorn
in his throat. He can never swallow even a bit of the food until the thorn is removed. This is
the fate of man who cannot enjoy his kingship of the whole world until the small thorn of his
Ego is removed from his intellect.

217

Verse 308: Non-Duality – the Only Solution for Ego

iÉiÉÉåÅWûqÉÉSåÌuÉïÌlÉuÉirÉï uÉ×Ì¨ÉÇ
xÉlirÉ£üUÉaÉÈ mÉUqÉÉjÉïsÉÉpÉÉiÉç |
iÉÔwhÉÏÇ xÉqÉÉxxuÉÉiqÉxÉÑZÉÉlÉÑpÉÔirÉÉ
mÉÔhÉÉïiqÉlÉÉ oÉë¼ÍhÉ ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉÈ || 308||

1
tatah ahamaadeh
vinivartya vrittim
Thereafter, the Ego’s
activities need to be kept in check;
2
santyakta raagah
paramaartha-laabhaat;
All attachments have to be renounced,
through the experience of the Supreme Reality.
3
tooshhneem samaassva
aatma sukha anubhootyaa
Remain serene
through the enjoyment of the Bliss of the Self.
4
poornaatmanaa
brahmani nirvikalpah.
Being the Infinite Self,
remain in Brahman alone, free from all duality.

Logically, Non-duality can be the only lasting solution to dissolve the Ego once and
for all. The very origin of the Ego lies in Duality: It is produced in the subtle body, a realm of
Duality. Its concerns are only with Duality all its life. Non-duality spells its death.
1 Aham Vrittim: The Ego has a legitimate role to play; it has its “activities” to fulfil;
else, we will not be able to survive as entities in the world. The complaint against the Ego is
not in its legitimate realm, but when it oversteps its limits and becomes greedy for more.
2-4 With further progress on the spiritual path, the Ego recedes into oblivion. The
reins of the Jiva are controlled from the level of the Witness, the Self’s representative in the
intellect. This verse emphatically points this out in every way possible:
2 Paramaartha: “the Supreme Reality”; 3 Aatma Sukha: “Bliss of the Self”;
4a Poornaatmanaa: “being the Infinite Self”;
4b Brahmani: “in Brahman alone”.

Verse 309: Kill Off Ego, Lest it Revives

xÉqÉÔsÉM×ü¨ÉÉåÅÌmÉ qÉWûÉlÉWÇû mÉÑlÉÈ
urÉÑssÉåÎZÉiÉÈ xrÉÉ±ÌS cÉåiÉxÉÉ ¤ÉhÉqÉç |
xÉgeÉÏurÉ ÌuÉ¤ÉåmÉzÉiÉÇ MüUÉåÌiÉ
lÉpÉxuÉiÉÉ mÉëÉuÉ×ÌwÉ uÉÉËUSÉå rÉjÉÉ || 309||

1
samoolakrittah api
mahaan aham punah
Unless it is completely rooted out,
this terrible Ego-sense can again
2
vyullekhitah syaat yadi
chetasaa kshhanam;
be revived if it lingers on
in the mind even for a moment.
3
sanjeevya
vikshhepa-shatam karoti
Returning to life,
it can create hundreds of distractions;
4
nabhasvataa praavrishhi
vaaridah yathaa.
Even as the wind during the rainy season,
ushers in more clouds (soon after the rain).

218

1-4 If even a trace of ego is left unchecked, it can suddenly revive itself in the mind.
Even a moment of its revival can become a cause of great hindrance to our spiritual life. The
simile given here is of a cloud that comes as if from nowhere during the rainy season. That
cloud is the trace of ego still left. If we do not check it, it will build up and precipitate rain.
Rain will then lead to the growth of the whole chain of ‘ego-centred life’ to its original
proportions. All the gain we have made through Sadhana can thus be nullified by a moment
of inadvertance.
The Ego will draw our attention if we feel that it is more real than the Self. It will also
distract us if it is stronger than our aspiration for the Self. In that case, it will make us forget
the Self. Hence, this suggests that our constant effort should be to weaken the ego-sense at
any cost, by consciously not submitting to its demands. As long as our desire for God is
stronger than our desire for pleasures, we will be able to continue smoothly with our
Sadhana. The difficulty is in maintaining this positive state all the time.
What prevents us from remaining positively focussed on our Goal? The answer is laid
bare in the next Chapter . . .

*****

219

5.6 THE TRIO: VASANAS – RUMINATION – EGO

(Verses 310 – 319, 10 No.)

SRI SHANKARACHARYA IS addressing in these pages of the book an aspirant of a
fairly high standard. The aspirant whom we are dealing with at this juncture of the text is
someone who is fairly advanced on the spiritual path. He has come up to the Nididhyasana
stage. That is no ordinary level; not many aspirants are found at this level.
The following 10 verses are a “Self Test” for aspirants to see how well prepared they
are for this stage of Sadhana. Spiritual life is a deeply personal pursuit. One has to introspect
and examine himself. Just as we regularly take our cars for servicing, or just as we regularly
go for a full medical check-up to see how we are doing healthwise – so also a spiritual
aspirant has to take a regular Self Test to see how well he is faring on this difficult path.
The three K’s – Kanchana, Kaamini and Keerti (wealth, passion and fame) – do not
spare anybody, not even the spiritual aspirant who has reached this spiritual height. This is
something that should alert us and remind us not to overestimate ourselves. If advanced
aspirants can be troubled by the three K’s, how would less evolved souls fare in this matter?
This is something to think about.
One has to be eternally vigilant in order to gain mastery over these deeply-seated
desire impulses. Hence, an entire chapter on the spiritual “Self Test”.

Verse 310: The Result of Rumination

ÌlÉaÉ×½ zÉ§ÉÉåUWûqÉÉåÅuÉMüÉzÉÈ
YuÉÍcÉ³É SårÉÉå ÌuÉwÉrÉÉlÉÑÍcÉliÉrÉÉ |
xÉ LuÉ xÉgeÉÏuÉlÉWåûiÉÑUxrÉ
mÉë¤ÉÏhÉeÉqoÉÏUiÉUÉåËUuÉÉqoÉÑ || 310||

1-
2
nigrihya shatroh ahamah
avakaashah kvachit na deyah
vishhaya anuchintayaa;
Having once overpowered this enemy, the Ego,
not a single moment’s rest should be given to it
to ruminate over sense objects.
3-
4
sa eva sanjeevanahetuh asya
iva ambu prakshheena
jambeerataroh.
That is verily the cause of its return to life,
just as, for a citrus tree that has dried up, water
is the cause for its flowering again.

1 The starting point of the discussion is an Ego-disease which has already undergone
sufficient treatment to be considered ‘dead’ and free from being troublesome. Just when
we think we are free from the disease, this is what starts happening . . .
2 Vishaya Anuchintayaa: “ruminating over the sense objects”. This resurrects the
Ego; it keeps the Ego alive and kicking, as it were. In this chapter Rumination is a key factor
that is considered. The other two factors are Vasanas and the Ego. The inter-relationship
between these three factors is built up throughout this chapter.

220

3-4 Shankaracharyaji typically ties the discussion to a fitting simile. The citrus is the
deciduous, lemon tree. When it is not in season, it appears as good as a dead tree. There are
no leaves on it. However, as soon as the first rains come, it suddenly comes to life in
appearance. And very soon it brings forth its fruit. This is a perfect example of what can
happen to a dormant Ego.
An Ego under check is like the dormant citrus tree. To all appearances it is as good as
dead. Then suddenly we go through a period when our thoughts go out of control. It is the
‘rainy’ season for the thoughts. They just cannot stop ruminating over some sense object or
other. The thoughts repeat themselves again and again in the mind.
Desire soon breaks through the skin. The dormant Vasanas or desire-impulses in us
are re-kindled. Very soon we have an Ego-tree that is flourishing with leaves and flowers of
sense pleasures! Before we know it, the Ego bounces back to life and starts its full play.

Verse 311: Rumination Rouses the Body-Idea

SåWûÉiqÉlÉÉ xÉÇÎxjÉiÉ LuÉ MüÉqÉÏ
ÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉÈ MüÉqÉÌrÉiÉÉ MüjÉÇ xrÉÉiÉç |
AiÉÉåÅjÉïxÉlkÉÉlÉmÉUiuÉqÉåuÉ
pÉåSmÉëxÉYirÉÉ pÉuÉoÉlkÉWåûiÉÑÈ || 311||

1
dehaatmanaa samsthita
eva kaamee
One who has identified himself with the body,
he alone is desirous (for sense pleasures);
2
vilakshhanah
kaamayitaa katham syaat;
One devoid of the body-idea –
how can he be desirous?
3
atah artha-sandhaana
paratvam eva
Hence, the tendency to ruminate
over sense objects is indeed
4
bheda-prasaktyaa
bhava-bandha-hetuh.
caused by the idea of distinction and duality,
and is the cause of all bondage of existence.

1-2 There is a deeper understanding of Desire. Desire rests on the false assumption
that one can find joy and happiness from the outside world. Once this basic belief takes root
in us, connected to it is the full co-operation of body and mind. Body and mind become
mere instruments that serve this belief. The lingering of desires in the mind indicate that we
have not overcome the belief completely. The rise of desire and subsequent involvement of
the body is only due to the fundamental belief that happiness lies in an external object.
3-4 The tendency to ruminate over objects has its roots in this belief, not in anything
else. The belief is rooted in Duality. If we feel a sense of incompleteness, that means Duality
is present; in Oneness there cannot be the sense of incompleteness. Duality means
distinctions, and this manifests first in our thoughts and then in our actions. The ‘Desirer-
Desire-Desired’ trio is bound to crop up in due course.

Verse 312: Subdual of Effects – An Imperative

MüÉrÉïmÉëuÉkÉïlÉÉ¯ÏeÉmÉëuÉ×Î®È mÉËUSØzrÉiÉå |
MüÉrÉïlÉÉzÉÉ¯ÏeÉlÉÉzÉxiÉxqÉÉiMüÉrÉïÇ ÌlÉUÉåkÉrÉåiÉç || 312||

221

1-
2
kaarya-pravardhanaat
beeja-pravriddhih
paridrishyate;
When the effects are flourishing,
the seeds also increase;
this iswhat we observe (from experience).
3-
4
kaarya-naashaat
beeja-naashah
tasmaat kaaryam nirodhayet.
When the effects are destroyed,
the seeds also are destroyed.
Therefore, the effects must be subdued.

How can we stop desire-thoughts from arising? The strategy is based on the observa-
tion of what we see in life. The relationship between cause and effect is clearly shown so
that we know how we may tackle such a situation when it does arise.
1-2 The example of a tree and its relation to the seed is given here. The tree grows
from the seed. The seed is the cause and the tree, the effect. In course of time, the tree
produces many more seeds which can produce more trees.
3-4 Thus the strategy for checking the propagation of this chain is, “Stop the effects,
and the cause will thin out of itself and disappear.” Let us apply this strategy.

Verse 313: Vasanas & Ego’s Effects

uÉÉxÉlÉÉuÉ×Î®iÉÈ MüÉrÉïÇ MüÉrÉïuÉ×SèkrÉÉ cÉ uÉÉxÉlÉÉ |
uÉkÉïiÉå xÉuÉïjÉÉ mÉÑÇxÉÈ xÉÇxÉÉUÉå lÉ ÌlÉuÉiÉïiÉå || 313||

1 vaasanaa-vriddhitah kaaryam Increase in Vasanas causes increase in effects;
2 kaarya-vriddhyaa cha vaasanaa; And increase in effects causes increase in Vasanas.
3 vardhate sarvathaa pumsah The two increase each other. Thus man’s
4 samsaarah na nivartate. transmigration never comes to an end.

This verse applies the above strategy to the “Vasana-Effects-Vasana” loop; it is
identical to the “seed-tree-seed” loop.
1-4 We have a loop whereby one increases the other, just as the seed and tree
increase each other. Both will go on increasing or propagating themselves. If we do not
intervene and stop either one of the two, the loop will never end. The loop has to be broken
at some point, either by stopping the Vasanas or by stopping their expressions in the world
of sense gratification.
The suggestion from the previous verse is that the expression of Vasanas is the
better option to be stopped. To check the Vasanas themselves is impossible; it is like trying
to check the growth of a growing tree. We have to check the flowers, i.e. the expressions of
the ego, then no further seeds of Vasanas are produced, and gradually the Vasanas will get
thinned out. If we refuse to give expression to the promptings of the Vasanas, they will die a
natural death. That is the only sensible strategy.

Verse 314: The Trio: Vasanas = Rumination + Ego

xÉÇxÉÉUoÉlkÉÌuÉÎcNû¨rÉæ iÉSè ²rÉÇ mÉëSWåû±ÌiÉÈ |
uÉÉxÉlÉÉuÉ×Î®UåiÉÉprÉÉÇ ÍcÉliÉrÉÉ Ì¢ürÉrÉÉ oÉÌWûÈ || 314||

222

1 samsaara-bandha-vichchhittyai In order to snap the chain of transmigration,
2 tat dvayam pradahet yatih; the seeker should burn to ashes these two
3 vaasanaa-vriddhih etaabhyaam which lead to an increase in Vasanas. The two are:
4
chintayaa
kriyayaa bahih.
i) Internal Rumination or thinking of sense objects;
ii) External Actions that are driven by the Ego.

The entire foregoing discussion has the aim of bringing us to this crucial point of
grasping the full situation. There are three participants in the descent of our consciousness
into grossness, and eventually into bondage and the unavoidable transmigration. They are
jointly named as the TRIO, and can be put in the form of an equation:

1. VASANAS = 2. INTERNAL RUMINATING THOUGHTS + 3. EXTERNAL EGOIC ACTIONS

1-2 The purpose and the chief means are given in this Pada.
i) The Purpose: to snap the never-ending chain of transmigration.
ii) The Means: to “burn to ashes” Rumination and Egoic Activities.
3-4 The two parts of the means can be logically understood by seeing them as
follows: Rumination is an internal process of thinking of or harbouring Vasanas or desires in
the mind. We have seen how ruinous this can be in the very first verse of this chapter.
Egoic Actions is the external process of acting out the Vasanas. These are the effects
of the Vasanas, and are the preferred target of all our effort to stop the cycle.
If these two are ‘burnt to ashes’, then the Vasanas can be exhausted. We should
never feed the Vasanas by giving expression to them. That is the golden rule to follow.

Verse 315: Destruction of the ‘Trio’

iÉÉprÉÉÇ mÉëuÉkÉïqÉÉlÉÉ xÉÉ xÉÔiÉå xÉÇxÉ×ÌiÉqÉÉiqÉlÉÈ |
§ÉrÉÉhÉÉÇ cÉ ¤ÉrÉÉåmÉÉrÉÈ xÉuÉÉïuÉxjÉÉxÉÑ xÉuÉïSÉ || 315||

1 taabhyaam pravardhamaanaa saa Augmented by these two,
2 soote samsritim aatmanah; the Vasanas produce one’s transmigration.
3 trayaanaam cha kshhaya upaayah The means of destroying this ‘Trio’
4 sarva avasthaasu sarvadaa, is, under all circumstances, always, . . .

Verse 316: . . . by Longing for God

xÉuÉï§É xÉuÉïiÉÈ xÉuÉïoÉë¼qÉÉ§ÉÉuÉsÉÉåMülÉæÈ |
xÉ°ÉuÉuÉÉxÉlÉÉSÉžÉï¨Éi§ÉrÉÇ sÉrÉqÉzlÉÑiÉå || 316||

5 sarvatra sarvatah sarva . . . everywhere, in all respects, and in all,
6 brahma maatra avalokanaih; to look upon everything as Brahman alone.
7 sadbhaava-vaasanaa-daardhyaat By strengthening the longing to be one with
8 tat trayam layam ashnute. Brahman, the ‘Trio’ is annihilated.

223

1-2 This is equivalent to the following:

1. Vasanas  2. Rumination + 3. Egoic Actions  TRANSMIGRATION

3-6 The means to come out of this fall from Grace is said to be, “Look upon
everything as pure Brahman alone.” This is the Vedantic solution.
7-8 It is the only way of destroying the ‘Trio’, items 1, 2 and 3.
The feminine singular pronoun Saa is used to indicate the ‘Trio’, the triune feminine
nouns Vasanaa, Chintyaa and Kaaryaa (latent impressions, rumination and ego-driven
activities). These are the three parts in the equation given under verse 314.

THE BRAHMA-ASTRA & THE DIVINE NAME
The method: “See everything as Brahman alone,” is the Brahma-Astra to destroy
the Trio, namely, Vasanas, Rumination & Egoic Activity. Not everyone can use the Brahma-
Astra. It must be noted that this is a very difficult solution, and for that reason it is also the
most effective and direct solution to gain mastery over the ‘Trio’.
A simpler form of the Brahma-Astra is the Divine Name which can be chanted by all.
Swami Sivananda, Papa Swami Ramdas and Srila Prabhupada have been the forerunners in
modern times of promoting the continuous chanting of the Divine Name to keep at bay the
Trio. Those who have tried this method know that even a mechanical repetition of the
Name of God in times of danger keeps rumination and egoic expressions in check.

The next three verses, bring out this same point in greater detail. The gist of it is that
darkness cannot stand the presence of light. The two cannot co-exist. So we should focus on
increasing our connection with Brahman (by using the Divine Name, as a means).

Verse 317: Destruction of the ‘Trio’ = Liberation

Ì¢ürÉÉlÉÉzÉå pÉuÉåÎŠliÉÉlÉÉzÉÉåÅxqÉÉ²ÉxÉlÉÉ¤ÉrÉÈ |
uÉÉxÉlÉÉmÉë¤ÉrÉÉå qÉÉå¤ÉÈ xÉÉ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑÌ£üËUwrÉiÉå || 317||

9 kriyaanaashe bhavet chintaa When Egoic actions end, and Rumination also
10 naashah asmaat vaasanaa kshhayah ends; then follows the destruction of Vasanas.
11 vaasanaa-prakshhayah mokshhah The destruction of Vasanas is Liberation;
12 saa jeevan-muktih ishhyate. and this is achievable during one’s lifetime.

9-10 This is the destruction of the Trio, the actual Sadhana to be done.
11 This is the fruit of the Sadhana, the attainment of Liberation. We should take note
that the credit for Liberation goes to destruction of Vasanas. This is technically more correct
than to say the destruction of the Trio. In practice, however, we note that for Vasanas to get
destroyed, Rumination and Egoic activity have necessarily and jointly got to be destroyed.
12 This whole process of transformation, ending in Liberation, can happen in one’s
lifetime itself. This is the uniqueness of what Hinduism offers. One does not have to die to
go to Heaven. Attainment of Liberation is itself ‘Heaven on earth’.

224

Verse 318: Longing for God Destroys Darkness

xÉ²ÉxÉlÉÉxTÔüÌiÉïÌuÉeÉ×qpÉhÉå xÉÌiÉ
½xÉÉæ ÌuÉsÉÏlÉÉmrÉWûqÉÉÌSuÉÉxÉlÉÉ |
AÌiÉmÉëM×ü¹ÉmrÉÂhÉmÉëpÉÉrÉÉÇ
ÌuÉsÉÏrÉiÉå xÉÉkÉÑ rÉjÉÉ iÉÍqÉxÉëÉ || 318||

1
sadvaasanaa
sphoorti vijrimbhane sati
The longing for Brahman –
when it has vividly risen to expression,
2
hi asau vileenaa api
aham-aadi-vaasanaa;
will readily bring about the disappearance
of all the ego-centric Vasanas.
3
ati-prakrishhtaa api
aruna-prabhaayaam
(Darkness), even though it be the most dense, yet
in the glow of the rising sun
4
vileeyate saadhu
yathaa tamisraa.
it (the darkness) will completely disappear.
Even so it is with the Darkness of the Soul!

One of the most well-known Mantras of the Hindu scriptures is the Gayatri Mantra,
which is a prayer for Light in the intellect. The symbolism of light to represent the Light of
the Divine is very common. This symbol is invoked in this verse.
1-2 The longing for God-vision is the Light which drives away all dark, egocentric
tendencies from the mind.
3-4 No matter how dense or ancient the darkness is, the moment a match is struck,
the moment the glow of light is brought into its presence, it vanishes. This is what happens
to the Darkness of the Soul in the presence of Divine Light.
Aruna: “the charioteer of the rising sun”. It is a beautiful symbol. One can picture the
scene at sunrise. The first rays of the sun are like the reins of a chariot. When they are seen,
the first to be seen is not the sun but Aruna, the sun’s charioteer! Glowing all over, it is he
that ushers in the presence of his Lord, Surya Bhagavan. As he strides forward, Darkness
simply falls flat in an awesome prostration to welcome his horses, him and his Lord.
What sublime imagery our Acharyas filled into the minds of their youthful students!

Verse 319: Removal of Bondage and Sorrows

iÉqÉxiÉqÉÈMüÉrÉïqÉlÉjÉïeÉÉsÉÇ
lÉ SØzrÉiÉå xÉirÉÑÌSiÉå ÌSlÉåzÉå |
iÉjÉÉÅ²rÉÉlÉlSUxÉÉlÉÑpÉÔiÉÉæ
lÉæuÉÉÎxiÉ oÉlkÉÉå lÉ cÉ SÒÈZÉaÉlkÉÈ || 319||

1
tamah tamah-kaaryam
anartha-jaalam
Darkness and its resultant evils
and numerous calamities,
2 na drishyate sati udite dineshe; are not noticed when the sun rises.
3
tathaa advaya aananda
rasa anubhootau
So too, in the Bliss of Non-duality –
when the very essence of It is experienced –
4
na eva asti bandhah
na cha duhkha-gandhah.
there is neither bondage
nor the least trace of misery.

225

The Chapter closes in the same way as night ends – with rays of light cutting into the
horizon. It closes on a note of hope and optimism. The dawn of knowledge marks the end of
all the travails endured during the dark, passing night.
1-2 Night is a period when evil thrives. Under cover of darkness, the senses bring a
fake glimmer into the hearts of men. Lust, greed and anger are the Tamah-Kaaryam, “the
resultant evils”; violence, vulgarity and crime are among the Anartha Jaalam, “numerous
calamities” that reign at night. They rest only when Aruna ushers in the Sun.
3-4 Similarly, bondage and misery, which abound during ignorance, pale away upon
the rise of the Bliss of the Non-dual Self, bringing the much-needed respite to broken hearts
and tortured souls.
Thus ends Sri Shankaracharyaji’s brilliant review of the Trio – Vasanas, Rumination
and Ego – which trouble every spiritual aspirant. The review will surely spur him on to heroic
heights of faith and nobility, and undaunted courage.
We have one more theme in this Part that covers the practical side of Nididhyasana.
It is called “Spiritual Inadvertance” and is the bug-bear of many an aspirant on this Path of
Liberation. It is the one aspect that a seeker of Truth cannot avoid, even as the university
student cannot avoid the final examination paper that has to be written before he can
graduate out of University.

*****

226

5.7 SPIRITUAL INADVERTANCE

(Verses 320 – 329, 10 No.)

THE ABOVE CHAPTERS deal adequately with our Vasanas and Upadhis (latent
desires and superimpositions), which are the major obstacles on the practical side of moving
from Nididhyasana to the culmination of spiritual life, Samadhi (first Savikalpa Samadhi and
then Nirvikalpa Samadhi).
Now, whatever remaining tendency there exists to draw us out into the world has to
be considered as being our Prarabdha Karma, not our Vasanas. This is the distinction that is
brought out in this section. How to deal with the unavoidable Prarabdha Karma so that it
passes through “with the least wear and tear” (Swami Chinmayananda) on our spiritual
resources is discussed in the next 10 verses.
The overall caution brought out emphatically is: “Be Totally Vigilant”. The opposite
of vigilance is Inadvertance, the technical term for which is PRAMADA, defined as
“forgetfulness of our initial purpose, inadvertance, recklessness of attitude towards the real
dangers on the path.”
This is the theme that follows.

Verse 320: Watchfulness Over One’s Affairs

SØzrÉÇ mÉëiÉÏiÉÇ mÉëÌuÉsÉÉmÉrÉlxÉlÉç
xÉlqÉÉ§ÉqÉÉlÉlSbÉlÉÇ ÌuÉpÉÉuÉrÉlÉç |
xÉqÉÉÌWûiÉÈ xÉloÉÌWûUliÉUÇ uÉÉ
MüÉsÉÇ lÉrÉåjÉÉÈ xÉÌiÉ MüqÉïoÉlkÉå || 320||

1
drishyam prateetam
pravilaapayan san
When the perceived universe
is made to vanish,
2
sanmaatram aananda-
ghanam vibhaavayan;
Then upon the Reality that is full of Bliss
one should fix his awareness in meditation;
3
samaahitah san
bahih-antaram vaa
One should be very WATCHFUL over
his external and internal affairs,
4
kaalam nayethaah
sati karmabandhe.
and in the remaining time
allow any residual Prarabdha to work itself out.

A distinctly new circumstance is being introduced in this verse which calls for some
explanation. We are now moving on to a spiritual state that is more evolved than that
circumscribed by our Vasanas and our Upadhis.
This is the stage at the top end of Nididhyasana, when the bulk of the Sadhana of
cleansing our Vasanas is done, and when the Upadhis are seen not in a possessive way as
“my body” or “my mind”, but as instruments which we need to use in life.

227

1 Having accomplished all that hard work, we are now at a stage where we can with
some ease exercise discrimination in our perception. We are able to differentiate the name
and form of the objects we see, from their essential nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda. In other
words, we look beyond the changing physical characteristics of things and recognise their
permanent spiritual characteristics.
2 By this exercise of discrimination, we are able to fix our attention upon the Reality,
the Sat, the pure, unchanging Existence of the object. Of course, this is best done during
one’s meditation with the use of a sharp and subtle intellect. Later, it may be possible to do
this even when not seated in meditation, but that is not our concern right now.
3 The immediate spiritual practice that faces us in this state of our evolution is
Watchfulness, to be ever watchfully aware of our hard-earned inner equilibrium and poise.
In the midst of the outer as well as the inner fluctuations that are bound to occur, we
become watchful observers.
4 With such watchfulness maintained at the deepest level, we are able to simply let
all Prarabdha or “remaining experiences” or Karma, pass by without allowing them to
disturb the equilibrium.
This is the new inner condition which is assumed in the remaining two chapters of
this Part. Without clearly defining this important landmark in our spiritual growth, it will not
be possible to understand the significance of the verses that follow.

Verse 321: Watchfulness in Self-Abidance

mÉëqÉÉSÉå oÉë¼ÌlÉ¸ÉrÉÉÇ lÉ MüiÉïurÉÈ MüSÉcÉlÉ |
mÉëqÉÉSÉå qÉ×irÉÑËUirÉÉWû pÉaÉuÉÉloÉë¼hÉÈ xÉÑiÉÈ || 321||

1 pramaadah brahma-nishhthaayaam NEGLECT in one’s attunement with Brahman
2 na kartavyah kadaachana; should never be permitted.
3 pramaadah mrityuh iti aaha “Inadvertance is death itself ,“ thus says
4 bhagavaan brahmanah sutah. Sanatkumara, the Creator Brahma’s own son.

1-2 Where is the cause of Neglect coming from? Only from Prarabdha, one’s
remaining destiny playing out through one’s Upadhis. The great Teacher, from his
experience, asks us to remain firm in our connection with the Reality when any such Karmic
disturbance passes through us.
3-4 In the absence of staying firmly established in Brahman, Inadvertance is bound
to creep in. A boat that is not anchored firmly to the riverbed, is bound to start moving
wherever the current takes it. Soon it gets tossed about mercilessly as it helplessly falls into
the hands of unknown external influences.

Verse 322: The Effects of Inadvertance

lÉ mÉëqÉÉSÉSlÉjÉÉåïÅlrÉÉå ¥ÉÉÌlÉlÉÈ xuÉxuÉÃmÉiÉÈ |
iÉiÉÉå qÉÉåWûxiÉiÉÉåÅWûlkÉÏxiÉiÉÉå oÉlkÉxiÉiÉÉå urÉjÉÉ || 322||

228

1 na pramaadaat anarthah anyah There is no greater danger than NEGLECT
2 jnaaninah svasvaroopatah; of one’s own real nature, for the man of wisdom.
3 tatah mohah, tatah ahamdheeh, From this comes delusion, thence egoism;
4 tatah bandhah, tatah vyathaa. this is followed by bondage and then by misery

The care that is taken to contain the Vasanas from proliferating and also to exhaust
the remaining Vasanas has to be extended to dealing with one’s Prarabdha as well.
1-2 Jnaaninah: “the wise man”. Than negligence and carelessness, nothing could be
more suicidal to one’s spiritual life for someone who has already climbed so high up the
ladder of Sadhana. Negligence in Self-abidance as previously mentioned, is the same as
negligence of our own real nature. This is just another way of expressing the same neglect.
3-4 If we are negligent, then the whole backslide is certain to follow. If we take our
foot off the brakes when we are on a hill, we are sure to slide down. Before we know it, we
would have slid back into all the effects of inadvertance, namely, Delusion; then into the
hands of Ego; then into the clutches of Bondage; and finally weeping in Sorrow and Misery.
Sage Sanatkumara’s words have to be taken very seriously: “Inadvertance is death.”

Verse 323: Simile 1: The Doting Paramour

ÌuÉwÉrÉÉÍpÉqÉÑZÉÇ SØwOèuÉÉ ÌuÉ²ÉÇxÉqÉÌmÉ ÌuÉxqÉ×ÌiÉÈ |
ÌuÉ¤ÉåmÉrÉÌiÉ kÉÏSÉåwÉærÉÉåïwÉÉ eÉÉUÍqÉuÉ ÌmÉërÉqÉç || 323||

1 vishhaya abhimukham drishhtvaa Hankering after sense objects – one finds
2 vidvaamsam api vismritih; even a wise man in such FORGETFULNESS, being
3 vikshhepayati dheedoshhaih tormented by the evil propensities of his intellect,
4 yoshhaa jaaram iva priyam. as a woman torments her doting paramour.

1-2 Pramada leads one to have an unwholesome relationship with sense objects. The
renounced objects come back to hit us with vengeance.
3-4 This situation is described by the use of a striking simile. Who can stop Bhagavan
Shankaracharyaji’s hunger for similes of the highest order! Here we are given the example
of a bewitching woman seducing her paramour. Just one nod from him is enough to set her
into action to entice him until he helplessly succumbs to her. This is how an adulterous
relationship begins.

This can be applied to one who yields to Pramada. His inadvertance, the slightest
slackening of discipline, is enough to make him fall a prey to the enticements of the world.
The wise man who was ‘married’ to knowledge, suddenly finds himself having an adulterous
relationship with the sense-world. Surely, it must be worth arresting a fall such as this?
Grammatically, the simile can be interpreted equally to include a man enticing a
woman. This is the more balanced interpretation, as passion works with equal ferocity in
both genders. Man is as tempting to woman as she is to him.

229

Verse 324: Simile 2: Build-up of Moss in Stagnant Water

rÉjÉÉmÉM×ü¹Ç zÉæuÉÉsÉÇ ¤ÉhÉqÉÉ§ÉÇ lÉ ÌiÉ¸ÌiÉ |
AÉuÉ×hÉÉåÌiÉ iÉjÉÉ qÉÉrÉÉ mÉëÉ¥ÉÇ uÉÉÌmÉ mÉUÉ‰ÑZÉqÉç || 324||

1 yathaa apakrishhtam shaivaalam Just as moss, even if removed in one place,
2 kshhanamaatram na tishhthati; does not stay apart for a moment, but again
3 aavrinoti tathaa maayaa covers up still water; so also, Maya covers
4 praajnam vaa api paraangmukham. over even a wise man if he is EXTROVERTED.

Another simile is used to describe the unstoppable recurrence of Maya.
1-2 In a reservoir where the water stands still for some days, there is a build-up of
moss on the water surface. This also happens in sheltered lagoons or parts of rivers which
get cut off from the main flow when water levels drop. Even if the moss is removed at a
spot, the moss from adjacent areas cover it up in a very short time.
3-4 It is the same with Maya’s dazzling attractions. After they have been smothered
by much hard work, they return to haunt the aspirant in moments when he is not alert
enough, but lapses into a bout of extroverted pleasure.

Verse 325: Simile 3: A Ball Bouncing Down

sÉ¤rÉcrÉÑiÉÇ cÉå±ÌS ÍcÉ¨ÉqÉÏwÉSè
oÉÌWûqÉÑïZÉÇ xÉÍ³ÉmÉiÉå¨ÉiÉxiÉiÉÈ |
mÉëqÉÉSiÉÈ mÉëcrÉÑiÉMåüÍsÉMülSÒMüÈ
xÉÉåmÉÉlÉmÉ‡ûÉæ mÉÌiÉiÉÉå rÉjÉÉ iÉjÉÉ || 325||

1
lakshhyachyutam chet yadi
chittam eeshhat
STRAYING AWAY from the ideal – if
the mind does so ever so slightly, and becomes
2 bahirmukham san nipatet tatah tatah; extroverted, then it tumbles down and down.
3 pramaadatah prachyuta kelikandukah Like a ball that is accidentally dropped
4
sopaana panktau patitah
yathaa tathaa.
on a flight of stairs, and goes bouncing down.
As with the ball, so it is with the mind!

Yet a third simile, just to drive the point home!
3-4 Again the simile is amazingly accurate. A ball falling step by step down the stairs
represents the spiritual fall perfectly. At first it is one step at a time. As it gathers
momentum it comes down several steps at a time. The speed also increases. If it is one of
those “Crazee-Balls” whose bounce is totally unpredictable, one can forget about catching
it. A crazee-ball and a sprightly kitten can be very entertaining to watch!
1-2 It is the same with the mind when it accidentally ‘strays’ down the stairs of
extroverted pleasures. The soul can cry as much as it likes, but the mind will not listen to it
and stop. It wants to taste every step of pleasure, and keeps going down, down and down!
In this way Sri Shankaracharyaji brings to life how our own higher nature cautions us
in times of inadvertance, extrovertedness, etc, by using brilliant similes from ordinary life.

230

Verse 326: From Rumination to Action

ÌuÉwÉrÉåwuÉÉÌuÉzÉŠåiÉÈ xÉƒ¡ûsmÉrÉÌiÉ iÉªÒhÉÉlÉç |
xÉqrÉYxÉƒ¡ûsmÉlÉÉiMüÉqÉÈ MüÉqÉÉimÉÑÇxÉÈ mÉëuÉiÉïlÉqÉç || 326||

1 vishhayeshhu aavishat chetah The CARELESS mind approaches the sense objects,
2 sankalpayati tadgunaan; and begins ruminating upon their qualities.
3 samyak sankalpanaat kaamah After thorough rumination, desire arises in it.
4 kaamaat pumsah pravartanam. As a result of the desire, the man gets into action.

Sri Shankaracharyaji, having thrilled us with his examples, now returns to territory
more familiar to him – reason and logic! In a verse reminiscent of the Bhagavad Geeta 2.62,
he describes the fall step by step in terms of the experience itself.
1-2 On approaching the sense world, rumination for the objects therein begins.
3 After due rumination, desire arises in the mind.
4 Due to desire, one gets into action to possess and enjoy the object.

Verse 327: Once Fallen, Rising is Rare

iÉiÉÈ xuÉÃmÉÌuÉpÉëÇzÉÉå ÌuÉpÉë¹xiÉÑ mÉiÉirÉkÉÈ |
mÉÌiÉiÉxrÉ ÌuÉlÉÉ lÉÉzÉÇ mÉÑlÉlÉÉïUÉåWû D¤rÉiÉå || 327||

1 tatah svaroopavibhramsho By thus DEVIATING from his real nature,
2 vibhrashhtastu patatyadhah; the deviated man begins falling down.
3 patitasya vinaa naasham The falling man, without exception, comes to ruin
4 punarnaaroha eekshhyate. and is rarely seen to rise again.

1-2 What began in innocent, harmless-looking day-dreaming about the object ends
in the downfall of the man. He falls headlong into the pit of pleasure.
3-4 Now we come to the saddest part of the whole drama. The man who is falling
down in the manner described is rarely given the right suggestion to turn back to save
himself. On the contrary he receives a hundred suggestions from ‘friends’ to continue going
down! People encourage him to go further down.
When he finally cannot go down any further, there is no one there to lift him up, no
one to console him. He is a lost man, ruined by indulgence. People have enjoyed him and his
money and abandoned him. Indeed, this is the tragic reality of human life.
If we de-focus ever so slightly from the Goal of Brahman, we are inviting a fall of
calamitous proportions. The spiritual fall, takes one down, down and down relentlessly.
There is no way to stop it, except when it reaches the trough. The long climb up, if ever it is
undertaken, is very rare and extremely difficult.
Sri Shankaracharyaji cannot be happy to recount this, but will be hopeful that his
warning will be heeded and the fall averted.

231

Verse 328: Simile 4: Foods Prohibited to Patients

xÉƒ¡ûsmÉÇ uÉeÉïrÉå¨ÉxqÉÉixÉuÉÉïlÉjÉïxrÉ MüÉUhÉqÉç |
AmÉjrÉÉÌlÉ ÌWû uÉxiÉÔÌlÉ urÉÉÍkÉaÉëxiÉÉå rÉjÉÉåixÉ×eÉåiÉç | || 328||

1 sankalpam varjayet tasmaat Therefore, rumination should be given up totally,
2 sarva-anarthasya kaaranam; as it is the root cause of all the mischief.
3 apathyaani hi vastooni Indeed, certain foods are prohibited
4 vyaadhi-grastah yathaa utsrijet. to victims of a disease, and are avoided by them.

1-2 Thus the aspirant is advised to pay attention to such details in his life. He should
never allow his mind to ruminate on the objects. Reflection of this kind is suicidal. One may
not be able to stop the thought of objects coming, but at least one can have the power not
to entertain them. When they are not entertained, they will go away by themselves. But
when we entertain them, sure enough, sooner or later, our hands and legs will do the
needful to bring the object to us. We will not have the strength to stop them.

Prohibited Foods
3-4 One final simile is added: We should avoid the sense objects of temptation just
as a patient avoids the foods prohibited to him by his doctor.
Swami Sivananda has written extensively on this topic in his book, Sadhana. He
writes that the aspirant should not even see animals mating as that will put the wrong ideas
in his mind. Another cautionary step he suggests is to avoid cycling as that gives excessive
stimulation to the sex organs. This is the order of caution that an aspirant is expected to
take. Were it not for the danger of inadvertance, there is no other reason for one to be so
cautious. This shows how much Pramada has to be avoided.
“Avoiding a fall” is the only sensible way to walk the spiritual path. How to do this?
There is no better way to avoid a fall than by sticking tenaciously to one’s spiritual routine;
taking refuge in the Divine Name; and being disciplined in one’s meditational practice.

Verse 329: Saavadhaan! – Be Alert!

AiÉÈ mÉëqÉÉSÉ³É mÉUÉåÅÎxiÉ qÉ×irÉÑÈ
ÌuÉuÉåÌMülÉÉå oÉë¼ÌuÉSÈ xÉqÉÉkÉÉæ |
xÉqÉÉÌWûiÉÈ ÍxÉÎ®qÉÑmÉæÌiÉ xÉqrÉMçü
xÉqÉÉÌWûiÉÉiqÉÉ pÉuÉ xÉÉuÉkÉÉlÉÈ || 329||

1
atah pramaadaat
na parah asti mrityuh
To conclude, than INADVERTANCE in meditation,
there is no greater death.
2
vivekinah brahmavidah
samaadhau;
For the man of discrimination, the knower of
Brahman in meditation,
3
samaahitah siddhim
upaiti samyak
for such a man accomplished in abidance,
complete success is assured.
4
samaahitaatmaa bhava
saavadhaanah.
Be a man of abidance
and remain ever alert!

232

The Final Word on INADVERTANCE
1-3 Why is inadvertence considered to be death itself? It is because it makes us
unavailable for Brahman. As soon as we de-focus from Brahman, the mind starts slipping
away. In essence, the fall is from the Atmic state into the realm of the ‘not-Self’.
Forgetfulness of our true state as Brahman is the real fall.
Only by adhering to the Self, can an aspirant never have a fall.
Acharyaji then asked the class to read every word of Pujya Gurudev’s (i.e. Sri Swami
Chinmayananda’s) commentary on this theme. He gives much valuable advice to the seekers
on the path. Such guidance is very rare to come by in spiritual literature today. Generally,
much of what is written avoids mention of these cautionary steps, perhaps for fear of losing
one’s followers. But true Masters boldly stand up and give the right warning at the right
time.
Saints are ever concerned with our wellbeing. They are not interested in building up
numbers in their following. They wish to see us succeed in the spiritual field. They are like
our parents who love us and therefore take great steps to prevent us from injuring
ourselves.
4 For an aspirant, “Saavadhaan” should be the watchword – it means “Be Alert!”.
Never give scope to the mind to become lax. The serious aspirant will understand how vital
this is to the spiritual pursuit.
In this section, Sri Shankaracharyaji has acknowledged the help he has obtained from
the work of Sage Sanat Sujaatiya.

*****

233

5.8 THE SAFE HARBOUR OF NON-DUALITY

(Verses 330 – 341, 12 No.)

THE JOURNEY OF NIDIDHYASANA finally culminates in Savikalpa Samadhi. The
blossoming sage gets a glimpse of the harbour of Oneness or Non-Duality. This is his first
taste of the Safe Harbour of Non-Duality. But he cannot hold on to it for long. Any departure
from Oneness is Duality. He has seen the lighthouse at the entrance to the harbour, and it
etches an unforgettable mark in his memory. He knows now for certain that Non-duality is
there, and with greater determination he tries to return to it.
In this last chapter of Practical Nididhyasana, we see how Duality is at the root of all
the spiritual difficulties that we encounter in Sadhana, notably the experience of Fear. The
dualistic vision is like being at sea in troubled waters; the vision of Oneness is like being in
the sheltered waters of the harbour. For a seeker, the harbour is a safe place to be.
In this chapter, Sri Shankaracharyaji examines the spiritual dangers from the
perspective of its very cause. What attracts us to objects outside? What makes us even think
that they can meet our expectations and make us happy? To know the answer, we take a
look at what life is like within the ‘Harbour of Oneness’.
Of course, the journey has not ended. The harbour is sought and lost again and
again; but the lighthouse is always there to show the way. The anchor has to firmly sink in
Brahmic Consciousness. This is attained in Part 6, entitled Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

Verse 330: No Safer Place than Oneness

eÉÏuÉiÉÉå rÉxrÉ MæüuÉsrÉÇ ÌuÉSåWåû xÉ cÉ MåüuÉsÉÈ |
rÉÎiMüÎgcÉiÉç mÉzrÉiÉÉå pÉåSÇ pÉrÉÇ oÉëÔiÉå rÉeÉÑÈ´ÉÑÌiÉÈ || 330||

1 jeevatah yasya kaivalyam If, even while living, he is completely alone (Non-dual),
2 videhe sah cha kevalah; then he alone goes to the Alone when he dies.
3 yat kinchit pashyatah bhedam “He who sees even the least bit of distinction (Duality)
4 bhayam broote yajuh-shrutih. for him there is fear (of returning),” says the Yajur Veda.

Shankaracharyaji wastes no time in getting down to the central theme at the very
outset. He sets forth the two ways in which we can be sure that we are living in Non-duality:
1-2 A. Kaivalyam: “alone or aloof”. The Kaivalya state is the state of Non-duality. He
who experiences the Oneness of Non-duality while living, he alone becomes the One when
he drops his body. This subtle point challenges the view that one gets liberation only after
dropping the physical body. It says, Liberation has nothing to do with the physical body.
3-4 B. Na Bhedam: “No distinction from any other.” The second quality is that we do
not see any ‘other’. Seeing another immediately brings fear. If one is in Non-duality, there
can be no fear of anyone. The realised sage is always fearless. This is expanded below.

234

Verse 331: Duality Brings Fear

rÉSÉ MüSÉ uÉÉÌmÉ ÌuÉmÉÍ¶ÉSåwÉ
oÉë¼hrÉlÉliÉåÅmrÉhÉÑqÉÉ§ÉpÉåSqÉç |
mÉzrÉirÉjÉÉqÉÑwrÉ pÉrÉÇ iÉSæuÉ
rÉ²ÏÍ¤ÉiÉÇ ÍpÉ³ÉiÉrÉÉ mÉëqÉÉSÉiÉç || 331||

1 yadaa kadaa vaa api vipashchit eshhah Whosoever, even if he be a wise man,
2
brahmani anante api
anumaatra bhedam pashyati;
even he, if in the Infinite Brahman ,
he sees the least difference,
3 atha amushhya bhayam then at once to him it becomes a source of Fear.
4
tadaiva yat veekshhitam
bhinnatayaa pramaadaat.
For, something other than oneself is seen
as being different, though only by mistake.

1 Consider any person, even if he is a wise man who knows in theory that Brahman is
Infinite.
2-3 When, even by the slightest amount, we depart from the state of Oneness, fear
arises. The moment we see anything as ‘other’, we become afraid of it.
An interesting fact is that we are not afraid of something which is inert. For instance,
we may see a dangerous weapon, but as long as it is there on its own, it is not seen as a
threat to our life. However, if a sentient being is present with it, we are on guard as we
believe that it has the power to harm us. Then, even among sentient beings, we are afraid
more of a human being than of any other being. Even among human beings, we are more
afraid of someone whom we know than one whom we do not know!
In other words, our fear increases under these five graded conditions: for the other,
for the unknown, for the living, for the human being, for the known person!
We secure ourselves from others not because we are afraid of them, but because we
are afraid of ourselves! The high walls are not for fear of the thieves but fear within us. The
fear of others is a projection of the fear within.
4 Non-duality requires us not to see any differences for any other thing or being.

Verse 332: In Duality, Abide by Scriptures

´ÉÑÌiÉxqÉ×ÌiÉlrÉÉrÉzÉiÉæÌlÉïÌwÉ®å
SØzrÉåÅ§É rÉÈ xuÉÉiqÉqÉÌiÉÇ MüUÉåÌiÉ |
EmÉæÌiÉ SÒÈZÉÉåmÉËU SÒÈZÉeÉÉiÉÇ
ÌlÉÌwÉ®MüiÉÉï xÉ qÉÍsÉqsÉÑcÉÉå rÉjÉÉ || 332||

1
shruti-smriti-nyaaya-shataih
nishhiddhe drishye
By hundreds of Srutis, Smritis and reasoning
the visible universe is declared “Forbidden”.
2 atra yah svaatmamatim karoti; He who identifies himself with such a world,
3 upaiti duhkhopari duhkhajaatam suffers one misery after another.
4
nishhiddhakartaa
sa malimluchah yathaa.
For, indulging in something forbidden,
he is no better than being a THIEF.

235

One more point about Fear. We secure ourselves from others not because we are
afraid of them, but because we are afraid of ourselves! The high walls are not for fear of the
thieves but owing to fear within us. The fear of others is but a projection of the fear within.
1 For no other reason but the fact that the scriptures have said so, we ought to
exercise caution with regard to all our interactions with the world.
The scriptures are there for us to follow in the absence of direct knowledge of the
Truth. It is our only anchor since we are not enlightened. The scriptures should not be
ignored by those who wish to strive for enlightenment.
With this in mind, we should accept the guidelines of the scriptures; we should listen
to what they say about interacting with the world that we see around us. What do they say
about this world? In hundreds of passages, the scriptures warn us to be careful of the
manifested world. They ask us to treat it as something ‘forbidden’ or poisonous.
2-3 If we do not, then the consequences can be very grave. We shall come to grief. If
we depart from sound scriptural advice, we are certainly inviting trouble for ourselves.
However, in the final analysis, the sorrow we come to by disobeying scriptural rules is really
due to departure from Non-duality. The scriptural caution is based on accepting Non-duality
as the highest principle.
4 Sanction to interact with the world is only permitted if we see it as our own Self.
Any other relationship with the world is illicit, like a man wanting to love another’s wife.

Verse 333: The Heated Axe Test

xÉirÉÉÍpÉxÉlkÉÉlÉUiÉÉå ÌuÉqÉÑ£üÉå
qÉWû¨uÉqÉÉiqÉÏrÉqÉÑmÉæÌiÉ ÌlÉirÉqÉç |
ÍqÉjrÉÉÍpÉxÉlkÉÉlÉUiÉxiÉÑ lÉzrÉåSè
SØ¹Ç iÉSåiÉ±ScÉÉæUcÉÉæUrÉÉåÈ || 333||

1 satya-abhisandhaana-ratah vimuktah He who devotedly adheres to Truth, is free;
2 mahattvam aatmeeyam upaiti nityam; He attains to the eternal glory of the Self.
3
mithyaa abhisandhaanah
atah tu nashyet
He who dwells on the ‘unreal’
by that itself he is indeed destroyed.
4
drishhtam tat etat yat
achaurachaurayoh.
That this is so is illustrated in the case of
the one “who is a thief and who isn’t.”*
* This has reference to the story in the Chandogya Upanishad (see commentary).
1-4 The reference to the thief is continued in this verse. In the Chandogya Upanishad
Sage Uddalaka explains to his son Swetaketu how the Truth saves the honest person, whilst
the dishonest person is caught by it. The illustration being quoted concerns a heated axe
which is used as a means to tell a truthful man from an untruthful man. While the truthful
man is not harmed by the axe, the untruthful man is.
In this case, the same test would protect one who is devoted to his meditation, while
one who is devoted to the ‘unreal’ will be exposed by the test. The world is the ‘heated axe’.
It will be too hot for one who is attached to the objects, but to the sage, the same world
appears as his beloved Lord Himself and poses no threat.

236

Verse 334: The Two Options Open to Man

rÉÌiÉUxÉSlÉÑxÉÎlkÉÇ oÉlkÉWåûiÉÑÇ ÌuÉWûÉrÉ
xuÉrÉqÉrÉqÉWûqÉxqÉÏirÉÉiqÉSØwšæuÉ ÌiÉ¸åiÉç
xÉÑZÉrÉÌiÉ lÉlÉÑ ÌlÉ¸É oÉë¼ÍhÉ xuÉÉlÉÑpÉÔirÉÉ
WûUÌiÉ mÉUqÉÌuÉ±ÉMüÉrÉïSÒÈZÉÇ mÉëiÉÏiÉqÉç || 334||

1
yatih asat anusandhim
bandhahetum vihaaya
Dwelling on the ‘unreal’ – this the seeker should
give up as it causes bondage,
2
svayam ayam aham asmi iti
aatmadrishhtyaa eva tishhthet
“I myself am This Atman” – thus (on the Real)
he should remain fixed on the thought of Atman.
3
sukhayati nanu nishhthaa
brahmani svaanubhootyaa
Indeed, giving rise to Bliss, the steadfastness in
Brahman that is gained through Self-realisation,
4
harati param avidyaa-kaarya-
duhkham prateetam.
thoroughly removes the effects of Ignorance, and
the sorrow that is experienced owing to it.

Both options available to man are presented here. The choice is his:
1 A. Remaining in Duality: If this option is chosen, then one has to be prepared for
bondage. Bondage is inescapable as long as the world is accepted as being Real.
2 B. Being in Non-Duality: This is the preferred option to be taken. It is the choice of
one who seeks liberation from bondage.
3-4 Taking the second option carries three distinct benefits:
i) One has the experience of Eternal Bliss;
ii) One attains Self-realisation; and
iii) The effects of Ignorance, especially sorrow, are removed.

Verse 335: Consequences of Each Option

oÉÉ½ÉlÉÑxÉÎlkÉÈ mÉËUuÉkÉïrÉåiTüsÉÇ
SÒuÉÉïxÉlÉÉqÉåuÉ iÉiÉxiÉiÉÉåÅÍkÉMüÉqÉç |
¥ÉÉiuÉÉ ÌuÉuÉåMæüÈ mÉËU™irÉ oÉÉ½Ç
xuÉÉiqÉÉlÉÑxÉÎlkÉÇ ÌuÉSkÉÏiÉ ÌlÉirÉqÉç || 335||

1
baahya-anusandhih
parivardhayet phalam
Contemplation on the external objects
will only intensify its fruits, the Vasanas.
2
durvaasanaam eva
tatah tatah adhikaam;
The evil propensities (Vasanas) alone
will multiply from that.
3
jnaatvaa vivekaih
parihritya baahyam
Knowing this, through discrimination,
one should leave the thoughts of external objects.
4
svaatmaa anusandhim
vidadheeta nityam.
To meditation on one’s Self alone,
one can then apply himself constantly.

1 Taking the first option, there is this one immense problem:
2 Vasanas increase. And, at the very beginning of this chapter, we have seen what
happens due to Vasanas. Now at the end, the message is being again reinforced.

237

3-4 Sri Shankaracharyaji, having placed before us the two options together with their
consequences, now places his own considered choice before us. We see this in the
Bhagavad Geeta also at the end of the last Discourse, when Lord Krishna does the same
thing to Arjuna.
What would Shankaracharyaji opt for? Discrimination, of course! By distinguishing
the external qualities of objects, one should reflect upon their intrinsic spiritual nature. That
is the way to peace of mind and spiritual realisation.
His choice is expanded and explained further in the following verse.

Verse 336: Shankaracharya’s Choice Explained

oÉÉ½å ÌlÉÂ®å qÉlÉxÉÈ mÉëxÉ³ÉiÉÉ
qÉlÉÈmÉëxÉÉSå mÉUqÉÉiqÉSzÉïlÉqÉç |
iÉÎxqÉlxÉÑSØ¹å pÉuÉoÉlkÉlÉÉzÉÉå
oÉÌWûÌlÉïUÉåkÉÈ mÉSuÉÏ ÌuÉqÉÑ£åüÈ || 336||

1
baahye niruddhe
manasah prasannataa
When the objective world is shut out,
the mind becomes quiet;
2
manah prasaade
paramaatma darshanam;
The quiet mind is blessed with
the vision of the Supreme Self.
3
tasmin sudrishhte
bhava-bandha-naashah
When ‘That’ is perfectly realized,
the chain of rebirths is broken.
4
bahir-nirodhah
padavee vimukteh.
Hence, the shutting out of the external world
is the initial step towards attaining liberation.

Shankaracharyaji is anxious to see the Sadhaka succeed. Acharyaji explained his
feelings in these words: “Aren’t you attracted to this Bliss? Can there be any joy greater
than that of the Self? Don’t you feel that you would want this Joy to reign in your life? If you
do then, come on, give up the externals and hold on to Him alone.”

SHANKARACHARYAJI’S CHOICE EXPLAINED

Step 1: Withdraw from Objective world;
Step 2: Quieten the Mind;
Step 3: Behold the Supreme Lord;
Step 4: Be firm in Nirvikalpa Samadhi (Liberation);
Step 5: Terminate the cycle of Births or Transmigration.

1-4 Shankaracharyaji is pleading with the student, “Come on, you’ve come so far
already. Now you just have a short distance more to cover. Won’t you at least now give up
the external objects, and dive within into your own Self!”
The mind wants joy, so we give it the joy of the Self, not the objective world. Once
the mind is calm, concentration is a small step ahead. This is the grand road to Liberation.

238

Verse 337: Shankaracharya’s Exhortation to Seekers

MüÈ mÉÎhQûiÉÈ xÉlxÉSxÉÌ²uÉåMüÐ
´ÉÑÌiÉmÉëqÉÉhÉÈ mÉUqÉÉjÉïSzÉÏï |
eÉÉlÉÎlWû MÑürÉÉïSxÉiÉÉåÅuÉsÉqoÉÇ
xuÉmÉÉiÉWåûiÉÉåÈ ÍzÉzÉÑuÉlqÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÑÈ || 337||

1
kah panditah san
sad-asad-vivekee
Where is the man who, being learned and able to
discriminate between the Real and the unreal;
2
shruti-pramaanah
paramaarthadarshee;
Believing the Vedas to be the authority;
having his mind fixed on the Absolute –
3
jaanan hi kuryaat asatah
avalambam
indeed, such a knower, will he make the Unreal
an object of his pursuit? . . .
.4
sva-paata-hetoh shishuvat
mumukshhuh.
and, like a kid, will he make it a cause of his fall?
Will a mature seeker of liberation ever do that?

1-4 Shankaracharyaji continues his exhortation to the seeker:
“Look, if you don’t, it will be a huge setback for you. You will slide back and who
knows when you will get another chance like this. Move on, march on now; what stops you?
Why are you like a child who keeps falling?”
Acharyaji himself was carried away by the exhortation he saw in these verses. In his
words, Shankaracharyaji was saying, “Come on, you idiot, don’t stop now. I’ll beat you up if
you now run after the external show. You are almost there – can’t you see it!”
Truly, Shankaracharyaji is passionate about seeing others make spiritual progress. He
always treats the theme at hand as if it were the most important of all. Every problem that
he encounters gets top priority when it arises. That attitude, when applied to anything in
our life, is sure to fetch success – we should give ourselves wholeheartedly to whatever we
are doing.

Verse 338: A “Make or Break” Moment

SåWûÉÌSxÉÇxÉÌ£üqÉiÉÉå lÉ qÉÑÌ£üÈ
qÉÑ£üxrÉ SåWûÉ±ÍpÉqÉirÉpÉÉuÉÈ |
xÉÑmiÉxrÉ lÉÉå eÉÉaÉUhÉÇ lÉ eÉÉaÉëiÉÈ
xuÉmlÉxiÉrÉÉåÍpÉï³ÉaÉÑhÉÉ´ÉrÉiuÉÉiÉç || 338||

1
dehaadi-samsakti-matah
na muktih
i) For him who is attached to the body, etc.,
there is no liberation.
2
muktasya dehaadi-abhimati-
abhaavah;
For a liberated man, identification with his body, etc.,
is not possible.
3
suptasya na u jaagaranam
na jaagratah svapnah
ii) For the sleeping man, there is no waking;
nor is there for the waking man any dream or sleep;
4
tayoh
bhinna-guna-aashrayatvaat.
These pairs (in both cases above)
are contradictory by their very nature.

239

Here we see that Shankaracharyaji’s concern comes from his experience. He knows
this is the “Do or Die” stage, the “make or break” moment. Either one gets liberated and
frees himself once and for all from body-identification, or loses a golden chance of liberation
by getting caught up in the Plurality of objects. There is no sitting on the fence.
The scenario is sketched out as follows:

THE “DO OR DIE” / “MAKE OR BREAK” MOMENT

1 Remain attached to body and be bound forever; or
2 Free yourself from body, and be liberated forever;
3a Remain asleep, and forget about waking up; or
3b Stay awake, and you will never dream or sleep, i.e. be under delusion, ever again.

1 One identified to body has Dehadi Samsakti;
2 One liberated from body has the Sarvatma Bhava.
3a The deep sleep state stands for Anavabodha, “ignorance”.
3b The waking state here stands for Avabodha, “knowledge”.
Knowledge and ignorance cannot co-exist, even as waking and sleep cannot co-exist.
The two have contradictory properties. The same man cannot be in both states at the same
time – “except in a Vedanta class!” quipped Acharyaji.

We now have the final three verses of Part 5 and they form a team. They are all
about the liberated sage, but from different standpoints. 339 is from Brahman’s standpoint;
340 is from the Jagat’s standpoint; and 341 is from the Jiva’s standpoint (i.e. from the
standpoints of the Absolute, the world and the individual). An integrated view of the sage is
built up from all three standpoints. These verses also give us a foothold onto Part 6, on
Nirvikalpa Samadhi or God-realisation.

Verse 339: The Sage – 1. From the Absolute Standpoint

AliÉoÉïÌWûÈ xuÉÇ ÎxjÉUeÉ…¡ûqÉåwÉÑ
¥ÉÉiuÉÉÅÅiqÉlÉÉkÉÉUiÉrÉÉ ÌuÉsÉÉåYrÉ
irÉ£üÉÎZÉsÉÉåmÉÉÍkÉUZÉhQûÃmÉÈ
mÉÔhÉÉïiqÉlÉÉ rÉÈ ÎxjÉiÉ LwÉ qÉÑ£üÈ || 339||

1
antah bahih svam
sthirajangameshhu
Inside and outside - everywhere is his own Self;
The Self is In all unmoving and moving objects;
2
jnaatvaa aatmanaa
aadhaaratayaa vilokya;
He knows them all to be the Self;
He observes the Self as their Substratum;
3
tyakta akhila upaadhih
akhanda-roopah
He negates all superimpositions or conditionings;
He beholds only the Absolute in them;
4
poorna-aatmanaa yah sthitah
eshhah muktah.
He remains ever as the Infinite Self –
such a one alone is a liberated sage.

240

Verse 340: The Sage – 2. From the World Standpoint

xÉuÉÉïiqÉlÉÉ oÉlkÉÌuÉqÉÑÌ£üWåûiÉÑÈ
xÉuÉÉïiqÉpÉÉuÉÉ³É mÉUÉåÅÎxiÉ MüÍ¶ÉiÉç |
SØzrÉÉaÉëWåû xÉirÉÑmÉmÉ±iÉåÅxÉÉæ
xÉuÉÉïiqÉpÉÉuÉÉåÅxrÉ xÉSÉiqÉÌlÉ¸rÉÉ || 340||

1
sarvaatmanaa
bandha-vimukti-hetuh
He recognizes the entire universe to be the Self,
It is the means of release from all sense of bondage.
2
sarvaatma-bhaavaat
na parah asti kashchit;
Than realizing the universe as the Self,
there is nothing higher or greater.
3
drishya agrahe sati
upapadyate asau
When the ‘Seen’ (the manifested world) is negated,
one comes to realize this state.
4
sarvaatma-bhaavah asya
sadaatma-nishhthayaa.
That all beings are one’s own Self, is the meditator’s
firm and steadfast experience of the Eternal Self.

Verse 341: The Sage – 3. From the Individual Standpoint

SØzrÉxrÉÉaÉëWûhÉÇ MüjÉÇ lÉÑ bÉOûiÉå SåWûÉiqÉlÉÉ ÌiÉ¸iÉÉå
oÉÉ½ÉjÉÉïlÉÑpÉuÉmÉëxÉ£üqÉlÉxÉxiÉ¨ÉÎi¢ürÉÉÇ MÑüuÉïiÉÈ |
xÉ³rÉxiÉÉÎZÉsÉkÉqÉïMüqÉïÌuÉwÉrÉæÌlÉïirÉÉiqÉÌlÉ¸ÉmÉUæÈ
iÉ¨uÉ¥ÉæÈ MüUhÉÏrÉqÉÉiqÉÌlÉ xÉSÉlÉlSåcNÒûÍpÉrÉï¦ÉiÉÈ || 341||

1
drishyasya agrahanam
katham nu ghatate,
dehaatmanaa tishhthatah
The exclusion of the objective world –
How, indeed, is it possible
for him who lives identified with the body?
2

baahya artha anubhava
prasakta manasah,
tat tat kriyaam kurvatah;
(How is such exclusion possible for him–)
who experiences the external objects,
whose mind is attached to them,
and who performs various actions to that end?
3
sannyasta akhila dharma
karma vishhayaih,
nitya aatma nishhthaa paraih
By those who renounce all kinds of duties,
actions and objects – by those alone who are
steadfastly devoted to the Eternal Self,
4
tattva-jnaih karaneeyam
aatmani sadaa aananda,
ichchhubhih yatnatah.
By the knowers of Truth – (by them alone is)
undying Absolute Bliss in the Self possible
who yearn exclusively for it!

These three verses are taken as a fitting conclusion to Part 5 on the topic of
Nididhyasana at the highest level, also called Savikalpa Samadhi.
Verse 339 – From the Absolute Standpoint: When the objects of the world of
Plurality are seen as having the common substratum of the Self; when the superficial
differences are overlooked, then focusing on the Self reaches the point of being effortless. A
person having such a universal vision is considered to have reached the Nirvikalpa Samadhi
state.

241

Verse 340 – From the World Standpoint: When liberation is defined as seeing God in
the whole universe, it throws more light on what bondage is. Bondage is then deduced to be
the limited vision we impose upon ourselves that we are only this individual body and mind
complex. It is not an imprisonment but a false view we hold of ourselves. To be free, the
way is to de-identify with this limitation and assert our unity with the whole universe.
Verse 341 – From the Individual Standpoint: Liberation is possible only for the person
who dares to “passionately devote himself to the Self”. He has to be free from any sense of
duty (which implies a role), from actions (which implies doership) and from interaction with
objects (which implies renunciation). Such a person can devote himself entirely to the
pursuit of realizing the Self.
The aim of such a pursuit would be to attain Nirvikalpa Samadhi, or a 100% abidance
in the Self, which is irreversible. This is called Self-realisation, and is going to be the topic
that is examined in the next Part.

END OF PART 5
*****

242

243

VIVEKA CHUDAMANI – Vol.3

PART 6: (Verses 342-425) 84 Verses

NIRVIKALPA SAMADHI – Self-Realisation

6.1 THE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION

(Verses 342 – 348, 7 No.)

The Guru at the Operating Table!

THE SUPREME TEACHER IN Sri Shankaracharyaji is at the task of seeing his devoted
student through to the culmination of all his Sadhana. He is like the surgeon at the operating
table who is almost done with the operation of a heart transplant. The surgeon has the last
few steps to perform and then remove the artificial life-support system. The Guru is in a
similar position with regard to the operation he is performing on his best students to take
them over the last hurdle in their life.
Can we imagine the intense concentration and feelings of the Guru? If we have to
put ourselves in the Guru’s shoes at such a moment, we might barely survive the electric
shock we are likely to get! We will get burnt by the intensity of the task he is engaged in. A
million-volt current is needed to pull the student out of the gravity of worldliness and into
the freedom of “outer space”, the Absolute.

Verse 342: The Pass Certificate for Nirvikalpa Samadhi

xÉuÉÉïiqÉÍxÉ®rÉå ÍpÉ¤ÉÉåÈ M×üiÉ´ÉuÉhÉMüqÉïhÉÈ |
xÉqÉÉÍkÉÇ ÌuÉSkÉÉirÉåwÉÉ zÉÉliÉÉå SÉliÉ CÌiÉ ´ÉÑÌiÉÈ || 342||

1 sarvaatma siddhaye bhikshhoh To the Sannyasin thirsting to realize “All is the Self”,
2 krita shravana karmanah; who has listened intently to the discourses of his Guru,
3 samaadhim vidadhaati eshhaa Nirvikalpa Samadhi is prescribed to such a one,
4 shaantah daantah iti shrutih. who is peaceful and self-controlled, by the Shrutis.

A routine check is performed on disciples before they can be admitted for the final
phase of Sadhana which will take them to Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
1-2 The check is quite straightforward, and the seeker who is spiritually thirsty need
not be worried whether he is going to pass or fail. The Guru simply wants to be assured that
the instructions given during Sravana and Manana were followed up with Nididhyasana.

244

3 To the sincere seeker who qualifies, the green light is given to proceed into the
final classroom where he will be prepared for the final lap of his Sadhana.
4 What signs does the Guru look for in the disciple? The student’s mind has to be
rendered “peaceful and self-controlled”. This is made possible by proper meditation done
exactly as directed by the Shastras and the Guru.
However, in some students there can be problems which disqualify them . . .

Verse 343: The Disqualification for Nirvikalpa Samadhi

AÉÃRûzÉ£åüUWûqÉÉå ÌuÉlÉÉzÉÈ
MüiÉÑï³É zÉYrÉ xÉWûxÉÉÌmÉ mÉÎhQûiÉæÈ |
rÉå ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉÉZrÉxÉqÉÉÍkÉÌlÉ¶ÉsÉÉÈ
iÉÉlÉliÉUÉÅlÉliÉpÉuÉÉ ÌWû uÉÉxÉlÉÉÈ || 343||

1
aaroodhashakteh ahamah
vinaashah kartum na shakyah
The Ego, once it has become strong,
its destruction is next to impossible;
2 sahasaa api panditaih; to suddenly do so even the wise ones (find it hard).
3
ye nirvikalpa aakhya
samaadhi-nishchalaah
Those alone are qualified for attaining Nirvikalpa
Samadhi who have become perfectly calm, and they
4
taan antaraa ananta-
bhavaa hi vaasanaah.
are rare exceptions. For, over countless births,
indeed, innumerable are the Vasanas gathered.

1-2 Panditaih: “by the wise”. In Vedanta this is a technical word which refers to the
spiritual growth up to the stage when Manana has been completed. Such a ‘wise’ person is
given the name Pandita. He is fit to begin Nididhyasana in order to attain the state of
Samadhi. Even at that late stage the ego is not fully rooted out, and can trouble the
meditator throughout Nididhyasana if it is very strong.
3 Usually, Nididhyasana removes all these remaining traces of egoism in the student.
In such a case, the green light is given. But those in whom the Guru detects a very strong
ego Vasana, are sent back to the Nididhyasana class for further treatment. Only when one
develops perfect calmness of mind through prolonged abidance in the Self, does he receive
the green light for Nirvikalpa Samadhi. This ‘entrance examination’ is very hard to pass.
4 Why is it so difficult to subdue the ego? The ego has grown thick due to desires
that have accumulated over countless number of births. They are deeply ingrained in the
subconsciousness (some call it the ‘un-consciousness’). For some students, it requires more
effort to ‘scrub out’ the deep grooves of Vasanas.
These students are not to be seen as ‘failures’. The verses that follow instruct them
what to do make themselves ready for the next examination. In spiritual life, no one is a
“doomed failure”. Everyone has a chance to try again and again, and again!
Every seeker has to deal with his ego; there is no escape from it. Every Sadhana in
spiritual life aims to slowly chisel out the ego bit by bit. Samadhi is the ultimate means of
destroying it into oblivion. At this upper end of the scale of Sadhana, an intellectual
approach through Logic (Yukti) is combined with abidance in the Self (Samadhi) to do the
last rites of the Ego. Let us see more of this approach as advised by Sri Shankaracharyaji.

245

Verse 344: The Scenario of Total Confusion

AWûqoÉÑSèkrÉæuÉ qÉÉåÌWûlrÉÉ rÉÉåeÉÌrÉiuÉÉÅÅuÉ×iÉåoÉïsÉÉiÉç |
ÌuÉ¤ÉåmÉzÉÌ£üÈ mÉÑÂwÉÇ ÌuÉ¤ÉåmÉrÉÌiÉ iÉªÒhÉæÈ || 344||

1 aham-buddhyaa eva mohinyaa The storms of egoistic as well as deluding notions,
2 yojayitvaa aavriteh balaat; coupled with the aid of the “Veiling” power of Maya,
3 vikshhepa shaktih purushham and its “Projecting” power, produce in man
4 vikshhepayati tat gunaih. total confusion due to its very nature of agitation.

These verses are for those who did not receive the green light in the previous verse.
1-4 The situation as it pertained at the very beginning of Sadhana is described, giving
us our plight when we first began. At that time the scenario was an intolerable “total
confusion”. Sadhana would have greatly reduced the confusion since then, but has not
eliminated it altogether. Some degree of confusion is still present in the mind. It will be
different for each seeker. The whole Sadhana is reviewed once agaib for our benefit.
2-3 At the heart of the problem are the two components of Maya’s power: i) the
Tamasic ‘veiling power’ which does not allow us to know our true Self; and ii) the Rajasic
‘projecting power’, the handmaid of the veiling power. The first keeps us in thick darkness,
while the second acts out all the imagination due to the veiling.
4 The result is a thorough confusion of “egoistic and deluding notions”. Poor man is
at a loss as to how to get out of the tangle.
Nevertheless, the man we are talking about has come a long way in resolving the
whole puzzle, and now only needs to make a little more effort to get his ‘green light’.

THE LIMITATIONS OF LOGIC

Logic has its own limitations as a means of enquiring into the mysteries of Nature. In
eradicating the ego, the mystery of all mysteries, Logic fails in many cases. In spite of its
drawbacks, the Shrutis place much faith in logic provided its use is supervised by it. In the
verses that follow, use is made of logic with the best of intention to assist the seeker.
However, the seeker is warned of relying solely upon logic, especially in a case such
as edging out the Ego. The science of logic itself can inflate one’s Ego!

Verse 345: Strategy to Deal with the Confusion

ÌuÉ¤ÉåmÉzÉÌ£üÌuÉeÉrÉÉå ÌuÉwÉqÉÉå ÌuÉkÉÉiÉÑÇ
ÌlÉÈzÉåwÉqÉÉuÉUhÉzÉÌ£üÌlÉuÉ×¨rÉpÉÉuÉå |
SØaSØzrÉrÉÉåÈ xTÑüOûmÉrÉÉåeÉsÉuÉÌ²pÉÉaÉå
lÉzrÉå¨ÉSÉuÉUhÉqÉÉiqÉÌlÉ cÉ xuÉpÉÉuÉÉiÉç |
ÌlÉÈxÉÇzÉrÉålÉ pÉuÉÌiÉ mÉëÌiÉoÉlkÉzÉÔlrÉÉå
ÌuÉ¤ÉåmÉhÉÇ lÉ ÌWû iÉSÉ rÉÌS cÉålqÉ×wÉÉjÉåï || 345||

246

1
vikshhepa-shakti-vijayah
vishhamah vidhaatum
Victory over the ‘projecting power’
is extremely difficult to achieve,
2
nihsheshham aavarana-shakti-
nivritti abhaave;
unless the ‘veiling power’ is thoroughly
rooted out and eliminated.
3
drig-drishyayoh sphuta-payo-
jala-vat vibhaage
When the subject (the seer) and the objects (the
seen), are perfectly and well differentiated,
4
nashyet tat aavaranam
aatmani cha svabhaavaat;
the destruction of that veiling
over the Atman occurs naturally, and
5
nihsamshayena bhavati
pratibandha-shoonyah
when freed from all doubt, there is
no further obstruction to deal with.
6
vikshhepanam na hi tadaa
yadi chet mrishhaa arthe.
Then verily, there is no oscillation of the mind
even when the false objects are present.

The experience of Bhagavan Shankaracharyaji now comes to our aid.
1-2 The strategy is being presented to deal with the “Confusion of Notions”. The
projecting power is not the place to start with. The Veiling power has to be dealt with first.
3-5 Dealing with the Veiling Power: The method proposed here is the one that uses
Logic. There are other methods that aim to achieve the same result, but in this book Viveka
or discrimination is given prime place. The problem is to differentiate the subject from the
object, i.e. the seer from the seen. The ultimate ‘Seer’ is the witnessing Self and the ultimate
‘Seen’ are the thoughts that abound in the mind. The method is detailed in the next verse.
Veiling prevents us from clearly differentiating these two; it confuses the two instead of
clearly identifying them.
6 Dealing with the Projecting Power: Once the Veiling power is removed, one finds
that the Projecting power automatically stops as it is dependent solely on the Veiling to do
its work. A thief can do his work only in darkness. Once the darkness is removed, he has to
stop his work. Projecting is like the work of a thief; it can only be done under cover of
darkness, i.e. when Veiling is present.

Verse 346: Method of Subject-Object Differentiation

xÉqrÉÎauÉuÉåMüÈ xTÑüOûoÉÉåkÉeÉlrÉÉå
ÌuÉpÉerÉ SØaSØzrÉmÉSÉjÉïiÉ¨uÉqÉç |
ÍNûlÉÌ¨É qÉÉrÉÉM×üiÉqÉÉåWûoÉlkÉÇ
rÉxqÉÉÌ²qÉÑ£üxiÉÑ mÉÑlÉlÉï xÉÇxÉ×ÌiÉÈ || 346||

1
samyak vivekah
sphuta-bodha-janyah
Perfect discrimination
arising from a clear knowledge of Self and not-Self,
2
vibhajya drig-drishya
padaartha tattvam;
distinguishes the subject (Witness) from the object (mind),
and the true nature of both is understood.
3
chhinatti maayaa-krita
moha-bandham
This understanding snaps the Maya-created
bond of delusion (Moha),
4
yasmaat vimuktah tu
punah na samsritih.
The sage who is liberated from delusion, verily
never again experiences the pain of transmigration.

247

This entire verse expounds the method dealing with the destruction of the Veiling
Power as introduced in the previous verse.
1 The first step is to use Viveka, our faculty of Discrimination by which the Self and
not-Self are differentiated. This was covered in Part 3 of this book, but is summarised below.

Differentiating Subject from Object
2 At the heart of the destruction of Veiling is the differentiation of the Subject (the
witness) from the object (the mind, senses, and objects).
The knowledge of the Self is what is needed to differentiate the subject from the
object as required in the present situation. Drig-Drishya Vivek has the full details, but we
need to summarise that here for the sake of completeness.
The Subject is the knower and the object is the known. As far as the sense objects
are concerned, the knower is the senses. As far as the senses are concerned, their knower is
the mind. And as far as the mind is concerned, its knower is the witness-consciousness. We
cannot find a knower of the witness-consciousness. The analysis brings us to the ultimate
knower being the witness. The witness is the true subject of all knowledge; it is the “seer”.
All else is regarded as the “seen” or object.
3 Now how is this relevant to destroying the Veiling Power? When we finally come
to the Witness as the ultimate knower, we understand that all else is the “seen”, which
means that they are all ‘not-Self’. We have logically shown that the Witness alone is true, it
is our true Self. Our understanding is no longer “veiled” by ignorance. Delusion ends at this
point. We reach the state of enlightenment, at least intellectually.
4 For the person who has broken through the veil of Delusion, there is liberation
from the wheel of Samsara. There are no further Karmic bonds produced in transactions
with the world. This liberation frees one from Transmigration or rebirth into the world.

A CAUTIONARY NOTE: THEORY & PRACTICE

At this point we remind ourselves that we are making an intellectual assessment of
what the sage is doing in actual practice. Our version is bound to appear very easy. The
saying goes – “When all is said and done, more is said than done”. We are trying to enter
the realm of the advanced spiritual aspirant, who is a sage in comparison to us. We need to
be mindful of our limitations as to how far we can probe into such matters.
This is a full scale guerilla war. It is hard to distinguish who is the enemy and who the
ally. Once the subject is clearly distinguished from the objects, then only the war comes to a
conclusive end. The target – Delusion – is bombed.
The current verse compels us to take caution. We have to be humble in grasping
these points intellectually. If we are in a position to put these strategies into practice, we
may see the whole operation in a totally different light, perhaps not as a ‘War’ as described
here, but as a blissful experience bringing complete calmness into our being.
It is perhaps wise not to go too deep into this from a mere theoretical perspective.
This cautionary note applies for the rest of the text as well. We are taking a theoretical look
at Self-realisation, which is the most practical venture man can ever undertake!

248

Verse 347: Discrimination Kindles the Fire of Knowledge

mÉUÉuÉUæMüiuÉÌuÉuÉåMüuÉÌ»ûÈ
SWûirÉÌuÉ±ÉaÉWûlÉÇ ½zÉåwÉqÉç |
ÌMÇü xrÉÉimÉÑlÉÈ xÉÇxÉUhÉxrÉ oÉÏeÉÇ
A²æiÉpÉÉuÉÇ xÉqÉÑmÉårÉÑwÉÉåÅxrÉ || 347||

1
paraa avara ekatva
viveka vahnih
The identity of the universal with the individual soul
is the fire of this knowledge.
2
dahati avidyaa-gahanam
hi asheshham;
It burns or consumes the thick forest of Ignorance;
indeed, it burns it at its very root!
3
kim syaat punah
samsaranasya beejam
Why, there does not remain, for succeeding births,
even a single seed for the soul’s transmigration!
4
advaita-bhaavam
samupeyushhah asya.
The state of Oneness or complete identity with Brahman –
for one who has attained it, (the following applies . . . )

Once the method is applied successfully, and Knowledge of the Self and not-Self
arises, it is like a forest fire – it can burn away all traces of ignorance that produce Delusion.
1 The real fire is the identity between the individual and the universal soul. The
knowledge of the Self obtained in Sravana bears fruit only when this identity becomes an
actual experience every moment of one’s life.
2 The fire of identity with Brahman sets ablaze or devastates the forest of Avidya,
which is the root of Delusion.
3 Once this fire blazes its way through Delusion, the very ‘seed’ out of which grew
the forest of the sense objects in the world is burnt out. It is such a thorough devastation
that not a trace of ignorance is left. There are no seeds left for the forest to get re-
established. This is the end of Transmigration, the principal fruit of Self-realisation. The soul
has now no need to take birth ever again into the relative world of the senses which is the
field of all suffering.
4 The fruits of Self-realisation or the state of Oneness with Brahman are continued in
the final verse of the chapter.

Verse 348: Three Secondary Results of the Destruction

AÉuÉUhÉxrÉ ÌlÉuÉ×Ì¨ÉpÉïuÉÌiÉ ÌWû xÉqrÉYmÉSÉjÉïSzÉïlÉiÉÈ |
ÍqÉjrÉÉ¥ÉÉlÉÌuÉlÉÉzÉxiÉÌ²¤ÉåmÉeÉÌlÉiÉSÒÈZÉÌlÉuÉ×Ì¨ÉÈ || 348||

1 aavaranasya nivrittih bhavati hi The veil that hides Truth gets completely lifted.
2 samyak padaartha darshanatah; When Reality is fully experienced, there soon follows
3 mithyaa-ajnaana-vinaashah i) the destruction of false understanding;
4
tat vikshhepa janita
duhkha-nivrittih.
ii) the agitation created by false knowledge ends;
iii) and finally there is cessation of all misery.

249

The war of the “Fire of Knowledge” comes to a successful termination when the veil
of Avidya is lifted. The war terminates in three secondary results:
i) False Understanding Ends: Victory on the internal front against Avidya also brings
about true understanding of one’s Self. The false understanding, which created the need for
the external battle with the world of objects, now ends. Therefore, the second line of troops
on the external front is ordered to withdraw.
ii) Projecting Power Ends: Since all agitations in the mind have been routed, there is
no longer any desire in the mind. The ‘Projecting Power’ runs out of breath, as it were, and
collapses on the battlefield. It is an enemy which we do not have to do anything about; it
dies a natural death. When Veiling is removed, Projection loses all its power to project.
iii) Misery & Sorrow Ends: When the two sets of troops are withdrawn, each one
having completed its task, there is a ‘cessation of all hostilities’, i.e. an end to all misery and
sorrow. It is a time of celebration for the troops of Discrimination that fought so hard and so
bravely.
Thus ends the spiritual battle, with the mind as the battlefield, with troops
marshalled by Discrimination on two fronts, and with Nirvikalpa Samadhi as the supreme
reward!

*****

250

6.2 HOW TO RECOGNISE SAMADHI

(Verses 349 – 353, 5 No.)

WHILST THE FIRST CHAPTER put one through an entrance examination to qualify
for the Nirvikalpa Samadhi state, this chapter gives us some of the essential features of the
state, by which it may be recognised in oneself.
The key features are the recognition that Ignorance is totally absent, and for that
reason Delusion is also not there. The intellect is understood to be only an inert instrument.
Whatever powers it displays are a reflection of the sentiency imparted to it by the Self.
In addition, the state reveals clearly that everything that arises from Maya is unreal
or inert, having only a certain function to perform in the overall existence of the human
being. They are found to be ever changing. In contrast, the Self is uniform at all times. It
never changes.
It is in arriving at such an understanding of one’s own Self that true peace and
tranquillity are found. The search for peace takes us into the portals of the Supreme Reality.
Nowhere else can pure, unalloyed Peace be found.
This is the central message of the chapter. It leaves us in no doubt about what
Nirvikalpa Samadhi is.

Verse 349: Simile 1: Rope & Snake

LiÉÎi§ÉiÉrÉÇ SØ¹Ç xÉqrÉaÉë‹ÑxuÉÃmÉÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉÉiÉç |
iÉxqÉÉ²xiÉÑxÉiÉ¨uÉÇ ¥ÉÉiÉurÉÇ oÉlkÉqÉÑ£ürÉå ÌuÉSÒwÉÉ || 349||

1 etat tritayam drishhtam samyak These “three results” are well grasped by fully
2 rajju svaroopa vijnaanaat; understanding the Rope (and Snake) Analogy.
3 tasmaat vastu-satattvam jnaatavyam Thus, the nature of Reality should be known
4 bandhamuktaye vidushhaa. by which the wise man breaks all his bonds.

1 Etat Tritayam: “these three” – refer to the three secondary results listed in verse
348. The results are produced by the destruction of the Veiling power, Avidya. They are: i)
the removal of false understanding; ii) the natural death of the power of Projection; and iii)
the end of all misery and suffering that we experience as the fruits of our Karmas.
2 The classic example that illustrates this Truth is seen in the snake-rope analogy.
Removal of Non-Apprehension: Through knowledge and proper observation, the
truth is discovered that it is only a rope. This is the primary result of the knowledge – the
removal of the Veiling power. The primary result consists in the restoration of our
apprehension of Truth. Now for the secondary results:
i) Removal of False Understanding: As soon as this happens, the idea that it is a
snake gets dispelled or removed. This represents the removal of all wrong or false
understanding that arises due to the non-apprehension.

251

ii) Removal of Projecting Power: While we still think that the rope is a snake, our
mind projects all sorts of ideas. Firstly, we project fear of the snake. We may retreat and run
away. Or we may return with a weapon to kill the snake, or decide to capture it alive and
remove it to a safe place. These are all projected actions. All these come to an end.
iii) Removal of Misery: Thirdly, simultaneous with the other two, is the total
cessation of fear of the snake. This represents the removal of all misery we had experienced
prior to the moment of enlightenment.
3-4 Knowledge conquers ignorance – this is the only means to break through our
perceived bondage and attain liberation.

Verse 350: Simile 2: Intellect & Iron Piece

ArÉÉåÅÎalÉrÉÉåaÉÉÌSuÉ xÉixÉqÉluÉrÉÉlÉç
qÉÉ§ÉÉÌSÃmÉåhÉ ÌuÉeÉ×qpÉiÉå kÉÏÈ |
iÉiMüÉrÉïqÉåiÉÎSè²iÉÏrÉÇ rÉiÉÉå qÉ×wÉÉ
SØ¹Ç pÉëqÉxuÉmlÉqÉlÉÉåUjÉåwÉÑ || 350||

1
ayah agni-yogaat iva
sat-samanvayaat
Just as a piece of iron in contact with fire, manifests fire,
so also, in contact with the immanent Reality,
2
maatraadi-roopena
vijrimbhate dheeh;
in the form of the knower and the known,
does the intellect manifest itself.
3
tatkaaryam etat dviteeyam
yatah mrishhaa
These two (knower and known), are the effects of the
intellect, and hence unreal,
4
drishhtam bhrama-
svapna-manoratheshhu.
as we observe them to be in states of delusion,
dream, and imagination;

Another simile is used to illustrate the unreality of the intellect, and thereby the
Reality of the Self. This unreality is then extended in the next verse to everything that is
created in the universe.
1-2 The intellect is compared to an iron piece. When the iron piece is brought into
contact with fire, it shows some of the characteristics of the fire: i) it gets very hot like the
fire; and ii) it starts glowing like the fire.
In the same way, the intellect is a subtle object, just as a piece of iron is a gross
object. The intellect gets into contact with the Self as Consciousness. It starts showing some
of the signs of that Consciousness. The iron showed signs of heat and light; the intellect
shows the signs as knower and known, i.e. the subject and the object.
3 These are effects produced in the intellect. Because they are effects, they must be
unreal, just as the intellect, too, is unreal. By what logic can we conclude that they are
unreal?
4 It is because these effects, the knower and the known, keep changing. They change
under delusion, in dream and in imagination. If they were Real, they will remain constant. By
definition Reality cannot change.
In this way, the unreality of the intellect has been shown. How does this help? . . .

252

Verse 351: As With Intellect, So With Maya

iÉiÉÉå ÌuÉMüÉUÉÈ mÉëM×üiÉåUWûqqÉÑZÉÉ
SåWûÉuÉxÉÉlÉÉ ÌuÉwÉrÉÉ¶É xÉuÉåï |
¤ÉhÉåÅlrÉjÉÉpÉÉÌuÉiÉrÉÉ ½qÉÏwÉÉ-
qÉxÉ¨uÉqÉÉiqÉÉ iÉÑ MüSÉÌmÉ lÉÉlrÉjÉÉ || 351||

1
tatah vikaaraah prakriteh
aham-mukhaa
So too, all the modifications of Prakriti,
beginning with the ego
2
deha avasaanaah
vishhayaah cha sarve;
down to the gross body,
and including all the sense objects,
3
kshhane anyathaa
bhaavitayaa hi ameeshhaam
which every moment become “something else” –
i.e. they always change, indeed, all these are
4
asattvam aatmaa tu
kadaapi na anyathaa.
the “Unreality”. In contrast, the Atman or Self
at no time is “anything else” (It is always the same).

The above handling of the Intellect as unreality is repeated for the case of Maya, too.
1 Prakriti: This is the original name for Maya. Maya is a derived name meaning
“illusion”. Since Prakriti represents Unreality at its root, everything that follows from it is
also regarded as a modification of that Unreality.
2-3 The Unreality extends all the way from “the Ego down to the gross body.” This
covers the subtle body, the gross body and the sense objects with which the Jiva comes into
contact – the whole manifested universe is constantly changing, and hence it can be, not
Reality, but only Unreality.
4 As iron borrows the characteristics of fire, or intellect borrows its characteristics of
knower and known from Consciousness, so also, Prakriti and all its effects – the whole
manifested universe – borrow their characteristic of Existence from the Self. The Existence
in them is always the same.

Verse 352: The Nature of the Self

ÌlÉirÉÉ²rÉÉZÉhQûÍcÉSåMüÃmÉÉå
oÉÑSèkrÉÉÌSxÉÉ¤ÉÏ xÉSxÉÌ²sÉ¤ÉhÉÈ |
AWûqmÉSmÉëirÉrÉsÉÍ¤ÉiÉÉjÉïÈ
mÉëirÉMçü xÉSÉlÉlSbÉlÉÈ mÉUÉiqÉÉ || 352||

1
nitya advaya akhanda
chit ekaroopah
Eternal, non-dual, unbroken
knowledge, of one form,
2
buddhi-aadi saakshhee
sat-asat-vilakshhanah;
the witness of the intellect,
neither gross nor subtle,
3 aham-pada-pratyaya-lakshhitaarthah the implied meaning of the term ‘I’,
4
pratyak sad-aananda-ghanah
paraatmaa.
the inner being, embodiment of eternal bliss –
this is the nature of the Supreme Self.

253

Samadhi is now explained in terms of how we experience Reality.
The idea is that, henceforth, whenever Nirvikalpa Samadhi is mentioned, it must be
understood to mean the experience of the Self as described above. Three primal principles
forming the one organic Self are described:
i) Sat: “Existence”. The sense of ‘I exist’ is unmistakable. It has no parts, and is
eternal, non-dual and homogenous. It is the existence of our Atman. We know our true Self
in the words of the Upanishads as “I am Brahman”. There is no dependency of this existence
on anything else. It is absolute and complete in itself. The realized sage feels that he is all
that exists, or to put it differently, he exists in all as all!
ii) Chit: “Consciousness”. There is the experience of being the Eternal Knower in the
experience of Reality This is experienced as the Witness (knower) of the functions of the
body and the mind.. This indicates the state of Chit.
iii) Ananda: “Bliss”. The Self is also experienced as an all-blissful state beyond
comparison with anything else we have experienced on the mental plane. It is deep Bliss
having no dependence on anything external to its existence. It is the very nature of the Self.
The word Satchidananda is the most nearest that language can get to the Self!

Verse 353: Conclusion: Attainment of Peace & Tranquillity

CijÉÇ ÌuÉmÉÍ¶ÉixÉSxÉÌ²pÉerÉ
ÌlÉÍ¶ÉirÉ iÉ¨uÉÇ ÌlÉeÉoÉÉåkÉSØwšÉ |
¥ÉÉiuÉÉ xuÉqÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉZÉhQûoÉÉåkÉÇ
iÉåprÉÉå ÌuÉqÉÑ£üÈ xuÉrÉqÉåuÉ zÉÉqrÉÌiÉ || 353||

1
ittham vipashchit
sad-asad-vibhajya
Thus the wise man who
i) discriminates between the real and the unreal;
2
nishchitya tattvam
nija-bodha-drishhtyaa;
ii) who is established in the Truth
by the insight of his knowledge;
3
jnaatvaa svam aatmaanam
akhanda-bodham
iii) who has realised his own Self
to be unbroken knowledge; and
4
tebhyah vimuktah svayam eva
shaamyati.
iv) who is himself freed from these three,
becomes peaceful and tranquil.

The attainment of this state is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi. It is a natural effortless
state. It is sure to come to every seeker in the course of time. For us, the question is, When?

*****

254

6.3 SAMADHI SEEN IN DAILY LIFE

(Verses 354 – 364, 11 No.)

ACHARYAJI DREW OUR attention to the persistence we see in Sri Shankaracharyaji’s
method of instruction.
He finds the right medicine for us, but does not stop there. He opens our mouth and
puts the medicine inside, but does not stop even there. He then asks us to open the mouth
again to see if we have actually swallowed the medicine, and still does not stop there. He
wants to make sure that the medicine has worked and the patient is cured – once and for
all! Where would we get a teacher more dedicated than that!
This is the side of Shankaracharyaji we see in this Chapter. He is not happy just telling
us about Samadhi, which is what he has done in Chapter 6.2. This Chapter follows the
theory through into our very lives. The Teacher wants to make sure that we take the
teaching and get liberated!

Verse 354: Cutting the “Knots of Ignorance”

A¥ÉÉlÉ™SrÉaÉëljÉåÌlÉïÈzÉåwÉÌuÉsÉrÉxiÉSÉ |
xÉqÉÉÍkÉlÉÉÅÌuÉMüsmÉålÉ rÉSÉÅ²æiÉÉiqÉSzÉïlÉqÉç || 354||

1 ajnaana-hridaya-grantheh The ‘knots of ignorance’ in the heart
2 nihsheshha-vilayah tadaa; are said to be completely destroyed
3 samaadhinaa avikalpena yadaa when, by attaining the Nirvikalpa Samadhi state,
4 advaita aatma-darshanam. one obtains the Non-dual vision of the Self.

1 Ajnana Granthi: “knots of ignorance”. This is a very common term used in the
scriptures to indicate the full effects of Ignorance in our lives. Ajnana would be like saying
“poison”. Ajnana Granthi is like saying, “not just the poison, but the bite due to which the
poison entered; not just that either, but the wound that it has created in the process; even
not just that, but the pus and inflammation that it caused in the body; not even just that but
the fear, the pain and the suffering it brought in its wake”!
Now we can visualise the deep meaning behind this term. Can we see what a world
of meaning lies within this term when applied to the human predicament?
2 All the effects of the ‘poison of ignorance’ are completely destroyed by taking the
medicine of Nirvikalpa Samadhi. This is how Samadhi is seen in daily life.
3-4 The word Avikalpa is used for Nirvikalpa, illustrating an interesting fact: Avikalpa
means “absence of any doubts”; Nirvikalpa means “freedom from Duality”. By using the
former word in place of the latter, the meaning comes through that doubts arise only when
we are still in the realm of Duality. Once we are in Non-duality by breaking through the
‘knots of ignorance’ that bind our heart, we are free from all doubts.

255

Verse 355: Samadhi Along the Facet of Intellect

iuÉqÉWûÍqÉSÍqÉiÉÏrÉÇ MüsmÉlÉÉ oÉÑÎ®SÉåwÉÉiÉç
mÉëpÉuÉÌiÉ mÉUqÉÉiqÉlrÉ²rÉå ÌlÉÌuÉïzÉåwÉå |
mÉëÌuÉsÉxÉÌiÉ xÉqÉÉkÉÉuÉxrÉ xÉuÉÉåï ÌuÉMüsmÉÉå
ÌuÉsÉrÉlÉqÉÑmÉaÉcNåû²xiÉÑiÉ¨uÉÉuÉkÉ×irÉÉ || 355||

1
tvam aham idam iti iyam
kalpanaa buddhi-doshhaat
‘You’, ‘I’, ‘This’ and ‘That’ – these
concepts are due to defects inherent in the intellect.
2
prabhavati paramaatmani
advaye nirvisheshhe;
The intellect fancies the Self to be so,
whereas the Self is really Non-dual and attibuteless.
3
pravilasati samaadhau
asya sarvah vikalpah
When the Truth dawns in Nirvikalpa Samadhi,
all these intellectual concepts
4
vilayanam upagachchhet
vastu-tattvaava-dhrityaa.
simply get dissolved,
and one gets firmly fixed in the Truth Principle.

Shankaracharyaji takes the student to the peak from many facets of the Truth. He
begins by taking us along the facet of our Intellect, which is in line with the book’s theme.
1 The intellect is the first point of contact between the Self and the individual soul. It
is a paradox that the ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘this’ and ‘that’ are numerous intellectual ‘objects’ we have
created that separate us from Reality, while we try to grasp Reality.
2 Due to these ‘intellect-created objects’, we fail to see the common Self in them all.
Instead, the separateness gets accentuated. This is a defect inherent in the intellect.
3-4 This sense of separateness vanishes upon attaining Nirvikalpa Samadhi when the
homogeneous unity within the apparent diversity is seen. Plurality is something we have
created due to our ignorance. When the non-dual Self is seen, all plurality dissolves.

Verse 356: Samadhi Along the Facet of Serenity

zÉÉliÉÉå SÉliÉÈ mÉUqÉÑmÉUiÉÈ ¤ÉÉÎliÉrÉÑ£üÈ xÉqÉÉÍkÉÇ
MÑüuÉïÍ³ÉirÉÇ MüsÉrÉÌiÉ rÉÌiÉÈ xuÉxrÉ xÉuÉÉïiqÉpÉÉuÉqÉç |
iÉålÉÉÌuÉ±ÉÌiÉÍqÉUeÉÌlÉiÉÉlxÉÉkÉÑ SakuÉÉ ÌuÉMüsmÉÉlÉç
oÉë¼ÉM×üirÉÉ ÌlÉuÉxÉÌiÉ xÉÑZÉÇ ÌlÉÎw¢ürÉÉå ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉÈ || 356||

1
shaantah daantah
param-uparatah
kshhaanti-yuktah samaadhim
Serene and self-controlled,
perfectly withdrawn from sense objects,
steadfast in endurance, such is Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
2
kurvan nityam , kalayati yatih
svasya sarvaatma-bhaavam;
The seeker is always engaged in contemplating
on his Self as the Self in all beings;
3
tena avidyaa
timira janitaan
saadhu dagdhvaa vikalpaan
By this means, the ignorance
of Darkness, from which arise
endless imaginations, gets totally destroyed.
4
brahmaa-krityaa nivasati sukham
nishhkriyah nirvikalpah.
The seeker then lives as Brahman – ever-blissful,
free from bodily actions and mental oscillations.

256

Now the ascent along the face of Serenity, of stillness and silence.
1 The path along this face contrasts with both ignorance and with darkness. It is
characterised by serenity, self-control, withdrawal from objects and silent endurance –
these are the essential mental and moral ingredients needed to achieve Samadhi.
2 A term for ingredients is Samagri, which has the connotations of performing a
havan, thus indirectly linking Samadhi to an act of sacrifice. To ‘see’ the Self in all beings, it is
vital to be still and silent. Everything opposing these two are distractions to Samadhi.
3 In stillness and silence, imaginations cease. Ignorance gives way to knowledge, and
darkness gives way to light. We realise that they are both mere imaginary obstacles.
4 Stillness and silence are not just physical attributes, but mental qualities as well.
They are needed at both levels. Then one truly lives in Brahman, ever in Bliss.

Verse 357: Samadhi Along the Facet of Negation

xÉqÉÉÌWûiÉÉ rÉå mÉëÌuÉsÉÉmrÉ oÉÉ½Ç
´ÉÉå§ÉÉÌS cÉåiÉÈ xuÉqÉWÇû ÍcÉSÉiqÉÌlÉ |
iÉ LuÉ qÉÑ£üÉ pÉuÉmÉÉzÉoÉlkÉæÈ
lÉÉlrÉå iÉÑ mÉÉUÉå¤rÉMüjÉÉÍpÉkÉÉÌrÉlÉÈ || 357||

1
samaahitaa ye
pravilaapya baahyam
They who are serene, and
who have merged (negated) the objective world,
2
shrotraadi chetah
svam aham chidaatmani;
the sense organs, the mind,
the very ego itself – in the Self as Knowledge Absolute –
3
te eva muktaa
bhava-paasha-bandhaih
they alone (having attained Nirvikalpa Samadhi) are free
from the bondages of transmigration,
4
na anye tu paarokshhya-
kathaa-abhidhaayinah.
but not others who, having only mental knowledge,
merely blabber it out before others.

1-2 The route outlined below is a common route for all mankind:

World of Sense Objects  The Senses  The Mind  The Jiva

We all travel this route daily. How is Negation connected to this route? Only the one
who has negated these can travel this whole route without any difficulty, and remain
untainted by it. Ordinary commuters on this route encounter many difficulties. The
difference is that the one in Samadhi has negated or “merged” everything on this route into
his Self through firm knowledge established in his intellect.
3 Such a sage can do so because he has acquired the pre-requisites such as Sravana,
Manana, Nididhyasana, self-purification, destroying the Vasanas, cultivating one-pointed-
ness of mind, etc. Without that the route into and out of the world cannot be undertaken
with detachment. Sages can engage with the world and still remain free of any taint. They
are truly beyond any danger of transmigration, i.e. getting caught in the net of the world.
4 The Teacher is clearly against holding ‘intellectual baggage’ without any effort to
put it into practice. If such people start preaching prematurely, he is not pleased.

257

Verse 358: Samadhi Along the Facet of the Upadhis

EmÉÉÍkÉpÉåSÉixuÉrÉqÉåuÉ ÍpÉ±iÉå
cÉÉåmÉÉkrÉmÉÉåWåû xuÉrÉqÉåuÉ MåüuÉsÉÈ |
iÉxqÉÉSÒmÉÉkÉåÌuÉïsÉrÉÉrÉ ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç
uÉxÉåixÉSÉÅMüsmÉxÉqÉÉÍkÉÌlÉ¸rÉÉ || 358||

1
upaadhi-bhedaat
svayam eva bhidyate
Due to differences in the conditionings,
a man sees himself as full of diversity;
2
cha upaadhi apohe
svayam eva kevalah;
but by dissolution of these very conditionings,
he gains back his own immutable Self.
3
tasmaat upaadheh
vilayaaya vidvaan
Hence, to the dissolution of the
conditionings, the wise man
4
vaset sadaa akalpa
samaadhi nishhthayaa.
should always devote himself with firm conviction
and be unshakably established in Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

1 The conditionings mean the Upadhis or bodily and mental instruments. Within the
same person there are the five main Upadhis known as sheaths. They are the Pancha
Koshas. The body, mind and intellect are the main Upadhis, but each of these can be further
sub-divided into sub-Upadhis. Then there are also differences in the same Upadhi in
different people. Not all intellects are the same, not all minds or bodies the same.
2 Removing the Upadhis is the first step we need to take to get out of this bondage
and integrate ourselves once again to the Self. This was covered under Negation in 357.
3-4 A seeker of Truth aims to dissolve all his Upadhis so that he can experience
silence and solitude to practice intense meditation which will bring him to the state of Self-
realisation or Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

Verse 359: Samadhi Along the Facet of Devotion

xÉÌiÉ xÉ£üÉå lÉUÉå rÉÉÌiÉ xÉ°ÉuÉÇ ½åMüÌlÉ¸rÉÉ |
MüÐOûMüÉå pÉëqÉUÇ krÉÉrÉlÉç pÉëqÉUiuÉÉrÉ MüsmÉiÉå || 359||

1 sati saktah narah yaati The man who is intently focussed on the Real
2 sadbhaavam hi eka-nishhthayaa; becomes the Real through single-pointed devotion.
3 keetakah bhramaram dhyaayan The worm, contemplating intently upon the wasp,
4 bhramaratvaaya kalpate. is in due course transformed into a wasp itself.

Verse 360: A Picture of Renunciation

Ì¢ürÉÉliÉUÉxÉÌ£üqÉmÉÉxrÉ MüÐOûMüÉå
krÉÉrÉlrÉjÉÉÍsÉÇ ½ÍsÉpÉÉuÉqÉ×cNûÌiÉ |
iÉjÉæuÉ rÉÉåaÉÏ mÉUqÉÉiqÉiÉ¨uÉÇ
krÉÉiuÉÉ xÉqÉÉrÉÉÌiÉ iÉSåMüÌlÉ¸rÉÉ || 360||

258

5
kriyaa-antaraa-aasaktim
apaasya keetakah
Detaching itself from all other activities –
by such renunciation does the worm,
6
dhyaayan yathaa alim hi
alibhaava mrichchhhati;
focus its mind intently upon the wasp
in order to gain the wasp’s nature.
7
tathaa eva yogee
paramaatmatattvam
In the same way, the Yogi, solely
upon the nature of the Supreme Self
8
dhyaatvaa samaayaati tad
eka-nishhthayaa.
does he contemplate, and succeeds in attaining That
through Single-pointed Devotion.

In these two verses the seeker reaches Nirvikalpa Samadhi along the face of
Devotion or single-pointedness of mind. An excellent simile is used to illustrate devotion.

“Keetakah Bhramaram” Simile: Worm Becomes Wasp
This simile also appears in Atma Bodha (verse 49). Keetakah is the young worm;
Bhramaram is the wasp it aims to become. The process used here is negation which has
already been explained in verse 357. The simile of the worm is the only new item added.
3-4 The worm, transfixed by the stare of its mother which guards its movements and
stings it whenever the former moves, is a study in concentration on one point. In the
process, the worm itself becomes a wasp in due course.
1-2 The seeker is like the worm. He submits his mind to one-pointed concentration
on the omnipresent Lord (the mother-wasp). In due course he gains the nature of the Lord.
This is a favourite simile of Shankaracharya because it shows how an ordinary being
can rise above his physical and mental limitations and become of the same nature as the
Supreme Being. It is the story of transformation from Man to God-Man!
5-6 The worm renounces all other activities as its attention gets transfixed on the
form of the wasp. The only intention in its mind is to become a wasp!
7-8 The Yogi has the very same concentration on the nature of the Self. His whole
mind is fixed only on the Self as he yearns to become one with the Self. He finally succeeds.

Verse 361: Samadhi Along the Facet of Purity of Mind

AiÉÏuÉ xÉÔ¤qÉÇ mÉUqÉÉiqÉiÉ¨uÉÇ
lÉ xjÉÔsÉSØwšÉ mÉëÌiÉmÉ¨ÉÑqÉWïûÌiÉ |
xÉqÉÉÍkÉlÉÉirÉliÉxÉÑxÉÔ¤qÉuÉ×¨rÉÉ
¥ÉÉiÉurÉqÉÉrÉæïUÌiÉzÉÑ®oÉÑÎ®ÍpÉÈ || 361||

1
ateeva sookshhmam
paramaatma-tattvam
Extremely subtle
is the nature of the Supreme Self;
2
na sthoola-drishhtyaa
pratipattum arhati;
Not by the gross outgoing tendency of the mind
is it possible or deserving to be known.
3
samaadhinaa atyanta
susookshhma-vrittyaa
Through Samadhi and with an extraordinary
subtlety of the mind,
4
jnaatavyam aaryaih
ati-shuddha-buddhibhih.
It (the nature of the Self) is knowable to noble ones
with extremely pure intellects.

259

Subtlety, Purity & Nobility of Mind
1 The Supreme Self is subtler than the subtlest part of our three bodies – gross,
subtle and causal. We can approach It through the Purity of our mind.
2-3 There are two apt sayings: “Only the subtle can approach the subtle”, and “The
Sattwic thought needs to be made more Sattwic!” This alone enables the attainment of
Nirvikalpa Samadhi, in which we come closest to the subtle Self, and merge in It completely.
The Shuddha Buddhi is a Sukshma Buddhi (Purity = Subtlety). Only the pure-hearted
can have the needed subtlety. Purity is the condition in which one’s mind can be quietened
to a sufficient degree to go into Samadhi effortlessly. Samadhi is proof of one’s Purity.
4 Aryan: “noble-minded”. Nobility is a precious gem when found in human beings. It
is beyond the reach of Rajas and Tamas, and has no grossness in it. The word ‘Aryan’ was
used by Hitler rather ironically. Would a noble Aryan ever engage in such unimaginable
violence as we have witnessed in the name of protecting the “Aryan race”?
Ati Shuddha Buddhibhih: The qualities of mind needed for success in attaining
Nirvikalpa Samadhi are highlighted here. To attain it, one requires the most subtle, pure and
noble qualities we can raise in our consciousness.

Verse 362: Simile: Purity of Smelted Gold

rÉjÉÉ xÉÑuÉhÉïÇ mÉÑOûmÉÉMüzÉÉåÍkÉiÉÇ
irÉYiuÉÉ qÉsÉÇ xuÉÉiqÉaÉÑhÉÇ xÉqÉ×cNûÌiÉ |
iÉjÉÉ qÉlÉÈ xÉ¨uÉUeÉxiÉqÉÉåqÉsÉÇ
krÉÉlÉålÉ xÉlirÉerÉ xÉqÉåÌiÉ iÉ¨uÉqÉç || 362||

1 yathaa suvarnam, putapaaka-shodhitam Just as gold, by thorough heating in fire,
2
tyaktvaa malam
svaatma-gunam samrichchhati;
gives up its impurities
and regains its own brilliant lustre;
3
tathaa manah
sattva-rajas-tamo-malam
So also, the mind’s
impurities of Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas
4
dhyaanena santyajya
sameti tattvam.
are shed during the process of meditation,
and the Reality is attained (Nirvikalpa Samadhi).

The Smelted Gold Simile
1 Suvarna: “of exquisite lustre; gold”. This is one of many Samskrit names for gold.
Gold gets this name from the outstanding brilliance of its colour.
2-3 Gold’s lustre is obtained by smelting it and burning out all the impurities. This
process closely resembles the Sadhana of a spiritual aspirant which puts him through a
transforming process similar to smelting, to remove the impurities of his mind. After
undergoing such cleansing, one becomes radiant and full of lustre, and worthy of trans-
formation into Brahmanhood.
4 In the smelting process, all Tamas and Rajas are eradicated in toto. Sattwa, too, is a
‘golden fetter’, and is overcome only by meditation and entering into Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
The actual Bliss of Samadhi is not a fetter.

260

Verse 363: Transition from Savikalpa to Nirvikalpa

ÌlÉUliÉUÉprÉÉxÉuÉzÉÉ¨ÉÌSijÉÇ
mÉYuÉÇ qÉlÉÉå oÉë¼ÍhÉ sÉÏrÉiÉå rÉSÉ |
iÉSÉ xÉqÉÉÍkÉÈ xÉÌuÉMüsmÉuÉÎeÉïiÉÈ
xuÉiÉÉåÅ²rÉÉlÉlSUxÉÉlÉÑpÉÉuÉMüÈ || 363||

1 nirantara abhyaasavashaat tat ittham As a result of that spell of constant practice,
2 pakvam manah brahmani leeyate yadaa; When the purified mind merges in Brahman;
3 tadaa samaadhih savikalpa varjitah then Savikalpa becomes Nirvikalpa Samadhi
4
svatah advaya aananda rasa
anubhaavakah.
by itself, and the essence of Non-dual Bliss
is experienced.

1-2 Pakwam means “matured” and has been translated as purified. Through
concerted practice, the mind ‘matures’ into a pure, thought-free state, and becomes ready
to merge into Brahman.
There is a verse in the Thirumanthiram which says: “May you break the bondage of
desire; even if it is love for God, break this final desire, too.” This illustrates how much
attention has to be given to the dropping of all thoughts.
3 The shift from Duality to Advaita (non-Duality) is described as moving from
Savikalpa (with a single thought) to Nirvikalpa (thought-free) Samadhi. Savikalpa Samadhi
was earlier noted as the culmination of Nididhyasana.
4 In this final state of Self-realisation, the experience of Ananda or Bliss is not a
fetter, as we have noted in the last verse.
Acharyaji prayed for the blessings of our Guru Parampara to be showered on all the
students to grant us this state, the most supreme of all spiritual attainments, in this life
itself. He added the words, “There can be no better service to the Guru than completing
what he had asked us to do, namely, God-realisation. Whether we get it in this birth or in a
future birth, we are all destined to reach it some day.”
The next verse can be taken as a ‘digest’ of this Chapter on Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

Verse 364: Manifestation of Universal Nature

xÉqÉÉÍkÉlÉÉÅlÉålÉ xÉqÉxiÉuÉÉxÉlÉÉ-
aÉëljÉåÌuÉïlÉÉzÉÉåÅÎZÉsÉMüqÉïlÉÉzÉÈ |
AliÉoÉïÌWûÈ xÉuÉïiÉ LuÉ xÉuÉïSÉ
xuÉÃmÉÌuÉxTÔüÌiÉïUrÉ¦ÉiÉÈ xrÉÉiÉç || 364||

1-
2
samaadhinaa anena samasta
vaasanaa-grantheh vinaashah
akhila karma-naashah;
By this Nirvikalpa Samadhi, all
the ‘knots’ of desires are destroyed,
and all work (action) comes to an end.
3-
4
antarbahih sarvata eva sarvadaa
svaroopa-visphoortih
ayatnatah syaat.
And within and without, everywhere and always,
the manifestation of one’s universal nature
spontaneously takes place.

261

1-2 In a conclusion, it is customary to return to the thought with which we began –
the “knots of desires in the heart”. From the Aham Vasana down to the most outward of
desire; every level of Vasana is destroyed by the attainment of Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
It is the “Gordian Knot of spirituality”. The Gordian Knot in history is a knot which
was said to have magical properties. If anyone was able to untie this knot he would become
Emperor of the World. Many tried and failed. When Alexander the Great tried – and also
failed – he simply drew his sword and cut it apart. This was his shortcut to becoming the
world’s most powerful person!
Fortunately, in Vedanta, there are no such shortcuts to attaining Self-realisation.
Untying the “knots of the heart” requires the most arduous of spiritual Sadhana – the giving
up of the Ego! Had Alexander been patient enough and less ambitious, he could well have
become “St. Alexander the Great”.
3-4 Despite the glories of Samadhi sung in this section, the true Vedantic approach
sees it not as a goal in itself but only as a means to it. In the second half of this verse, we see
that the ultimate goal is to behold the Lord in everything.
The “spontaneous manifestation” of the Lord at any time, at any place, under any
circumstances, is the actual goal set before us by Vedanta. It is called Sahaja Samadhi –
meaning “the natural spontaneous state of Samadhi” at all times. In this state, one does not
need to be in meditation to experience God; one experiences Him at all times, naturally.

*****

262

6.4 ESCAPING THE MIND’S CAPTIVITY

(Verses 365-372, 8 No.)

IN THE EARLY STAGES of Sadhana, we are in the realm of the mind. The mind-realm
is a far cry from the “No-Mind” state of Samadhi. The difference is so enormous, that as we
emerge out of the mind’s captivity, a vast luminous world seems to open out before us. In
addition what we learn about the mind itself is quite enlightening.
The knowledge of the mind is of great value in encouraging us to check its natural
impulses and conquer its whimsical ways. Its relevance in the context of Samadhi is that we
see Samadhi in contrast to the nature of the mind.

Verse 365: An Exponential Rise in Superiority!

´ÉÑiÉåÈ zÉiÉaÉÑhÉÇ ÌuÉ±ÉlqÉlÉlÉÇ qÉlÉlÉÉSÌmÉ |
ÌlÉÌSkrÉÉxÉÇ sÉ¤ÉaÉÑhÉqÉlÉliÉÇ ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉMüqÉç || 365||

1 shruteh shatagunam vidyaat To Sravana, a hundred times superior is
2 mananam mananaat api; Manana; to even Manana
3 nididhyaasam lakshhagunam Nididhyasana is a hundred thousand times superior;
4 anantam nirvikalpakam. (to that), Nirvikalpa Samadhi is infinitely superior!

1-4 Here the Master tries to drive home the relative value of the four most
important stages of the spiritual ascent. He plays a number game, by which alone can
ordinary mortals understand the real value of Nirvikalpa Samadhi. It is not supposed to be
taken literally, of course, but a useful picture is painted in the mind by numbers. The fact
that these four stages are actually qualitatively different is overlooked for the time being.

SRAVANA X 100 = MANANA
MANANA X 100,000 = NIDIDHYASANA
NIDIDHYASANA X INFINITY = NIRVIKALPA SAMADHI !

Verse 366: Mental View of Samadhi Unreliable

ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉMüxÉqÉÉÍkÉlÉÉ xTÑüOÇû
oÉë¼iÉ¨uÉqÉuÉaÉqrÉiÉå kÉëÑuÉqÉç |
lÉÉlrÉjÉÉ cÉsÉiÉrÉÉ qÉlÉÉåaÉiÉåÈ
mÉëirÉrÉÉliÉUÌuÉÍqÉÍ´ÉiÉÇ pÉuÉåiÉç || 366||

263

1 nirvikalpaka-samaadhinaa sphutam By Nirvikalpa Samadhi alone is clearly
2 brahma-tattvam avagamyate dhruvam; manifest the true nature of Brahman, and
3 naanyathaa chalatayaa manogateh in no other way. Until the mind is steadied,
4 pratyaya antara vimishritam bhavet. it is apt to be mixed with other perceptions.

At the outset, the student is cautioned that the experience of Nirvikalpa Samadhi is
unlike anything that is known through the mind. It is certainly not a mental experience!
1-2 If we hold something in our hands, it does not require any proof for its existence.
In the same way, the experience of Samadhi to a realised sage is so certain that it is like
“holding a fruit in the palm of his hands”. This is how the Upanishads express it. It is so real
that it needs no proof.
3-4 The corollary to this statement is also true – if we have not obtained our idea of
Brahman through Samadhi, we can be sure that it is only a mental concept of Brahman,
which will not be the actual experience. The mind is not an instrument by which the Self can
be known. It is not the proper ‘means of knowledge’ for It.
There are many people, especially scholars, who do not like this “topic” of Samadhi.
[To scholars even the Self is considered only just another Topic on their curriculum!] They
vehemently argue, using all their intellectual muscles, that Samadhi is not necessary. They
have a great distaste for quietening their busy minds.

Verse 367: Quietening the Mind for Samadhi

AiÉÈ xÉqÉÉkÉixuÉ rÉiÉåÎlSìrÉÈ xÉlÉç
ÌlÉUliÉUÇ zÉÉliÉqÉlÉÉÈ mÉëiÉÏÍcÉ |
ÌuÉkuÉÇxÉrÉ kuÉÉliÉqÉlÉÉ±ÌuÉ±rÉÉ
M×üiÉÇ xÉSåMüiuÉÌuÉsÉÉåMülÉålÉ || 367||

1
atah samaadhatsva
yatendriyah san
Therefore, with a serene mind
and the senses controlled,
2
nirantaram shaantamanaah
prateechi;
ever quieten the mind
in the subjective supreme Self.
3
vidhvamsaya dhvaantam
anaadi avidyayaa kritam
Destroy the darkness
created by the beginningless Nescience,
4 sad-ekatva-vilokanena. by realizing your identity with that Reality.

1-2 The very first verse of this part, verse 342, made it clear that the entrance
qualification for Samadhi is a “peaceful and self-controlled” mind. Repetition of this fact is
part of the technique used to draw our attention to the key points. This is one of them.
3-4 Constant referral to the ultimate goal of Self-realisation is also repeated as often
as necessary in this text. The fruit of Sadhana is always kept in view. Its repetition is to
remind us that every Sadhana we do has to be directed towards the same goal. For this
reason whenever a statement is made to address a certain Sadhana, the fruit is also stated
after it. In Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the fruit is realisation, whatever the means.
The rest of this chapter clearly plots the Yogi’s Route to gain full control of the mind.

264

Verse 368: The External Steps of Patanjali Yoga

rÉÉåaÉxrÉ mÉëjÉqÉ²ÉUÇ uÉÉÎXçlÉUÉåkÉÉåÅmÉËUaÉëWûÈ |
ÌlÉUÉzÉÉ cÉ ÌlÉUÏWûÉ cÉ ÌlÉirÉqÉåMüÉliÉzÉÏsÉiÉÉ || 368||

1 yogasya prathama dvaaram The first gateway of Yoga consists of 5 tools:
2 vaak nirodhah aparigrahah; i) control of speech; ii) non-acceptance of gifts;
3 niraashaah cha nireehaa cha iii) no expectations; iv) no activity;
4 nityam ekaanta-sheelataa. v) being always in solitude or silent mood.

Patanjali’s Ashtanga (8 limbs) Yoga is here briefly described. Its final objective is
Chitta Vritti Nirodhah, or the quietened state of mind, or ‘no-mind’, also called Savikalpa
Samadhi. This is a platform from which the Sadhana for Nirvikalpa Samadhi can be launched.
1-4 This verse effectively covers the Bahiranga Sadhana or the external practices in
Ashtanga Yoga, i.e. the first five steps, up to withdrawal of the senses.
i) Vaak Nirodhah: Control of Speech. “Talk less; think more; act wisely.” This helps to
gather together all the rays of our energy and channel them in the pursuit of meditation.
ii) Aparigrahah: Non-accumulation of possessions. Not cluttering our environment
with too many things gives us space in life to live well, and to think well.
iii) Niraashaah: Freedom from expectations, especially gifts for service. These first
three items cover the gist of Yama and Niyama of Patanjali Yoga.
iv) Nireehaah: Freedom from activity; this is achieved by Asanas and Pranayama.
v) Ekaanta: Love for solitude, quietude and simplicity; this covers Pratyahara or
sense withdrawal. From here Patanjali Yoga moves on to concentration and meditation.

Verse 369: The Internal Steps of Patanjali Yoga

LMüÉliÉÎxjÉÌiÉËUÎlSìrÉÉåmÉUqÉhÉå WåûiÉÑSïqÉ¶ÉåiÉxÉÈ
xÉÇUÉåkÉå MüUhÉÇ zÉqÉålÉ ÌuÉsÉrÉÇ rÉÉrÉÉSWÇûuÉÉxÉlÉÉ |
iÉålÉÉlÉlSUxÉÉlÉÑpÉÔÌiÉUcÉsÉÉ oÉëÉ¼Ï xÉSÉ rÉÉåÌaÉlÉÈ
iÉxqÉÉÎŠ¨ÉÌlÉUÉåkÉ LuÉ xÉiÉiÉÇ MüÉrÉïÈ mÉërÉ¦ÉÉå qÉÑlÉåÈ || 369||

1
ekaanta-sthitih
indriya uparamane,
hetuh damah chetasah
Living in solitude helps to,
{better) control the sense organs;
for the mind, sense-control is a helpful
2
karanam samrodhe
shamena vilayam yaayaat,
aham vaasanaa;
means to control it;
by control of mind comes the dissolution
of the Ego’s desires.
3
tena aananda rasa
anubhootih achalaa,
braahmee sadaa yoginah
By that, the Bliss of the Absolute
is experienced. Unbroken and
perpetual is (the Bliss) of Brahman for the Yogi.
4
tasmaat chitta-nirodha
eva satatam, kaaryah
prayatnah muneh.
Hence, quietude or restraint of mind
alone, constantly, should be practised
carefully by the man of reflection, the Muni.

265

This verse deals with the Anataranga Sadhana or the internal practices in Ashtanga
Yoga, i.e. steps 6, 7 and 8; namely Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.
The chain of the internal Sadhana to Realization has six links to it as follows:

THE MENTAL ASCENT TO REALIZATION

1. Living in SOLITUDE
2. Control of SENSES
3. Control of MIND
4. Dissolution of DESIRES
5. Dissolution of the EGO
6. Realisation of the ABSOLUTE.

1-4 The mind cannot exist in vacuum. When it is stopped from going out, it has to
turn within. That is the way to corner the ego. These six steps are major milestones in the
internal Sadhana. They have already occurred in this text. Here they are being summed up
as they appropriately describe the Mental Disciplines needed to attain Samadhi.
This advice has to be taken seriously. A similar instruction is given in the next verse
which is a citation from the Katha Upanishad:

Verse 370: Step by Step Method of Mind Control

uÉÉcÉÇ ÌlÉrÉcNûÉiqÉÌlÉ iÉÇ ÌlÉrÉcNû
oÉÑ®Éæ ÍkÉrÉÇ rÉcNû cÉ oÉÑÎ®xÉÉÍ¤ÉÍhÉ |
iÉÇ cÉÉÌmÉ mÉÔhÉÉïiqÉÌlÉ ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉå
ÌuÉsÉÉmrÉ zÉÉÎliÉÇ mÉUqÉÉÇ pÉeÉxuÉ || 370||

1
vaacham niyachchha aatmani
tam niyachchha buddhau
Restrain speech in the mind,
and restrain the mind in the intellect;
2
dhiyam yachchha cha
buddhi saakshhini;
and restrain the intellect
in the Witness of the intellect;
3
tam cha api
poornaatmani nirvikalpe
and that (the Witness), too,
in the Infinite, Non-dual Self;
4
vilaapya shaantim
paramaam bhajasva.
should be merged. In this manner, PEACE
supreme is gained.

1-4 This comes from the Katha Upanishad, 2.1.13. Here the chain may be slightly
different from that in the previous verse, but we are talking of the same route:

SPEECH  MIND  INTELLECT  WITNESS  ATMAN

266

The word ‘restrain’ here should be taken to mean ‘dissolve’. It is not a forced action
imposed on oneself, but a gradual dissolution of the very desire to speak as one gets closer
to one’s spiritual goal. The withdrawal happens of its own accord. However, it may be
necessary on occasions to be firm and say ‘no’ or ‘yes’ as the situation demands.

Verse 371: Conditionings Determine the Condition

SåWûmÉëÉhÉåÎlSìrÉqÉlÉÉåoÉÑSèkrÉÉÌSÍpÉÂmÉÉÍkÉÍpÉÈ |
rÉærÉæïuÉ×ï¨ÉåÈxÉqÉÉrÉÉåaÉxiÉ¨É°ÉuÉÉåÅxrÉ rÉÉåÌaÉlÉÈ || 371||

1 deha praana indriyaah manas The body, Pranas, sense organs, mind,
2 buddhi aadibhih upaadhibhih; intellect, – anything that conditions the Self –
3 yaih yaih vritteh samaayogah with whichever of these the Jiva gets associated,
4 tat tat bhaavah asya yoginah. into that, as it were, the Yogi gets transformed.

This verse describes the combined practice of steps 6-8, i.e. Dharana, Dhyana and
Samadhi. Such combined practice is called Samyama.
1-2 The conditioned Self is the Jiva, the ‘little self’ or the individual self. It goes
through various levels of conditionings within the body. Each conditioning or Upadhi has a
certain transforming effect on the Jiva.
3-4 In Samyama, the etymological meaning of Yoga as “union” is taken. To whichever
Upadhi one is connected at a particular moment, that Upadhi determines the experience.
For example, during pain in the body one’s consciousness is connected to the body.
During emotional states, it is connected to the mind. While watching a football game, it is
connected to the senses. While writing a book, it is connected to the intellect. Thus, the
Upadhi to which it is connected, determines its current experience of the world.
What does this mean to us in the present context? The next verse explains it.

Verse 372: The Riotous Revelry of Bliss Eternal

iÉÍ³ÉuÉ×¨rÉÉ qÉÑlÉåÈ xÉqrÉMçü xÉuÉÉåïmÉUqÉhÉÇ xÉÑZÉqÉç |
xÉlSØzrÉiÉå xÉSÉlÉlSUxÉÉlÉÑpÉuÉÌuÉmsÉuÉÈ || 372||

1 tat nivrittyaa muneh samyak Each association, by reflection, should be well removed.
2 sarva uparamanam sukham; When there is total withdrawal from everything, a joy
3 sandrishyate sadaananda is found which is nothing short of Eternal Bliss –
4 rasa anubhava viplavah. in that nectarine essence one then revels riotously!

1 The verse is equivalent to the negation process described in Pancha Kosha Viveka.
The Upadhis are negated after careful discrimination. When we are convinced that we are
not the Upadhi which we are connected to, then it is high time we de-link ourselves from it.
2-3 Eventually one is able to de-link oneself from all the Upadhis, one by one. This is
identical to the process of negating the five Sheaths or dissociating ourselves from them.

267

The condition of de-linking oneself completely from all the conditionings listed above
is an essential pre-condtition for one to get into taste the “the riotous revelry of the Self”.
When this is done, and when there is nothing else for the consciousness to rest
upon, then that very state of pure Consciousness brings us a sense of freedom never tasted
before in ordinary interactions within or outside ourselves. A rare joy is experienced. It has
no limits to it. As it is totally independent of any Upadhi, it is experienced as “eternal”.
4 This state is none other than the Nirvikalpa Samadhi. In this state one can “revel
riotously”! Words cannot go further than that. The pen has to be put down, even as the
mind is put down. There is nothing to write with – the hand is empty, the mind is empty, the
intellect is empty. How does one record this experience!

Conclusion
Thus we complete the Ascent into Samadhi from the Mental Face.
As Mount Everest may be climbed from many faces, so too, the Supreme Spirit can
be reached from many faces. We have seen three faces so far – the direct ascent in Chapter
6.2; the ascent from the World’s face in Chapter 6.3; and now the ascent from within, from
the Mental face. The final destination is the same in all three cases. They all lead us to
Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
In the next Chapter we ascend via the fourth face – the Face of Dispassion.

*****

268

6.5 RENUNCIATION IN SAMADHI

(Verses 373-378, 6 No.)

THERE IS A CLAN OF spiritual aspirants who are a class by themselves. By dint of
strong spiritual Samskaras carried forward from previous births, they possess the rugged
mentality of renunciation in their very blood. By temperament they are built for the path of
renunciation. They have no inclination from the very outset towards any worldliness. These
may be considered to be the foremost among spiritual aspirants.
What is so special about this clan of seekers? The answer is given in verse 375. It lies
in the births before their current one. They have done all the groundwork in previous lives.
All the hard lessons have already been learnt. They are ripe for spiritual life from an early
age in this birth. Hence they encounter no obstruction from the world no matter how
closely they move with people, or how remotely they distance themselves from them.
Yes, Renunciation is their greatest strength. It is the spiritual wealth they have been
born with. They take to the spiritual path as a duck takes to water. The water of worldliness
can be hurled at them in buckets but to no avail; it all runs off their oily feathers the
moment it touches them. They are not wetted by it. To this clan belong the greatest among
spiritual seekers. In a word, they ‘have it all’ in them.
Let us follow their rugged tracks and see what we can learn from them . . .

Verse 373: Renunciation – Its Predecessor & Successor

AliÉxirÉÉaÉÉå oÉÌWûxirÉÉaÉÉå ÌuÉU£üxrÉæuÉ rÉÑerÉiÉå |
irÉeÉirÉliÉoÉïÌWûÈxÉ…¡Çû ÌuÉU£üxiÉÑ qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉrÉÉ || 373||

1 antah tyaagah bahih tyaagah This internal and external renunciation
2 viraktasya eva yujyate; is possible only for a man of dispassion.
3 tyajati antarbahih sangam He renounces both internal and external attachments;
4 viraktah tu mumukshhayaa. his renunciation stems from the desire to be liberated.

1 The differences between internal and external renunciation are quite plain and
simple: Renunciation of the sense objects of pleasure is external renunciation. That which
propels the tendency to run outwards to the objects is the desire within. To give that up is
the internal renunciation. Both have to go on simultaneously. One without the other makes
one spiritually lame. It is equivalent to one more obstacle.
2 Viraktah: “man of dispassion”. This is the predecessor of the man of renunciation.
Dispassion is in his blood. It is certainly not everyone’s forte.
3 Like the eagle that leaves its comfortable nest never to return to it, the renunciate
simply leaves all worldliness behind him, with never a thought of returning to them!
4 Mumukshayaa: “Yearning for God” is the successor of the man of renunciation!

269

Verse 374: Only for the Dispassionate “Clan”

oÉÌWûxiÉÑ ÌuÉwÉrÉæÈ xÉ…¡Çû iÉjÉÉliÉUWûqÉÉÌSÍpÉÈ |
ÌuÉU£ü LuÉ zÉYlÉÉåÌiÉ irÉ£ÑÇü oÉë¼ÍhÉ ÌlÉÌ¸iÉÈ || 374||

1 bahih tu vishhayaih sangam But external attachment for objects,
2 tathaa antar aham-aadibhih; and so also internal attachment to the ego, etc. –
3 viraktah eva shaknoti only a man of dispassion is able to
4 tyaktum brahmani nishhthitah. give them up as he is well established in Brahman.

1-4 This only confirms it – you have to be in the ‘Clan’, in the exclusive club!

Verse 375: The Two Wings – Viveka & Vairagya

uÉæUÉarÉoÉÉåkÉÉæ mÉÑÂwÉxrÉ mÉÍ¤ÉuÉiÉç
mÉ¤ÉÉæ ÌuÉeÉÉlÉÏÌWû ÌuÉcÉ¤ÉhÉ iuÉqÉç |
ÌuÉqÉÑÌ£üxÉÉækÉÉaÉësÉiÉÉÍkÉUÉåWûhÉÇ
iÉÉprÉÉÇ ÌuÉlÉÉ lÉÉlrÉiÉUåhÉ ÍxÉkrÉÌiÉ || 375||

1
vairaagya-bodhau
purushhasya pakshhivat
Vairagya (dispassion) & Viveka (discrimination)
in an aspirant can be compared to a bird’s
2
pakshhau vijaaneehi
vichakshhana tvam;
two wings, please understand this,
O you who art wise.
3
vimukti-saudhaagra-lataa-
adhirohanam
The creeper of liberation is at the top of the bungalow,
You can fly up to it (if you have both these wings).
4
taabhyaam vinaa
na anyatarena sidhyati.
Without both the wings functioning,
no one can possibly reach it on just one wing!

In children’s fairy tales, devils are depicted with a pair of horns on their heads. In the
‘fairy tales’ of Vedanta, saints are said to be born with a pair of wings – Viveka & Vairagya!
1-2 The simile is near-perfect. A bird needs both wings to fly to its perch at the top of
a tree. Similarly, the aspirant, wanting to fly to the top of the citadel of Samadhi, has to have
both the wings of dispassion and discrimination to go where only eagles dare.
3-4 The destination is the tallest skyscraper; the perch is not just the top floor but
the terrace at the very top. This is where a man feels very proud to be – from where all
other people look like ants (making him feel big) and where he feels like a master of all he
surveys. Spiritually speaking, this represents the highest stage, that of Samadhi.

Verse 376: The Steps From Dispassion to Bliss

AirÉliÉuÉæUÉarÉuÉiÉÈ xÉqÉÉÍkÉÈ
xÉqÉÉÌWûiÉxrÉæuÉ SØRûmÉëoÉÉåkÉÈ |
mÉëoÉÑ®iÉ¨uÉxrÉ ÌWû oÉlkÉqÉÑÌ£üÈ
qÉÑ£üÉiqÉlÉÉå ÌlÉirÉxÉÑZÉÉlÉÑpÉÔÌiÉÈ || 376||

270

1
atyanta-vairaagya-
vatah samaadhih
A man of extreme dispassion
alone experiences Samadhi;
2
samaahitasya eva
dridha prabodhah;
a man of Samadhi alone
has steady Realisation;
3
prabuddha tattvasya
hi bandha muktih
a man who has realized the Truth
is alone Liberated from bondage;
4
muktaatmanah
nitya-sukha-anubhootih.
and the one who ha liberation alone
gets the experience of Eternal Bliss.

Every Turn is Important!
The route from dispassion to the supreme Bliss of the Self is given here, similar to
the route from control of speech to the same destination a little earlier. The route is:

DISPASSION  SAMADHI  REALISATION  LIBERATION  BLISS

Acharyaji objected to this verse in a lighter vein: “Shankaracharyaji is guilty of spoon-
feeding us! How much must dispassion mean to him! This is revealed by the numerous
references he has made to dispassion. He is the Master, and he must surely know why he is
emphasizing this virtue so much.”
1-4 Every step that is mapped out here is essential. Not one can be left out. The
chain is as strong as its weakest link. Any slip anywhere along the chain would mean missing
the goal. All the intermediate stations in a train journey are vital. It is like directions to a
certain place in a city; if we take even one wrong turn at a roundabout or a tee-junction, we
cannot reach the place we are searching for.

Verse 377: Dispassion & Happiness

uÉæUÉarÉÉ³É mÉUÇ xÉÑZÉxrÉ eÉlÉMÇü mÉzrÉÉÍqÉ uÉzrÉÉiqÉlÉÈ
iÉŠåcNÒû®iÉUÉiqÉoÉÉåkÉxÉÌWûiÉÇ xuÉÉUÉerÉxÉÉqÉëÉerÉkÉÑMçü |
LiÉSè²ÉUqÉeÉxÉëqÉÑÌ£ürÉÑuÉiÉårÉïxqÉÉ¨uÉqÉxqÉÉimÉUÇ
xÉuÉï§ÉÉxmÉ×WûrÉÉ xÉSÉiqÉÌlÉ xÉSÉ mÉë¥ÉÉÇ MÑüÂ ´ÉårÉxÉå || 377||

1
vairaagyaat na param
sukhasya janakam,
pashyaami vashyaatmanah
Than Dispassion, no better
generator of Happiness
do I find: For a self-controlled man,
2
tat chet shuddhatara
aatma-bodha-sahitam,
svaaraajya saamraajya dhuk;
if that (dispassion) is present, incomparable purity
coupled with the realisation of the Self is certain;
one has absolute sovereignty, within and without;
3
etat dvaaram ajasra
mukti-yuvateh,
yasmaat tvam asmaat param
This is the infinitely wide gateway
to the “damsel of liberation”.
Therefore, henceforth, you should move about
4
sarvatra asprihayaa
sadaatmani sadaa,
prajnaam kuru shreyase.
everywhere with non-attachment,
and always in the company of the pure Self within.
Fix your mind there, for your highest welfare.

271

1 Very rarely does Shankaracharyaji use the First Person in his writings. When he
does, as in this verse, it means, “Look, take heed, I am telling you from my own experience.”
And what is he stressing here? “Happiness can be had very simply through dispassion.”
2 In contrast what do we see in the majority of people? They first dowse themselves
through indulgence in sense pleasure and become physical or mental wrecks. Only then do
they try to heal these wounds by going to hospitals for some measure of relief from their
pains. Why all that trouble? Why not give up all those pleasures in the first place? Then we
don’t have those wounds to heal, and have the further advantage of a smooth journey.
3 Vairagya is glorified here by the Master with a touch of sarcasm. A king is offered
many temptations. Many people will be ready to give him their daughter in marriage. In this
verse, Ishwara, the King of the Universe, offers the sage of dispassion His daughter, named
Mukti, in marriage. She is “the damsel of Liberation”. This is the intended sarcasm!
4 The sarcasm continues. The man of dispassion goes about everywhere only in the
company of this ‘damsel’, just as a worldly man does with his wife! He fixes his thoughts on
the ‘damsel’ alone, just as the worldly man fixes it on his wife.
The Master has only our spiritual progress in mind. Shreyase means “for the sake of
good”. That is his kindness and love towards us as spiritual seekers.

Verse 378: Our True Identity

AÉzÉÉÇ ÍNûÎl® ÌuÉwÉÉåmÉqÉåwÉÑ ÌuÉwÉrÉåwuÉåwÉæuÉ qÉ×irÉÉåÈ M×üÌiÉ-
xirÉYiuÉÉ eÉÉÌiÉMÑüsÉÉ´ÉqÉåwuÉÍpÉqÉÌiÉÇ qÉÑgcÉÉÌiÉSÕUÉÎi¢ürÉÉÈ |
SåWûÉSÉuÉxÉÌiÉ irÉeÉÉiqÉÍkÉwÉhÉÉÇ mÉë¥ÉÉÇ MÑüÂwuÉÉiqÉÌlÉ
iuÉÇ Sì¹ÉxrÉqÉsÉÉåÅÍmÉ ÌlÉ²ïrÉmÉUÇ oÉë¼ÉÍxÉ rÉ²xiÉÑiÉÈ || 378||

1
aashaam chhinddhi vishha
upameshhu vishhayeshhu,
eshhaa eva mrityoh kritih
Cut asunder your craving for the poison-
like objects of the senses,
which are the very image of Death!
2
tyaktvaa jaati kula aashrama
eshhu abhimatim,
muncha atidooraat kriyaah;
Giving up caste, family and order of life,
and the pride connected with them,
throw far away all selfish actions;
3
dehaadau asati tyaja
aatma-dhishhanaam,
prajnaam kurushhva aatmani
With such unreal things as the body, etc, renounce
your identification,
and fix your mind upon the Self;
4
tvam drashhtaa asi amalah
api nirdvayaparam,
brahma asi yat vastu tah.
For you are the Witness, the untainted
and also the Non-dual Supreme
Brahman – this is what you are in substance!

This is the last verse of the Chapter. Shankaracharyaji seems determined to make full
use of it. In case we are not in the ‘Clan’ already, he spares no effort to extend membership
to it by making us such a tempting offer!
Earlier (in 374), we were asked to renounce Objects and Ego. Here the instruction is
the same, in different words. Craving is used in place of Objects, and Pride in place of Ego.

272

Objects and Ego are neutral words. Craving and Pride represent the diseased condition of
both of these, representing as they do the extreme case.
1 The frightful images of poison and death are used to deflect us from attraction to
sense objects. We are asked to shun them as we would a venomous, deadly serpent. In a
sense, the objects are worse than poison: the cobra performs its dance of death only in
front of us; the sense objects dance all around us. The cobra’s bite will take away only one
life; sense cravings take away innumerable lives, birth after birth! The Master gives us
something to ponder over.
2-3 The Master seems to be saying, “End this tom-foolery! You, a King of kings – why
are you begging for a few rupees’ worth of pleasure? You are hurling aside your Kingdom for
a few paltry pleasures! Are you not ashamed?”
4 Shankaracharya instills quite some righteous pride into the prospective member of
the clan. He does not hesitate to remind us of our Divine birthright. The Vairagi is the true
King of kings, the Emperor of emperors. There is nothing mean and small about being a
Vairagi.
The heroic spirit is captured in this brilliant verse. And it is in long metre – that
means that Shankaracharyaji has something very important to tell us.

*****

273

6.6 THE BASIC TECHNIQUE OF MEDITATION

(Verses 379-383, 5 No.)

SET DEEP INTO THE VERY heart of the text, are these nineteen verses on meditation,
split into two chapters. This chapter contains the first five verses dealing with the basic
technique of Vedantic meditation. The next chapter contain the remaining fourteen verses
which are accessories to the technique. They cover a range of subordinate issues related to
meditation. All these verses together may be classified as advanced meditation.
Sri Shankracharyaji has prepared us well for this moment. All the preliminaries have
been dealt with in detail. It is left for us now to plunge ourselves into practice.
The present level of meditation differs from Nididhyasana in three important ways.
i) The starting point of this meditation is Savikalpa Samadhi. The first glimpse of the
Self has already been experienced. We are moving from Savikalpa to Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
Savikalpa itself is quite a high state to be in. It is no mean an accomplishment by itself.
ii) Nirvikalpa Samadhi brings Samadhi to a point where it becomes irreversible. One
cannot have any fall from this state of perfection. It one could, then it would not be worth
the appellation ‘perfection’.
iii) The final achievement in this phase of meditation is to bring us to the effortless
state of meditation. Prior to this much effort had to be put into concentration. We end our
Sadhana at the peak of perfection wherein the natural state of Bliss is attained.

Verse 379: The Technique in a Nutshell

sÉ¤rÉå oÉë¼ÍhÉ qÉÉlÉxÉÇ SØRûiÉUÇ xÉÇxjÉÉmrÉ oÉÉ½åÎlSìrÉÇ
xuÉxjÉÉlÉå ÌuÉÌlÉuÉåzrÉ ÌlÉ¶ÉsÉiÉlÉÑ¶ÉÉåmÉå¤rÉ SåWûÎxjÉÌiÉqÉç |
oÉë¼ÉiqÉæYrÉqÉÑmÉåirÉ iÉlqÉrÉiÉrÉÉ cÉÉZÉhQûuÉ×¨rÉÉÅÌlÉzÉÇ
oÉë¼ÉlÉlSUxÉÇ ÌmÉoÉÉiqÉÌlÉ qÉÑSÉ zÉÔlrÉæÈ ÌMüqÉlrÉæpÉ×ïzÉqÉç || 379||

1
lakshhye brahmani
maanasam dridhataram,
samsthaapya baahyendriyam
The point of concentration is Brahman;
on that is the mind firmly
fixed. The sense organs
2
svasthaane viniveshya
nishchalatanuh,
cha upekshhya dehasthitim;
are restrained in their respective centres.
The body is held in a steady position
and there is no anxiety over its maintenance.
3
brahma-aatmaa-ekyam
upetya tanmayatayaa,
cha akhanda-vrittyaa anisham
The identity of Brahman and the Self (Atman) –
attaining this Oneness is cherished as the goal.
This is done continuously without a break.
4
brahma-aananda-rasam
piba aatmani mudaa,
shoonyaih kim anyaih bhrisham.
The essence of the Bliss of Brahman
is the nectarine drink of joy in one’s own Self.
Entirely false and empty is all else – of what use?

274

The Basic Conditions
We now study a few techniques that will help us to be more effective in meditation.
1-2 The basic requisite is to be steady in both body and mind. A general rule is “As
with the body, so with the mind.” No movements and no stray thoughts – these are the
foremost requirements. Everything that makes this possible should be encouraged; and
everything that deflects one from it should be discouraged. The mind should be free from
stress and anxieties. For this reason it is better to have a place in solitude and also to give up
attachment to family concerns. A Sannyasin’s life is ideal for the practice of full-time
meditation.
However, everyone should do their best to practice the spirit of this verse, regardless
of their circumstances. Even in the busiest city there will be a time such as an hour or two in
the morning before sunrise when everything is very conducive for meditation. The house is
quiet at that time; it is like a Himalayan cave! Getting up early to practise meditation can be
done even in a city, by people of all walks of life, by adjusting aspects of their life
accordingly.
3-4 The goal and the fruit of meditation are covered here. Oneness with Brahman is
the goal, and the Bliss of the Self is the fruit enjoyed. Nothing else matters!

Verse 380: What is One-pointedness?

AlÉÉiqÉÍcÉliÉlÉÇ irÉYiuÉÉ MüzqÉsÉÇ SÒÈZÉMüÉUhÉqÉç |
ÍcÉliÉrÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉÉlÉlSÃmÉÇ rÉlqÉÑÌ£üMüÉUhÉqÉç || 380||

1 anaatma-chintanam tyaktvaa All thought of the not-Self is renounced;
2 kashmalam duhkha-kaaranam; they are tainted and productive of misery.
3 chintaya aatmaanam aananda- Think only of the Self, its nature as Bliss
4 roopam yat mukti-kaaranam. Absolute, and which is the means for liberation.

Verse 381: Where Should the Attention Be?

LwÉ xuÉrÉgerÉÉåÌiÉUzÉåwÉxÉÉ¤ÉÏ
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉMüÉåzÉÉå ÌuÉsÉxÉirÉeÉxÉëqÉç |
sÉ¤rÉÇ ÌuÉkÉÉrÉælÉqÉxÉÌ²sÉ¤ÉhÉ-
qÉZÉhQûuÉ×¨rÉÉÅÅiqÉiÉrÉÉÅlÉÑpÉÉuÉrÉ || 381||

1
eshhah svayam jyotih
asheshha-saakshhee
This Atman or Self is self-effulgent,
It is the Witness of all things.
2
vijnaanakoshah
vilasati ajasram;
It has the intellect for Its seat.
It shines eternally.
3
lakshhyam vidhaaya enam
asad-vilakshhanam
Make It your point of contemplation;
It is distinct from all that is Unreal.
4
akhanda-vrittyaa
aatmatayaa anubhaavaya.
With an unbroken stream of thought
on your own essential Being, do thou meditate.

275

In this verse, the Akhandakara Vritti finds a mention for the first time in the work.
Although this is a general word indicating the Infinite, it has to be understood specifically to
mean the Brahmakara Vritti, “I am Brahman”. There is no difference. The Vritti carries with
it a feeling called Akhanda Bhava. This Bhava is strengthened by raising the thoughts of its
application to various things we know. The next two verses demonstrate how this Bhava
may be heightened.

Verse 382: What is “Holding One Single Thought”?

LiÉqÉÎcNû³ÉrÉÉ uÉ×¨rÉÉ mÉëirÉrÉÉliÉUzÉÔlrÉrÉÉ |
EssÉåZÉrÉÎluÉeÉÉlÉÏrÉÉixuÉxuÉÃmÉiÉrÉÉ xTÑüOûqÉç || 382||

1 etam achchhinnayaa vrittyaa Holding continuously the thought of this Atman,
2 pratyaya antara shoonyayaa; with no intervention of any other thought,
3 ullekhayan vijaaneeyaat by such contemplation, one should realise It
4 sva-svaroopatayaa sphutam. clearly as one’s own real Self.

Verse 383: Attitude Towards “Other Things”?

A§ÉÉiqÉiuÉÇ SØRûÏMÑüuÉï³ÉWûqÉÉÌSwÉÑ xÉlirÉeÉlÉç |
ESÉxÉÏlÉiÉrÉÉ iÉåwÉÑ ÌiÉ¸åixTÑüOûbÉOûÉÌSuÉiÉç || 383||

1 atra aatmatvam dridheekurvan Here, in the Self, strengthen your identification,
2 aham-aadishhu santyajan; renouncing all other identifications like ego, etc.
3 udaaseenatayaa teshhu Regard them (other than Self) as being of no concern,
4 tishhthet sphuta ghataadivat. as if they were trifles, like a broken pot or the like.

*****

276

6.7 FINE-TUNING THE TECHNIQUE

(Verses 384-397, 14 No.)

FINE-TUNING THE BASIC technique of “Meditation Practice” assists us in developing
the right attitude when we have our meditation sittings. Again, not much but the bare
minimum is said, and that is done now before reading the verses:
1. An important Vedanta principle is brought out in the first few verses. The nature
of the Self is Infinite. Constant expansion of our feelings towards all beings and objects is
needed in spiritual growth. In order to achieve this expansion of consciousness, we need to
let go of attachment to our current position. Attachment limits us to our present circle of
growth. We see things from a personal, narrow and selfish standpoint. This has to change
to a broader perspective.
2. There is no room for Plurality in the Infinite. Upadhis cannot come in the way of
the Infinite. They simply get absorbed into the Infinite. No distinction is possible here.
3. If we make the mistake of taking something other than Brahman as existing, then
by proper enquiry we will find that it does not exist, and that it is none other than the Self.
In this way the use of our power of discrimination helps us to develop the firm conviction
that the whole world is Brahman alone.
4. Our attitude towards the world is gradually transformed by reading these verses.
We learn to see the world as God’s body, as His multifarious forms. All the numerous forms
are His. With this knowledge, there can be no selfish attraction to objects any longer.
5. A practical point is that when sitting for meditation we should make a firm
determination at every sitting that it is the most important activity of the day; and that
nothing is going to distract our attention during the session.
6. Great patience is needed in the practice of meditation. Progress comes slowly,
little by little. The aim is always to keep the mind fixed on the Self.

Verse 384: “Little by Little” – Quietening the Mind

ÌuÉzÉÑ®qÉliÉÈMüUhÉÇ xuÉÃmÉå
ÌlÉuÉåzrÉ xÉÉÍ¤ÉhrÉuÉoÉÉåkÉqÉÉ§Éå |
zÉlÉæÈ zÉlÉæÌlÉï¶ÉsÉiÉÉqÉÑmÉÉlÉrÉlÉç
mÉÔhÉïÇ xuÉqÉåuÉÉlÉÑÌuÉsÉÉåMürÉå¨ÉiÉÈ || 384||

1
vishuddham antah-karanam
svaroope niveshya
The purified inner equipment
is fixed upon one’s inner Self,
2 saakshhini avabodha-maatre; which is the Witness and pure Knowledge.
3 shanaih shanaih nishhalataam upaanayan Little by little, trying to make it quiet,
4
poornam svam eva
anuvilokayet tatah.
one’s own infinite Self
should then become the focus of one’s realization.

277

Verse 385: “Partless” – Freedom from the Upadhis

SåWåûÎlSìrÉmÉëÉhÉqÉlÉÉåÅWûqÉÉÌSÍpÉÈ
xuÉÉ¥ÉÉlÉYsÉ×miÉæUÎZÉsÉæÂmÉÉÍkÉÍpÉÈ |
ÌuÉqÉÑ£üqÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉZÉhQûÃmÉÇ
mÉÔhÉïÇ qÉWûÉMüÉzÉÍqÉuÉÉuÉsÉÉåMürÉåiÉç || 385||

1
deha indriya praana
manah ahamaadibhih
From the body, sense organs, Pranas,
mind, ego, etc. (the intellect and memory also),
2
sva ajnaana klriptaih
akhilaih upaadhibhih;
which are the projections of one’s ignorance;
and from all other conditionings –
3 vimuktam aatmaanam akhanda-roopam freed from them – the indivisible Atman,
4
poornam mahaakaasham iva
avalokayet.
which is infinite like the great endless sky,
one should come to view.

Verse 386: “Objectless” – Free and One

bÉOûMüsÉzÉMÑüxÉÔsÉxÉÔÍcÉqÉÑZrÉæÈ
aÉaÉlÉqÉÑmÉÉÍkÉzÉiÉæÌuÉïqÉÑ£üqÉåMüqÉç |
pÉuÉÌiÉ lÉ ÌuÉÌuÉkÉÇ iÉjÉæuÉ zÉÑ®Ç
mÉUqÉWûqÉÉÌSÌuÉqÉÑ£üqÉåMüqÉåuÉ || 386||

1 ghata kalasha kusoola soochi-mukhyaih From pot, pitcher, barn, eye of a needle,
2
gaganam upaadhi-shataih
vimuktam ekam
bhavati na vividham;
– in fact, out of hundreds of other Upadhis – space
is regarded as being free from them and as one,
and is never considered to be many.
3 tathaa eva shuddham param So also, the pure Supreme Reality,
4 aham aadi vimuktam ekam eva. is free from the Upadhis of ego, etc, and is One only.

Verse 387: “Condition-less” – As Pure Existence

oÉë¼ÉÌSxiÉqoÉmÉrÉïliÉÉ qÉ×wÉÉqÉÉ§ÉÉ EmÉÉkÉrÉÈ |
iÉiÉÈ mÉÔhÉïÇ xuÉqÉÉiqÉÉlÉÇ mÉzrÉåSåMüÉiqÉlÉÉ ÎxjÉiÉqÉç || 387||

1 brahmaadi-stamba-paryantaah Right from Brahma down to the blade of grass,
2 mrishhaa-maatraa upaadhayah; all conditionings are quite unreal.
3 tatah poornam svam aatmaanam Therefore, one’s own Infinite Self
4 pashyet ekaatmanaa sthitam. should be seen as being One, as pure Existence.

Verse 388: “Delusion-less” – the Self’s Effulgence

rÉ§É pÉëÉlirÉÉ MüÎsmÉiÉÇ iÉÌ²uÉåMåü
iÉ¨ÉlqÉÉ§ÉÇ lÉæuÉ iÉxqÉÉÌ²ÍpÉ³ÉqÉç |
pÉëÉliÉålÉÉïzÉå pÉÉÌiÉ SØ¹ÉÌWûiÉ¨uÉÇ
U‹ÑxiÉ²Ì²µÉqÉÉiqÉxuÉÃmÉqÉç || 388||

278

1
yatra bhraantyaa kalpitam
tadviveke
Where, by an error of delusion, something is imagined,
in that very thing, upon proper discrimination,
2
tat tat maatram
na eva tasmaat vibhinnam;
That (Sat) and nothing but That alone is the foundation.
From That, there is nothing that is different.
3
bhraanteh naashe bhaati
drishhta ahitattvam
When the delusion vanishes, there shines
the reality in place of the falsely perceived ‘Snake’ –
4
rajjuh tadvat vishvam
aatma-svaroopam.
the Rope. Similarly, there, as the manifested universe,
shines the true form of the Self itself.

Verse 389: “Deity-less” – Worshipped as Truth

xuÉrÉÇ oÉë¼É xuÉrÉÇ ÌuÉwhÉÑÈ xuÉrÉÍqÉlSìÈ xuÉrÉÇ ÍzÉuÉÈ |
xuÉrÉÇ ÌuÉµÉÍqÉSÇ xÉuÉïÇ xuÉxqÉÉSlrÉ³É ÌMügcÉlÉ || 389||

1 svayam brahmaa svayam vishhnuh I am Brahma, I am Vishnu,
2 svayam indrah svayam shivah; I am Indra, I am Shiva,
3 svayam vishvam idam sarvam I am this entire universe –
4 svasmaat anyat na kinchana. indeed, other than Me, nothing else exists.

Verse 390: “Direction-less” – Self is All Around

AliÉÈ xuÉrÉÇ cÉÉÌmÉ oÉÌWûÈ xuÉrÉÇ cÉ
xuÉrÉÇ mÉÑUxiÉÉiÉç xuÉrÉqÉåuÉ mÉ¶ÉÉiÉç |
xuÉrÉÇ ½ÉuÉÉcrÉÉÇ xuÉrÉqÉmrÉÑSÏcrÉÉÇ
iÉjÉÉåmÉËU¹ÉixuÉrÉqÉmrÉkÉxiÉÉiÉç || 390||

1 antah svayam cha api, bahih svayam cha I am within, I am without;
2 svayam purastaat, svayam eva pashchaat; I am in front, I am behind;
3 svayam hi avaachyaam, svayam api udeechyaam I am to the south, and to the north;
4 tathaa uparishhtaat, svayam api adhastaat. so, too, above and below I am!

Verse 391: “Manifestation-less” – Chit is Everything

iÉU…¡ûTåülÉpÉëqÉoÉÑ¯ÒSÉÌS
xÉuÉïÇ xuÉÃmÉåhÉ eÉsÉÇ rÉjÉÉ iÉjÉÉ |
ÍcÉSåuÉ SåWûÉ±WûqÉliÉqÉåiÉiÉç
xÉuÉïÇ ÍcÉSåuÉæMüUxÉÇ ÌuÉzÉÑ®qÉç || 391||

1 taranga-phena-bhrama-budbudaadi The wave, surf, whirlpool, bubbles, etc.,
2 sarvam svaroopena jalam yathaa tathaa; are all in essence nothing but water, so too,
3 chit eva dehaadi ahamantam etat the Chit is everything from the body to the ego.
4 sarvam chit eva eka rasam vishuddham. Everything is the one, pure Chit only.

279

‘SWAYAM’ IS SELF, NOT EGO (Verses 389 & 390)

Dvaitins often consider Advaitins to be sacrilegious. If in these verses Swayam had
referred to the Ego, then, indeed, the charge would be justified. But Swayam actually is a
word formed from Su + Ayam = Swayam = the “Supreme Self”. Other than such a Self, there
is nothing. The Self is the Truth, we are asked to accept that.
Even in ordinary experience, we always feel that “I am me.” The name and other
associations come later depending upon our role at the time. They are incidental. The basic
feeling is always just “me”.
How is one to measure the ‘size’ of the Self? From the dimensions specified in 390,
we see that there is no instrument large enough to measure the Self.
Different forms within the ocean are given in 391, but they are all in essence the
water of the ocean, having no independent existence of their own. ‘Pure Chit’ here means
‘Chit free from the Upadhis’. Names and forms are superficial conditions. One does not
need Vedanta or nuclear physics to tell us that. We only need an ordinary microscope to
understand that.
Till we reach SAT, all perceptions are conditioned, and therefore unreal. The
homogeneous alone is unconditional SAT or CHIT as used in this verse.
When we see anything luminous and attractive, we should first of all enquire as to
what the source of the illumination is. For instance, the moon is seen at night only because
of the sun’s light, not because of its own. We are reminded of the sun when we see the
moon. In the same way, when we see anything in this world, we are reminded that its very
existence comes from God.

Verse 392: “Difference-less” – Nothing but Sat

xÉSåuÉåSÇ xÉuÉïÇ eÉaÉSuÉaÉiÉÇ uÉÉ‰lÉxÉrÉÉåÈ
xÉiÉÉåÅlrÉ³ÉÉxirÉåuÉ mÉëM×üÌiÉmÉUxÉÏÎqlÉ ÎxjÉiÉuÉiÉÈ |
mÉ×jÉMçü ÌMÇü qÉ×ixlÉÉrÉÉÈ MüsÉzÉbÉOûMÑüqpÉÉ±uÉaÉiÉÇ
uÉSirÉåwÉ pÉëÉliÉxiuÉqÉWûÍqÉÌiÉ qÉÉrÉÉqÉÌSUrÉÉ || 392||

1
sat eva idam sarvam
jagat avagatam
vaak manasayoh
There is nothing but Sat (Existence).
The entire universe is known
through speech and mind.
2
satah anyat na asti eva
prakriti paraseemni
sthitavatah;
Other than Sat, indeed, there is nothing.
Even beyond the pale of Prakriti,
it is Sat alone that exists.
3
prithak kim mritsnaayaah
kalasha ghata
kumbhaadi avagatam
Can there ever be anything different from mud
in the pitcher, the pot,
the jug, etc, that are known to exist?
4
vadati eshha bhraantah
tvam aham iti
maayaamadirayaa.
It is only the deluded one who talks
of “you” and “I” (as being different);
This is the intoxicating effect of the ‘Wine’ of Maya!

280

In this verse the metre changes, and that tells us that the Master wants to
emphasise an important point. That special point is this:
1 “Everything is Brahman” is something that can be known to us only through the
instruments of ‘speech and mind’. All the vastness of Brahman, however limitless it may be –
what does it mean to us other than a thought of our mind? All axes of all dimensions pass
through the mind alone! We can negate the not-Self, but never the Self itself.
2 The word Paraseemni for Prakriti, meaning “ever beyond the pale of Existence”, is
well-chosen. Acharyaji described it to mean “the other bank of a river”. ‘This’ bank is
Prakriti; the ‘other’ bank is beyond Prakriti. In this pictorial simile, what could be the
difference between one bank and the other? The imagination that Brahman is something far
away is reversed. Brahman is not so far away, after all. He is just on the ‘other’ bank. To get
there is, of course, the whole spiritual journey. The closeness of Brahman is just a change in
our own inner vision, nothing more. We all know how difficult that is! It means abandoning
‘this’ bank of worldliness to reach the ‘other’ bank of spirituality.
3-4 What makes this change of vision difficult? It is our drunkenness due to the ‘wine
of Maya’. As Acharyaji put it, when we are drunk ‘up to the nose’, we do not see that which
is in front of us but only that which is in our imagination. Similarly, we cannot see Brahman
due to being under the influence of the wine of Maya.
One is reminded of Bhartrihari’s famous line: “The world, having drunk of the wine
of carelessness, is inebriated to the point of insanity.” How true!

Verse 393: “Quotation-less” – Reality Alone Is

Ì¢ürÉÉxÉqÉÍpÉWûÉUåhÉ rÉ§É lÉÉlrÉÌSÌiÉ ´ÉÑÌiÉÈ |
oÉëuÉÏÌiÉ ²æiÉUÉÌWûirÉÇ ÍqÉjrÉÉkrÉÉxÉÌlÉuÉ×¨ÉrÉå || 393||

1 kriyaa sam-abhihaarena With many statements (to assert the Reality), such as,
2 yatra na anyat iti shrutih; “Where there is nothing else” – the Shruti
3 braveeti dvaita raahityam declares the absence of duality in order to
4 mithyaa adhyaasa nivrittaye. remove the false superimpositions..

Here the well-known verse from the Chandogya Upanishad, VII.24.1 is being quoted:
“Where one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, knows nothing else – that is the Infinite.”
1-2 The Upanishads are united in their declaration of the oneness of Brahman. Why
do they stress this point again and again?
3-4 It is just so that we learn to “remove all false superimpositions.” Their advice to
the aspirant to carry out this important step in Sadhana is uncompromising.
Acharyaji added a simile from the great saint Ramakrishna Paramahansa to illustrate
how much we colour our own world with our prejudices: Consider a man who has eaten
garlic. The belch of such a man will smell of garlic!
The interpretation is that what we are inside in our mind is revealed openly in our
actions. If our mind is coloured or tainted with worldliness, it can only ‘smell’ of worldliness,
certainly not of Brahman!

281

Verse 394: “Property-less” – Knowing Him

AÉMüÉzÉuÉÍ³ÉqÉïsÉÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉÇ
ÌlÉÈxÉÏqÉÌlÉÈxmÉlSlÉÌlÉÌuÉïMüÉUqÉç |
AliÉoÉïÌWûÈzÉÔlrÉqÉlÉlrÉqÉ²rÉÇ
xuÉrÉÇ mÉUÇ oÉë¼ ÌMüqÉÎxiÉ oÉÉåkrÉqÉç || 394||

1
aakaashavat
nirmala nirvikalpam
The sky (Space) is compared to the Supreme Brahman:
It is untainted and Absolute;
2
nihseema nihspandana
nirvikaaram;
It is without limits, without motion,
and without modifications;
3
antar-bahih-shoonyam
ananyam advayam
It has neither an inside nor an outside;
It is non-different and is ‘non-dual’ in existence;
4
svayam param brahma
kim asti bodhyam.
So also is our own Self – the Supreme Brahman.
Is there any other thing to be known?

1-2 The pure sky is something which all know is not tainted no matter how much the
air is polluted. We may say that the air is polluted, but no one ever says that the sky is
polluted. All the taintless qualities of the sky are enumerated in this verse, but for one:
3-4 As though to catch us off-guard, Shankaracharyaji throws into the list one quality
that the sky does not possess – Advayam or ‘non-duality’. It may seem hair-splitting, but the
sky falls far short of this quality, which has been inserted to draw our attention to the
uniqueness of Brahman. How can there be a simile that fits 100% in respect of Brahman!

Verse 395: What More Need be Said!

uÉ£üurÉÇ ÌMüqÉÑ ÌuÉ±iÉåÅ§É oÉWÒûkÉÉ oÉë¼æuÉ eÉÏuÉÈ xuÉrÉÇ
oÉë¼æiÉ‹aÉSÉiÉiÉÇ lÉÑ xÉMüsÉÇ oÉë¼ÉÌ²iÉÏrÉÇ ´ÉÑÌiÉÈ |
oÉë¼æuÉÉWûÍqÉÌiÉ mÉëoÉÑ®qÉiÉrÉÈ xÉlirÉ£üoÉÉ½ÉÈ xTÑüOÇû
oÉë¼ÏpÉÔrÉ uÉxÉÎliÉ xÉliÉiÉÍcÉSÉlÉlSÉiqÉlÉæiÉSèkÉëÑuÉqÉç || 395||

1
vaktavyam kimu
vidyate atra bahudhaa,
brahma eva jeevah svayam
What more is to be said (on this subject)
other than what has already been said?
The Jiva is none but Brahman;
2
brahma etat jagat
aatatam nu sakalam,
brahma adviteeyam shrutih;
Brahman is this universe,
verily, the whole of it, expansive as it is; for
the Shruti points out Brahman as being non-dual;
3
brahma eva aham iti
prabuddha-matayah,
santyakta-baahyaah sphutam
“Brahman alone am I” –
thus say those who are enlightened,
having completely renounced the outer world;
4
brahmee-bhooya vasanti
santata chid-aananda-
aatmanaa etat dhruvam.
Becoming Brahman in identity, they live
ever as the eternal Knowledge and Bliss,
in union with the Self. Of this one can be certain.

282

1-2 In sheer exhaustion, Shankaracharyaji seems to be saying, “I have exhausted all
the ways to try and explain things to you. Have you still not got it?”
3-4 The main point in this Pada is: “completely renounced the outer world.” Outer
renunciation holds a place of its own to enter the domain of Brahman.

Verse 396: Annihilation of the Gross and Subtle Bodies

eÉÌWû qÉsÉqÉrÉMüÉåzÉåÅWûÎlkÉrÉÉåijÉÉÌmÉiÉÉzÉÉÇ
mÉëxÉpÉqÉÌlÉsÉMüsmÉå ÍsÉ…¡ûSåWåûÅÌmÉ mÉ¶ÉÉiÉç |
ÌlÉaÉqÉaÉÌSiÉMüÐÌiÉïÇ ÌlÉirÉqÉÉlÉlSqÉÔÌiÉïÇ
xuÉrÉÍqÉÌiÉ mÉËUcÉÏrÉ oÉë¼ÃmÉåhÉ ÌiÉ¸ || 396||

1
jahi malamayakoshe aham-
dhiyaa utthaapita aashaam
Annihilate the filthy gross body, due to which the Ego-
intellect combination has raised many a false hope.
2
prasabham anila-kalpe linga-
dehe api pashchaat;
With more vehemence, in the air-like subtle body the
same has happened – annihilate that too thereafter.
3
nigama-gadita-keertim
nityam aananda-moortim
Glorified and eulogised by the scriptures as
“Eternal personification of Bliss
4
svayam iti paricheeya
brahma-roopena tishhtha.
am I” – experience yourself (by annihilation as above)
as Brahman Himself, and live in your true Spirit.

1 “Bundle of filth” – we have again the Pratipaksha Bhavana that creates dispassion.
2 The subtle body is accorded the same treatment – false hopes and imaginations
are raised in our mind. Without any leniency the mind, too, should be annihilated. By such
negative examples of annihilation, the Master attempts to mould the right attitude in us
towards our body and mind to resist all temptations and be focused fully on the inner Self.
3-4 The road is thus opened for the experience of Brahman, our true Self. Having
renounced our gross and subtle attachments for the above reasons, we are asked to hold on
firmly to Brahman, and enjoy the “eternal personification of Bliss”!

Verse 397: “From Shava-Aakaara to Shiva-Aakaara”

zÉuÉÉMüÉUÇ rÉÉuÉ°eÉÌiÉ qÉlÉÑeÉxiÉÉuÉSzÉÑÍcÉÈ
mÉUåprÉÈ xrÉÉiYsÉåzÉÉå eÉlÉlÉqÉUhÉurÉÉÍkÉÌlÉsÉrÉÈ |
rÉSÉiqÉÉlÉÇ zÉÑ®Ç MüsÉrÉÌiÉ ÍzÉuÉÉMüÉUqÉcÉsÉqÉç
iÉSÉ iÉåprÉÉå qÉÑ£üÉå pÉuÉÌiÉ ÌWû iÉSÉWû ´ÉÑÌiÉUÌmÉ || 397||

1
shava-aakaaram yaavat bhajati
manujah taavat ashuchih
As long as man worships his corpse-like body
so long he remains impure;
2
parebhyah syaat kleshah
janana-marana-vyaadhi-nilayah;
Till then there is suffering from ‘other’ sources:
such as the abodes of birth, death and disease.
3
yadaa aatmaanam shuddham
kalayati shiva-aakaaram achalam
But when he thinks himself to be Purity itself, and
accepts his Immovable, Auspicious form,

283

4
tadaa tebhyah muktah bhavati
hi tat aaha shrutih api.
then from those very sources he becomes freed.
The Shrutis most emphatically proclaim this.

1-4 The method of striking contrast is used again to achieve the same disgust in us to
detach ourselves from the bodies (both gross and subtle) and attach ourselves to God.
This time the contrast lies in words that sound similar! ‘Shava-Aakara’ and ‘Shiva-
Aakara’, sound similar but mean two contrasting things. Shava is a corpse-like state of the
body, and Shiva is the all-auspicious state of the Lord.
Sri Shankaracharyaji deals here with the typical pitfalls that an aspirant will face. His
compassion for the student manifests in his prayer and poetry. The result is seen in the
richness of his expression. That inspires the reader to press forward.
The great Master thus builds the edifice of Nirvikalpa Samadhi on the triple bedrock
of Dispassion, Renunciation and Self-knowledge – i.e Vairagya, Viveka and Jnana. Such a
structure cannot crumble down even if it has to face a massive upheaval, the equivalent of a
spiritual earthquake!

*****

284

6.8 THE STATE OF NON-DUALITY

(Verses 398-406, 9 No.)

THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS sublime descriptions of the realized state, most of which
are purely for our inspiration during our practice of meditation. The sublimity of these
verses speaks for itself and, hence, comments have been kept to a minimum.
The theme of this chapter is – “How can there be Diversity in the Reality?”
It may be mentioned here that Non-duality is a unique feature of the Vedanta
philosophy. Western philosophy does have an equivalent to it that goes by the name “Neo-
Platonism”, which was expounded by the philosopher Plotinus. However, it may be said of
Vedanta that it uniquely combines or integrates Non-duality with practical spirituality and
the noblest aspirations upheld by mankind. The popularity of Eastern religions in the West is
primarily due to the influence of Non-dualistic thought embodied in Vedanta together with
the practices of Yoga.
We begin with what has already been covered in the text so far on the Ultimate
Reality. The repetition consolidates and confirms what has already been learnt.

Verse 398: The Naked Truth After Negation

xuÉÉiqÉlrÉÉUÉåÌmÉiÉÉzÉåwÉÉpÉÉxÉuÉxiÉÑÌlÉUxÉiÉÈ |
xuÉrÉqÉåuÉ mÉUÇ oÉë¼ mÉÔhÉïqÉ²rÉqÉÌ¢ürÉqÉç || 398||

1 svaatmani aaropita asheshha When all that is superimposed on one’s own Self,
2 aabhaasa-vastu-nirasatah; i.e. things having an apparent existence, are negated,
3 svayameva param brahma the Supreme Brahman Itself remains,
4 poornamadvayamakriyam. which is infinite, Non-dual,and beyond all activities.

1-2 The negation of the five Koshas was discussed in Part 3. Under Vijnanamaya
Kosha, there was a discussion on what remains after all the Koshas are negated.
3-4 There it was shown that the Non-dual Supreme Brahman is what remains. The
Shoonyavadins or Vijnanavadins claim that “Non-existence” (i.e. nothing) remains. Vedanta
refutes this by saying that “the naked Truth” remains.

Verse 399: Beyond the Mind & Thoughts

xÉqÉÉÌWûiÉÉrÉÉÇ xÉÌiÉ ÍcÉ¨ÉuÉ×¨ÉÉæ
mÉUÉiqÉÌlÉ oÉë¼ÍhÉ ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉå |
lÉ SØzrÉiÉå MüÍ¶ÉSrÉÇ ÌuÉMüsmÉÈ
mÉëeÉsmÉqÉÉ§ÉÈ mÉËUÍzÉwrÉiÉå rÉiÉÈ || 399||

285

1
samaahitaayaam sati
chitta vrittau
When there has taken place the quietening
of the functions of the mind;
2
paraatmani brahmani
nirvikalpe;
When in Paramatman, in Brahman,
or in the Absolute, they have merged;
3
na drishyate kashchit
ayam vikalpah
Then there is no perception of world at all;
this phenomenal world becomes a mere illusion.
4 prajalpa-maatrah parishishhyate yatah. All talk of it is mere childish prattle!

1-2 Chitta Vrittih: “functions of the mind”. The purpose of these first two verses is to
show that when the mind comes to an end, the journey from Shava-aakara to Shiva-aakara,
from heterogeneity to homogeneity, from Plurality to Unity is complete. There is then total
absorption in Brahman.
3-4 At this point, the sage is so much in touch with the Reality that the world appears
to him only as a passing show, of trivial significance – “a mere child’s prattle”.
Acharyaji’s words gleamed with inspiration: “The world becomes like a feather on
one’s shoulder, not a massive boulder as it used to be. The world may communicate with us,
but we feel no need to communicate with it, except to help sincere devotees. All the fuss of
the world appears like a child prattling away to itself some meaningless words which only
the mother understands.”

Verse 400: The Universe – False or Mere Fancy!

AxÉiMüsmÉÉå ÌuÉMüsmÉÉåÅrÉÇ ÌuÉµÉÍqÉirÉåMüuÉxiÉÑÌlÉ |
ÌlÉÌuÉïMüÉUå ÌlÉUÉMüÉUå ÌlÉÌuÉïzÉåwÉå ÍpÉSÉ MÑüiÉÈ || 400||

1 asatkalpah vikalpah ayam Appearing as false, or at best a mere fancy is the concept
2 vishvam iti eka vastuni; that there is the Universe; for there is only One Reality –
3 nirvikaare niraakaare and that is changeless and formless,
4 nirvisheshhe bhidaa kutah. it is the Absolute. How can there be any diversity?

Having summarised previous coverage in the first two verses, Sri Shankaracharyaji
now gets down to what he wishes to convey about Non-duality.
1-2 Asat-Kalpa, Vikalpa: The first term tells us that the world “appears to be false”,
the second term says that it is “a mere fancy”. This is apparently confusing, but it is meant
to convey the maximum conceded to the world between Savikalpa and Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
The full range experienced by humanity is this: The world is a solid reality to the common
man; to a seeker after having received knowledge in Sravana, it shifts to being a dream;
then with Manana, it is experienced as in deep sleep, for it returns on waking up; after
Nididhyasana, at the Savikalpa stage, it becomes ‘a mere fancy’; and finally in Nirvikalpa
Samadhi, it appears totally ‘false’, i.e. it is considered as having no Reality at all!
3-4 In contrast to the above changing face, the changelessness and formlessness of
Reality comes through more forcefully. If Reality were not so, then it would not cover
everything. That will open the doors for a second Reality, and with that, for Absurdity!
The third and fourth Padas are repeated in the next two verses.

286

Verse 401: The Triputi – Absent in Reality

Sì¹ÒSzÉïlÉSØzrÉÉÌSpÉÉuÉzÉÔlrÉæMüuÉxiÉÑÌlÉ |
ÌlÉÌuÉïMüÉUå ÌlÉUÉMüÉUå ÌlÉÌuÉïzÉåwÉå ÍpÉSÉ MÑüiÉÈ || 401||

1 drashhtu darshana drishyaadi The seer, seeing and seen – these Triputis are
2 bhaava shoonya eka vastuni; absent in Reality; for there is only One Reality –
3 nirvikaare niraakaare and that is changeless and formless,
4 nirvisheshhe bhidaa kutah. and is Absolute. How can there be any diversity?

In order to convey to us some idea of what Non-duality means, a comparison is
made with how we deal with affairs in Duality. By its contrast to Duality, an idea is conveyed
of Non-duality.
1 On the phenomenal plane, all experiences have three clearcut aspects to them.
These are the subject, the act involved, and the object. These three are called the Triputi in
Vedanta. There are all sorts of Triputis, for every type of action. In the world of Duality,
there have to be these Triputis, for it is a world of subject and object.
2 In the Reality that Vedanta speaks of, there is Non-duality. Immediately that
precludes the Triputis. We can say the Triputis merge and become one. That is a fair way of
expressing it; or we could as well say there are no Triputis. Non-duality cannot have the
Triputis. We are left to visualise that for ourselves.
The point is that Non-duality is experienced totally differently from the way we
experience Duality. That is what the text wants to convey to us.
3-4 These lines are, as before, emphasising that Non-duality has no comparison.

Verse 402: Like the Ocean – Perfect & All-pervading

MüsmÉÉhÉïuÉ CuÉÉirÉliÉmÉËUmÉÔhÉæïMüuÉxiÉÑÌlÉ |
ÌlÉÌuÉïMüÉUå ÌlÉUÉMüÉUå ÌlÉÌuÉïzÉåwÉå ÍpÉSÉ MÑüiÉÈ || 402||

1 kalpaarnava iva atyanta Like the ocean after dissolution, Reality is perfect
2 paripoorna eka vastuni; and all-pervading; for there is only One Reality –
3 nirvikaare niraakaare and that is changeless and formless,
4 nirvisheshhe bhidaa kutah. and is Absolute. How can there be any diversity?

Whenever a simile is figures in a subject like Vedanta, we have to get prepared for it
with a ready imagination. We also need to realise that there is never a ‘perfect’ simile.
1 In Vedic mythology, an attempt is made to create a picture in our mind of what
Cosmic Dissolution would be like. Of course, no one can be present to experience this event,
so we rely on some imagination. How to describe the situation where only Reality is there
and nothing else?
2 It is imagined that the Earth’s surface levels out over the entire surface. There are
no mountain ranges and no sub-oceanic valleys. Hence water covers the whole Earth with a

287

uniform thickness. Effectively, this means all the oceans unite. There is only one water
surface over the whole earth, completely submerging all land. The uniformity of such a vast
surface of water is compared to the all-pervading Reality at the time of Dissolution!
What superb imagination! That surface has no waves, for there is no wind to cause
them. There are no clouds in the sky . . . and one can go on imagining the situation so on!
3-4 The whole point is that Reality seems to be saying to us, “Look, I alone exist.
Regardless of whether you are existing or not existing, I am here always, for ever. And there
will not be a single change in Me. Even when you return, you will return from Me only!”
That is the vision of Reality in Vedanta. It is just inconceivable in phenomenal terms.

Verse 403: Delusion – As Darkness Dissolves into Light

iÉåeÉxÉÏuÉ iÉqÉÉå rÉ§É mÉësÉÏlÉÇ pÉëÉÎliÉMüÉUhÉqÉç |
AÌ²iÉÏrÉå mÉUå iÉ¨uÉå ÌlÉÌuÉïzÉåwÉå ÍpÉSÉ MÑüiÉÈ || 403||

1 tejasi iva tamah yatra As darkness dissolves into light, That into which
2 praleenam bhraanti-kaaranam; dissolves the very root of cosmic delusion –
3 adviteeye pare tattve the Supreme Light, that Light is non-dual,
4 nirvisheshhe bhidaa kutah. and is Absolute. How can there be any diversity?

Let us not forget that we are still in Duality, a far cry from Non-duality. Sri
Shankaracharyaji wants to tell us more about Non-duality. He cannot show us Non-duality,
so what else can he do but pull out one simile after another. We just have to keep our
imagination fertile enough to grasp what he is saying.
1 Darkness dissolving into Light? When we place some grains of salt into water and
stir them, soon the salt cannot be seen; it has dissolved into the water. Even so, when we
strike a match in the dark, where does the darkness go? It dissolves into the light!
2-4 Let us go a little further. Imagine darkness to be the delusion in our mind. Where
does it go when it disappears? It dissolves into the Supreme Light that is always present. It
cannot go anywhere else. This ‘nowhere else’ is Non-duality. Can our mind grasp it?
The imagery gets more fascinating. Imagine the reverse process when creation
begins again. The salt crystals start reappearing from ‘nowhere’; darkness comes back out of
the light; delusion comes out of Reality and starts its play once again!

Verse 404: After Realisation – No Diversity

LMüÉiqÉMåü mÉUå iÉ¨uÉå pÉåSuÉÉiÉÉï MüjÉÇ uÉxÉåiÉç |
xÉÑwÉÑmiÉÉæ xÉÑZÉqÉÉ§ÉÉrÉÉÇ pÉåSÈ MåülÉÉuÉsÉÉåÌMüiÉÈ || 404||

1 ekaatmake pare tattve Established in the One Supreme Reality, (i.e. after realisation)
2 bhedavaartaa katham vaset; how can there be any talk of diversity?
3 sushhuptau sukhamaatraayaam Example: In the total bliss of deep sleep,
4 bhedah kena avalokitah. by whom can diversity ever be observed?

288

1 Para: “high”. While we are on this word, two other levels of this word are Para-
tara and Para-tama, “higher” and “highest”. Regarding diversity, it is mainly a phenomenon
on the gross plane; then, relative to that, the subtle would be ‘high’, Maya Herself would be
‘higher’, and the Supreme would be ‘highest’.
2 Here the Supreme is referred to as ‘high’, implying that we are observing It from
the level of Maya. If at Maya’s level, there is no diversity, how can there be any talk of
diversity in the Supreme? The Supreme is clearly Non-dual without question.
3-4 Maya’s level, from where we are observing, is compared to deep sleep. In deep
sleep, although there is the bed, the pillow, the blanket all around us, we are not aware of
these things. There is no awareness of diversity even in the midst of diversity. So how can
there be diversity beyond deep sleep, which is a realm even subtler than it!
Acharyaji said this is how the scriptures are breathtaking with their logic. Shruti
Mata’s logic is undeniable; it stares us in the face with its brilliance.

Verse 405: Even Before Realisation – No Diversity

lÉ ½ÎxiÉ ÌuÉµÉÇ mÉUiÉ¨uÉoÉÉåkÉÉiÉç
xÉSÉiqÉÌlÉ oÉë¼ÍhÉ ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉå |
MüÉsÉ§ÉrÉå lÉÉmrÉÌWûUÏÍ¤ÉiÉÉå aÉÑhÉå
lÉ ½qoÉÑÌoÉlSÒqÉ×ïaÉiÉ×ÎwhÉMüÉrÉÉqÉç || 405||

1
na hi asti vishvam
para-tattva-bodhaat
Indeed, the universal Diversity does not exist
even before realization of the Supreme Truth,
2
sadaatmani
brahmani nirvikalpe;
whether in the microcosmic existence,
or in the macrocosmic Brahman.
3
kaalatraye na api
ahih eekshhitah gune
Example 1: Never in all the three periods of time
is the snake in the rope;
4
na hi ambubinduh
mriga-trishhnikaa-yaam.
Example 2: Never, indeed, is there even a drop of water
in “the quencher of the desert”-mirage,

Sri Shankaracharyaji goes a step further here. The previous verse is only a prelude to
it; it takes the observer as a realised person. This verse takes the observer as an ordinary
person. Why the distinction?
1-2 It is to show that whether we are realised or not it makes no difference to the
truth about Brahman or the truth about the world. Brahman will always be Real, and the
world will always remain Unreal. Nothing in their status changes simply because we are
realised or not! It is not our realisation that makes Brahman appear Real, nor our ignorance
that makes the world appear unreal. They are like that because that is their nature, not
because of our presence or absence. This is a point that is very often overlooked.
3-4 Two examples are given to illustrate the point just made:
i) The snake is never in the rope, even when we are ignorant of it and think it is.
ii) The water is never in the mirage, even when we are ignorant of it and think it is.
So, too, the world is never there, whether we are ignorant or enlightened; Brahman
is Non-dual, whether we are ignorant or enlightened.

289

Verse 406: Duality & Non-duality Contrasted

qÉÉrÉÉqÉÉ§ÉÍqÉSÇ ²æiÉqÉ²æiÉÇ mÉUqÉÉjÉïiÉÈ |
CÌiÉ oÉëÔiÉå ´ÉÑÌiÉÈ xÉÉ¤ÉÉixÉÑwÉÑmiÉÉuÉlÉÑpÉÔrÉiÉå || 406||

1 maayaa-maatram idam dvaitam All Duality is nothing but a ‘mere illusion’;
2 advaitam paramaarthatah; Non-duality (Oneness) alone is the Absolute Truth.
3 iti broote shrutih saakshhaat Thus declare the scriptures directly.
4 sushhuptau anubhooyate. Such also is our direct experience in deep sleep.

Now the final ‘plunge of the dagger’ into Duality, if we may be permitted to use the
amazing directness of Shakespearean language.
1 Maayaa-Maatra: This can have two meanings. In the first meaning, Maatra can be
taken to mean “only” or “mere”, in which case the line means “A mere illusion is this
Duality.” This is used in the above translation.
In the second meaning, due to Samskrit grammatical rules, the word as a compound
(Samasya Pada) could be read as Maayaaya Me Yate, meaning “By Maya alone does this
duality appear,” i.e. it only appears so but it is not actually so.
The world of duality is being explained as “a trick of Maya”. We know of magicians
who can perform many startling tricks, appearing so real that it would baffle a man of
science. Acharyaji gave the case of the magician who was able to change the time on
everyone’s clock; after 5 minutes he would make the clock turn by four hours. Then he
would make a rope hang from the air, climb up the rope with an assistant, and even have a
little fight while there. The audience would see body parts falling down from the top of the
rope. After a while one would see both the climbers coming down, each one still in one full
piece! All this and more are seen in Maya as well. Of course, we know that the magician is
part of Maya’s world, too – so we have Maya within Maya!
3-4 This trickery of Maya is something which is declared (Brute) by the scriptures as
well as experienced (Bhooyate) by ourselves in deep sleep. For this reason, the word
Saakshaat is positioned in between the two verbs because it refers to both. This is an
example of “Dehali Deepa Vat”, a logical device by which a word is made to serve two
masters, just as a lamp can light up two adjacent rooms if placed at the interleading door.
2 On this note, the Chapter concludes by asserting the Truth about Brahman once
again: Non-duality is the Absolute Truth, without any doubt.

*****

290

6.9 POINTS TO PONDER

(Verses 407-413, 7 No.)

ACHARYAJI, AFTER reading these seven verses, said a prayer for all the students:
“We have come so far; now God is helping us to go even further. We pray for His Grace to
experience some or all these things in our meditation!” Further comment is superfluous.

Verse 407: Has the Snake Ever Been on the Rope?

AlÉlrÉiuÉqÉÍkÉ¸ÉlÉÉSÉUÉåmrÉxrÉ ÌlÉUÏÍ¤ÉiÉqÉç |
mÉÎhQûiÉæ U‹ÑxÉmÉÉïSÉæ ÌuÉMüsmÉÉå pÉëÉÎliÉeÉÏuÉlÉÈ || 407||

1 ananyatvam adhishhthaanaat “Identical with its substratum” – this is what
2 aaropyasya nireekshhitam; any superimposed thing is observed to be
3 panditai rajjusarpaadau by men of ‘wisdom’. In the case of rope and snake,
4 vikalpah bhraanti-jeevanah. we see that the difference is due solely to delusion.

Verse 408: Without Mind, Where is the Universe?

ÍcÉ¨ÉqÉÔsÉÉå ÌuÉMüsmÉÉåÅrÉÇ ÍcÉ¨ÉÉpÉÉuÉå lÉ Mü¶ÉlÉ |
AiÉÍ¶É¨ÉÇ xÉqÉÉkÉåÌWû mÉëirÉaÉëÔmÉå mÉUÉiqÉÌlÉ || 408||

1 chitta moolah vikalpah ayam The world of Plurality has its roots in the mind;
2 chitta abhaave na kashchana; when the mind is removed, there is no world.
3 atah chittam samaadhehi The conclusion is: the mind dissolves or merges
4 pratyag-roope paraatmani. into the most subjective supreme Self within.

An important point comes through in these two verses. The first says that Delusion is
responsible for the Duality. The second says it is the mind. Can the two be reconciled?
Yes, the truth is that the delusion is produced in the mind.
PURE CONSCIOUSNESS + AVIDYA = MIND
“Consciousness solidifies into Mind under the refrigerating influence of Avidya.”
In the absence of awareness of pure consciousness, the experience of all is that their
delusion lies in their own mind.

In the next three verses, twenty five qualities are enumerated describing the
Absolute, Non-dual Being, as experienced in Samadhi. They are for our meditation. We pick
one at a time and walk into our meditation room; they give us the necessary inspiration.
Verse 409 lists eight qualities, 410 lists seven qualities, and 411 lists ten qualities…

291

Verse 409: Brahman is Something Inexplicable . . .

ÌMüqÉÌmÉ xÉiÉiÉoÉÉåkÉÇ MåüuÉsÉÉlÉlSÃmÉÇ
ÌlÉÂmÉqÉqÉÌiÉuÉåsÉÇ ÌlÉirÉqÉÑ£Çü ÌlÉUÏWûqÉç |
ÌlÉUuÉÍkÉaÉaÉlÉÉpÉÇ ÌlÉwMüsÉÇ ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉÇ
™ÌS MüsÉrÉÌiÉ ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç oÉë¼ mÉÔhÉïÇ xÉqÉÉkÉÉæ || 409||

1
kimapi satata-bodham
kevala-aananda-roopam
1
As something inexplicable;
2
essence of eternal
Knowledge;
3
complete Bliss alone;
2
nirupamam ativelam
nitya muktam nireeham;
4
unparalleled;
5
beyond all limitations;

6
ever free;
7
free from activity;
3
niravadhi-gaganaabham
nishhkalam nirvikalpam
8
like the limitless sky –
indivisible and absolute.
4
hridi kalayati vidvaan brahma
poornam samaadhau.
as such, the wise man realizes Brahman
as the infinite in his heart, through Samadhi.

Verse 410: Brahman is Beyond Concepts . . .

mÉëM×üÌiÉÌuÉM×üÌiÉzÉÔlrÉÇ pÉÉuÉlÉÉiÉÏiÉpÉÉuÉÇ
xÉqÉUxÉqÉxÉqÉÉlÉÇ qÉÉlÉxÉqoÉlkÉSÕUqÉç |
ÌlÉaÉqÉuÉcÉlÉÍxÉ®Ç ÌlÉirÉqÉxqÉimÉëÍxÉ®Ç
™ÌS MüsÉrÉÌiÉ ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç oÉë¼ mÉÔhÉïÇ xÉqÉÉkÉÉæ || 410||

1
prakriti-vikriti-shoonyam
bhaavanaateet-abhaavam
9
Devoid of the concepts of cause and effect;

10
the Reality beyond all fancy;
2
samarasam asamaanam
maanasam-bandha-dooram;
11
homogeneous;
12
matchless;

13
beyond all (sensory) means of knowledge;
3
nigama vachana-siddham
nityam asmat-prasiddham
14
established by the declarations of the scriptures;

15
always ingrained in us as the “I” –
4
hridi kalayati vidvaan brahma
poornam samaadhau.
as such, the wise man realizes Brahman
as the infinite in his heart, through Samadhi.

Verse 411: Brahman is Undecaying & Immortal . . .

AeÉUqÉqÉUqÉxiÉÉpÉÉuÉuÉxiÉÑxuÉÃmÉÇ
ÎxiÉÍqÉiÉxÉÍsÉsÉUÉÍzÉmÉëZrÉqÉÉZrÉÉÌuÉWûÏlÉqÉç |
zÉÍqÉiÉaÉÑhÉÌuÉMüÉUÇ zÉÉµÉiÉÇ zÉÉliÉqÉåMÇü
™ÌS MüsÉrÉÌiÉ ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç oÉë¼ mÉÔhÉïÇ xÉqÉÉkÉÉæ || 411||

1
ajaram amaram asta-abhaava
vastu-svaroopam
16
Undecaying;
17
immortal;
18
the un-negatable

19
positive entity;
2
stimita-salila-raashi-prakhyam
aakhyaa viheenam;
20
like the calm ocean;

21
without any name;
3
shamita-guna-vikaaram
shaashvatam shaantam ekam
22
in which there are neither good nor bad qualities;

23
eternal;
24
tranquil; and
25
One alone (Non-dual) –
4
hridi kalayati vidvaan
brahma poornam samaadhau.
as such, the wise man realizes Brahman
as the infinite in his heart, through Samadhi.

292

Verse 412: Undying Splendour is the Goal

xÉqÉÉÌWûiÉÉliÉÈMüUhÉÈ xuÉÃmÉå
ÌuÉsÉÉåMürÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉZÉhQûuÉæpÉuÉqÉç |
ÌuÉÎcNûÎl® oÉlkÉÇ pÉuÉaÉlkÉaÉÎlkÉiÉÇ
rÉ¦ÉålÉ mÉÑÇxiuÉÇ xÉTüsÉÏMÑüÂwuÉ || 412||

1
samaahita antahkaranah
svaroope
With a mind quietened in Samadhi,
and being established in one’s own true nature;
2
vilokaya aatmaanam
akhanda-vaibhavam;
see your own Self, the Atman,
of undying splendour;
3
vichchhinddhi bandham
bhava-gandha-gandhitam
Cut off the bondages which have
strengthened due to the ‘stench’ of previous births;
4
yatnena pumstvam
saphaleekurushhva.
Strive towards the Goal of this human birth.
May your effort to obtain it be successful!

3 Gandha: “foul smell”. The Master prays that the student should shatter to
smithereens all the foul smelling old Vasanas. By such descriptions it is hoped that, although
the Ego may wince a little, much dispassion will be roused in the student.

Verse 413: Disqualified to Return to Samsara!

xÉuÉÉåïmÉÉÍkÉÌuÉÌlÉqÉÑï£Çü xÉÎŠSÉlÉlSqÉ²rÉqÉç |
pÉÉuÉrÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉÉiqÉxjÉÇ lÉ pÉÔrÉÈ MüsmÉxÉåÅkuÉlÉå || 413||

1 sarva upaadhi vinirmuktam Your Self, which is beyond all limiting adjuncts;
2 sat-chid-aanandam advayam; which is the Non-dual Existence-Knowledge-Bliss;
3 bhaavaya aatmaanam aatmastham meditate upon that Self residing in your heart –
4 na bhooyah kalpase adhvane. and never again will you be “qualified for Samsara”.

4 This can also be translated as, “You will become unfit for this path of Samsara.” In
both translations, there is a touch of sarcastic humour. It takes away the attention from
what one actually qualifies for and places it on what one disqualifies for. Would any seeker
ever try to qualify for Samsara? Therein lies the sarcasm.

*****

293

6.10 NIRVIKALPA SAMADHI IS IRREVERSIBLE

(Verses 414-418, 5 No.)

IN THIS PENULTIMATE Chapterof Part 6, we focus attention on the possibility of the
whole attainment of Nirvikalpa Samadhi getting reversed or undone. This doubt may arise in
some students. Is this at all possible once highest state is attained? If such a reversal were to
happen, it would be a big anticlimax, especially for one who has come so far up, and has
reached the pinnacle of perfection.
Towards the end of Part 5, in Chapter 5.7 at the Nididdhyasana stage, we took up
Pramada or inadvertence as the last danger of a reversal occurring in the life of a seeker. At
that time, perfection was not yet reached, and all care was needed to strengthen one’s
focus on the Self to take one safely across the lures of Maya once and for all.
Now, perfection has been reached. Sri Shankaracharyaji firmly reassures us that a
reversal at this stage is no longer possible. Does this mean that the sage can afford to relax
his disciplne? No, the sensual life does not have any more attraction for a realised person.
Each of the five verses that follow provides a reason why Samadhi is Irreversible:

Verse 414: Reason 1. Body is a Corpse

NûÉrÉåuÉ mÉÑÇxÉÈ mÉËUSØzrÉqÉÉlÉÇ
AÉpÉÉxÉÃmÉåhÉ TüsÉÉlÉÑpÉÔirÉÉ |
zÉUÏUqÉÉUÉcNûuÉuÉÍ³ÉUxiÉÇ
mÉÑlÉlÉï xÉlkÉ¨É CSÇ qÉWûÉiqÉÉ || 414||

1
chhaayaa iva pumsah
paridrishyamaanam
Though, like a man’s shadow,
it – the body – is still visible,
2
aabhaasa-roopena
phala anubhootyaa;
this is only in appearance. In reality,
it merely continues due to the effects of past Karmas.
3
shareeram aaraat
shavavat nirastam
To a far-off distance, once the body
like a corpse has been cast off,
4
punah na sandhatta
idam mahaatmaa.
to attach himself to it again
is unthinkable for the wise man.

1 The body is still there in a sage. There is no magical disappearance of it when he
realises God. It still needs to be taken care of, it still feels hunger and thirst, etc. In this
sense, he needs to attend to it.
2 The big difference, however, in the case of a sage is that he is able to spare himself
the trouble of paying too much attention to the body. He treats it like a mere shadow. He
simply gives the body its due, and endures whatever pain may be due to it.
3-4 It is as if he has already cast off the body as a corpse. It does not trouble him, and
he pays little attention to it. Who would be attracted to a dead corpse?

294

Verse 415: Reason 2. Body is Flung Away

xÉiÉiÉÌuÉqÉsÉoÉÉåkÉÉlÉlSÃmÉÇ xÉqÉåirÉ
irÉeÉ eÉQûqÉsÉÃmÉÉåmÉÉÍkÉqÉåiÉÇ xÉÑSÕUå |
AjÉ mÉÑlÉUÌmÉ lÉæwÉ xqÉrÉïiÉÉÇ uÉÉliÉuÉxiÉÑ
xqÉUhÉÌuÉwÉrÉpÉÔiÉÇ MüsmÉiÉå MÑüixÉlÉÉrÉ || 415||

1
satata vimala bodhaananda
roopam sametya
Eternal, unsullied, Knowledge-Bliss –
thus realizing the Atman,
2
tyaja jada mala roopa
upaadhim etam sudoore;
fling the inert, filthy form,
which is this conditioner called the body, far away.
3
atha punah api na eshhah
smaryataam vaanta-vastu
Then not any more should this
be remembered, for a thing once vomited,
4
smarana-vishhaya-bhootam
kalpate kutsanaaya.
when such an object is remembered,
it becomes a cause for disgust.

1-2 A second reason is given for the irreversibility – the body is flung away. The
attraction of the Self is portrayed so strongly that it gives full contentment. There is not the
least longing for sense pleasure any longer. What more does one need? Completely satisfied
and fulfilled in the Self, the sage “flings aside his inert, filthy body” far away.
3-4 In the previous verse the body was thought of as a corpse. Now it is thought of as
something more repulsive. The body is regarded as something that has been vomited. No
one ever has a liking for what one vomits out. It sends disgust through one’s mind even to
think of it. Once vomited, how can it be venerated?
For reasons of survival, some creatures, like dogs and birds, vomit out the food they
brings for their young ones. This is only a means of conveyance. By this method the food for
the fledglings and the puppies is naturally softened and ready to consume. Mother Nature
has made this arrangment in the case of some creatures. Human beings have no need for
such a practice, and the natural feeling entertained by humans for vomit is one of disgust.
The sage holds this feeling naturally towards sense pleasure which he has ‘vomited’.

Verse 416: Reason 3. Fire Has Burnt the Body

xÉqÉÔsÉqÉåiÉimÉËUSÉ½ uÉ»ûÉæ
xÉSÉiqÉÌlÉ oÉë¼ÍhÉ ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉå |
iÉiÉÈ xuÉrÉÇ ÌlÉirÉÌuÉzÉÑ®oÉÉåkÉÉ-
lÉlSÉiqÉlÉÉ ÌiÉ¸ÌiÉ ÌuÉ²ËU¸È || 416||

1 samoolam etat paridaahya vahnau Burning all this, root and all, in the fire
2 sadaatmani brahmani nirvikalpe; of the eternal Self, the Absolute Brahman;
3
tatah svayam nitya vishuddha
bodha-aananda-aatmanaa
then he remains alone, in the eternal and pure
Atman, the Absolute Knowledge and Bliss,
4 tishhthati vidvarishhthah. firmly established in Brahmic Knowledge.

295

1-2 Now a third reason is presented to explain why the gain of Nirvikalpa Samadhi is
irreversible. It is the simile of Fire. All Vasanas or latent tendencies are said to be burnt to
cinders down at their very root. Burnt seeds cannot sprout to become plants; so too, burnt
Vasanas cannot sprout up again to trouble the sage.
3-4 To remain alone after realisation is not out of fear of having a downfall, but
something natural for a sage. This “aloneness” is more a “Oneness”. It does not refer to
solitude or segregation from society, but rather to being in the state of Non-duality where
there is no “other”, and hence there is an all-encompassing, spiritual Oneness.

Verse 417: Reason 4. Even Prarabdha Cannot Reverse It

mÉëÉUokÉxÉÔ§ÉaÉëÍjÉiÉÇ zÉUÏUÇ
mÉërÉÉiÉÑ uÉÉ ÌiÉ¸iÉÑ aÉÉåËUuÉ xÉëMçü |
lÉ iÉimÉÑlÉÈ mÉzrÉÌiÉ iÉ¨uÉuÉå¨ÉÉ-
ÅÅlÉlSÉiqÉÌlÉ oÉë¼ÍhÉ sÉÏlÉuÉ×Ì¨ÉÈ || 417||

1
praarabdha-sootra-
grathitam shareeram
From the fire of Prarabdha
is this body woven;
2
prayaatu vaa tishhthatu
goh iva srak;
Whether it goes or remains,
it is like a garland around a cow’s neck –
3
na tat punah pashyati
tattvavettaa-
it is never again seen on par with That (Reality)
by the knower of Truth,
4
aanandaatmani brahmani
leenavrittih.
who, being the quinteseence of Brahmic Bliss,
has his thoughts firmly reposed only on That.

Even one’s Prarabdha does not have the power to reverse Nirvikalpa Samadhi. This is
the fourth reason why Samadhi is irreversible. Two similes explain this:
1 Body as a Woven Cloth: This is a very creative simile. Like a piece of cloth made
with fibre, the body is seen as being made of Prarabdha Karma. The warp and woof of
Prarabdha is Paapa and Punya, merits and demerits. These bring joys and sorrows. Life
brings a continuous flow of experiences made up of both joy interspersed with sorrow, like
woven cloth.
2 Garland Around a Cow’s Neck: In this simile, indifference to what happens to the
body is the focus. In India the cow is often decked with flowers, garlands and bells during
festive occasions. It is the culture prevalent in India. The cows are made to look like queens
by decorating them.
3-4 However, the cow itself is unconcerned with this treatment of honour. It has its
mind fixed only on the grass in front of it. If a garland falls off or is not given, it is of no
concern to the cow. It is not going to stop and ask its owner to put it on! Such an attitude is
expected of the spiritual aspirant who is at the very threshold of Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
In the Nididhyasana stage, we also come across the attitude of indifference, but it is
under different circumstances. That is before realization, when the Sadhaka is advised to be
stringent with himself – “Don’t pamper the body!” He is expected to be very alert and
cautious; there is no room for leniency. Now, after realization, the advice is different – “Just
be indifferent to it!”

296

Verse 418: Reason 5. No Incentive for Reversal

AZÉhQûÉlÉlSqÉÉiqÉÉlÉÇ ÌuÉ¥ÉÉrÉ xuÉxuÉÃmÉiÉÈ |
ÌMüÍqÉcNûlÉç MüxrÉ uÉÉ WåûiÉÉåSåïWÇû mÉÑwhÉÉÌiÉ iÉ¨uÉÌuÉiÉç || 418||

1 akhandaanandam aatmaanam The Atman, which is unbroken Bliss,
2 vijnaaya svasvaroopatah; having known It to be his very own Self,
3 kim ichchhan kasya vaa hetoh with what motive or for whom is the
4 deham pushhnaati tattvavit. body to be cherished by the knower of Truth?

Sri Shankaracharya quotes the words of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad to give a fifth
reason why Samadhi is irreversible: there is no incentive to reverse it!
In that Upanishad, the word ‘Kim Icchan?’ is used frequently. It means “Desiring
what?” The same question is asked here regarding the body’s needs. They have already
been arrested. So the meaning of “Desiring what?” is not in the sense of caution against
danger, but in the sense of futility as there is now no danger!
This being the last verse covered in this chapter, Acharyaji gave a simile of his own
which summed up the situation of the Sadhaka of this stage.

Simile of the Kite:
A kite has been flying for a long time. The wear and tear on the string at the point
where it is held is unavoidable. Thread by thread the string weakens. Finally the thread
snaps. It is Moksha for the kite. It is free to fly wherever it likes. All worldly concerns are
immaterial to it. It has gained its freedom.
The kite is the individual soul. The soul, too, has its string tied to this world. It is
weakening constantly due to the effort of Sadhana. When it finally snaps, it is Nirvikalpa
Samadhi for the soul. That is what it had been waiting for. Like Martin Luther King, the
American freedom-fighter, the soul can now exclaim, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God, I
am free at last!”
The body is the last thread – the silken thread – by which we are stuck to Maya. To
bridge the gap between delusion and enlightenment, the thread has to snap. The snapping
happens at the dawn of Nirvikalpa Samadhi; the snapping is Nirvikalpa Samadhi. There is
now no longer any connection with Maya. Nothing can hold one back from flying free in the
clear sky of Brahman. The seeker is free forever!

*****

297

6.11 “TROUBLE-SHOOTING” SAMADHI

(Verses 419-425, 7 No.)

MUKTI OR LIBERATION IS rarely achieved by human beings. But the irony is that it is
the quintessence and very purpose of human existence, yet very few desire it, and among
those who do, not all succeed in attaining it.
These last few verses of Part 6 describe how one can keep track of his journey to
Nirvikalpa Samadhi and make sure that he does not get ‘hi-jacked’ on his way to it!
Sri Shankaracharyaji helps the seeker do some “Trouble-shooting” when he
encounters difficulties along the way. When he does not see a result which he is expecting,
how does he go about locating the fault? The teacher suggests a very interesting technique
which is reminiscent of how a pilot of a jet aircraft controls the plane from his cockpit.

Verse 419: The Final Result – Eternal BLISS

xÉÇÍxÉ®xrÉ TüsÉÇ iuÉåiÉ‹ÏuÉlqÉÑ£üxrÉ rÉÉåÌaÉlÉÈ |
oÉÌWûUliÉÈ xÉSÉlÉlSUxÉÉxuÉÉSlÉqÉÉiqÉÌlÉ || 419||

1 samsiddhasya phalam tu etat This indeed is the result for the perfected one
2 jeevan-muktasya yoginah; who is liberated while living, who is a Yogi:
3 bahih antah sadaananda Externally as well as within, the Bliss Eternal
4 rasa aasvaadanam aatmani. is experienced in its essence in himself.

1-2 Any traveller making a journey, always has his sights set on the destination. It is
much the same for the spiritual quest – the destination is the experience of Eternal Bliss.
3-4 Sadananda is “Bliss eternal”. No mention is made of the conditions for this Bliss,
which means under all conditions. Independent of any circumstances, the sage enjoys waves
and waves of Bliss. He is like an oasis of Bliss in the desert of Samsara.

Verse 420: The Chain From Dispassion to PEACE

uÉæUÉarÉxrÉ TüsÉÇ oÉÉåkÉÉå oÉÉåkÉxrÉÉåmÉUÌiÉÈ TüsÉqÉç |
xuÉÉlÉlSÉlÉÑpÉuÉÉcNûÉÎliÉUåwÉæuÉÉåmÉUiÉåÈ TüsÉqÉç || 420||

1 vairaagyasya phalam bodhah The fruit of dispassion is knowledge;
2 bodhasyah uparatih phalam; the fruit of knowledge is sense-withdrawal;
3 svaananda anubhavaat shaantih from the experience of the blissful Self, comes peace;
4 eshhaa eva uparateh phalam. This alone is the fruit of withdrawal of the senses.

298

This verse presents the ‘Ladder’ comprising the last few steps to Total Peace:

1. VAIRAGYA  2. BODHA  3. UPARATI 
4. SVAANANDA ANUBHAVA  5. SHANTI
i.e.
1. Dispassion  2. Self-Knowledge  3. Sense-Withdrawal
 4. Direct Experience of Bliss  5. Supreme Peace

These five landmarks mark out the trouble-shooting chart that we have to examine
when there is a problem. It forms a checklist that has to be ticked off in the given order.
1a Vairagya: “Dispassion”. Here it is not the external type that demands keeping
clear of wealth, women and fame. It is giving up of the deep-seated Vasanas themselves.
1b Bodha: “knowledge”. Similarly, the knowledge referred to here is Para Vidya, or
that which concerns distinguishing the Real from the Unreal. It falls under Sravana.
2 Uparati: “sense-withdrawal”. This is of the highest type that leaves no room for
any body-identification. Acharyaji put it positively as “Unbridled contentment.” When this is
developed, all inclination to run out to sense objects dies down.
3a Svaananda: “direct experience of Bliss”. This is Bliss that can come only when
Uparati has been perfected. It is not possible in any other way, such as taking of drugs,
undergoing neuro-surgical changes, etc.
3b Shaantih: “supreme peace”. This is the Peace ‘beyond all understanding’ spoken
of in the Bible. It is not an ordinary peace such as being free from worries, or when
everything is running smoothly. It is had when there is the utter absence of thoughts in the
mind. The complete dissolution of the mind brings supreme peace.

Verse 421: The Technique of “Trouble-Shooting”

rÉ±Ñ¨ÉUÉå¨ÉUÉpÉÉuÉÈ mÉÔuÉïmÉÔuÉïliÉÑ ÌlÉwTüsÉqÉç |
ÌlÉuÉ×Ì¨ÉÈ mÉUqÉÉ iÉ×ÎmiÉUÉlÉlSÉåÅlÉÑmÉqÉÈ xuÉiÉÈ || 421||

1 yadi uttara uttara abhaavah If there is the absence of succeeding stages, (it means that)
2 poorva poorvam tu nishhphalam; the preceding stages have not borne fruit (are too low).
3
nivrittih
paramaa triptih
(If all is going well,) Renunciation of activity (or Uparati),
(resulting from) “unbridled contentment”,
4
aanandah anupamah
svatah.
(has to be followed by) unequalled Bliss (or Ananda)
as a matter of course (like coaches in a train).

The previous verse has laid the foundation for the Trouble-shooting technique which
Sri Shankaracharyaji now presents, and which is the heart of this Chapter.
At first reading, it is hard to fathom what this verse is trying to convey. It seems to be
written in secret ‘esoteric language’. For this reason additional words have been placed with
the translation so that the student may be guided to catch the intended meaning.

299

HOW TO “TROUBLE-SHOOT” ONE’S GROWTH

Sri Shankaracharyaji is in the situation of a surgeon. He is assessing the meditator’s
state at this ultimate stage of spiritual life. He knows exactly how to read the gauges on the
dashboard of the meditator’s mind. Each of the five steps of the ‘Ladder’ listed in verse 420
has its own dial. By reading the dials Sri Shankaracharya is able to tell what is accomplished
and what is still to be accomplished.
It needs a teacher like Sri Shankaracharyaji to know precisely how to “troubleshoot”
the meditator’s state of development. This is what this verse is all about. It is a scientific
method of finding out what is going wrong if Bliss or Ananda is not being experienced or if
one is not yet established in supreme peace or Shanti.

1-2 The surgeon is surrounded by electronic dials giving him all the precious
information he needs to know about how an operation is proceeding. He checks the dials in
a particular sequence. Each dial indicates something about the previous step as well as the
succeeding step. It tells whether the previous step is satisfactorily completed and also when
he can begin the succeeding step. It is the same for the Guru when examining the disciple.

The five Dials of verse 420 can similarly be used to locate where the fault lies. If the
later dials (‘succeeding stages’) are not registering any progress (i.e. bearing no fruit), one
has to look at the earlier dials (‘preceding stages’) to see why and what has gone wrong.
For instance, if Bliss is not being experienced, then Uparati is not perfected yet. If
Uparati (sense-withdrawal) is not registering any reading, then the fault lies either in not
having grasped the Bodha (Knowledge), or in not having the proper Vairagya (Dispassion).
3-4 Progress is registered sequentially from Vairagya to Shanti. There is no possibility
of short-circuiting the progress. It is like the coaches in a train – they all have to follow in the
same sequence throughout the trip. If a coach gets detached, then all coaches behind it also
get held back.






UPARATI
JNANA
VAIRAGYA SHANTI
ANANDA 3
1
2 4
5 TROUBLE-SHOOTING DIALS

300

Verse 422: Two Examples of “Trouble-Shooting”

SØ¹SÒÈZÉåwuÉlÉÑ²åaÉÉå ÌuÉ±ÉrÉÉÈ mÉëxiÉÑiÉÇ TüsÉqÉç |
rÉiM×üiÉÇ pÉëÉÎliÉuÉåsÉÉrÉÉÇ lÉÉlÉÉ MüqÉï eÉÑaÉÑÎmxÉiÉqÉç |
mÉ¶ÉÉ³ÉUÉå ÌuÉuÉåMåülÉ iÉiMüjÉÇ MüiÉÑïqÉWïûÌiÉ || 422||

1 drishhta-duhkheshhu anudvegah Nonchalance towards worldly sorrows
2 vidyaayaah prastutam phalam; is extolled as the result of knowledge.
3 yat kritam bhraanti-velaayaam That which is done under delusion,
4 naanaa karma jugupsitam; may be a vile deed of various kinds.
5 pashchaat narah vivekena But, after a man has grown in discrimination,
6 tat katham kartum arhati. how can he still perform such a deed?

Two examples are given to illustrate the trouble-shooting technique:
Example 1: Indifference to Sorrows
1-2 In this example, Uparati is in question, as it enables one to be indifferent to
worldly sorrows. In such a case, one has only to look at the preceding dial, Bodha. There will
be a problem there. If Bodha also is not registering the right amount, then one can go
further up and check the Vairagya dial.

Example 2: Checking Out Vairagya
3-4 We look at the Vairagya dial. If Vairagya itself is registering very low, then which
dial do we look at? There are dials before Vairagya that have to be looked at:
Someone commits a vile deed. Such a deed is possible only under delusion and under
lack of discrimination. These dials come prior to Vairagya; Vairagya is born of them.
This example illustrates how the scope of the trouble-shooting can be extended to
areas even prior to Vairagya. Indeed, we must thank Sri Shankaracharyaji for his insight.

Verse 423: Desirelessness – a Fruit of Knowledge

ÌuÉ±ÉTüsÉÇ xrÉÉSxÉiÉÉå ÌlÉuÉ×Ì¨ÉÈ
mÉëuÉ×Ì¨ÉU¥ÉÉlÉTüsÉÇ iÉSÏÍ¤ÉiÉqÉç |
iÉe¥ÉÉ¥ÉrÉÉårÉïlqÉ×aÉiÉ×ÎwhÉMüÉSÉæ
lÉÉåcÉåÌ²SÉÇ SØ¹TüsÉÇ ÌMüqÉxqÉÉiÉç || 423||

1
vidyaa-phalam syaat
asatah nivrittih
The result of knowledge should be
the turning away from the unreal;
2
pravrittih ajnaana-phalam
tat eekshhitam;
The pursuit of the unreal is the result of ignorance.
This can be seen (in the case of)
3
tat jna ajnayoh
yat mriga-trishhnikaadau
one who knows and one who does not know
about a mirage (its illusory nature of, etc.)
4
na u chet vidaam
drishhta-phalam kim asmaat.
If this is not so, then for men of wisdom
what palpable result is there from their knowledge?

301

This verse is about Uparati again, the crucial central dial, the dial of Nivritti,
withdrawal from the pleasures of the world. How are we rating with respect to this dial?
1 Firstly, we look to its immediate preceding neighbour, Bodha. Does that read
‘Sufficient’? If yes, then we can expect a reading on Dial 3. What is the connection here?
2 It’s very logical. If one is still pursuing the unreal, his knowledge of the Real cannot
be perfect. It means he is still ignorant enough not to be able to recognise the Real.
Shankaracharyaji gives an example that is typical from one like him:
3 The person who is ignorant about a mirage will certainly run to it to find the water;
but the one who knows it is an illusion will simply enjoy the sight but not run to it.
4 The same applies to worldly pleasure. The one who knows it is illusory will not run
after it; the ignorant person will. For Shankaracharyaji, that is sufficient information to
differentiate the two! If knowledge does not make us do the right thing, of what use is it!

Verse 424: Desirelessness – Opposed to Pleasure-seeking

A¥ÉÉlÉ™SrÉaÉëljÉåÌuÉïlÉÉzÉÉå rÉ±zÉåwÉiÉÈ |
AÌlÉcNûÉåÌuÉïwÉrÉÈ ÌMÇü lÉÑ mÉëuÉ×¨ÉåÈ MüÉUhÉÇ xuÉiÉÈ || 424||

1 ajnaana-hridaya-grantheh When the knots of ignorance in the heart
2 vinaashah yadi asheshhatah; have been totally destroyed, then
3 anichchhoh vishhayah kim nu for the desireless person, what object
4 pravritteh kaaranam svatah. can prompt him to pursue the path of pleasure?

1-4 Three defects trouble an aspirant on the spiritual path – ignorance, desire and
activity to fulfill desire. The root of these is ignorance. When ignorance is overcome by
knowledge, then desire cannot arise. When desire does not arise, then one does not resort
to activity to fulfill it. Therefore, knowledge of the Real is sufficient for a spiritual aspirant.

End of the Checklist
This entire Part 6 has the single purpose of checking out every stage of development
of the seeker on his way to the highest peak of Nirvikalpa Samadhi. One cannot risk letting
anything slip by unchecked. Every dial is important and needs to be checked.
It is like the emergency situation in a war. Every person at the border-post has to be
checked out thoroughly. What to speak of the measures that need to be taken when one
approaches, say, the President himself! Everything is on high-alert as one gets nearer to his
presence. How much more alert we need to be as we get nearer to the Presence of God!

Verse 425: Conclusion on Three Fronts

uÉÉxÉlÉÉlÉÑSrÉÉå pÉÉåarÉå uÉæUÉarÉxrÉ iÉSÉuÉÍkÉÈ |
AWûqpÉÉuÉÉåSrÉÉpÉÉuÉÉå oÉÉåkÉxrÉ mÉUqÉÉuÉÍkÉÈ |
sÉÏlÉuÉ×¨ÉæUlÉÑimÉÌ¨ÉqÉïrÉÉïSÉåmÉUiÉåxiÉÑ xÉÉ || 425||

302

1 vaasanaa-anudayah bhogye When sense objects do not excite any more desire,
2 vairaagyasya tadaa avadhih; one has reached the culmination of Dispassion.
3 aham bhaava udaya abhaavah When egoistic feelings stop arising in one’s heart,
4 bodhasya parama avadhih; one has reached the culmination of Knowledge.
5 leena-vrittaih an-utpattih When the merged thoughts manifest no more,
6 maryaadaa uparateh tu saa. one has reached the peak of Withdrawal.

In this verse we have a clear, precise interpretation of the three most important
factors in the final run-up to Liberation:

1-2 The Culmination of Dispassion: When Vasanas do not arise. That is the final
limit of dispassion. Even when the objects are right in front of us, there is no attraction
towards them. This is difficult in itself. Now how much more so if those objects are the ones
we have at one time enjoyed with great relish? Even by these the Vairagi is untouched!
How is such a dispassion possible? Acharyaji gave the answer in beautiful words:
“We are no longer under remote control from the external objects. The key is now right in
our hands. We are in charge of the situation. Nothing can tickle our fancy anymore.”

3-4 The Culmination of Knowledge: When no egoistic feeling arises. This is
expressed in the words ‘Aham-Bhava-Udaya-Abhava’, a wonderful experiential description
meaning “The arising of the sense of ‘I’-ness is absent”. The implication of this is that every
action becomes effortless, since the “I” is not there. When this arises, one is said to have
reached the acme of Knowledge.

5-6 The Culmination of Renunciation: When all Vrittis or thoughts of objects
dissolve. They cease and never arise again. ‘Maryada’ which in colloquial languages means
‘modesty’, here means the final limit or culmination. All extrovertedness is curtailed and
never does it come back. Once disengaged, it remains so forever.
With a prayer, Acharyaji concluded this major Part of the book, entitled Nirvikalpa
Samadhi – Self-realisation which concludes the topic “Brahmatmana Samsthitih” that was
mentioned in Verse 2.

END OF PART 6
*****

star

TEXT
11.4

|| ÌuÉuÉåMücÉÔQûÉqÉÍhÉÈ ||
VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
VOLUME 4 of 4

The Crest Jewel of
Discrimination
PART 7: JIVANMUKTI – Liberation While Living
PART 8: FEEDBACK – From the Disciple
PART 9: CONVERSATION – On Saints

“THE SANDEEPANY EXPERIENCE”

Reflections by
SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA

Sandeepany’s Vedanta Course
List of All the Course Texts in Chronological Sequence:

Text
No.
TITLE OF TEXT
Text
No.
TITLE OF TEXT
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
11.4 Viveka Choodamani – Vol 4/4 34 Aitareya Upanishad
12 Jnana Sara 35 Narada Bhakti Sutras
13 Drig-Drishya Viveka 36 Taittiriya Upanishad
14 “Tat Twam Asi” – Chand Up 6 37 Jivan Sutrani (Tips for Happy Living)
15 Dhyana Swaroopam 38 Kena Upanishad
16 “Bhoomaiva Sukham” Chand Up 7 39 Aparoksha Anubhuti (Meditation)
17 Manah Shodhanam 40 108 Names of Pujya Gurudev
18 “Nataka Deepa” – Panchadasi 10 41 Mandukya Upanishad
19 Isavasya Upanishad 42 Dakshinamurty Ashtakam
20 Katha Upanishad 43 Shad Darshanaah
21 “Sara Sangrah” – Yoga Vasishtha 44 Brahma Sootras
22 Vedanta Sara 45 Jivanmuktananda Lahari
23 Mahabharata + Geeta Dhyanam 46 Chinmaya Pledge

AUTHOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO 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 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.

– Swami Gurubhaktananda, 18
th
July 2018, Auspicious Birthday of Acharyaji

Om Namah Shivaaya!

|| ÌuÉuÉåMücÉÔQûÉqÉÍhÉÈ ||
VIVEKA CHOODAMANI – Vol. 4
“Crest-Jewel of Discrimination”
Composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji

Volume 4 of 4: (Verses 426-581 of 581)

PART 7: JIVANMUKTI – Liberation While Living
PART 8: FEEDBACK – from the Disciple
PART 9: A CONVERSATION – On Saints

Reflections by
SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA

on the 109 Lectures by Swami Advayanandaji & Swami Nikhilanandaji
at the 15
th
Vedanta Course, Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai
from January 28
th
to July 3
rd
, 2012

Adi Shankaracharya Swami Sivananda Swami Tapovanji Swami Chinmayananda
SERVE  LOVE  GIVE  PURIFY  MEDITATE  REALISE
Text
11.4

Copyright & Author’s Details

Author: Swami Gurubhaktananda, born 1954 as Bipin R. Kapitan, in Durban, South Africa.
Residence: Sivanandashram, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
Email: [email protected]

© 2018 All Rights Reserved. Copyright held by Swami Gurubhaktananda.

About This Edition:
Web Edition: 18
th
July 2018, Auspicious Birthday of Acharyaji
Website: www.chinfo.org hosted by Chinmaya International
Foundation, Kerala, India:
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 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
the 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.

*****

VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
CONTENTS OF THE WHOLE BOOK

VOLUME 1:

PART 1: The PURPOSE of Human Life (Verses 01 – 66, 66 no.) 001

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
1.1 Invocation & Overview 1 – 2 2 1
1.2 Preciousness of Human Birth 3 – 5 3 4
1.3 The Essential Means to Liberation 6 – 16 11 6
1.4 Qualifications of Disciple & Guru 17 – 32a 15 12
1.5 Approaching One’s Guru 32b – 40 9 21
1.6 Loving Advice of the Guru 41 – 47 7 28
1.7 The Disciple’s Questions 48 – 55 8 33
1.8 Freedom from Bondage? 56 – 61 6 38
1.9 Direct Experience of Self 62 – 66 5 42

PART 2: SRAVANA – The Guru’s Teaching (Verses 67 – 146, 80 no.) 045

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
2.1 Introduction to Sravana 67 – 71 5 45
2.2 The Gross Body 72 – 91 20 49

2.2.1 Formation of the Body 72 – 75 4 49

2.2.2 How Man is Bound to the Body 76 – 82 7 52

2.2.3 Fascination for Body 83 – 86 4 56

2.2.4 Overcoming the Fascination 87 – 91 5 57

2.3 The Subtle Body 92 – 105 14 61

2.3.1 The Components of the Subtle Body 92 – 96 5 61

2.3.2 The Functions of the Subtle Body 97 – 105 9 64

2.4 The Causal Body 106 – 121 16 69

2.4.1 The Power of Maya 108 - 110 3 70

2.4.2 The Gunas – Sattwa, Rajas & Tamas 111 - 119 9 73

2.4.3 The “Unmanifest” 120 – 121 2 79

2.5 Anatma – the “Not-Self” 122 – 123 2 81
2.6 Atman – the Self 124 – 136 13 82
2.7 What is Bondage? 137 – 146 10 90

.

VOLUME 2:

PART 3: MANANA – Reflection on the Teaching (Verses 147 – 224, 78 no.) 099

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
3.1 Discriminating Self from Not-Self 147 – 153 7 99
3.2 The Annamaya Kosha 154 – 164 11 105
3.3 The Pranamaya Kosha 165 – 166 2 111
3.4 The Manomaya Kosha 167 – 183 17 113

3.4.1 What is MIND? 167 – 171 5 113

3.4.2 Bondage & Liberation 172 – 176 5 117

3.4.3 “It’s All in the MIND” 177 – 183 7 120
3.5 The Vijnanamaya Kosha 184 – 206 23 125

3.5.1 The Intellect Sheath 184 – 191 8 125

Discussion on Vijnanamaya Kosha:

3.5.2 Jiva’s Confusion with Self 192 – 206 15 132

3.6 The Anandamaya Kosha 207 – 224 18 144

3.6.1 The Bliss Sheath 207 – 211 5 145

Discussion on Anandamaya Kosha:

3.6.2 The Self & “Nothingness” 212 – 224 13 148

PART 4: NIDIDHYASANA 1 – Theoretical Aspects (Verses 225 – 266, 42 no.) 159

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
4.1 The Vision of Oneness 225 – 236 12 159
4.2 The Nature of Brahman 237 – 240 4 169
4.3 Explanation of “Tat Twam Asi” 241 – 249 9 172
4.4 Balancing “This” with “That” 250 – 253 4 178
4.5 Aids to Meditation – “Brahma Tat-Twam-Asi” Verses 254 – 266 13 182
.

*****

VOLUME 3:

PART 5: NIDIDHYASANA 2 – Practical Aspects (Verses 267 – 341, 75 no.) 189

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
5.0 Introduction to Savikalpa Samadhi -

189
5.1 Scrubbing Out the Vasanas 267 – 276 10 191

5.1.1 “I-Thought” & “I am Brahman” Thoughts 267 – 269 3 191

5.1.2 The Three Doorways for Disturbance 270 – 272 3 193

5.1.3 The Stench of Vasanas 273– 276 4 194
5.2 Negating the Superimpositions 277 – 285 9 197
5.3 Upasanas – Meditational Exercises 286 – 292 7 202
5.4 Who is the Ego? 293 – 297 5 206
5.5 The Play of the Ego 298 – 309 12 210
5.6 The Trio: Vasanas – Rumination – Ego 310 – 319 10 219
5.7 Spiritual Inadvertance 320 – 329 10 226
5.8 In the Safe Harbour of Non-Duality 330 – 341 12 233

PART 6: NIRVIKALPA SAMADHI – Realisation (Verses 342 – 425, 84 no.) 243

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
6.1 The Entrance Examination 342 – 348 7 243
6.2 How to Recognise Samadhi 349 – 353 5 250
6.3 Samadhi Seen in Daily Life 354 – 364 11 254
6.4 Escaping the Mind’s Captivity 365 – 372 8 262
6.5 The Face of Dispassion in Samadhi 373 – 378 6 268
6.6 The Basic Technique of Meditation 379 – 383 5 273
6.7 Fine-Tuning the Technique 384 – 397 14 276
6.8 The State of Non-Duality 398 – 406 9 284
6.9 Points to Ponder 407 – 413 7 290
6.10 Nirvikalpa Samadhi is Irreversible 414 – 418 5 293
6.11 “Trouble-Shooting” Samadhi 419 - 425 7 297

*****

VOLUME 4:

PART 7: JIVANMUKTI – Liberation While Living (Verses 426 – 479, 54 no.) 303

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
7.1 Signs of a Realised Seer 426 – 445 20 303

7.1.1 Four Aspects of a Jivanmukta 427 – 431 5 305

7.1.2 The “Jivanmukta Lakshana” Verses 432 – 442 11 309

7.1.3 Dispassion – the Acid-Test of Jivanmukti 443 – 445 3 314
7.2 How a Saint Handles Karma 446 – 464 19 317

7.2.1 Sanchita Karma – Past Karma 448 – 449 2 319

7.2.2 Agama Karma – Future Karma 450 – 451 2 320

7.2.3 Prarabdha Karma – Present Karma 452 – 464 13 321
7.3 “Brahman Alone is There” 465 – 471 7 331
7.4 Conclusion of the Teaching 472 - 479 8 334

PART 8: FEEDBACK – From the Disciple (Verses 480 – 520, 41 no.) 341

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
8.1 Introduction to Feedback 480 – 481 2 341
8.2 Feedback from Personal Standpoint 482 – 489 8 343
8.3 Feedback from World’s Standpoint 490 – 500 11 349
8.4 Feedback from Upadhis’ Standpoint 501 – 512 12 355
8.5 Feedback from Absolute Standpoint 513 – 517 5 363
8.6 Conclusion of Feedback 518 – 520 3 367

PART 9: CONVERSATION of Two Saints (Verses 521 – 581, 61 no.) 369

# DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT Verses No. Page
9.0 Introduction - - 369
9.1 Glory of Realisation 521 – 530 10 370
9.2 On the Means of knowledge 531 – 536 6 377
9.3 A Riddle in Simplicity 537 – 550 14 382
9.4 The Attitude of a Saint 551 – 554 4 391
9.5 Videhamukti – Dropping the Body 555 – 567 13 395
9.6 Transmigration & Liberation 568 – 575 8 403

9.6.1 Transmigration & Rebirth 568 – 569 2 403

9.6.2 Bondage & Liberation 570 – 575 6 406
9.7 Conclusion to the Whole Book 576 – 581 6 412

*****

|| ÌuÉuÉåMücÉÔQûÉqÉÍhÉÈ ||
VIVEKA CHOODAMANI – Vol. 4
“The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination”

VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
"The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination"

GENERAL INTRODUCTION
PUJYA SWAMI CHINMAYANANDAJI writes the following in his Introduction to his
book on the Viveka Choodamani:
“Vedanta is truly the Science of Life. Sri Shankara, the great interpreter of Vedanta,
not only gave us his commentaries on the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad
Gita, but also many primary texts which introduce the seeker to the joys of Vedanta. One of
the greatest texts he has written as an introduction to Vedanta, is the Viveka Choodamani,
which means, ‘The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination’.
“A careful study of these verses with the full freedom to enquire will give any
student a correct understanding of the entire theory of Vedanta and he can, even without a
very serious study of the scriptures, start his daily practices with tremendous benefits.
“There are hundreds of seekers who, without understanding the fundamentals, are
aimlessly struggling along a so-called spiritual path. Naturally, they suffer agonies of painful
disappointment, although they have behind them years of painstaking practices. An
exhaustive and careful study of this text helps to avoid all the pitfalls on the way to
progress. It is my intention to bring forth from every verse not only its obvious meaning, but
also its hidden import which gives out a wealth of information and helpful suggestions to
ensure a steady progress.”

The Viveka Choodamani is a prime text in the Vedanta Course at Sandeepany.
Bondage is caused by a lack of enquiry, and ceases only by making an enquiry. If we
turn to differentiate Self from the non-Self, if we shift our attention from the world of
names and forms to their substratum Brahman, then we can arrive at the final goal quickly.
The Viveka Choodamani is a Prakarana Grantha. Its theme is: DISCRIMINATION.
It is a very famous text of Bhagavan Sri Shankaracharyaji. It has great poetic beauty.
Swami Chinmayanandaji has said, “This text is sufficient to lead the spiritual life.”

*****

303

VIVEKA CHUDAMANI – Vol.4

PART 7: (Verses 426-479) 54 Verses

JIVANMUKTI – Liberation While Living

7.1 HALLOWED GROUNDS OF SAINTHOOD

(Verses 426 – 445, 20 No.)

WE NOW HAVE WHAT promises to be the ‘Guided Tour’ of our lives. We are about
to visit the hallowed grounds of Sainthood. It is the lighthouse that attracts all spiritual
seekers to the sacred, divine path. No spiritual aspirant would want to miss joining
Bhagavan Shankaracharyaji on the tour he is about to take us.
In the next 20 verses, we get a comprehensive idea of what we are all striving for in
the spiritual life. Sri Shankaracharyaji clarifies all misconceptions we may have of the
supreme state of Sainthood. In these verses we realise how lofty a state it is, and what a
grand goal Vedanta places before us.
All that has been said about the Reality so far, and the Path by which it may be
reached, is to be recalled as we begin this tour. This entire chapter has to be seen as the
culmination of the 425 verses which precede it. It is the grand teaching contained in all the
prior verses that has made this state possible.
It is the toil and struggle of the dark night that has to be remembered before we can
appreciate the beauty and majesty of the rising sun! Sainthood is the sun that arises out of
that darkness. Unless we see this as the background of the state of a realised saint, we will
never fully appreciate the signs we are about to be shown of his life.
Sainthood is something we all have to strive hard to earn. It does not come without
paying the full price for it. That hard struggle is to be seen in every verse prior to this one.
We are now seeing the fruits of that struggle. The very first line of the first verse reminds us
of the Source of Sainthood – being anchored in the Truth.

Verse 426: Who is a Jivanmukta?

oÉë¼ÉMüÉUiÉrÉÉ xÉSÉ ÎxjÉiÉiÉrÉÉ ÌlÉqÉÑï£üoÉÉ½ÉjÉïkÉÏ-
UlrÉÉuÉåÌSiÉpÉÉåarÉpÉÉåaÉMüsÉlÉÉå ÌlÉSìÉsÉÑuÉ¯ÉsÉuÉiÉç |
xuÉmlÉÉsÉÉåÌMüiÉsÉÉåMüuÉ‹aÉÌSSÇ mÉzrÉlYuÉÍcÉssÉokÉkÉÏ-
UÉxiÉå MüÍ¶ÉSlÉliÉmÉÑhrÉTüsÉpÉÑakÉlrÉÈ xÉ qÉÉlrÉÉå pÉÑÌuÉ || 426||

304

1
brahmaakaaratayaa
sadaa sthitatayaa,
nirmuktabaahyaarthadheeh
On account of absorption in Brahman,
on account of the constancy of that abidance,
freed from the sense of reality of external objects;
2
anyaaveditabhogya-
bhogakalanah,
nidraaluvat baalavat;
When objects are offered by others,
the saint only seemingly enjoys them –
i) like one who is sleepy; ii) like a baby;
3
svapnaalokita-lokavat
jagat idam, pashyan
kvachit labdhadheeh
or, iii) as though the world were just a dream –
this is how he perceives the world to be,
recognizing that it is now here and now not;
4
aaste kashchit
ananta-punya-phala-bhuk,
dhanyah sah maanyah bhuvi.
Such a man is rare indeed.
Being the enjoyer of fruits of untold merits,
he is truly blessed and most revered on earth.

Absorption in Brahman
1 At the outset, we are given the foundation of the saint’s experience. He is rooted
through and through in the Reality, Brahman. Absorption in Him is the foundation of the life
of a saint. That is the sole source of the saint’s extraordinary life. Whatever description
follows of his life, should be seen against this basic fact.
Sainthood does not come in any other way. There is no “easy way” to Divinity. When
all the Sravana, Manana and Nididhyasana is done to perfection, the reward is Sainthood.
What is the price we have to pay for it? That is also stated at the outset. The price is
to renounce something most difficult for the ordinary man. We are asked not to see the
objects of the world as being real.

Saint’s View of the World
2 Shankaracharyaji has taken great pains thus far to teach us to see the world as
Unreality. He is not asking us to renounce the world, but to renounce seeing it as reality.
The Reality is Brahman, not the world. We should be able to see Brahman in the world. Then
alone is it possible to “only seemingly enjoy them.”
That is the bottom line of Vedanta. That is the unique vision offered to us by
Vedanta. This is the meaning of Renunciation, the primary value that Vedanta stands for.
Three similes attempt to explain the saint’s attitude towards the world:
i) Like one in Sleep: To one who is asleep, the world is not there, it is as good as not
existing. To a saint, this is the case even in his waking state!
ii) Like a Child: Every mother knows how much she has to struggle to feed a little
child. The child’s mind is just not on the food; it is elsewhere. The mother tries all her tricks
to draw the child’s attention to the food. A saint is like that towards the world – indifferent
to it because his mind is ‘elsewhere’ – dissolved in God.
iii) Like a Dream: When we wake up from our dream, do we not laugh it away even if
we dreamt being a king. So too, the saint laughs away his experience of the world, however
tempting, cynical, critical, painful or kingly his experiences with it have been. They are all
just considered to be a dream.
What examples to illustrate a saint’s attitude after realization! A picture of
carefreeness. To care for such childlike saints, God sends special envoys of people who take
care of these ‘divine children’ to do the needful to keep their body and soul together.

305

The Ephemeral World
3 Kvachit: “now and then”. There is a reason why the saint is able to have such an
attitude towards the world. We already know that he sees the world as being unreal. But
why is it considered to be unreal? The reason is now given – it is because it is ephemeral.
The world and its objects come and go. Wealth comes today and goes tomorrow.
Nothing remains with us forever. The most dear object decays and dies one day.

The Rarity of Saints
4 Kaschid: “someone; such a person”. The point about such a saint is that it could be
anyone, from any part of the world – from any religion, from any caste or creed, from any
country. There are no physical limitations for such great liberated beings. Wherever they
arise, they are a true blessing to the whole world – indeed, the whole universe!
Liberation is, indeed, a universal phenomenon, bringing universal benefits. A
liberated being is blessed, and he is a blessing to all others. He reveres all and all revere him.
We have taken pains over this verse as it lays the foundation for this chapter. It is the
perfect ‘Announcement’ or ‘Advertisement’ for the long tour that we are to take into the
saint’s kingdom.

7.1.1 FOUR ASPECTS of a Jivanmukta (Verses 427-431, 5 No.)

Verse 427: The Four Aspects

ÎxjÉiÉmÉë¥ÉÉå rÉÌiÉUrÉÇ rÉÈ xÉSÉlÉlSqÉzlÉÑiÉå |
oÉë¼hrÉåuÉ ÌuÉsÉÏlÉÉiqÉÉ ÌlÉÌuÉïMüÉUÉå ÌuÉÌlÉÎw¢ürÉÈ || 427||

1 sthitaprajnah yatih ayam i) He is one of steady wisdom and master of his senses;
2 yah sadaanandam ashnute; ii) He enjoys everlasting Bliss;
3 brahmani eva vileenaatmaa iii) He has merged himself in Brahman alone;
4 nirvikaarah vinishhkriyah. and iv) He is free of all modifications and activities.

This verse is of the nature of a “CONTENTS” page for the whole Chapter. Each Pada
covers an aspect of a liberated person. There are four aspects:
i) 1 Sthithaprajnah: “firmly established”. This word is used in the Bhagavad Gita
where it refers to the sage of steady wisdom, firmly established in God-consciousness. (428)
ii) 2 Sadaanandam: “always in bliss”. He is immersed in undying divine Bliss. This is
the hallmark of the state of liberation. (429)
iii) 3 Vileenaatmaa: “the dissolution of individuality”, the God-intoxicated state
wherein there is no individuality or ego left. It has merged completely in Universality. (430)
iv) 4 Nirvikaarah: “free of all modifications”, where there are no fluctuations of
thoughts in the mind. The mind has completely dissolved. (431)
Then, we have the well-known eleven “Jivanmukta Lakshana” verses (432-442),
followed by three verses (443 – 445) that emphatically conclude on the most important
qualification for Jivanmukti – namely, Dispassion.

306

Verse 428: 1. The Man of STEADY WISDOM

oÉë¼ÉiqÉlÉÉåÈ zÉÉåÍkÉiÉrÉÉåUåMüpÉÉuÉÉuÉaÉÉÌWûlÉÏ |
ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉÉ cÉ ÍcÉlqÉÉ§ÉÉ uÉ×Ì¨ÉÈ mÉë¥ÉåÌiÉ MüjrÉiÉå |
xÉÑÎxjÉiÉÉÅxÉÉæ pÉuÉå±xrÉ ÎxjÉiÉmÉë¥ÉÈ xÉ EcrÉiÉå || 428||

1
brahmaatmanoh
shodhitayoh
Between Brahman and the Self,
a thorough differentiation or analysis
2 eka bhaava avagaahinee; brings one to see the Oneness between them.
3
nirvikalpaa
cha chit maatraa
Free from limitations and duality,
and concerned only with pure knowledge –
4
vrittih
prajnaa iti kathyate;
such a state of mind
is defined as “Illumination”.
5 susthitaa saa bhavet yasya One who is steady in this state of illumination –
6 sthitaprajnah sa uchyate. such a one is known as “a man of steady wisdom”.

It is very rare to find a verse such as this in which the Master has crammed so much
information on the loftiest part of Vedanta, describing the very fundamental characteristics
of a Sthithaprajna within the space of a single verse.
1-2 Eka Bhaava: “single idea”. The first condition to be a Sthitaprajna is to attain the
Knowledge that admits only the identity of the Self with Brahman. This is the highest state
possible in a man. In the mind of an ignorant man, every thought contains the Ahamkara
Vritti or the thought of the Ego. In the mind of a God-realised sage, every thought contains
the Brahmakara Vritti, the thought that “I am Brahman”. This thought is the opposite of the
Ego-thought.
3 Nirvikalpa: “free from all duality or limitations”. The Knowledge of Brahman is
unique compared to all other knowledge, and hence it is usually written with a capital letter.
Nothing else is as all-inclusive as Brahman. When one has this thought in his mind, then
nothing can be left out of it, since Brahman is all that exists.
Chinmaatra (Chit + Maatra): “Pure Knowledge”. This is not knowledge about
something; it is Knowledge itself – it includes the knower, the object to be known and the
means of knowing it. It is the solution to all the differences we see in the world. When every
thought processed in the mind passes through this thought, a unified, integrated thought
emerges. The sage alone has the ability to integrate all castes, sects, religions, etc.
4 Vritti: Although it literally means “thoughts or mental activity”, here it has to be
taken to mean “the state of mind” which enshrines only Prajna, the thought or Knowledge
whose sole object is Brahman. This is a single thought which is also called the Brahmakara
Vritti. The Knowledge referred to here has been described in the earlier lines of the verse.
5 Susthitaa: “steadiness”. One more condition has to be added to the above. The
state described has to be steadily maintained for a long period. Only then can it be said that
it has been perfectly established. The sign of its steadiness is that the sage who possesses it
is always at equilibrium under all conditions. He never wavers from Truth.
6 Sthithaprajna: When all the above conditions are met, the person can be given the
description of being a Sthithaprajna, the sage of steady wisdom.

307

Verse 429: 2. Experiencer of ENDLESS BLISS

rÉxrÉ ÎxjÉiÉÉ pÉuÉåimÉë¥ÉÉ rÉxrÉÉlÉlSÉå ÌlÉUliÉUÈ |
mÉëmÉgcÉÉå ÌuÉxqÉ×iÉmÉëÉrÉÈ xÉ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£ü CwrÉiÉå || 429||

1 yasya sthitaa bhavet prajnaa He in whom this illumination is very steady;
2 yasya aanandah nirantarah; for such a one the experience of Bliss is endless;
3
prapanchah
vismritapraayah
For whom the phenomenal world
is as good as forgotten or non-existent –
4 sa jeevanmukta ishhyate. such a one is considered to be a Jivanmukta.

1-2 Being immersed in unending Bliss is the main point of this verse. The condition
for this experience is to be firmly established as a Sthitaprajna.
3-4 The Bliss is so intoxicating that the world is ‘as good as forgotten’. That it is not
completely forgotten is to our benefit. Otherwise how would we have got the knowledge of
Vedanta? How will the Parampara have continued to this day if the realized sages had
completely forgotten this world?

Verse 430: 3. The Death of EGOISM

sÉÏlÉkÉÏUÌmÉ eÉÉaÉÌiÉï eÉÉaÉë®qÉïÌuÉuÉÎeÉïiÉÈ |
oÉÉåkÉÉå ÌlÉuÉÉïxÉlÉÉå rÉxrÉ xÉ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£ü CwrÉiÉå || 430||

1
leenadheeh
api jaagarti
To have an intellect merged in Brahman,
even though he may be in the waking state,
2 jaagrad-dharma-vivarjitah; is most uncharacteristic of being in wakefulness!
3 bodhah nirvaasanah yasya The mind of a sage surely has to be free of all desire –
4 sa jeevanmukta ishhyate. he alone can be considered to be a Jivanmukta.

This verse describes the third aspect seen in a Jivanmukta, namely, the complete
absorption of the intellect in Brahman. How can such a state be identified by others?
1-2 Always the previous aspects are to be included in the present one, i.e. the four
aspects are not independent of each other but one in essence. The third characteristic
under focus is that the sage gets totally dissolved or merged in God-Experience.
Absorption in Brahman is usually considered possible while one is in deep
meditation. It is true that meditation is where this aspect is best nurtured. However, there
comes a stage when the Jivanmukta remains absorbed in Brahman even when he is not
meditating. Even in the waking state, he is fully aware of being in Brahman. This is an
unusual occurrence not seen in normal experience.
3-4 Such absorption brings about the following three changes in one’s personality:
i) End of Individuality. Firstly, individuality does not exist any longer. It is like a salt
crystal that completely dissolves in water and cannot be traced again. All sense of
individuality vanishes beyond any trace by the Jivanmukta’s absorption in Brahman.

308

ii) End of Egoism. Secondly, we know that Egoism arises from individuality. The
destruction of individuality means that Egoism dies a natural death also.
iii) End of Desire. Thirdly, from Egoism arises Desire. Desire also dies when ego is
destroyed. Desire lies at the head of a long chain that leads all the way to Sorrow. The whole
chain simply disappears.
All this is the result of being totally merged in God-consciousness, the third aspect.
Up to this point, it may be misunderstood that the realized sage is not interested in
the world and its progress at all, that he becomes useless to the world, perhaps even a
burden to the world. This is certainly not so. The verses on “Jivanmukta Lakshana” that soon
follow, give precise clarification on that point.

Verse 431: 4. Free of All MODIFICATIONS

zÉÉliÉxÉÇxÉÉUMüsÉlÉÈ MüsÉÉuÉÉlÉÌmÉ ÌlÉwMüsÉÈ |
rÉxrÉ ÍcÉ¨ÉÇ ÌuÉÌlÉÍ¶ÉliÉÇ xÉ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£ü CwrÉiÉå || 431||

1 shaanta-samsaara-kalanah i) His concern for the world has become stilled;
2
kalaavaan api
nishhkalah;
ii) Though having a body consisting of parts,
yet he is identified with the ‘Partless’ in himself;
3 yasya chittam vinishchintam iii) His mind is free from all anxiety –
4 sa jeevanmukta ishhyate. such a one is considered to be a Jivanmukta.

Finally, we come to the fourth aspect of a sage – the fact that he is free of all the
modifications, especially those that relate to his mind, i.e. the thought modifications.
1 Here it is important to note that externally, nothing is expected to change for the
sage. He encounters the same world and objects that we do. The only difference lies in his
attitude towards the world. The sage’s mind is calm and still. Hence he reacts differently to
worldly concerns from the way we do. He is calm even when the world around him is
buzzing with activities, problems, trials and difficulties.
2 Kalaa: “the various parts of the body”. The body is introduced here as a simile for
the sage’s attitude. The way the sage looks upon the world is compared to how we look
towards our own body. Our body has many parts, but we do not feel that they are in conflict
with each other. If our teeth bite the tongue, we do not get upset with them.
The sage sees the world as his Body. He sees all the happenings in the world with
perfect balance of mind. He remains cool and calm whatever comes to him from the world.
Kalaavan: The word can also mean “someone who has many Kalas” or rays which
emanate from the Prana or Life principle. The more rays one manifests, the more semblance
there is to the full power of the cosmic life-force. More Kalas means more talent, wisdom
and intelligence. The Jivanmukta is seen as a very talented magnetic personality with many
Kalas in him. In spite of that, because he has no ego he does not take the credit for these
talents. He feels that the Lord is manifesting them through him.
3 The broad attitude towards the world frees the sage from all anxiety. He is not
anxious about his own security, nor is he anxious about the world. In a deep way, he knows
that everything will happen for the best. He remains unperturbed by worldly events.

309

The Sage in General
From the four aspects we have looked at, we can come to the following overall
assessment of a sage in relation to the world.
With his mind rooted in the Lord, the sage is still alert to the needs of those who are
interested in what he stands for in the field of spirituality. He does not pay attention to the
world in the way that a worldly-minded person does – that is the main difference. His
attention is focused on the presence of God in the world, and thus he is able to truly help
improve the world. He assists others who are striving to reach the spiritual height that he
has already scaled.
As Acharyaji said, “Because his mind is on Brahman, we must not think that we can
make a fool of him. His Jagrat state is a thousand times more intense than ours. Others walk
on the two legs of Raga and Dwesha (likes and dislikes) in their worldly business. The sage
barely ‘touches’ the world when he walks – it is as if he walks on air! This means he does not
disturb or agitate the world by his actions, nor is he agitated or disturbed by the world.”
The sage’s action does not add Vasanas to his mind. He does not judge others into
categories the way we do.

7.1.2 The “JIVANMUKTI LAKSHANA” Verses (Verses 432-442, 11 no.)

The following eleven verses JL-1 to JL-11 (JL = Jivanmukti Lakshana) describe the
sage from the standpoint of the world. They form one of the most well-known groups of
verses in the book. They point out the key characteristics found in a sage.
Comments are kept to a minimum since most of these qualities have already been
dealt with elaborately earlier in the text.

Verse 432: JL-1: Beyond the Body Idea

uÉiÉïqÉÉlÉåÅÌmÉ SåWåûÅÎxqÉgNûÉrÉÉuÉSlÉÑuÉÌiÉïÌlÉ |
AWûliÉÉqÉqÉiÉÉÅpÉÉuÉÉå eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üxrÉ sÉ¤ÉhÉqÉç || 432||

1 vartamaane api dehe asmin Even when the body-idea persists,
2 chhaayaavat anuvartini; it exists only as a shadow following him;
3 ahantaa-mamataa abhaavah there is an absence of the ‘I’ and ‘my’ concepts –
4 jeevanmuktasya lakshhanam. This is an indication of the state of a Jivanmukta.

The Body-idea is not associated with ‘I’ and ‘mine’. The body is a mere shadow – like
a printout from a computer which does not affect the files in the computer.

Verse 433: JL-2: Constancy in a Sage

AiÉÏiÉÉlÉlÉÑxÉlkÉÉlÉÇ pÉÌuÉwrÉSÌuÉcÉÉUhÉqÉç |
AÉæSÉxÉÏlrÉqÉÌmÉ mÉëÉmiÉÇ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üxrÉ sÉ¤ÉhÉqÉç || 433||

310

1 ateeta ananusandhaanam Having no thoughts of enjoyments of the past,
2 bhavishhyat avichaaranam; no thought of anticipation of the future;
3 audaaseenyam api praaptam and indifference to present accomplishments –
4 jeevanmuktasya lakshhanam. This is an indication of the state of a Jivanmukta.

The Constancy of a sage is being highlighted. He is constant; Time keeps changing.
1 For the past he holds no regrets, nor does he ruminate over his enjoyments. He
does not brood over what he did not do or what he did which he should not have.
2 The future holds no anxieties or worries for him as he has no expectations.
3 Whatever comes to him in the present moment he surrenders himself to it,
accepts it as it is, without reacting against it or favouring it. This makes him ‘carefree’
towards his experiences in the present.

Verse 434: JL-3: The Eye of Equanimity

aÉÑhÉSÉåwÉÌuÉÍzÉ¹åÅÎxqÉlxuÉpÉÉuÉålÉ ÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉå |
xÉuÉï§É xÉqÉSÍzÉïiuÉÇ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üxrÉ sÉ¤ÉhÉqÉç || 434||

1 gunadoshha-vishishhte asmin In a world riddled with objects having defects
2 svabhaavena vilakshhane; which by nature are different from each other,
3 sarvatra samadarshitvam the sage looks upon all with an eye of Equanimity –
4 jeevanmuktasya lakshhanam. This is an indication of the state of a Jivanmukta.

1 The defects in objects lie in the fact that they are transitory, not permanent. In a
world where everything comes and goes, joys and sorrows also come and go.
2 The differences lie in one’s circumstances. They are tailor-made for us by our
Karma. In God’s eyes there is no injustice in varying the circumstances for different people.
Just as no two thumb prints are alike, so also no two persons have the same circumstances.
3 The sage, however, sees both – objects and his circumstances – with Equanimity,
and remains unaffected by them.

Verse 435: JL-4: Even-Minded & Unperturbed

C¹ÉÌlÉ¹ÉjÉïxÉqmÉëÉmiÉÉæ xÉqÉSÍzÉïiÉrÉÉÅÅiqÉÌlÉ |
EpÉrÉ§ÉÉÌuÉMüÉËUiuÉÇ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üxrÉ sÉ¤ÉhÉqÉç || 435||

1
ishhta anishhta artha
sampraaptau
Whether things are pleasing or painful –
when confronted with either of these,
2 samadarshitayaa aatmani; he maintains in his mind an equal attitude to both;
3 ubhayatra avikaaritvam and remains unperturbed in both cases –
4 jeevanmuktasya lakshhanam. This is an indication of the state of a Jivanmukta.

311

1-3 The quality of Equipoise is glorified here. Praise and censure, heat and cold, joy
and sorrow – the pairs of opposites – have no power to perturb the sage of balanced mind.
This is the most outstanding characteristic of a Sthithaprajna. He is able to remain calm and
steady under the most fluctuating circumstances. This indicates how well-rooted he is in the
Self.
These descriptions do not mean that he is an inert statue. This attitude arises from
the fact that his mind is ever fixed on higher things, so much so that petty things of the
world cannot disturb his peace of mind. His mind is anchored beyond their reach.

Verse 436: JL-5: Beyond Within & Without

oÉë¼ÉlÉlSUxÉÉxuÉÉSÉxÉ£üÍcÉ¨ÉiÉrÉÉ rÉiÉåÈ |
AliÉoÉïÌWûUÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉÇ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üxrÉ sÉ¤ÉhÉqÉç || 436||

1 brahmaananda-rasa aasvaada Taking delight in tasting the Bliss of Brahman
2
aasakta chitta tayaa
yateh;
due to a mind constantly soaked in it,
the Sannyasi who has mastery over his senses
3 antar-bahir-avijnaanam entertains no distinctions within or without.
4 jeevanmuktasya lakshhanam. This is an indication of the state of a Jivanmukta.

1-3 The Jivanmukta is “soaked” in Bliss – Bliss that totally satisfies, the Bliss of God.
Only such a person can be a master of his senses. Only such a person is able to see no
distinctions, either within himself or in others.

Verse 437: JL-6: An Attitude of Utter Detachment

SåWåûÎlSìrÉÉSÉæ MüiÉïurÉå qÉqÉÉWûqpÉÉuÉuÉÎeÉïiÉÈ |
AÉæSÉxÉÏlrÉålÉ rÉÎxiÉ¸åixÉ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üsÉ¤ÉhÉÈ || 437||

1 deha indriya aadau kartavye Concerning the body, sense organs and one’s duty,
2 mama-aham-bhaava varjitah; he is free of the idea of “I” and “mine”;
3 audaaseenyena yah tishhthet he remains with an attitude of indifference.
4 sa jeevanmukta lakshhanah. This indicates the state of a Jivanmukta.

1-3 Whilst fully conscious and acting with perfection, yet the liberated sage is free
from any sense of doership or enjoyership. He puts in his best, but the motivation is not
selfish; rather, it is a selfless Detachment.

Verse 438: JL-7: Freedom from Transmigration

ÌuÉ¥ÉÉiÉ AÉiqÉlÉÉå rÉxrÉ oÉë¼pÉÉuÉÈ ´ÉÑiÉåoÉïsÉÉiÉç |
pÉuÉoÉlkÉÌuÉÌlÉqÉÑï£üÈ xÉ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üsÉ¤ÉhÉÈ || 438

312

1 vijnaatah aatmanah yasya He has deep-rooted knowledge in respect of the Self;
2
brahmabhaavah
shruteh balaat;
He feels that he is identical with Brahman,
which is in accordance with scriptural assertions;
3 bhava-bandha-vinirmuktah he is completely free from the bondage of rebirth.
4 sa jeevanmukta lakshhanah. He indicates the state of a Jivanmukta.

1-3 The keynote of the Upanishads (Shrutis) is the attainment of Oneness with
Brahman. The sage is defined as one who is One with God. Such a person has all his Karmas
annulled as a result of this Oneness. Hence, there is no rebirth for him hereafter.

Verse 439: JL-8: Beyond All Trace of Individuality

SåWåûÎlSìrÉåwuÉWûqpÉÉuÉ CSqpÉÉuÉxiÉSlrÉMåü |
rÉxrÉ lÉÉå pÉuÉiÉÈ YuÉÉÌmÉ xÉ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£ü CwrÉiÉå || 439||

1
deha indriyeshhu
aham-bhaavah
With regard to the body and sense organs,
having a sense of “I”-ness;
2
idam-bhaavah
tadanyake;
Or having a sense of “this”-ness
with regard to other things;
3 yasya no bhavatah kvaapi he for whom both these feelings are always absent –
4 sa jeevanmukta ishhyate. he indicates the state of a Jivanmukta.

1-3 Here the facet we consider is the sense of “I”-ness or Individuality. He who has
no trace of this sense of Individuality, is a sage.

Verse 440: JL-9: Identity of Jiva & Ishwara

lÉ mÉëirÉaoÉë¼hÉÉåpÉåïSÇ MüSÉÌmÉ oÉë¼xÉaÉïrÉÉåÈ |
mÉë¥ÉrÉÉ rÉÉå ÌuÉeÉÉÌlÉÌiÉ xÉ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üsÉ¤ÉhÉÈ || 440||

1 na pratyag-brahmanoh bhedam Seeing no distinction between the Jiva and Brahman,
2 kadaapi brahmasargayoh; nor at any time between Creation and Brahman;
3 prajnayaa yo vijaaniti he who, through realisation, knows this to be true –
4 sa jeevanmukta lakshhanah. he indicates the state of a Jivanmukta.

1 The Jiva represents creation at a microcosmic or individual level. The individual is
in essence Brahman, the Reality. It looks different from Reality due to its Upadhi or
conditioning of Avidya, which makes it appear as a mere shadow of Brahman.
2 On the other hand, Ishwara represents creation at a macrocosmic or universal
level. Ishwara, too, is in essence Brahman seen through the pure Upadhi of Maya, which
makes it appear omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.
3 Realising the Identity of Ishwara and Jiva is the message of “Tat Twam Asi”.

313

Verse 441: JL-10: Receiving Worship or Torture Alike

xÉÉkÉÑÍpÉÈ mÉÔerÉqÉÉlÉåÅÎxqÉlmÉÏŽqÉÉlÉåÅÌmÉ SÒeÉïlÉæÈ |
xÉqÉpÉÉuÉÉå pÉuÉå±xrÉ xÉ eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üsÉ¤ÉhÉÈ || 441||

1 saadhubhih poojyamaane asmin Though he may be worshipped by the virtuous,
2 peedyamaane api durjanaih; or tortured by those who are wicked;
3 samabhaavah bhavet yasya he who receives both of these with equanimity –
4 sa jeevanmukta lakshhanah. he indicates the state of a Jivanmukta.

1-3 Worship and torture are two extremes in one’s experience. By choosing these
extremes, Equanimity is taken to rare heights in this verse. The sage does not see people as
being wicked or virtuous. Those are labels the world puts on people.

The Story of Paravaliyar Swami
Acharyaji went to great lengths to explain this verse with a beautiful story:
In Tamil Nadu in a small village called Topur in Tirunelveli en route to Rameswaram,
there lived a saint named Paravaliyar Swami. The name means “It’s O.K., all is well, thank
you. Hari Om!” He used to utter this word no matter what happened. He did not know any
Tamil so he used to say “Paravaliyar” to anyone for anything. That is how he got his name.
Once he sat on the roadside in Samadhi for about 5 days. Curious people gathered
around him after the first day, growing in number by the fifth day. There were both critics
who said he was pretending, and devout people who revered him. When he came out of
meditation, the second group invited him to their homes, treated him well, fed him nicely,
etc., and decided to build an Ashram for him in the village.
The Jamindar or landlord of the village was his main host. His family took care of
him. Soon, quite unexpectedly, the Jamindar’s daughter, unmarried, was carrying a child.
The mother pressurised her to tell the truth. The frightened daughter said it was Paravaliyar
Swami. This inflamed the Jamindar and the rest of the village.
All of them went to the Ashram with sticks. Paravaliyar Swami was meditating at the
time. They shook him up, saying, “Enough of your pretence. You had better get out of here.”
Then they gave him a good beating. All the time the saint kept saying, “Paravaliyar”. Every
stone that hit him bounced back with the name “Paravaliyar”.
The saint was given the girl to look after. Soon the child was born. Now there was no
food, since the villagers had abandoned him. Paravaliyar Swami went to work to earn
money to maintain the mother and child. But how long could the girl remain quiet? She
went to her mother one day and confided to her everything. She said her association was
with the neighbour’s son. The embarrassed parents went back to the Ashram and begged
the Mahatma’s pardon.
The Jamindar said, “Please, Mahatmaji, I have made a big mistake. Cut off my
hands!” The saint stood by unaffected. “Paravaliyar” was all he kept saying. When the
hospitality and reverence returned, the saint was as balanced as ever. It meant nothing to
him. They said they will take the daughter and child back. The saint said she was always
theirs only. Such is the state of a true Nirvikari Mahatma!

314

Verse 442: JL-11: True Sannyasa & Liberation

rÉ§É mÉëÌuÉ¹É ÌuÉwÉrÉÉÈ mÉUåËUiÉÉ
lÉSÏmÉëuÉÉWûÉ CuÉ uÉÉËUUÉzÉÉæ |
ÍsÉlÉÎliÉ xÉlqÉÉ§ÉiÉrÉÉ lÉ ÌuÉÌ¢ürÉÉÇ
EimÉÉSrÉlirÉåwÉ rÉÌiÉÌuÉïqÉÑ£üÈ || 442||

1
yatra pravishhtaa
vishhayaah para eeritaa
He In whom enter
the sense objects channelled by others,
2
nadee-pravaahaa iva
vaariraashau linanti;
just as flowing rivers
enter the ocean and merge into it;
3
sanmaatratayaa
na vikriyaam
This is due solely to his absorption in the Absolute;
there is absolutely no change
4
utpaadayanti eshhah
yatih vimuktah.
produced in a person of such realisation.
He is a true Sannyasin; he is truly liberated!

This is the last verse of “Jivanmukta Lakshana”. After baking the cake, Sri Shankara-
charyaji now places a cherry at the top! He finds the perfect simile that sums up the sage. In
addition, Equanimity emerges as the ‘winner’ among all the Jivanmukta’s qualities.
1-2 The waters of rivers are like sense objects. They flow ceaselessly towards the
ocean. The ocean represents the Jivanmukta. The ocean is unaffected by the rivers that
empty themselves into it. So also, the Jivanmukta is unaffected by the objects which are
offered to him by those who take care of him. He is also unaffected by the insults that are
hurled on him by others. In the face of both he maintains his serenity.
3 The lesson is, of course, Equanimity: The saint is so firmly anchored in the Truth
that he is unshaken by whatever he encounters on the surface of life. Whether waves are
dashing upon him, or flowers are being offered to him – it is all the same to him.
The absence of ‘I’ makes him internally independent; the absence of ‘mine’ makes
him externally independent. He is always anchored in the Truth that never fluctuates. He
sees himself as this changeless Truth, his very essence. This is called ‘Brahma Bhava’.

Thus, we come to the end of the description of a realized saint as seen from the
standpoint of the world. The characteristics described are identical to those given in the
Bhagavad Geeta. Shankaracharya has always stood in support of the scriptures; these verses
stand together as a pillar upholding the scriptures.

7.1.3 DISPASSION – the Acid-Test of Jivanmukti (Verses 443-445, 3 no.)

In these final three verses, Sri Shankaracharyaji sums up the state of Jivanmukti. In
unambiguous terms he holds aloft the most essential qualification of Dispassion.

Verse 443: Realisation – Not an Outer Show!

ÌuÉ¥ÉÉiÉoÉë¼iÉ¨uÉxrÉ rÉjÉÉmÉÔuÉïÇ lÉ xÉÇxÉ×ÌiÉÈ |
AÎxiÉ cÉå³É xÉ ÌuÉ¥ÉÉiÉoÉë¼pÉÉuÉÉå oÉÌWûqÉÑïZÉÈ || 443||

315

1 vijnaata-brahma-tattvasya For him who has realized the Essence of Brahman,
2
yathaa poorvam na
samsritih;
as explained above, there is no
reaching out for the sense objects;
3 asti chet na sa vijnaata In the case where there is, know that there is no
4 brahmabhaavo bahirmukhah. realisation of Brahman, but just its outer show!

1-2 The Sthithaprajna does not hanker after sensual pleasures anymore. An amateur
musician may find it hard to play the correct note; the professional musician will find it hard
to play the wrong note! A realized saint will find it impossible to enter into sensual grooves
that have been renounced.
3-4 If he still does, then he is not a realized sage. This is categorically clear with
Bhagavan Shankara. If there is still the outgoing tendency in the person, then it means he is
not a Jivanmukta, but only pretending to be one. There is no second opinion on this matter.

Verse 444: No Excuse for Attachment

mÉëÉcÉÏlÉuÉÉxÉlÉÉuÉåaÉÉSxÉÉæ xÉÇxÉUiÉÏÌiÉ cÉåiÉç |
lÉ xÉSåMüiuÉÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉÉlqÉlSÏ pÉuÉÌiÉ uÉÉxÉlÉÉ || 444||

1 praacheena vaasanaa vegaad “Because of the momentum of past impressions” –
2 asau samsarati iti chet; if this reason is put forward for attachment to objects,
3 na sadekatvavijnaanaan (we answer) No! When there is realisation of the Truth,
4 mandee bhavati vaasanaa. the Vasanas become weakened (and soon die away).

1-2 If the person trots out the typical explanation – “It is only my Prarbdha which is
playing itself out, nothing more serious,” – know that to be merely another excuse. It is a
product of his self-delusion, his resistance to transform his inner nature.
3-4 There can be no possibility of returning to sense gratification for one who has
attained Liberation. On the contrary, one’s desires should be getting weaker, certainly not
stronger.

Verse 445: Even a Sensualist Can Check Himself!

AirÉliÉMüÉqÉÑMüxrÉÉÌmÉ uÉ×Ì¨ÉÈ MÑühPûÌiÉ qÉÉiÉËU |
iÉjÉæuÉ oÉë¼ÍhÉ ¥ÉÉiÉå mÉÔhÉÉïlÉlSå qÉlÉÏÌwÉhÉÈ || 445||

1 atyanta kaamukasya api Even in the case of a downright rake (sensualist),
2 vrittih kunthati maatari; those propensities get checked in a mother’s presence.
3 tathaa eva brahmani jnaate So too, in the presence of Brahman after realisation,
4
poornaanande maneeshhinah.
(vrittih kunthati?)
why can’t he, who is illumined and in Absolute Bliss,
(check his propensities for objects of enjoyment)?

316

1-2 Sri Shankaracharyaji gives a strong example to illustrate his point. He takes the
case of a “down-right rake”, one given totally to carnal lust, and tells us that even such a one
feels ashamed of indulging in lust in the presence of his mother. If such is the case with the
most lusty person, then what to speak of a “realized saint”; what excuse can he have for not
checking himself!
3-4 Brahman is surely superior to one’s mother. If a mother’s presence is a strong
enough deterrent for the most lustful person, how much more deterred would a “sage” be
who is in the presence of Brahman! The shamefulness of returning to worldly ways for one
who considers himself a sage, is clearly brought out, perhaps with the sting of intentional
sarcasm.

The Problem of Self-Delusion
Sometimes it happens that an aspirant prematurely thinks that he has realized the
highest state. This can happen to anyone. Acharyaji says that the biggest delusion in spiritual
life is to think that we have reached the realized state!
Shankaracharya is a Master of self-interrogation; he will not
allow us to become victims of self-delusion!
To cross over Samsara is no mean task. There should be no ups and downs in the
mind. The mind should remain equipoised under all circumstances.
These observations are given not for us to judge others, but to judge ourselves to
see how far we have reached. It is impossible to judge another. For example, Swami
Chinmayanandaji used to express ‘anger’ when people came in late to the class. Some
people would then foolishly judge this and say, “See, he is not a Mahatma!” A saint operates
under many parameters, particularly in running an organization. He has to see that
organizational discipline is not flouted. If he does not do his duty in this manner, he will be
failing his organization.
From one saint to another there are certainly differences, but these are not due to
Vasanas. Each saint has his own operating limitations. A Krishna is not a Rama. A Shiva
cannot be a Narayana. A Ramana Maharshi cannot be a Ramakrishna Paramahansa. But
their differences have nothing to do with Vasanas. There are other reasons which
differentiate one saint from another. When it comes to Vasanas, there is no leeway for
differences. All saints are uniformly free from attachment to sense pleasures.
In the next section, we shall examine the main reason for such differences. It forms
an interesting subject in its own right.

*****

317

7.2 HOW A SAINT HANDLES KARMA

(Verses 446-464, 19 No.)

THE SCRIPTURES RECOGNIZE that in the case of some saints, their nature to do work
draws them to outer associations. Karma Yoga is welcomed by the scriptures. The Geeta
also says that performance of such actions should not be abandoned. In general, one’s
actions and interactions with the world are attributed to “Prarabdha Karma”.
Actions due to one’s Karma and actions due to desire for sensual indulgence are two
very different sources of actions. The previous Chapter drew the curtains on actions
performed with a desire to indulge. In this Chapter, we consider the valid and approved
actions of sages who may feel the compulsion to act in the world in the spirit of Karma Yoga,
with all moral rules and restraints being followed thoroughly.
For example, Swami Vivekananda felt a divine call to spearhead a movement to
spread Vedanta in the West and to work towards the freedom of India. Nothing could stop
him from the dynamic work he undertook. The results of his activity speak for themselves.
The whole country salutes him for laying the foundation of its freedom struggle. And the
whole world salutes him for what he has done to share India’s age-old wisdom. Were it not
for the work he did, Hindus within India would not have mobilised themselves to unite for
the common cause. His was a truly nation-building task done to perfection.

Verse 446: A Saint’s Dealings in the World

ÌlÉÌSkrÉÉxÉlÉzÉÏsÉxrÉ oÉÉ½mÉëirÉrÉ D¤rÉiÉå |
oÉëuÉÏÌiÉ ´ÉÑÌiÉUåiÉxrÉ mÉëÉUokÉÇ TüsÉSzÉïlÉÉiÉç || 446||

1 nididhyaasana-sheelasya Take the case of one who is an adept in meditation.
2 baahyapratyaya eekshhyate; He, too, is seen to still have external dealings.
3 braveeti shrutih etasya In his case, the scriptures declare,
4 praarabdham phaladarshanaat. “It is due only to his Prarabdha (remaining Karmas).”

Verse 447: The Law of Karma in a Nutshell

xÉÑZÉÉ±lÉÑpÉuÉÉå rÉÉuÉ¨ÉÉuÉimÉëÉUokÉÍqÉwrÉiÉå |
TüsÉÉåSrÉÈ Ì¢ürÉÉmÉÔuÉÉåï ÌlÉÎw¢ürÉÉå lÉ ÌWû MÑü§ÉÍcÉiÉç || 447||

1 sukhaadi anubhavah yaavat As long as there is the experience of happiness, etc.,
2 taavat praarabdham ishhyate; so long the work of Prarabdha is seen to persist.
3 phala-udayah kriyaa-poorvah Every result manifests due to a preceding action;
4 nishhkriyah na hi kutrachit. How can there be a result independent of action?

318

THE GENERAL LAW OF KARMA

The Law is universal and applies to all mankind. There are no exemptions to the Law
of Karma. We are talking of people in general, but even realised sages are not exempt from
the Law. Only an extremely self-willed person will not believe that such a law exists.
Vedanta urges us to uphold and obey the Law at all times. It guides us as a mother
and advises us to live within the moral parameters of the Law. We may do whatever we like;
the Law sees to it that we get what is fitting and deserving!
We begin with the verse 447 that lays out the basics of the Law in three Rules:

Rule 1. Joy and Sorrow: How do we know we still have Karma in us? By the
experience of these two. These are the fruits of Karmic reactions. As long as we experience
them, know for certain that Karma is active, that it is still present and working itself out.
Rule 2. Preceding Cause: Every effect must have a Preceding Cause. This is a very
powerful part of the Law. It tells us that nothing happens by chance, bad luck or good luck.
There’s a reason behind every occurence.
Rule 3. Personal Responsibility: The preceding cause lies in us, not somebody else.
We are fully responsible for what we experience in life. Everything that comes our way is
well deserved. We have earned it, good or bad. Others are only the instrumental causes.

[From this point, readers can refer to the diagram “Karma in Different Stages” on the
next page, which depicts the one full lifespan of a human being, from birth to death.]

A. Karma as it Operates in Common Man
The full Karmic History, known as Sanchita Karma, is not shown in the diagram. We
do not know this history, but it extends over an unknown period which may be numerous
births. The joy or sorrow of today was produced at some distant unknown time in the past.
More on Sanchita Karma in a saint’s life is covered later.
Prarabdha Karma is the portion of Sanchita which has been allotted to this birth by
the wisdom of the Creator, Ishwara. It is the producer of this birth. We are all born with a
Prarabdha, which is the height of point A.
Ideally, if we lead a simple life of innocence and obedience to the Law, we move
straight from point A to B – this is the “Prarabdha Line”. By doing only Nitya and Naimittika
Karmas, our prescribed Duties, we go down this line. However, in practice, due to the
performance of actions that are not in line with our spiritual purpose of life, we incur new
Karma. The actual passage of our life goes through three phases, and is described as follows.

1. WORLDLY LIFE: [the green phase] Worldly Life is life lived in ego-centredness. In
practice, we do Kamya and Nishiddha Karmas also, prompted by Desire and Greed. These
are Karma-producing actions that make us follow line A-C. At the time of death, instead of
departing at point B, we depart much higher on the Karma scale. That height is the Agami
Karma we have gathered in this birth and which gets carried forward into Sanchita.
2. SPIRITUAL LIFE: [the yellow phase] If we are fortunate, then at some point C we
come to realise that we are just getting worse day by day, life by life; we have accumulated
Karma that has taken us far above the “Prarabdha Line”. This is the “Turning Point” in life.
We then begin living a good, pure life, by eliminating selfish desire. We start doing Sadhana
to get back to line A-B. This change brings about our spiritual evolution.

319

A
B
C
E
D
BIRTH

DEATH

PRARABDHA KARMA
WORLDLY LIFE SPIRITUAL LIFE REALISED LIFE
Reduction of
Karma due to
SADHANA
Freedom from
Karma due to
REALISATION
Addition of
Karma due to
DESIRE-ACTIONS
“Moment of
Realisation”
“Turning
Point”
KARMA IN DIFFERENT STAGES

320

B. Karma as it Operates in the Realised Sage

3. REALISED LIFE: [the blue phase] Saints have eliminated Desire. They have closed the
tap on new, fresh Karma. Saints accept both Joy & Sorrow with Equanimity. They live on the
“Prarabdha Line” A-B. In addition to this, they acquire Knowledge of the Self by direct
experience. This is the most essential ingredient of sainthood or God-realisation.
4. ALL THREE COMBINED: [the fourth or combined phase] We have seen three phases,
representing Worldly life (green), Spiritual life (yellow), and Realised life (blue). However,
the same person can be in all three in one lifetime. Two other factors about Karma help us
to understand a saint’s life, and compel us to look at it differently:

“Moment of Realisation” – A Point of Reference in Life

We have already noted the “Turning Point” in life (Point C) when we take a U-turn
from worldly to spiritual life. This point marks the start of Sadhana in life. There is also a
second point of reference – the “Moment of Realization” – between yellow and blue. We
have not reached that point yet, but saints have. The Law of Karma applies differently
before and after this point of reference.
Returning to the A-B line at D is a necessary but insufficient condition for realisation.
It gives the best circumstances. Knowledge is the sufficient condition for realisation, point E.

The Three “Frames of Reality”
There are three Frames of Reality:
i) Pratibhasika Satta: “that which shines for some time”, eg. dream or Worldly life.
ii) Vyavaharika Satta: “Transactional” reality, eg. waking or Spiritual life.
iii) Paramarthika Satta: “Absolute” Reality, eg. the Realised life.

Worldly life is like a dream compared to the awakened spiritual life. There is a
change in the Frame of Reality between Sattas. Events in one Satta are not experienced in
the same way in another Satta. One can commit vile deeds in worldly life and feel no regret;
but the same deeds in spiritual life would fill one with remorse. Similarly, Sadhana in
spiritual life requires effort, but in a realised person it is effortless.

7.2.1 SANCHITA KARMA: Past Karma (Verses 448-449)

Verse 448: Sanchita is Annulled On Realisation

AWÇû oÉë¼åÌiÉ ÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉÉiMüsmÉMüÉåÌOûzÉiÉÉÎeÉïiÉqÉç |
xÉÎgcÉiÉÇ ÌuÉsÉrÉÇ rÉÉÌiÉ mÉëoÉÉåkÉÉixuÉmlÉMüqÉïuÉiÉç || 448||

1 aham brahma iti vijnaanaat “I am Brahman” – with this realization,
2 kalpa-koti-shata aarjitam; the earnings of a hundred crore cycles of creation,
3 sanchitam vilayam yaati known as Sanchita Karma, get annulled;
4 prabodhaat svapna-karmavat. like the actions in a dream on waking up.

321

Verse 449: The Validity of Sanchita Karma

rÉiM×üiÉÇ xuÉmlÉuÉåsÉÉrÉÉÇ mÉÑhrÉÇ uÉÉ mÉÉmÉqÉÑsoÉhÉqÉç |
xÉÑmiÉÉåÎijÉiÉxrÉ ÌMüliÉixrÉÉixuÉaÉÉïrÉ lÉUMüÉrÉ uÉÉ || 449||

5 yat kritam svapna-velaayaam Whatever is imagined to be done in one’s dream
6 punyam vaa paapam ulbanam; – whether it be meritorious or intensely sinful –
7 supta utthitasya kim tat syaat on arising from sleep, can all that dream-Karma
8 svargaaya narakaaya vaa. take one to heaven or to hell?

These two verses sum up the Sanchita Karma for a saint.
1-3 Sanchita is the full bundle of all Karmic results of actions done prior to the
moment of realization. When the Self is realized, all this past Karma, regardless of how long
ago it took place and how much there is, is “wiped out” (Vilayam Yaati) according to these
verses.
4-8 There is an appropriate simile given for this – the dream experience. The
experiences that occur in one’s dream do not bind one to any Karmic reactions. No one is
answerable for them. This is accepted in our ordinary existence.

The realm of relevance for Sanchita Karma is the relative phenomenal plane, this
world, where it was earned. It has nothing to do with the Absolute Reality. To the
overwhelming majority of us, every bit of Sanchita is valid.
However, the case is different for the rare soul who gets out of the phenomenal
plane and identifies himself with the Absolute plane. His frame of Reality shifts to the
Paramarthic level. He is no longer in this Vyavaharic plane of reality in which we live. As far
as this world of experience is concerned he is ‘dead’. The person responsible for all those
Karmas does not exist. His files have to be closed!
To anyone who may think that this is unjust, that the saint is getting away ‘scot-free’,
let him undergo the Sadhana that frees him from his Ego, which is the entity responsible for
all that Karma. Then he will understand whether it is fair or unfair!

7.2.2 AGAMA KARMA: Future Karma (Verses 450-451)

Verse 450: Unattached & Indifferent to Agama Karma

xuÉqÉxÉ…¡ûqÉÑSÉxÉÏlÉÇ mÉËU¥ÉÉrÉ lÉpÉÉå rÉjÉÉ |
lÉ ÎzsÉwrÉÌiÉ cÉ rÉÎiMüÎgcÉiMüSÉÍcÉ°ÉÌuÉMüqÉïÍpÉÈ || 450||

1 svam asangam udaaseenam One’s own Self is detached and indifferent,
2 parijnaaya nabho yathaa; just as the sky, by realising well its own nature;
3 na shlishhyati cha yatkinchit Never is it concerned in the least about any type or
4 kadaachit bhaavi-karmabhih. any time of the actions yet to be performed.

322

Verse 451: Unaffected by Agama Karma

lÉ lÉpÉÉå bÉOûrÉÉåaÉålÉ xÉÑUÉaÉlkÉålÉ ÍsÉmrÉiÉå |
iÉjÉÉiqÉÉåmÉÉÍkÉrÉÉåaÉålÉ iÉ®qÉæïlÉæïuÉ ÍsÉmrÉiÉå || 451||

5 na nabhah ghatayogena The sky, by its contact with the jar, is not
6 suraagandhena lipyate; affected by the smell of any liquor in the jar.
7 tathaa aatma upaadhi yogena Even so, the Self, by its contact with the Upadhis,
8 tat dharmaih na eva lipyate. can never be affected by the latter’s properties.

These two verses sum up the Agami Karma for a saint.
1-4 Agami (pronounced ‘Aagaami’) is the Karmic results of actions that will accrue to
us in the future by actions that we do now. Again, as with Sanchita, in ordinary people, for
the Karmas we perform now we will become responsible sooner or later in the future.
But in the case of the realised sage, he does not have his consciousness in the
relative plane but in the Absolute plane. He is not here, but there! He only appears to be
acting here, but his mind is there. There, there is no time frame, no future and past. He is
not concerned at all about good and bad, nor about time. In other words, he has nothing to
do with Karma any more. He remains completely cut off from all Karma.
Technically, the saint is living after the ‘moment of realisation’ reference point. This
frees him from all Karmic bonds. Whatever he does, does not create any Karmic bonds.
There is no debt incurred, so there is nothing to be paid for!
Here again, we may think that this is pure ‘favouritism’ in favour of the saint. We
have to remember that after realization, the saint is not the limited Ego which we are. He
has broken through this barrier.
5-8 An appropriate simile is given for Agami Karma also – the sky. The sky represents
the Absolute level of reality. A bottle of wine represents the Relative plane of reality; the
smell of the wine represents Agami Karma. The sky says, “Let the smell remain in the bottle.
I am untainted by it. It does not affect me.”
In short, the saint has no wine of ego in him; he does not live in the Time/Space
framework of the relative world. He is no longer a ‘human being’ trying to live a spiritual life,
but ‘divine being’ trying to live a worldly life!
Now what remains to be explained is Prarabdha Karma… the most interesting part.

7.2.3 PRARABDHA KARMA: Present Karma (Verses 452-464)

7.2.3.1 From the World’s Standpoint (Verses 452-454)

Verse 452: Prarabdha Has to be Worked Out

¥ÉÉlÉÉåSrÉÉimÉÑUÉUokÉÇ MüqÉï¥ÉÉlÉÉ³É lÉzrÉÌiÉ |
ASiuÉÉ xuÉTüsÉÇ sÉ¤rÉqÉÑÌ¬zrÉÉåixÉ×¹oÉÉhÉuÉiÉç || 452||

323

1
jnaanah udayaat puraa
aarabdham karma
The Karma done before the dawn of Knowledge (realisation),
due to which this very birth is conjured up,
2 jnaanaat na nashyati; does not get destroyed as a result of that Knowledge
3
adatvaa svaphalam
lakshhyam uddishya
without yielding its fruits (i.e. Prarabdha has to work out).
The target that is aimed at
4 utsrishhta baanavat. when an arrow is released, has to be reached by it.

Verse 453: Karma Once Sent, Must Be Spent

urÉÉbÉëoÉÑSèkrÉÉ ÌuÉÌlÉqÉÑï£üÉå oÉÉhÉÈ mÉ¶ÉÉ¨ÉÑ aÉÉåqÉiÉÉæ |
lÉ ÌiÉ¸ÌiÉ ÍNûlÉirÉåuÉ sÉ¤rÉÇ uÉåaÉålÉ ÌlÉpÉïUqÉç || 453||
5
vyaaghra-buddhyaa
vinirmuktah baanah
Consider this example: Thinking an object to be a tiger,
an arrow is shot at it.
6 pashchaat tu gomatau; Seconds later, when the object is recognised to be a cow,
7
na tishhthati chhinati
eva lakshhyam
the arrow does not simply stop, but does its job –
it definitely pierces the target aimed at
8 vegena nirbharam. without any diminishing of its original force.

Verse 454: All Three Karmas Become Ineffectual

mÉëÉUokÉÇ oÉsÉuÉ¨ÉUÇ ZÉsÉÑ ÌuÉSÉÇ pÉÉåaÉålÉ iÉxrÉ ¤ÉrÉÈ
xÉqrÉa¥ÉÉlÉWÒûiÉÉzÉlÉålÉ ÌuÉsÉrÉÈ mÉëÉYxÉÎgcÉiÉÉaÉÉÍqÉlÉÉqÉç |
oÉë¼ÉiqÉæYrÉqÉuÉå¤rÉ iÉlqÉrÉiÉrÉÉ rÉå xÉuÉïSÉ xÉÇÎxjÉiÉÉ-
xiÉåwÉÉÇ iÉÎi§ÉiÉrÉÇ lÉÌWû YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ oÉë¼æuÉ iÉå ÌlÉaÉÑïhÉqÉç || 454||

9
praarabdham balavattaram
khalu vidaam,
bhogena tasya kshhayah
One’s present Karma is very powerful,
even in the case of a realised man;
only by exhausting its fruits can it be destroyed.
10
samyak jnaana hutaashanena
vilayah, praak sanchita
aagaaminaam;
By the fire of perfect knowledge of the Self,
is destroyed all Karma in respect of the past
and the Karma in respect of the future
11
brahma aatmaa ekyam
avekshhya tanmayatayaa ye
sarvadaa samsthitaah
The oneness of Brahman & the Self –
whoever thus realise their identity with That,
henceforth they ever remain firmly fixed in That.
12
teshaam tat tritayam
na hi kvachit api,
brahmaiva te nirgunam.
For them, that whole triad of Karmas
has, indeed, no effect at all wherever they be,
for they are truly the transcendental Brahman!

These three verses tell us what happens in the case of Prarabdha Karma.
1 We are concerned here with the results of all actions done prior to the point of
reference, the ‘moment of realisation’. By definition it is that portion of the total Sanchita
Karma which is responsible for the present birth.
2 The knowledge of the Self does not destroy this Karma as it does the other two.
3 Prarabdha has to run its full course. It cannot be retracted. It will have to take its
course, whether one is realized or not.

324

4 Example 1: It is like an arrow that has already left the bow. It is destined to hit the
target aimed at before it gets exhausted of all its power.
5-8 Example 1 Extended: A reason is given for the above example. When the arrow
is released, I think that the target is a tiger. Seconds after releasing the arrow, I realise that
it is actually a cow. I regret having shot the arrow, and wish I can pull it back. But it’s too late
for that. I have to accept that the arrow will hit the ‘tiger-cow’ in spite of my wish to stop it.
Only after hitting the cow will its force be exhausted and it will stop.
9 So also is it with our Prarabdha Karma. It is an ‘arrow’ that has been shot and will
stop only when this body dies. The very purpose of this body is to work out the Prarabdha.
10 However, we have seen that the knowledge of the Self has the enormous power
to annul Sanchita and Agami Karmas, i.e. past and future actions, but not present Karmas.
11 The above annulment of Karma is solely dependent on the attainment of Oneness
with Brahman. That identity has to be established. That is where the difficulty lies.
12 However, the sage is so totally fixed in the Self, that all three types of Karmas –
past, present and future – have no effect on him whatsoever. What we learn here is that the
realized saint raises himself to a realm in which Karmas have no effect.
Up to verse 454, Sri Shankaracharyaji has placed himself in the shoes of the ordinary
man to make him understand the workings of Prarabdha Karma. The position we end with
is: “Prarabdha cannot be avoided; it has to be exhausted through the body.”

7.2.3.2 From a Dreamer’s Standpoint (Verses 455-458)

Verse 455: When Prarabdha Becomes Meaningless

EmÉÉÍkÉiÉÉSÉiqrÉÌuÉWûÏlÉMåüuÉsÉ-
oÉë¼ÉiqÉlÉæuÉÉiqÉÌlÉ ÌiÉ¸iÉÉå qÉÑlÉåÈ |
mÉëÉUokÉxÉ°ÉuÉMüjÉÉ lÉ rÉÑ£üÉ
xuÉmlÉÉjÉïxÉqoÉlkÉMüjÉåuÉ eÉÉaÉëiÉÈ || 455||

1
upaadhi taadaatmya viheena
kevala- brahma aatmanaa eva
Being free from the limitations of all conditionings,
being absorbed in the non-dual Brahman alone –
2 aatmani tishhthatah muneh; in such a sage, individuality remains only in name.
3
praarabdha sadbhaava
kathaa na yuktaa
Regarding the existence of Prarabdha Karma,
there is no question of having any relation to it.
4
svapnaartha sambandha
kathaa iva jaagratah.
It is like one’s relationship to dream objects –
where is the question when the man gets up?

Verse 456: The “Dream” of a Realised Sage

lÉ ÌWû mÉëoÉÑ®È mÉëÌiÉpÉÉxÉSåWåû
SåWûÉåmÉrÉÉåÌaÉlrÉÌmÉ cÉ mÉëmÉgcÉå |
MüUÉåirÉWûliÉÉÇ qÉqÉiÉÉÍqÉSliÉÉÇ
ÌMüliÉÑ xuÉrÉÇ ÌiÉ¸ÌiÉ eÉÉaÉUåhÉ || 456||

325

5
na hi prabuddhah
pratibhaasa dehe
Indeed, he who has awakened from sleep, is not,
with respect to his dream-body,
6
deha upayogini api cha
prapanche;
very much connected; nor, for that matter
with respect to the dream-world,
7
karoti ahantaam
mamataam idantaam
does he entertain any idea of “I”-ness, or
“mine”-ness, or “this”-ness;
8
kintu svayam tishhthati
jaagarena.
for then (i.e. after realisation), he himself ever lives
as the ‘waker-Self’, i.e. fully awake to his own Self.

Verse 457: The Assertion “Dream is Real”

lÉ iÉxrÉ ÍqÉjrÉÉjÉïxÉqÉjÉïlÉåcNûÉ
lÉ xÉXçaÉëWûxiÉ‹aÉiÉÉåÅÌmÉ SØ¹È |
iÉ§ÉÉlÉÑuÉ×Ì¨ÉrÉïÌS cÉålqÉ×wÉÉjÉåï
lÉ ÌlÉSìrÉÉ qÉÑ£ü CiÉÏwrÉiÉå kÉëÑuÉqÉç || 457||

9
na tasya mithyaa-artha-
samarthana ichchhaa
The dream-objects of him who has just awakened,
are not in need of being proven to be real.
10
na sangrahah tat jagatah
api drishhtah;
So, too, is the continued maintenance of the dream-
world also observed to be (in no need of any proof).
11
tatra anuvrittih yadi chet
mrishhaarthe
If however, there is any attempt to hold on
to the dream-objects as being real,
12
na nidrayaa mukta iti
ishhyate dhruvam.
then, “Not yet free from sleep”
is he emphatically declared to be!

Verse 458: The Saint Experiences Prarabdha as a Dream

iÉ²imÉUå oÉë¼ÍhÉ uÉiÉïqÉÉlÉÈ
xÉSÉiqÉlÉÉ ÌiÉ¸ÌiÉ lÉÉlrÉSÏ¤ÉiÉå |
xqÉ×ÌiÉrÉïjÉÉ xuÉmlÉÌuÉsÉÉåÌMüiÉÉjÉåï
iÉjÉÉ ÌuÉSÈ mÉëÉzÉlÉqÉÉåcÉlÉÉSÉæ || 458||

13
tadvat pare brahmani
vartamaanah
So too, remaining identified with the Reality,
the awakened man
14
sadaa aatmanaa tishhthati
na anyat eekshhate;
always remains in the form of the true Self
and does not perceive anything else.
15
smritih yathaa
svapna vilokitaarthe
Just as one remembers
having seen objects in a dream,
16
tathaa vidah
praashana mochana aadau.
so too, the realised ones remember
the day-to-day acts of eating, releasing, etc.

The Revised Standpoint:
In the above 4 verses, from 455 – 458, we see the author taking us a step beyond the
previous, purely Vyavaharic position. He takes us to somewhere midway between the
Paramarthic experience of Reality and the Vyavaharic experience of this world.

326

1 The shift begins by moving away from the Upadhis, the body-mind complex, which
is so vital for the Vyavaharic experience. Long before becoming a realised sage, the spiritual
seeker has already begun working on freeing himself from these limitations.
2 As this negation of the Upadhis progresses, we see the first results in the
diminishing of the ego-sense which dominated the earlier standpoint. Individuality starts
thinning out. That is the sure sign of spiritual progress.
3 The Prarabdha may be in operation, but what does it matter to the seeker who is
fast heading towards the the state of realisation? “Let Prarabdha have its say,” says the
seeker. “I have little to do with its play. I have no relation with it. I am detached from it.”
4 “It is like a Dream to me.” In this way, Shankaracharyaji shifts us away from the
Vyavaharic and towards the Paramarthic.

Prarabdha Experienced as a “Dream”
5 Let us first look at how we are connected to our own Upadhis in actual dream. As
far as the physical body is concerned, there is as good as no connection; we are not even
conscious of the breathing. There is a slight link only; if someone calls us loudly, we may get
up. As far as the mind Upadhi is concerned, it is busy but in an uncontrolled way. It produces
thought images of its own accord. We are not involved in its workings as we are in the
waking state.
6 Then we have the external Upadhis of the world of objects. Apart from our bed
and bedding and perhaps some air-conditioning, we are not connected with the world very
much. The whole idea here is to show that the spiritual seeker pays less and less attention
to his own Upadhis as well as the world Upadhis.
7-8 For instance, he certainly does not have a sense of possessing anything in dream.
He also has little connection with his individuality. That has gone to sleep as it were. Here
the point to bear is that spiritual growth has begun to make us view everything with much
less input from the Ego, from the mind, and from the body.
9-10 Sri Shankaracharyaji, now goes into the content of the dream and the dream
world. While we were awake, everything we encountered was important. Everything could
be proved by reports from our senses. But in dream, there is no demand for any proof of
any matters that arise.
11-12 We do not pay so much attention to what is going on. Even if we get robbed in
dream, or badly insulted in dream, we pass it by the next moment. If the dream-bank fails, it
is not such a shock to us when we awaken! If dream experiences do ever become
troublesome in the waking state, then it only tells us one thing – that we are still in dream,
we have not woken up yet!

The Application of the Dream Simile
13-14 Just as the act of waking up from a dream causes the dream experience to
dwindle away into an airy nothing, so also the act of awakening to our true Self by dint of
great spiritual effort (Sadhana), causes us to give only “dream” importance to functions in
the external world.
15-16 By this is meant that we view external encounters with greater detachment.
As we begin to get more and more firmly established in the Real spiritual world, we
comensurately begin to attribute more and more ‘unreality’ to our outer world. The world
experiences take on a “dream-like” reality.

327

Prarabdha, being the sum total of our world experience, is thus experienced only as
a dream. There is no substance in it. It loses its power to take a firm grip on our mind.
Thus we shift to a new viewpoint on Prarabdha. The realized sage has ‘woken up’
from his dream of the world, and has awakened into the Reality of the Absolute. He now
experiences the world only as a sort of hazy dream. His daily actions appear to him as
though they are a dream; he does not attach much importance to them.
The new position becomes: “Prarabdha belongs to the body, not to the Atman. As s
the person becomes more conscious of his Atman, Prarabdha appears as a mere dream.”

THE ESSENTIAL TRANSMIGRATING JIVA

What actually transmigrates from birth to birth?
The human being is made up of four Tattwas or Principles: i) the gross body; ii) the
subtle body; iii) the causal body; and iv) the spiritual body or soul, which is the Self.
Of these, we know that the gross body is destroyed at the time of death. It cannot
transmigrate (i.e. take rebirth). We also know that the Self, the spiritual body, is
indestructible, eternal, and all-pervading and ever-pure. It cannot transmigrate. If it did,
then there would never be an end to transmigration! But we know that there is an end to it.
That leaves the subtle body and the causal body with all its Vasanas. These get
‘packed up’ as it were when the body approaches death and transmigrate at death to
resume their work in another body. Of these, the chief item is the Ahamkara, the “I”
thought in the mind. It is the essential part that transmigrates.
However, this Ahamkara cannot transmigrate alone, for it is ‘inert’, being made of
the subtle elements and having no consciousness. What gives the Jiva its ‘doership’ and
‘enjoyership’? The answer is the Chidabhasa or reflected consciousness. Chidabhasa also
transmigrates with Ahamkara from birth after birth. This is the borrowed light of the Self.

TRANSMIGRATING JIVA = CHIDABHASA + AHAMKARA
With the above background, we move ahead with the discussion on Prarabdha in
Viveka Choodamani. Other preliminary texts do not explore Prarabdha in the depth that
Viveka Choodamani does. The detailed account we are encountering on this subject is one
of the special features of this book.

All that has been said so far is only to appease the ‘pestering critic’ who keeps asking
what the saint’s experience must be like. A man rooted in the Vyavaharic level, needs a
Vyavaharic explanation. However, we now move on and raise our standpoint further.
Clearly, Shankaracharyaji seems intent on teaching us something very precious.

7.2.3.3 From the Sage’s Standpoint (Verses 459-461)

Verse 459: Prarabdha Belongs to the Body Only

MüqÉïhÉÉ ÌlÉÍqÉïiÉÉå SåWûÈ mÉëÉUokÉÇ iÉxrÉ MüsmrÉiÉÉqÉç |
lÉÉlÉÉSåUÉiqÉlÉÉå rÉÑ£Çü lÉæuÉÉiqÉÉ MüqÉïÌlÉÍqÉïiÉÈ || 459||

328

1 karmanaa nirmitah dehah The Body has been fashioned by Prarabdha Karma
2 praarabdham tasya kalpyataam; so its Prarabdha, relating to it, may be accepted.
3 na anaadeh aatmanah yuktam But, for the beginningless Self, it is not reasonable
4 naiva aatmaa karma nirmitah. because the Self is never the result of earlier works.

Verse 460: The Self Has Nothing to Do With It

AeÉÉå ÌlÉirÉÈ zÉÉµÉiÉ CÌiÉ oÉëÔiÉå ´ÉÑÌiÉUqÉÉåbÉuÉÉMçü |
iÉSÉiqÉlÉÉ ÌiÉ¸iÉÉåÅxrÉ MÑüiÉÈ mÉëÉUokÉMüsmÉlÉÉ || 460||

5 ajah nityah shaashvata iti The Atman is birthless, eternal and undecaying –
6 broote shrutih amogha vaak; such is the absolute declaration of the Sruti.
7 tat aatmanaa tishhthatah asya For one who lives identified with that Self alone,
8 kutah praarabdhakalpanaa. How can Prarabdha be attributed to such a sage?

Verse 461: It Affects Only the Body-Conscious Jiva

mÉëÉUokÉÇ ÍxÉkrÉÌiÉ iÉSÉ rÉSÉ SåWûÉiqÉlÉÉ ÎxjÉÌiÉÈ |
SåWûÉiqÉpÉÉuÉÉå lÉæuÉå¹È mÉëÉUokÉÇ irÉerÉiÉÉqÉiÉÈ || 461||

9 praarabdham sidhyati tadaa Prarabdha Karma has validity only so long
10 yadaa deha-aatmanaa sthitih; as one lives identified with one’s body.
11 deha-aatma-bhaavah naiva ishtah If body identification is not there, why accept it?
12 praarabdham tyajyataam atah. In such a case, Prarabdha should be rejected.

Firstly, in a philosophic sense the word ‘Body’ (with a capital B) stands for all the
Upadhis, i.e. the gross body and the subtle mind, intellect and egoism.
Shankaracharyaji now feels he has done enough to appease the ignorant, and he
now has to take the serious student ahead to the Truth, which he does very speedily. The
new position is: “From giving Prarabdha just a dream-like reality, he withdraws even that
and gives it no reality as far as the realized saint is concerned.”

Prarabdha is for Body Only
1 There is a two-way relationship between Body and Prarabdha. Firstly, the Body
creates the Prarabdha, and then Prarabdha creates or fashions the next body.
2 The point is that Prarabdha concerns the Body only. If Body matters, then
Prarabdha also matters.
3 But if Body does not matter, then Prarabdha has no relevance. This is the case in a
sage. The sage does not live in Body-consciousness. So, only in his case, Prarabdha theory
can be rejected as inapplicable.
4-6 If the sage is not in his body, where is he? The sage dwells in the Self, his spiritual
Body. The Self has nothing to do with Prarabdha. The Self is Eternal, it has no birth and
death. It is not in Prarabdha’s realm. This is openly declared in all the Upanishads. The Self is
the ultimate Reality.

329

7-8 Body-identification and Self-identification are two opposites. They cannot co-
exist. The sage lives in Self-identification. Prarabdha does not apply to him.
9-10 Prarabdha pertains only to the body. It is valid only for one who lives in Body-
consciousness. “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar” – Prarabdha belongs to body.
11-12 What has the realized saint to do with Prarabdha? He lives his life fully
immersed in the Atman alone.Why should he now bother about any Prarabdha? In his case,
the attitude towards Prarabdha is quite clear – he should give it no recognition at all as
something that pertains only to the body, and he has no business with it!

But Shankaracharyaji is not happy leaving us with a two-sided coin. He wants us to
know the actual Truth, and be with the Truth alone. He wants to take us into Non-duality!
In the next three verses, he drops what might be called a bombshell by the casual
intellect of the worldly person. However, one who is a Jignasu, i.e. someone who is thirsting
for spiritual growth, will be inspired and galvanised into more intense Sadhana.

7.2.3.4 From the Absolute Standpoint (Verses 462-464)

Verse 462: Prarabdha Itself is an Illusion

zÉUÏUxrÉÉÌmÉ mÉëÉUokÉMüsmÉlÉÉ pÉëÉÎliÉUåuÉ ÌWû |
AkrÉxiÉxrÉ MÑüiÉÈ xÉ¨uÉqÉxÉirÉxrÉ MÑüiÉÉå eÉÌlÉÈ |
AeÉÉiÉxrÉ MÑüiÉÉå lÉÉzÉÈ mÉëÉUokÉqÉxÉiÉÈ MÑüiÉÈ | 462||

1 shareerasya api praarabdha To attribute Prarabdha even to the body
2 kalpanaa bhraantih eva hi; is itself decidedly an illusionary imagination!
3 adhyastasya kutah sattvam How can there be existence for a superimposition?
4 asatyasya kutah janih; How can there be a birth for that which is unreal?
5 ajaatasya kutah naashah For something never born, how can there be death?
6 praarabdham asatah kutah. How can there be Prarabdha for something unreal?

Verse 463: Prarabdha is Only a Relative Theory!

¥ÉÉlÉålÉÉ¥ÉÉlÉMüÉrÉïxrÉ xÉqÉÔsÉxrÉ sÉrÉÉå rÉÌS |
ÌiÉ¸irÉrÉÇ MüjÉÇ SåWû CÌiÉ zÉƒ¡ûÉuÉiÉÉå eÉQûÉlÉç
xÉqÉÉkÉÉiÉÑÇ oÉÉ½SØwšÉ mÉëÉUokÉÇ uÉSÌiÉ ´ÉÑÌiÉÈ | || 463||

7 jnaanena ajnaana kaaryasya By knowledge, the effects of ignorance,
8 samoolasya layah yadi; root and all, are destroyed. DOUBT: “If that is so,
9 tishhthati ayam katham deha iti how does this body continue to remain alive?”
10 shankaavatah jadaan; ANSWER: To appease those who entertain such gross doubts,
11 samaadhaatum baahyadrishhtyaa an answer is given from a relative standpoint:
12 praarabdham vadati shrutih. the Shruti hypothesises the theory of Prarabdha.

330

Verse 464: Prarabdha – Only a Means to Point Out Reality

lÉ iÉÑ SåWûÉÌSxÉirÉiuÉoÉÉåkÉlÉÉrÉ ÌuÉmÉÍ¶ÉiÉÉqÉç |
rÉiÉÈ ´ÉÑiÉåUÍpÉmÉëÉrÉÈ mÉUqÉÉjÉæïMüaÉÉåcÉUÈ || 464||

13 na tu dehaadi satyatva Not for proving the reality of body, etc.,
14 bodhanaaya vipashchitaam; have the men of realisation proposed such theories.
15 yatah shruteh abhipraayah It is because the Upanishads are, without exception,
16 paramaartha eka gocharah. striving to point out the one Supreme Reality.

“ABSOLUTE” BRILLIANCE!

The Great Master now drives home the absolute Truth in crystal clear terms. All
previous theories that were presented step by step to this point get jettisoned. They yield in
order to make way for the uncompromised standpoint of Truth. Now, without mincing his
words, the Master lays out the bare fact of the matter.
Acharyaji added some spice to the argument, too, saying, “If we are true students of
Sandeepany, then for none of these questions will we answer a ‘Yes’. They are rhetorical
questions, begging us to see the Absolute for ourselves. This is the mark of a great Teacher –
he takes us from the known to the Unknown.”
Acharyaji was at the peak of his own role as an outstanding Teacher. He placed
before us the following imaginative flood of words coming to us from Shankaracharyaji. If
we were physically in his presence, this is what he would have wanted to tell us:
“The body is not there. Why are you counting the stripes on a false snake? – First
Sanchita, then Agami, then Prarabdha – what is all this? What makes you do this to me? You
are merely seeing castles in the air!
“Where is birth and death for an unreal, non-existent body? So how can there be any
Prarabdha for such a body, if the body itself is not there? Come, my dear students, open your
eyes. What are you interested in – stories or the Truth? What is it? Let’s mean business.
Forget all about Prarabdha.Get down to something serious.”
This is how Shankaracharyaji came alive to us through the brilliant effort of
Acharyaji. It really was a fitting grand finale that we were approaching as we neared the end
of the teaching portion of the book, Part VII. There are many in the class who would have
liked that moment to have got frozen and etched into their memories. It was unforgettable
to be in the class at that moment! Vedanta had come alive!

1 When one goes to the mountain top, even huge trucks appear as ants crawling up
and down the freeway. In the same way, as we rise to higher standpoints, the concept of
Prarabdha changes. It began as a refined philosophical concept to resolve the mystery
surrounding man’s destiny. The first change was to see it dwindle down to a “dream”. Next
it was relegated to the level of no recognition. Now, from the mountain-top of Absolute
Reality, even that is considered too generous. The new position is “Prarabdha is now
refused even an existence; it is given a status no higher than illusionary imagination”!

331

3-6 A series of searching questions are posed. They do not wait for an answer to
come from us. It is almost as if we dare not say “Yes” to these questions; that is the spirit
that comes forth from their tone. The Master has no time now to make us linger undecided
about the Absolute Truth. He has been yearning to deliver this from the very outset. Now
his moment has come.

The Hypothesis of Prarabdha
The moment has arrived for Sri Shankaracharyaji to lift the veil over our intellects.
7-8 The great Teacher always had a deep faith in knowledge all his life. His life was
an exposition of knowledge. To him, it was the only way to deal effectively with ignorance.
9 This insistence on knowledge and reason sometimes puzzled his opponents. Here,
we see a typical reaction of an opponent. He asks, “If knowledge were so powerful, then
why can’t it just burn the body itself, so that we do not have to bother about this existence
at all?” Sadly, his opponents found the light of his Knowledge too bright to hide their
ignorance!
10-12 The effect of Ajnana has been theorized by the Shastras for those ‘fools’ (like
all of us) who wish to hold on to intellectual theories to allay our doubts. The saints allow us
to do that to a limited extent, for they know how insidious DOUBTS can be to a seeker on the
path of Knowledge. They are ready to give us the intellectual pegs to hang our doubts on, as
long as we do not hang them there forever. When the time is ripe, they are just as ready to
dismantle all those theories in our mind, and plant the seeds of Truth in it.

Dismantling the Hypothesis
13-14 So, we are asked to dismantle Prarabdha. Why not? The Upanishads did not
put forward all these theories just to prove the ‘reality of the body’! That would have been
too cheap. It was purely to provide an intellectual crutch for the seeker to lean on. One can
see this a great compassion for the student. The theories are an effort to help the disciple
out of intellectual ‘traffic jams’.
15-16 Once that purpose is served, it is time for the bare Truth to be revealed. The
sole intention of the Shastras is to lead us to the Truth, coaxingly if possible, but by force if
necessary.

*****

332

7.3 “BRAHMAN ALONE IS THERE”

(Verses 465-471, 7 No.)

WE ARE ALMOST AT the end of the Teachings presented in Viveka Choodamani. Sri
Shankaracharyaji enters the concluding mode in this monumental work. He now presents
seven exquisite verses pointing the way to Unity, which is the climax of his spiritual message
to the world. Yul Bruyner and his team may well call it the “Magnificent Seven” of Vedanta!
The Upanishads have only one purpose – to take us from the Plurality
that we see, to the Unity that is actually the only thing that is there!
A Tribute to Sri Shankaracharyaji
These seven verses need no elaboration. Acharyaji also did not expand on them, but
asked us to chant them with him as our way of paying tribute to the great Master who
composed them. Instilling in us love for the great Master of such a unique spiritual classic
was always a warm undercurrent in Acharyaji’s words throughout these lectures.
Padas 3-4 are the same in all the seven verses, emphasizing the Non-duality. They
also have the effect of being the ‘surname’ for the whole family of verses.

Verse 465: Brahman – the Non-dual Reality

mÉËUmÉÔhÉïqÉlÉÉ±liÉqÉmÉëqÉårÉqÉÌuÉÌ¢ürÉqÉç |
LMüqÉåuÉÉ²rÉÇ oÉë¼ lÉåWû lÉÉlÉÉÎxiÉ ÌMügcÉlÉ || 465||

1 paripoornam anaadi antam Infinite, full and complete, without beginning or end,
2 aprameyam avikriyam; incomparable and changeless –
3 ekam eva advayam brahma such is the one and only Non-dual Reality (Brahman);
4 na iha naanaa asti kinchana. in It there is no duality whatsoever.

Verse 466: Absolute Existence-Knowledge-Bliss

xÉ«lÉÇ ÍcÉ«lÉÇ ÌlÉirÉqÉÉlÉlSbÉlÉqÉÌ¢ürÉqÉç |
LMüqÉåuÉÉ²rÉÇ oÉë¼ lÉåWû lÉÉlÉÉÎxiÉ ÌMügcÉlÉ || 466||

1 sad-ghanam chid-ghanam nityam It is ever the essence of Existence & Knowledge,
2 aananda-ghanam akriyam; ever the essence of Bliss Eternal, devoid of all activity;
3 ekam eva advayam brahma there is only the one Non-dual Reality (Brahman);
4 na iha naanaa asti kinchana. in It there is no duality whatsoever.

333

Verse 467: The Subject Within All

mÉëirÉaÉåMüUxÉÇ mÉÔhÉïqÉlÉliÉÇ xÉuÉïiÉÉåqÉÑZÉqÉç |
LMüqÉåuÉÉ²rÉÇ oÉë¼ lÉåWû lÉÉlÉÉÎxiÉ ÌMügcÉlÉ || 467||

1 pratyag ekarasam poornam The subject within all is homogenous and infinite;
2 anantam sarvatah mukham; It is endless and all-pervading;
3 ekam eva advayam brahma there is only the one Non-dual Reality (Brahman);
4 na iha naanaa asti kinchana. in It there is no duality whatsoever.

Verse 468: Unrejectable, Unreceivable

AWåûrÉqÉlÉÑmÉÉSårÉqÉlÉÉSårÉqÉlÉÉ´ÉrÉqÉç |
LMüqÉåuÉÉ²rÉÇ oÉë¼ lÉåWû lÉÉlÉÉÎxiÉ ÌMügcÉlÉ || 468||

1 aheyam anupaadeyam It cannot be subtracted from or added to anything; and
2
anaadeyam
anaashrayam;
nothing can be added to or subtracted from it;
it is the support or Substratum of all;
3 ekam eva advayam brahma there is only the one Non-dual Reality (Brahman);
4 na iha naanaa asti kinchana. in It there is no duality whatsoever.

Verse 469: Without Disturbance or Taint

ÌlÉaÉÑïhÉÇ ÌlÉwMüsÉÇ xÉÔ¤qÉÇ ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉÇ ÌlÉUgeÉlÉqÉç |
LMüqÉåuÉÉ²rÉÇ oÉë¼ lÉåWû lÉÉlÉÉÎxiÉ ÌMügcÉlÉ || 469||

1 nirgunam nishhkalam sookshhmam Free from qualities and parts; very subtle;
2 nirvikalpam niranjanam; free from disturbances and taintless;
3 ekam eva advayam brahma there is only the one Non-dual Reality (Brahman);
4 na iha naanaa asti kinchana. in It there is no duality whatsoever.

Verse 470: Incomprehensible, Ungraspable

AÌlÉÃmrÉ xuÉÃmÉÇ rÉlqÉlÉÉåuÉÉcÉÉqÉaÉÉåcÉUqÉç |
LMüqÉåuÉÉ²rÉÇ oÉë¼ lÉåWû lÉÉlÉÉÎxiÉ ÌMügcÉlÉ || 470||

1 aniroopya svaroopam yat It is incomprehensible with regard to its real nature;
2 mano-vaachaam-agocharam; It is beyond the reach of mind and speech;
3 ekam eva advayam brahma there is only the one Non-dual Reality (Brahman);
4 na iha naanaa asti kinchana. in It there is no duality whatsoever.

334

Verse 471: Self-existing, Self-evident

xÉixÉqÉ×®Ç xuÉiÉÈÍxÉ®Ç zÉÑ®Ç oÉÑ®qÉlÉÏSØzÉqÉç |
LMüqÉåuÉÉ²rÉÇ oÉë¼ lÉåWû lÉÉlÉÉÎxiÉ ÌMügcÉlÉ || 471||

1 satsamriddham svatahsiddham Pure Existence, full and infinite, self-evident;
2 shuddham buddham aneedrisham; Pure, intelligent, unlike anything finite;
3 ekam eva advayam brahma there is only the one Non-dual Reality (Brahman);
4 na iha naanaa asti kinchana. in It there is no duality whatsoever.

*****

335

7.4 CONCLUSION OF THE TEACHING

(Verses 472-479, 8 No.)

IN THIS THE LAST Chapter of Part 7, Sri Shankaracharyaji brings the teaching to a
conclusion. He rounds off the Guru’s instructions to his student in eight compact verses.
These contain the gist of what he has been teaching in the book.

Guru as Mother: Types of Mothers
Among living beings there are three types of mothers:
i) Kukuta Mother: This is the “bird mother”. She lays her eggs and then, getting as
close to them as she can, under the loving warmth of her body, she hatches them into life.
ii) Matsya Mother: This is the “fish mother”. Having laid her eggs, the mother fish
swims around and around, sending her loving looks on them, till out come the little ones.
iii) Kamatha Mother: This is the “tortoise mother”. She places her eggs on the shore,
then goes back into the water. But her heart is always on the eggs. She sends her loving
thoughts to the eggs. With this constant endearing thought, she ‘hatches’ the eggs on the
shore with the power of her love!
Acharyaji told us how Pujya Gurudev was an unusual Mother. He used all three
methods on them! “He gave us the physical warmth of his love; he kept his watchful eye on
us to keep us in line; and when he went on his many tours, he also kept us in his thoughts
always, writing back to us quite often.”
The Guru as mother is a perfect depiction of the ideal Guru-disciple relationship.
Howevermuch a Guru may touch or not touch, teach or not teach his disciples, it is his LOVE
that really transforms them into the likeness of Brahman the Supreme.

Verse 472: Summary of All Yoga Sadhanas

ÌlÉUxiÉUÉaÉÉ ÌuÉÌlÉUxiÉpÉÉåaÉÉÈ
zÉÉliÉÉÈ xÉÑSÉliÉÉ rÉiÉrÉÉå qÉWûÉliÉÈ |
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉrÉ iÉ¨uÉÇ mÉUqÉåiÉSliÉå
mÉëÉmiÉÉÈ mÉUÉÇ ÌlÉuÉ×ïÌiÉqÉÉiqÉrÉÉåaÉÉiÉç || 472||

1
nirasta-raagaah
vinirasta-bhogaah
Noble-hearted renunciates who are rid of attachments,
who have very well given up all sense enjoyments;
2
shaantaah sudaantaah
yatayah mahaantah;
who are of calm mind and well-controlled,
masters of their senses, identified with the inner Self;
3
vijnaaya tattvam
param etat ante
having fully realised the Truth principle
which is Supreme – such people at the end of this life
4
praaptaah paraam
nirvritim aatmayogaat.
gain that Supreme One (become Him themselves).
Complete happiness is the result of their realisation.

336

All the Yoga Sadhanas taught by the Guru are outlined in this verse as a reference:

Karma Yoga 1. Rid of attachments;
2. Rid of desire for sense enjoyments;
Raja Yoga 3. Of calm and well-controlled mind;
4. Conquest over senses;
Bhakti Yoga 5. Identified with the inner Self;
Jnana Yoga 6. Knowing fully the Truth principle;
Phala Attainment of complete happiness, emancipation, liberation.

Verse 473: DISCRIMINATION Destroys Delusion

pÉuÉÉlÉmÉÏSÇ mÉUiÉ¨uÉqÉÉiqÉlÉÈ
xuÉÃmÉqÉÉlÉlSbÉlÉÇ ÌuÉcÉÉrÉï |
ÌuÉkÉÔrÉ qÉÉåWÇû xuÉqÉlÉÈmÉëMüÎsmÉiÉÇ
qÉÑ£üÈ M×üiÉÉjÉÉåï pÉuÉiÉÑ mÉëoÉÑ®È || 473||

1
bhavaan api idam
paratattvam aatmanah
You, too, O glorious seeker, can attain this
the inner Self which is the Truth unsurpassed;
2
svaroopam aananda-ghanam
vichaarya;
whose very nature is full of Absolute Bliss.
By the application of thorough Discrimination,
3
vidhooya moham
svamanah prakalpitam
you can shake off the primal Delusion,
which you have created within your own mind.
4
muktah kritaarthah
bhavatu prabuddhah.
Thus, being liberated and totally fulfilled in life,
O glorious one, may you remain ever illumined!

1-2 Each of the six Yogas listed in the previous verse has to have one common factor
in order to make it successful. That factor is Viveka or “Discrimination”. This is what the
Guru has been teaching consistently in this text, Viveka Choodamaani.
3-4 And what is the object of applying discrimination to every Sadhana we practise?
It is to remove the deep-seated Moham or “Delusion” from every corner of our personality,
at all levels and facets of our being.
Thus is the Purpose of Human Life (Part 1) attained. By discrimination alone, the
student can be totally fulfilled and liberated from all worldly misery, as he had sought in his
seven questions in verse 49.

Verse 474: KNOWLEDGE Removes All Doubts

xÉqÉÉÍkÉlÉÉ xÉÉkÉÑÌuÉÌlÉ¶ÉsÉÉiqÉlÉÉ
mÉzrÉÉiqÉiÉ¨uÉÇ xTÑüOûoÉÉåkÉcÉ¤ÉÑwÉÉ |
ÌlÉÈxÉÇzÉrÉÇ xÉqrÉaÉuÉåÍ¤ÉiÉ¶Éå-
cNíÓûiÉÈ mÉSÉjÉÉåï lÉ mÉÑlÉÌuÉïMüsmrÉiÉå || 474||

337

1
samaadhinaa saadhu
vinishchala aatmanaa
Become thoroughly absorbed in the Self
by rendering your mind steady and quiet.
2
pashya aatma-tattvam sphuta
bodha-chakshhushhaa;
Perceive clearly the nature of the Self
with the “Eye of Knowledge”.
3
nihsamshayam
samyag avekshhitah chet
If, without a trace of doubt
and with perfect understanding,
4
shrutah padaarthah
na punah vikalpyate.
the declarations of the scriptures are grasped, then
never again will there be any more scepticism.

Parts 2, 3, and 4 are covered in this verse – namely, Sravana, Manana and
Nididhyasana.
1 Absorption in the Self is achieved through Nididhyasana.
2 Through Sravana, the “eye of knowledge” is opened and the nature of the Self is
understood.
3-4 Through Manana, all doubts are cleared and understanding is rendered perfect.
The Guru is saying, “Well, I have given you everything you need to know. Now you
have to work on it and make it your own experience. Destroy all the lurking Vasanas that
stand between you and Liberation.”

Verse 475: The Means of Self-Realisation

xuÉxrÉÉÌuÉ±ÉoÉlkÉxÉqoÉlkÉqÉÉå¤ÉÉ-
ixÉirÉ¥ÉÉlÉÉlÉlSÃmÉÉiqÉsÉokÉÉæ |
zÉÉx§ÉÇ rÉÑÌ£üSåïÍzÉMüÉåÌ£üÈ mÉëqÉÉhÉÇ
cÉÉliÉÈÍxÉ®É xuÉÉlÉÑpÉÔÌiÉÈ mÉëqÉÉhÉqÉç || 475||

1
svasya avidyaa bandha
sambandha mokshhaat
i) The bondage of ignorance related to oneself –
when one is permanently released from that bondage;
2
satya jnaana aananda
roopa aatma labdhau;
ii) Existence, Knowledge and Bliss – when, in these
three forms the Self is fully realised;
3
shaastram yuktih deshika
uktih pramaanam
iii) The scriptures, logical reasoning and the teacher’s
utterances – when these are the means followed; and
4
cha antah siddhaah sva
anubhootih pramaanam.
iv) The accomplishment in one’s own mind, the
subjective experience of Self - this is the final means.

The Pramana (Means) to be Followed
Four means are listed that guarantee that the goal is reached. They are:
1 i) Renunciation of all ignorant attachment to the world that causes bondage.
2 ii) The realization of the Self as Sat-Chit-Ananda.
3 iii) The means approved by the Scriptures are meticulously obeyed.
4 iv) One has the Direct Experience of the Self. This is the best and final means.
The Guru continues: “While the Sadhana is being done, constant referral has to be
made to the above four means to ensure realisation. The words of the scriptures are the

338

highest Pramana or authority to clear your doubts. Ultimately, it is your own experience that
really matters. You taste it, and see what it is like! You are the final proof that is needed.
“Now you take the scriptures as your umbrella. When you realize the Truth, you will
become the umbrella for the scriptures.”

Verse 476: Importance of Personal Experience

oÉlkÉÉå qÉÉå¤É¶É iÉ×ÎmiÉ¶É ÍcÉliÉÉÅÅUÉåarÉ¤ÉÑkÉÉSrÉÈ |
xuÉålÉæuÉ uÉå±É rÉe¥ÉÉlÉÇ mÉUåwÉÉqÉÉlÉÑqÉÉÌlÉMüqÉç || 476||

1
bandhah mokshhah cha
triptih cha
Liberation from bondage, together with
the contentment that is associated with
2
chintaa aarogya
kshhudhaa aadayah;
being free from the anxiety of diseases,
hunger and all the afflictions of body and mind –
3
svenaiva vedyaa
yat jnaanam
these can be known directly by oneself;
hence, they form the primary or direct Knowledge;
4
pareshhaam
aanumaanikam.
Others can know of these only indirectly,
hence, to them it is mere inferential knowledge.

This verse impresses on the disciple the importance of relying on his own
experience, rather than the reports of others. “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”
1-2 Liberation is a personal experience. Other personal experiences which are
accepted beyond doubt are: feeling of contentment, being free from anxiety, being free
from afflictions.
3 All four of the above are in the category of direct personal experiences. No one
else is needed to tell us we are experiencing them.
4 What others think or say abour own experience is just indirect knowledge. It does
not have to be given value in our spiritual journey.
Acharyaji said: “Only you can tell when you are feeling sick. Only you can tell when
you are hungry. Whether you are contented or anxious is known only to you, not others.
Even so only you will know whether you are still in bondage or have become free.That is all
that matters to you.”

Verse 477: Grace & Self-Effort Work Together

iÉOûÎxjÉiÉÉ oÉÉåkÉrÉÎliÉ aÉÑUuÉÈ ´ÉÑiÉrÉÉå rÉjÉÉ |
mÉë¥ÉrÉæuÉ iÉUåÌ²²ÉlÉÏµÉUÉlÉÑaÉ×WûÏiÉrÉÉ || 477||

1 taTasthitaah bodhayanti From the shore across, giving directions & knowledge,
stand the Gurus and even the scriptures (with help). 2 guravah shrutayah yathaa;
3
prajnayaa eva
taret vidvaan
But only by his own efforts and desire for illumination,
does the true seeker cross over (to the other side),
4 eeshvara anugriheetayaa. invoking all the time the Grace of the Lord.

339

Another key point to remember throughout our spiritual journey is that our own
effort is most important. When we put in our best, then God responds with the necessary
Grace to give us a little push.

1-2 Grace of God: The actual figure of speech describes the Guru as “standing on
the other bank” and calling out to the disciple the instructions on how to steer past the
obstacles in the river of Samsara. Help from the Guru and the scriptures are to be
considered as signs of God’s Grace. Grace of God is there, but it works commensurate with
the self-effort of the disciple.
3-4 With all the help he gets, it is the disciple who has to make the effort to get
across the troubled waters of Life. Of course, it is granted that the effort to call on God for
His Grace is also a form of self-effort. But that is not the only form we should use. It has to
be accompanied by more concrete forms as well.
Acharyaji remembered Gurudev’s well-known dictum: “From the alone to the Alone
– all alone!” He added, “This is a private enterprise, not a collective endeavour. Here we
cannot delegate Vairagya to one person, Viveka to another, reasoning to a third, and
surrender to God to a fourth! All the Sadhana has to be done by the seeker himself. Grace is
there, but we have to co-operate fully.”

Verse 478: A Personal “Mirror” to Check Out Realisation

xuÉÉlÉÑpÉÔirÉÉ xuÉrÉÇ ¥ÉÉiuÉÉ xuÉqÉÉiqÉÉlÉqÉZÉÎhQûiÉqÉç |
xÉÇÍxÉ®È xÉqqÉÑZÉÇ ÌiÉ¸åÍ³ÉÌuÉïMüsmÉÉiqÉlÉÉÅÅiqÉÌlÉ || 478||

1
sva-anubhootyaa
svayam jnaatvaa
Thus one’s own desire to experience the true Self
together with the knowledge (from Guru & scriptures)
2 svam aatmaanam akhanditam; result in the realisation of one’s Eternal Being.
3
samsiddhah sat
mukham tishhthet
The sage of perfect realisation of the Absolute Truth
stands face to face before the Atman,
4 nirvikalpa aatmanaa aatmani. with his mind free from all concepts of dualism.

The closeness to oneself is emphasised beautifully in this simple verse. We are called
upon to let go of all our pet ideas and mental dogmas, and stand with a blank mind before
God within.
1-2 This consolidates the ideas on Grace and self-effort of the previous verse.
3-4 How does one know that he has realised the Self? It is like asking how do I know I
am myself? I look into the mirror. The seeker does the same – he stands “face to face”
before his own Atman!
There is a more impersonal way offered by Shankaracharyaji. It gives us a second
opinion. It is this: We observe the mind carefully and see if it can remain free of all thoughts,
free of all concepts. It requires only honesty to oneself to do that. In case we are not sure,
one clue to find out is to examine how much we are still in duality. If we see the slightest
difference between our Self and any other object or being, then we can conclude that we
are in duality. More Sadhana is needed to be totally in Non-duality or Oneness.

340

Verse 479: The Conclusion: Be Rooted in Brahman!

uÉåSÉliÉÍxÉ®ÉliÉÌlÉÂÌ£üUåwÉÉ
oÉë¼æuÉ eÉÏuÉÈ xÉMüsÉÇ eÉaÉŠ |
AZÉhQûÃmÉÎxjÉÌiÉUåuÉ qÉÉå¤ÉÉå
oÉë¼ÉÌ²iÉÏrÉå ´ÉÑiÉrÉÈ mÉëqÉÉhÉqÉç || 479||

1
vedaanta siddhaanta
niruktih eshhaa
Of all Vedantic and philosophical discussions
the final opinion is this:
2
brahma eva jeevah
sakalam jagat cha;
i) Brahman alone is the individual entity
as well as the entire manifested world;
3
akhanda-roopa sthitih
eva mokshhah
ii) To be ever rooted in the indivisible entity
alone is called Liberation;
4
brahma adviteeye
shrutayah pramaanam.
iii) The statement that Brahman is Non-dual
has its authority in the scriptures.

And so the Guru comes to his final sentence to the disciple. With all the strength at
his command, he gives the final push to the disciple’s boat and sends it away on its journey
to the other shore. He does not fail to impart to it the only direction it needs – the Truth.
The push is accompanied by the famous Mantra Tat Twam Asi, “That Thou Art”.
A personal touch is added: “That is the route, my dear son. Keep going straight and
don’t look here and there. Especially don’t turn around and look backwards with longing at
what you are leaving. You will surely get there soon. God bless you, O brave one!”
Thus, with tears of joy in his eyes and confidence in his voice, the Guru bids the
disciple God-speed in this venture of all ventures. In the next Part, we shall hear a report
from the disciple on his adventure along this journey.

END OF PART 7

*****

341

VIVEKA CHUDAMANI – Vol.4

PART 8: (Verses 480-520) 41 Verses

FEEDBACK – From the Disciple

8.1 INTRODUCTION to FEEDBACK

(Verses 480-481, 2 No.)

FEEDBACK IS ESSENTIAL in any teaching programme. Part 8 invites the disciple to
give his account of what he has experienced in his Sadhana. It is a response that the Guru is
eagerly waiting for, just as a doctor waits to hear from his patient of his progress.
The Guru had last given the instruction that matters, Tat Twam Asi, “That Thou Art”
It is the instruction that leaves the disciple with a lot to do. It is the biggest assignment of his
life. How long it takes to return and give the report varies for each disciple. When the time is
right, the effort is right, and the Guru’s Grace, too, flows in abundant measure, the awaited
day comes when the disciple returns full of exciting news for the Guru.
In the next 40 verses, the disciple presents to his Guru what happened to him since
leaving his Guru and plunging himself in the practice of his instructions. It is a report that
brings gladness to the heart of the Guru. There is nothing more rewarding for a Guru than to
see his disciple grow into the likeness of God.

Verse 480: The Disciple on the Road to Illumination

CÌiÉ aÉÑÂuÉcÉlÉÉcNíÓûÌiÉmÉëqÉÉhÉÉiÉç
mÉUqÉuÉaÉqrÉ xÉiÉ¨uÉqÉÉiqÉrÉÑYirÉÉ |
mÉëzÉÍqÉiÉMüUhÉÈ xÉqÉÉÌWûiÉÉiqÉÉ
YuÉÍcÉScÉsÉÉM×üÌiÉUÉiqÉÌlÉ¸iÉÉåÅpÉÔiÉç || 480||

1
iti guru-vachanaat
shruti-pramaanaat
Thus through the words of the Guru, and
the authoratative pronouncements of scripture;
2
param avagamya
satattvam aatmayuktyaa;
having apprehended steadily the Supreme Truth
and grasped its true nature by one’s own reasoning;
3
prashamita karanah
samaahit-aatmaa
with one’s senses duly controlled (drawn in),
and the mind steadily fixed in illumination;
4
kvachit achalaa-kritih
aatmanishhthatah abhoot.
at an auspicious moment, motionless in his seat,
the disciple becomes firmly established in the Self.

342

Abhyaasa, meaning “repetition” in this case, is one of the Shad-Vidha Lingas or the
sixfold signs by which the secret knowledge of a spiritual text can be extracted. Here the
teacher repeats the steps that the disciple has to practise in Vedantic Sadhana:
1 Sravana: This is the hearing of the words of the Guru and learning under his
guidance the scriptural texts.
2 Manana: This is the deep enquiry into what was heard and learnt so that all doubts
about the knowledge are removed.
3 Nididhyasana: This is the stage when the disciple, having controlled his senses well,
begins the practice of meditation in order to steady his mind.
4 Savikalpa Samadhi: This is when the disciple has his first glimpse of the Reality
while sitting motionless in body as well as mind, and fixing his attention solely on his Self.
When this state becomes “firmly established” over time, it is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

Verse 481: An Overflow of Bliss – he Gets Up!

ÌMüÎgcÉiMüÉsÉÇ xÉqÉÉkÉÉrÉ mÉUå oÉë¼ÍhÉ qÉÉlÉxÉqÉç |
EijÉÉrÉ mÉUqÉÉlÉlSÉÌSSÇ uÉcÉlÉqÉoÉëuÉÏiÉç || 481||

1 kinchit kaalam samaadhaaya When, for some time he remains steady and merges
2 pare brahmani maanasam; his mind in the Supreme Brahman, then,
3 utthaaya parama aanandaat on getting up, unable to contain the infinite Joy within,
4 idam vachanam abraveet. he speaks the following to express this divine state:

1 Kinchit Kaalam: “For some time” means for a prolonged period of time in Sadhana.
This could be from several months to several years. No definite time can be set for the
Sadhana period, as there are so many variables to be taken care of in the process. From
diaries of other Mahatmas, we note that saints and sages have been known to spend a good
part of their life on intense spiritual practices.
2-4 When knowledge finally dawns and the disciple experiences the taste of
‘Supreme Bliss he is at a loss for words to describe his stupendous experience.
The disciple’s account of his experience is divided into three distinct parts:
i) Sarvatma Anubhava: From 482-489 he expresses his experience (Anubhava) from
his personal (Sarvatma) standpoint.
ii) Loka Anubhava: From 490-500 he expresses it from the point of view of his
interactions in the world (Loka), showing his detachment from the objects of the world.
iii) Asangha Anubhava: From 501-512 he expresses it from the point of view of his
Upadhis, largely showing his detachment (Asangha) from his own body-mind-intellect.
iv) Advaita Anubhava: From 513-518 he expresses it from the point of view of
Brahman (the Advaitic standpoint), having realised his Oneness with the Reality.

*****

343

8.2 FEEDBACK FROM PERSONAL STANDPOINT

(Verses 482-489, 8 No.)

Verse 482: First Reaction: All Thoughts & Actions Have Ceased

oÉÑÎ®ÌuÉïlÉ¹É aÉÍsÉiÉÉ mÉëuÉ×Ì¨ÉÈ
oÉë¼ÉiqÉlÉÉåUåMüiÉrÉÉÅÍkÉaÉirÉÉ |
CSÇ lÉ eÉÉlÉåÅmrÉÌlÉSÇ lÉ eÉÉlÉå
ÌMÇü uÉÉ ÌMürÉ²É xÉÑZÉqÉxirÉmÉÉUqÉç || 482||

1
buddhih vinashhtaa
galitaa pravrittih
My intellect is completely destroyed or erased,
and all activities (propensities) have dropped off.
2
brahma aatmanoh
ekatayaa adhigatyaa;
(How is this so?) In considering Brahman and the Self –
I have realised them both to be the same Truth.
3
idam na jaane api
anidam na jaane
(In this ecstacy) I understand neither “This (the world)”
nor “not-This (the other world)”; I do not understand
4
kim vaa kiyat vaa
sukham asti apaaram.
“of which type (quality)” or “in what measure (quantity)”;
the Bliss I enjoy is just endless! – (that is all that matters)

1 In his excited state, the student’s first words are “My intellect is destroyed.” Sri
Krishna uses the same words Buddhi Naasha in the Geeta (2.63). There it means
“destruction of the faculties of the intellect”. Discrimination and reasoning are lost.
Here it is not that kind of destruction! It is the very opposite kind. The intellect is the
seat of the “I”-thought. That is where the “I”-sense is manufactured, as it were. It is this ego-
sense, the sense of individuality, that is being referred to as the intellect. That is now
destroyed. This is a good, favourable destruction; the one in the Geeta, 2.63, is an
unfavourable destruction, a ruination of the intellect.
2 The cause of the destruction of individuality is simply that it has actually expanded
to become universality. The Self has been found to be no different from Brahman.
3-4 Like a child who runs to his mother every time he discovers something new, the
disciple is in a similar frame of mind. He has had no time to settle down and gather his
thoughts. The experience has been mind-blowing, and he has not recovered from that yet.
There is no need to attach any other significance to these remarks.

Verse 483: As a Hailstone Merges in the Ocean

uÉÉcÉÉ uÉ£ÑüqÉzÉYrÉqÉåuÉ qÉlÉxÉÉ qÉliÉÑÇ lÉ uÉÉ zÉYrÉiÉå
xuÉÉlÉlSÉqÉ×iÉmÉÔUmÉÔËUiÉmÉUoÉë¼ÉqoÉÑkÉåuÉæïpÉuÉqÉç |
AqpÉÉåUÉÍzÉÌuÉzÉÏhÉïuÉÉÌwÉïMüÍzÉsÉÉpÉÉuÉÇ pÉeÉlqÉå qÉlÉÉå
rÉxrÉÉÇzÉÉÇzÉsÉuÉå ÌuÉsÉÏlÉqÉkÉÑlÉÉÅÅlÉlSÉiqÉlÉÉ ÌlÉuÉ×ïiÉqÉç || 483||

344

1
vaachaa vaktum ashakyam
eva manasaa, mantum
na vaa shakyate
It is impossible for speech to express It,
and even for the mind to conceive of It
is just not possible;
2
sva aananda amrita
poora poorita para brahma,
ambudheh vaibhavam;
The nectarine Bliss of the Self
swells and overflows from the Supreme Brahman
which is of oceanic splendour;
3
ambho-raashi-visheerna-
vaarshhika-shilaa-, bhaavam
bhajan me manah
Like the merging and disappearing into the ocean
of a hailstone, every part of
my mind is fully enjoying (the pure Bliss of Self);
4
yasya amshaamshalave
vileenam adhunaa, aananda
aatmanaa nirvritam.
Each infinitesimal part of my mind
has now merged in that Bliss
of the Self and remains ever content.

Quickly, the disciple begins to settle down. His excitement over, he shows distinct
signs of stabilised thinking in this verse. Coherence in his thoughts has been restored. From
the confusion of the previous verse – due only to excitement, nothing more – we now see
well-constructed thoughts emerging from the disciple.
1 The new experience of illumination is hard to express. He has difficulty in finding
the words to describe it. In fact, even in his mind he cannot conceive of it.
2 Why is this so? It is because he has no previous experience to compare the new
experience with. Our mind always operates on the basis of comparison. It cannot do
otherwise. When faced with something never known before, it has to first conceptualise it.
3 The concept arrives – in the form of a known simile. A hailstone melting and
merging into the ocean – that is what comes to mind when trying to express the inner Bliss.
4 “Each infinitesimal part of my mind” – this is poetically beautiful, but what does it
mean? The mind was a hailstone at one time. On being hurled into an Ocean of Bliss, it
simply dissolves into it. A new problem arises – there is no mind now to formulate the
words to express the experience. There is contentment alone, with no way to express itself.
A dental patient is often placed in this situation. The dentist does some drilling and
asks, “Is it paining?” The poor patient feels the pain, of course, but is not in a position to say
anything. The dentist knows that, so he looks at the tears welling up in the eyes of the
patient. The disciple is in a similar predicament. He wants to say something, but has no mind
to compose the words!

Verse 484: Where has the World Gone?

YuÉ aÉiÉÇ MåülÉ uÉÉ lÉÏiÉÇ MÑü§É sÉÏlÉÍqÉSÇ eÉaÉiÉç |
AkÉÑlÉæuÉ qÉrÉÉ SØ¹Ç lÉÉÎxiÉ ÌMÇü qÉWûS°ÒiÉqÉç || 484||

1 kva gatam kena vaa neetam Where has the world gone? Who has removed it?
2 kutra leenam idam jagat; Where has the universe disappeared?
3 adhuna eva mayaa drishhtam Just now it was seen by me,
4 naasti kim mahat adbhutam. Has it now ceased to be? Wonder of wonders!

345

Pujya Gurudev Chinmayananda gives a remarkable description of these words: He
writes “The experience of Infinitude is being dramatised on the stage of the finite.”
1-4 He adds the following to the disciple’s utterance: “Is it that all these years I was
suffering in a non-existing world? The world I saw (the pluralistic one) was a wonder.
Greater still is the wonder that it has all disappeared now. The wonder of wonders is what I
am experiencing now!”

Verse 485: What Do I Accept, What Reject?

ÌMÇü WåûrÉÇ ÌMüqÉÑmÉÉSårÉÇ ÌMüqÉlrÉÎiMÇü ÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉqÉç |
AZÉhQûÉlÉlSmÉÏrÉÔwÉmÉÔhÉåï oÉë¼qÉWûÉhÉïuÉå || 485||

1 kim heyam kim upaadeyam What is to be rejected and what accepted?
2 kim anyat kim vilakshhanam; What is different and what is dissimilar?
3 akhanda aananda peeyooshha Filled with the nectar of Absolute Bliss
4 poorne brahma mahaa arnave. is the mighty and ever full ocean of Brahman.

1-4 Once again we take a dip into the lofty words of Pujya Gurudev: “In that
boundless, overflowing, unbroken bliss, what is to be shunned and what is to be accepted?
There is nothing other than It; It alone is. You cannot say, ‘that’ because in It there is not
‘this’. ‘This’ you cannot say because there is no ‘that’. There is no ‘this-ness’ or ‘that-ness’; It
is ‘IS-ness’; even this is a compromise. It is endless Bliss.”

Verse 486: Where is the World of Duality?

lÉ ÌMüÎgcÉS§É mÉzrÉÉÍqÉ lÉ zÉ×hÉÉåÍqÉ lÉ uÉåSèqrÉWûqÉç |
xuÉÉiqÉlÉæuÉ xÉSÉlÉlSÃmÉåhÉÉÎxqÉ ÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉÈ || 486||

1 na kinchit atra pashyaami In this state I do not see anything,
2 na shrinomi na vedmi aham; nor do I hear and much less know (anything). In fact,
3
svaatmanaa eva
sadaananda roopena
through identification solely with my own Atman,
and existing only in the “form” of Absolute Bliss,
4 asmi vilakshhanah. I am completely distinct from anything else.

1-2 The experience comes as a sort of shock to the newly-realised disciple-sage. The
experience in inexpressible: “O Guruji, I can’t find the words to tell it to you! How did you
manage to say so much about it all these days? I cannot utter anything.”
3-4 The disciple is dumbstruck. “What has become of ME? I have become all-Bliss!
Where is ME? I am everywhere!” Individuality has completely disappeared.
‘Distinct from everything else’ has to mean ‘distinct from all that I have experienced
in the past.’ It cannot be ‘distinct from other things that he is seeing at that time’, because
he is now seeing only the Self and nothing else. He has never experienced this before.

346

This very closely resembles Arjuna’s words of amazement when he was shown the
Cosmic Vision by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Geeta. The wonder and amazement are
identically expressed.
The Guru, listening to this outburst from his disciple, must be smiling to himself and
thinking, “Fine fellow, indeed! Now he has become as MAD as me! My family has increased,
the ‘mad’ family.” The Guru is delighted at what he is hearing. This is the prize he gets for
being a teacher. It is all he lives for – to see his disciple succeed in the spiritual endeavour.
And, in truth, no disciple worth his salt will ever stop his endeavour until he brings to
his Guru this prize as his Dakshina or gift of gratitude.

Verse 487: Salutation to Thee, O Noble Guru

lÉqÉÉå lÉqÉxiÉå aÉÑUuÉå qÉWûÉiqÉlÉå
ÌuÉqÉÑ£üxÉ…¡ûÉrÉ xÉSÒ¨ÉqÉÉrÉ |
ÌlÉirÉÉ²rÉÉlÉlSUxÉxuÉÃÌmÉhÉå
pÉÔqlÉå xÉSÉÅmÉÉUSrÉÉqoÉÑkÉÉqlÉå || 487||

1
namo namah te
gurave mahaatmane
Repeated salutations unto thee,
O noble Guru; unto thee, O Great Being!
2
vimukta-sangaaya
sat uttamaaya;
Unto thee who is free from all attachments;
unto thee, the best among the noble ones;
3
nitya advaya ananda
rasa svaroopine
Eternal, Non-dual and Blissful –
Unto thee, an emobiment of the essence of these;
4
bhoomne sadaa apaara
dayaa ambu dhaamne.
Unto thee, always the infinite Substratum beyond all;
unto thee, the limitless ocean of mercy!

1 Salutation to one’s Guru is upheld in the Hindu tradition, which is non-different
from the Vedic tradition. Here the disciple rises in salutation to the one who made this
sublime experience possible in his lifetime.
2-4 As students we ought to take note of the content of these Padas. Who is being
saluted? Is it the personality of the Guru? This is a point to be well understood. Sri
Shankaracharyaji carefully draws our attention to the actual “Object” of our worship:
It is the Eternal Being who comes in the form of the Guru. True, the physical form is
of great inspiration and plays a prominent role in Guru-worship. But ideally, as Shankara-
charyaji enjoins on us here, the student is expected to meditate on the inmost principle of
the Guru, giving lesser importance to the outer aspects such as body, mind, intellect, etc.
When we thus look beyond the outer sheaths with due respect to them, the Supreme Spirit
of the Guru that remains is the Guru Tattwa or principle that is to be worshipped.
The worship of one’s Guru can stand in danger of becoming a cult if we are not
careful about this warning issued by Sri Shankaracharyaji. The body, mind and intellect are
the unreality clothing the true Guru-principle within. If we worship only the former, at the
expense of the latter, the danger of cultism knocks at our doors. If this is not arrested in
time, it can get entrenched and we do a great injustice to ourselves, to the Guru, to the
organisation he represents, and to the Guru tradition itself as upheld by the Vedas!

347

Verse 488: The Empire I have Gained

rÉiMüOûÉ¤ÉzÉÍzÉxÉÉlSìcÉÎlSìMüÉ-
mÉÉiÉkÉÔiÉpÉuÉiÉÉmÉeÉ´ÉqÉÈ |
mÉëÉmiÉuÉÉlÉWûqÉZÉhQûuÉæpÉuÉÉ-
lÉlSqÉÉiqÉmÉSqÉ¤ÉrÉÇ ¤ÉhÉÉiÉç || 488||

1
yat kataakshha shashi
saandra-chandrikaa-paata
O Guru, whose soothing moon-like glance
falls as a dense cascade of beams of moonlight;
2
dhoota-bhava- taapaja
shramah;
By them, the strains of fatigue caused by the heat
of the world have been removed from me;
3
praaptavaan aham
akhanda vaibhava
(O Guru, by thy Grace) I have become heir to
an infinite, unbroken empire of splendour:
4
aanandam aatma padam
akshhayam kshhanaat.
It is the state of Absolute Bliss of the Self,
it is indestructible and it came in but a moment!

Relief from Exhausting Worldliness
1-2 Yet another simile is introduced here appropriate to the need. The influence of
the Guru is compared to the cooling rays of moonlight. The intolerable miseries of worldly
life is compared to the toiling heat of the sun during the day. This is how it fits together:
“Life in the heat of worldliness had once exhausted me. Relief I have found in thy
gracious contact, O Guru. So much so, that I see even a glance from thee as a cooling ray of
moonlight at night, after the heat of the day has left me exhausted.”

Heir to an Empire
3-4 Not necessarily linked to the above, although arising partially from it, is the great
reward that is expressed in these Padas, of the spiritual life as a whole. The quest was no
doubt spurred on by the “cooling glances” of the Guru, but the disciple had to add to it the
component of his own intense effort to make it come to fruition.
The reward is great, indeed. The disciple compares it to becoming heir to an “Empire
of Splendour”. Perhaps it took many years of protracted effort, but when realisation
dawned, it came “as though in a moment”! In the greatness of the reward, the toil is
forgotten. There is no comparison in this limited world for this limitless experience.

Verse 489: I am Free from the Shark of Transmigration

kÉlrÉÉåÅWÇû M×üiÉM×üirÉÉåÅWÇû ÌuÉqÉÑ£üÉåÅWÇû pÉuÉaÉëWûÉiÉç |
ÌlÉirÉÉlÉlSxuÉÃmÉÉåÅWÇû mÉÔhÉÉåïÅWÇû iuÉSlÉÑaÉëWûÉiÉç || 489||

1 dhanyah aham kritakrityah aham I am blessed, I have reached life’s fulfillment;
2 vimuktah aham bhava grahaat; I am free from the shark of transmigration;
3 nitya aananda svaroopah aham I am the embodiment of eternal Bliss;
4 poornah aham tvat anugrahaat. I am full – all due to thy infinite Grace!

348

Before moving on to the second part of his Anubhava, the disciple dedicates three
verses (487-489) to honour his Guru and thank him for his selfless love and care during the
difficult period of his Sadhana. This typifies the Vedic code of discipleship. The reverence in
which the Guru is held is nothing short of that held towards the Lord Himself.
The rhyming couplet used here is a mark of the great feeling of gratitude that the
disciple holds in his heart. The great fear that is due to the ‘shark’ of Samsaric existence
(‘Bhava Grahaat’) is destroyed due to the Grace of the Guru (‘Anugrahaat’).

Fruits of Sadhana Surrendered to Guru
Three fruits of realization are mentioned in the verse, and each one is offered at the
feet of the Guru, by whose Grace they had been made possible. These three fruits concern
the disciple as an individual. They are from his personal standpoint.
1 i) Fulfillment: The disciple has attained the goal of his human life.
2 ii) No Transmigration: The disciple is free from the cycle of birth and death.
3 iii) Eternal Bliss: He experiences and remains ever immersed in eternal Bliss.
4 All three are attributed to the Divine Grace of the Guru. There is a deep sense of
reverence and humility in laying one’s achievement at the feet of the Guru. This is not easily
understood by Western cultures, but the East holds such traditions in sacred esteem.

*****

349

8.3 FEEDBACK FROM WORLD’S STANDPOINT

(Verses 490-500, 11 No.)

ELEVEN VERSES NOW pour out of the lips of the disciple, giving his account of how
he sees the world around him, post realisation of the Reality. They form the perfect manual
by which even those who have not yet reached that height may be inspired to improve upon
their present interactions with the world. These verses are like a User’s Manual for how the
spiritual seeker should view and operate in Jagat, the world.
The world is multi-facetted; so is the common view we have of it. From the feedback
of the disciple we get a more insightful view. We find that actually it is our mind that is the
“multi-facetted” instrument which makes the world appear multi-facetted. The world
mirrors our mind back to us. The disciple’s report gives us the before and the after view, in
process revealing one’s own spiritual realisation.
Such being the case, this chapter gives us a peep into the world through the eye of
an illumined soul . . . that should make a promising glimpse for the seeker.

Verse 490: Unattached & Disembodied am I

AxÉ…¡ûÉåÅWûqÉlÉ…¡ûÉåÅWûqÉÍsÉ…¡ûÉåÅWûqÉpÉ…¡ÓûUÈ |
mÉëzÉÉliÉÉåÅWûqÉlÉliÉÉåÅWûqÉqÉsÉÉåÅWÇû ÍcÉUliÉlÉÈ || 490||

O Guru, by thy supreme Grace:
1 asangah aham anangah aham Unattached am I, disembodied am I,
2 alingah aham abhangurah; free from the subtle body am I and undecaying,
3 prashaantah aham anantah aham serene am I; infinite am I,
4 amalo aham chirantanah. unsullied am I, and endless, too,am I.

Readers may wonder why the extra line has been added at the beginning of the
verse. It follows the trend of the previous chapter. The disciple feels that the transformation
of his vision is due entirely to the Grace of the Guru. If we do not remind ourselves of this
fact, the text may sound a bit egoistic to the reader.

The First Glimpse
It is said the first impression is a lasting impression. What is the first glimpse we get
of the disciple’s view? That is the glimpse that is most important to bear in mind.
1 Detachment. The very first word is the gospel truth for us to take note of. It sets
the tone for all our dealings in the world. Detached from what? The closest to us in relation
to the world is our body. The disciple who has just realised tells us that his first experience is
the feeling he gets of not being in his body any longer! What next?

350

2 He also feels he is not in his mind any longer. The subtle body is essentially the
mind, intellect and ego principle. The essential ‘he’ is neither the gross body nor the subtle
body. That means he must be something which can never decay. He must be Spirit alone.
At once, he gives us the key to his whole experience with the world. He no longer
sees his connection as a physical one, nor a mental one, but only a spiritual one.
3-4 Serene, infinite, unsullied and endless – these words take on their true meaning
when we realise that the disciple is now identified entirely with Spirit, and not matter!

Verse 491: Neither the Doer, Nor the Enjoyer am I

AMüiÉÉïWûqÉpÉÉå£üÉWûqÉÌuÉMüÉUÉåÅWûqÉÌ¢ürÉÈ |
zÉÑ®oÉÉåkÉxuÉÃmÉÉåÅWÇû MåüuÉsÉÉåÅWÇû xÉSÉÍzÉuÉÈ || 491||

O Guru, by thy supreme Grace:
1 akartaa aham abhoktaa aham I am not the doer, I am not the enjoyer,
2 avikaarah aham akriyah; I am without modification and without activity;
3 shuddha bodha svaroopah aham I am the embodiment of pure knowledge,
4 kevalah aham sadaashivah. I am absolute, eternal Auspiciousness am I.

From that essential identification to the Spirit and not to matter, arises all else that
follows in his new vision of his encounter with the world.
1 Firstly, he ceases to feel that he is acting or enjoying as an individual. There is no
individual left in him any longer.
2 This springs from his dis-association with his own mind. The new vision is that
nothing of the new “him”, the new Person that he is, changes or acts. This is an enormous
change from our normal experience. There is a complete shift of his ‘Centre of Gravity’, as it
were. He has shifted from matter-centred to spirit-centered.
3-4 That explains these two lines also. He is actually experiencing what it is like to be
Sat-Chit-Ananda, Absolute Existence-Knowledge-Bliss all rolled into one.
Today’s TV technology gives us an example that may help us to understand the
changed vision that the disciple clearly has. The normal TV screen gives a two-dimensional
picture on its surface. That is where TV began over a hundred years ago. Now a generation
of TV has just begun where the viewer is given a pair of goggles through which he can see a
three-dimensional picture. With a little more sophistication in the technology, he can see
the picture changing as he physically turns around – the picture actually changes as he turns.
He can behold a 360
o
view which is equivalent to a virtual world surrounding him that is not
physically there!
Coming back to the disciple’s vision, the big difference is that his is a spiritual world,
not a virtual world. His vision is not more entertaining, but more enlightening. The TV world
takes him deeper and deeper into Unreality; his spiritual view takes him more into Reality!
We have taken the pains now to grasp the essence, so that the rest of this chapter
can be understood in the same way without the need for more explanation. The same
principle can now be applied to the rest of the verses.

351

Verse 492: Beyond Activity, Boundless and Infinite am I

Sì¹ÒÈ ´ÉÉåiÉÑuÉï£ÑüÈ MüiÉÑïpÉÉåï£ÑüÌuÉïÍpÉ³É LuÉÉWûqÉç |
ÌlÉirÉÌlÉUliÉUÌlÉÎw¢ürÉÌlÉÈxÉÏqÉÉxÉ…¡ûmÉÔhÉïoÉÉåkÉÉiqÉÉ || 492||

1 drashhtuh shrotuh vaktuh kartuh From the seer, hearer, speaker, doer and
2 bhoktuh vibhinna eva aham; enjoyer – I am other than these (distinct from them).
3
nitya nirantara
nishhkriya nihseema
I am eternal and unbroken,
I am beyond activity and boundless,
4
asanga poorna
bodha aatmaa.
I am unattached and Infinite,
I am the essence of Knowledge – I am the Self!

Verse 493: Neither “This” nor “That” am I

lÉÉWûÍqÉSÇ lÉÉWûqÉSÉåÅmrÉÑpÉrÉÉåUuÉpÉÉxÉMÇü mÉUÇ zÉÑ®qÉç |
oÉÉ½ÉprÉliÉUzÉÔlrÉÇ mÉÔhÉïÇ oÉë¼ÉÌ²iÉÏrÉqÉåuÉÉWûqÉç || 493||

1
na aham idam
na aham adah
I am neither anything that can be called “This”
nor am I anything that can be called “That”
2
api ubhayoh avabhaasakam
param shuddham;
but the supreme illuminator of both am I;
I am the Supreme, the pure Truth of the Universe;
3 baahya abhyantara shoonyam I have neither an exterior nor an interior.
4
poornam brahma adviteeyam
eva aham.
I am Infinite; Brahman, the Non-dual Reality –
That alone am I.

Verse 494: Without Parallel, Without Origin am I

ÌlÉÂmÉqÉqÉlÉÉÌSiÉ¨uÉÇ iuÉqÉWûÍqÉSqÉS CÌiÉ MüsmÉlÉÉSÕUqÉç |
ÌlÉirÉÉlÉlSæMüUxÉÇ xÉirÉÇ oÉë¼ÉÌ²iÉÏrÉqÉåuÉÉWûqÉç || 494||

1 nirupamam, anaadi-tattvam Unparalleled is the originless Reality;
2
tvamaham idam adah iti
kalpanaadooram;
“You” and “I”, “this” and “that” –
it is free from all such imaginations;
3
nitya aananda
ekarasam satyam
Ever eternal, Absolute Bliss,
the essential Truth of existence;
4
brahma adviteeyam
eva aham.
Brahman, the Non-dual Reality –
That alone am I.

Verse 495: Supreme Lord, Unbroken Knowledge am I

lÉÉUÉrÉhÉÉåÅWÇû lÉUMüÉliÉMüÉåÅWÇû
mÉÑUÉliÉMüÉåÅWÇû mÉÑÂwÉÉåÅWûqÉÏzÉÈ |
AZÉhQûoÉÉåkÉÉåÅWûqÉzÉåwÉxÉÉ¤ÉÏ
ÌlÉUÏµÉUÉåÅWÇû ÌlÉUWÇû cÉ ÌlÉqÉïqÉÈ || 495||

352

1
naaraayanah aham
narakaantakah aham
I am Narayana.
I am the slayer of Naraka.
2
puraantakah aham
purushhah aham eeshah;
I am the destroyer of Tripura.
I am the Supreme Being, the Lord.
3
akhanda bodhah aham asheshha
saakshhee
I am unbroken knowledge.
I am the witness of everything.
4
nireeshvarah aham
niraham cha nirmamah.
I have no other Lord (in view whom to pursue),
and I am devoid of ‘I’-ness and ‘mine’-ness.

Verse 496: Experiencer & Experienced am I

xÉuÉåïwÉÑ pÉÔiÉåwuÉWûqÉåuÉ xÉÇÎxjÉiÉÉå
¥ÉÉlÉÉiqÉlÉÉÅliÉoÉïÌWûUÉ´ÉrÉÈ xÉlÉç |
pÉÉå£üÉ cÉ pÉÉåarÉÇ xuÉrÉqÉåuÉ xÉuÉïÇ
rÉ±imÉ×jÉaSØ¹ÍqÉSliÉrÉÉ mÉÑUÉ || 496||

1
sarveshhu bhooteshhu
aham eva samsthitah
In all living beings
I alone am the true resident.
2
jnaana aatmanaa
antah bahih aashrayah san;
Through my abidance in knowledge,
I remain as their support, inside them and outside.
3
bhoktaa cha bhogyam
svayam eva sarvam
I am the experiencer and the experienced.
I myself, indeed, am all
4
yadyat prithag drishhtam
idantayaa puraa.
that was once perceived by me as being separate,
as “this” or as “that”, in my state of ignorance.

IS THIS AN EGO-CENTRIC VIEWPOINT?

People are generally prone to mistake verses of this type to stem from egocentricity.
The declarations of detachment from the world and possession of limitless qualities
associated only with God, appear to critics to be words of arrogance. Indeed, this is not so.
There is no trace of Ego left in the person who has come to this stage. The ‘I’ here
refers not to the self-centred narrow ego personality but the true Self or Atman within.
The state of realization is an ‘unknown’ to the majority of people. Its description is
possible only in terms of the ‘known’. The experience of Non-duality in terms that are
necessarily in Duality can never be totally accurate. The realized sage who has scaled the
heights of spirituality is totally unfettered by any limitations of time, space and object.
Many of the verses in this book are on this theme, and appear to be the same in
essence. This is true. It reflects the uniformity of Truth. The repetition of such descriptions is
called Abhyasa, and is intentional to draw our attention. It is one of the six techniques (Shad
Vidhi Lingas) used in a scriptural text to drive home the essential truths it wishes to convey.
The God-realised state is indeed extraordinary. Only a little while ago the disciple
himself was under the same delusion as all of us. To see his remarkable progress gives us
hope of achieving the same. Not criticism but inspiration should be our reaction.

353

The amazing descriptions of the disciple’s experience of the universe continues:

Verse 497: As Waves in the Unbroken Ocean

qÉrrÉZÉhQûxÉÑZÉÉqpÉÉåkÉÉæ oÉWÒûkÉÉ ÌuÉµÉuÉÏcÉrÉÈ |
EimÉ±liÉå ÌuÉsÉÏrÉliÉå qÉÉrÉÉqÉÉÂiÉÌuÉpÉëqÉÉiÉç || 497||

1 mayi akhanda sukha ambhodhau In me, the unbroken ocean of Bliss,
2 bahudhaa vishva veechayah; universes of endless waves in numerous ways
3 utpadyante vileeyante are created and destroyed again and again
4 maayaa maaruta vibhramaat. by the play of the wind-storms of Maya.

Verse 498: As Splitting Time into Cycles

xjÉÑsÉÉÌSpÉÉuÉÉ qÉÌrÉ MüÎsmÉiÉÉ pÉëqÉÉ-
SÉUÉåÌmÉiÉÉlÉÑxTÑüUhÉålÉ sÉÉåMæüÈ |
MüÉsÉå rÉjÉÉ MüsmÉMüuÉixÉUÉrÉ-
hÉiuÉÉïSrÉÉå ÌlÉwMüsÉÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉå || 498||

1
sthula aadi bhaavaa
mayi kalpitaah bhramaad
Concepts of grossness, etc,
are wrongly imagined in me, due to delusion,
2
aaropita anusphuranena
lokaih;
and due to the continuous manifestation of the
superimpositions of the world;
3
kaale yathaa kalpaka
vatsaraah ayana
just as TIME is split into various cycles –
into years, solstices (half-years),
4
ritu aadayah
nishhkala nirvikalpe.
seasons, and into even smaller units (as imagined).
In fact, (both Time and I) are indivisible and absolute.

Verse 499: As Waters Appear in a Mirage

AÉUÉåÌmÉiÉÇ lÉÉ´ÉrÉSÕwÉMÇü pÉuÉåiÉç
MüSÉÌmÉ qÉÔRæûUÌiÉSÉåwÉSÕÌwÉiÉæÈ |
lÉÉSìÏïMüUÉåirÉÔwÉUpÉÔÍqÉpÉÉaÉÇ
qÉUÏÍcÉMüÉuÉÉËU qÉWûÉmÉëuÉÉWûÈ || 499||

1
aaropitam na aashraya
dooshhakam bhavet
The superimpositions upon the Substratum can
never become the contaminator of the latter.
2
kadaapi moodhaih
atidoshha dooshhitaih;
At any time or place, it is the foolish ones who are
contaminated by the acute defect of Ignorance.
3
na aardree-karoti
ooshhara-bhoomi bhaagam
There cannot be any wetting
of the desert sands on that portion of the horizon
4
mareechikaa vaari
mahaa pravaahah.
where appears a mirage containing water,
however widespread the water may appear to be.

354

Verse 500: Like Space, Sun, Mountain & Ocean am I

AÉMüÉzÉuÉssÉåmÉÌuÉSÕUaÉÉåÅWÇû
AÉÌSirÉuÉ°ÉxrÉÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉÉåÅWûqÉç |
AWûÉrÉïuÉÍ³ÉirÉÌuÉÌlÉ¶ÉsÉÉåÅWÇû
AqpÉÉåÍkÉuÉimÉÉUÌuÉuÉÎeÉïiÉÉåÅWûqÉç || 500||

1
aakaashavat lepa
vidooragah aham
Like space , ever pure and uncontaminated,
I am beyond all contamination;
2
aadityavat bhaasya
vilakshhanah aham;
like the sun , self-illumined and a giver of light,
I am distinct from things that are illumined;
3
ahaaryavat nitya
vinishchalah aham
like the solid, eternal mountain ,
I am always motionless;
4
ambhodhivat paara
vivarjitah aham.
like the vast expansive ocean ,
I am limitless and infinite.

Thus the disciple expresses in lavish poetry his experience of not just this world but
the entire universe! It is breathtaking without a doubt, and spellbinding, too, but equally
inspiring and motivating for us to redouble our efforts to pursue the same.

*****

355

8.4 FEEDBACK FROM UPADHIS’ STANDPOINT

(Verses 501-512, 12 No.)

HERE BEGINS THE THIRD part of the disciple’s account of his experience – the part
called Asangha Anubhava. It concerns how the disciple relates to his own UPADHIS – his
body, senses and mind – with Asangha or detachment.
The disciple is seen to use the same similes that his Guru had taught him, indicating
his attunement with his Guru, and also indicating how obediently he has been following the
Guru’s instructions. At one point the disciple also quotes from a scripture, which is what his
Guru has been teaching him to do. The scriptures are always the supreme authority in
assessing one’s realization.
In brief, the Upadhis are treated in very much the same way as the world – with
detachment and indifference. However, there is an important difference. Our Upadhis are
closer to us than the world. We have more control over them than over the world. To be
‘detached’ from them draws more awe and amazement in our mind than to be detachment
from the world.
In this Chapter, the disciple-sage describes many aspects concerning the use of his
Upadhis and his attitude towards them. Being unaffected by them, remaining as a calm
Witness of his own actions and mind, being totally indifferent to their working, and not
identifying himself with their modifications – these form the basis of the disciple’s
experience in relation to his Upadhis.

Verse 501: No Relationship With the Upadhis

lÉ qÉå SåWåûlÉ xÉqoÉlkÉÉå qÉåbÉålÉåuÉ ÌuÉWûÉrÉxÉÈ |
AiÉÈ MÑüiÉÉå qÉå iÉ®qÉÉï eÉÉaÉëixuÉmlÉxÉÑwÉÑmiÉrÉÈ || 501||

1 na me dehena sambandhah I have no relationship with the body
2 meghena iva vihaayasah; just as the clouds (have no connection) with the sky.
3 atah kutah me tat dharmaah So, how can attributes of the body, such as
4 jaagrat-svapna-sushhuptayah. waking, dream and deep sleep, ever affect me?

As with the world, so with the Upadhis – Detachment is the basic principle that
governs relationships with them when illumination dawns.
1 With the world the disciple began by telling us he felt he had no gross or subtle
body. Now, perhaps because his own Upadhis are concerned, he cannot deny them outright
but at least he can say he has no relationship with them. He explains this with a simile.
2 He is the sky; his body-Upadhi is the cloud in the sky. Their is no relationship
between sky and cloud; similarly, there is no relationship between the Self and the body.

356

3-4 Whether the cloud is a nimbus, a cirrus, a stratus or a cumulus makes no
difference to the sky. So also, whether the body is in the waking, dream or deep sleep state
makes no difference to him who is realised and free of any relationship with his body.

Verse 502: Upadhis Come & Go, I Go On for Ever

EmÉÉÍkÉUÉrÉÉÌiÉ xÉ LuÉ aÉcNûÌiÉ
xÉ LuÉ MüqÉÉïÍhÉ MüUÉåÌiÉ pÉÑ‡åû |
xÉ LuÉ eÉÏrÉïlÉç ÍqÉërÉiÉå xÉSÉWÇû
MÑüsÉÉÌSìuÉÍ³É¶ÉsÉ LuÉ xÉÇÎxjÉiÉÈ || 502||

1 upaadhih aayaati sah eva gachchhati The conditioning comes and it also goes;
2 sah eva karmaani karoti bhungkte; it performs actions and experiences results;
3 sah eva jeeryan mriyate sadaa aham it also decays and dies. But I always,
4
kulaadrivat nishchala
eva samsthitah.
like the immovable Kula mountain,
ever remain firmly rooted (in my true Being).

1 Aayaati Eva Gachhati: “it comes as it goes”. In the waking state, both subtle and
gross bodies are there. In dream the gross body goes (it is not there); in deep sleep, even
the subtle body goes, but the causal body is still there. In the realised state, even the causal
body – made of Ignorance – goes, leaving only the Self.
2 The Upadhis have a utilitarian purpose. They perform their respective functions
and experience the respective results. The Self is not like that. The Self is ever present,
performing no function, experiencing nothing, witnessing everything; without It, the
Upadhis can neither do anything nor enjoy anything.
3-4 While the Self is constant and steady always, the Upadhis have a fixed lifespan.
With age the body decays. With too much sense pleasure, the mental faculties also decay.

Verse 503: Upadhis Work, I Remain Free

lÉ qÉå mÉëuÉ×Ì¨ÉlÉï cÉ qÉå ÌlÉuÉ×Ì¨ÉÈ
xÉSæMüÃmÉxrÉ ÌlÉUÇzÉMüxrÉ |
LMüÉiqÉMüÉå rÉÉå ÌlÉÌuÉQûÉå ÌlÉUliÉUÉå
urÉÉåqÉåuÉ mÉÔhÉïÈ xÉ MüjÉÇ lÉÑ cÉå¹iÉå || 503||

1
na me pravrittih
na cha me nivrittih
There is for me neither “engaging in work”,
nor for me is there “abstaining from work”;
2 sadaa ekaroopasya iramshakasya; I am always of one form and without parts.
3
ekaatmakah yah
nividah nirantarah
That which is characterised by Oneness,
and which is ever unbroken and infinite;
4
vyoma iva poornah
sah katham nu cheshhtate.
That which is ever complete like the sky,
how, indeed, can That ever need to strive?

357

1 The Vedas speak of two paths open to man. The first is Pravritti Marga, wherein
man is actively engaged in work in order to work out his Karmas. The activity by which his
Karmas get reduced is called his duties in life – Nitya and Naimitika Karmas. The second path
is called Nivrittih Marga wherein the man refrains from all activity. This is the path of
Sannyasa. It is legitimate for a person who has reduced his Karmas sufficiently so that he can
now pay more attention to serious spiritual Sadhana to realise the Self.
However, once the Self is realised, the man is freed from both these Margas. They do
not have any relevance to him at all. He is absolved from both.
2-3 Upadhis, being instrumental in performing functions, are of a material nature.
Hence they have parts. The Self, on the other hand, has no parts; it is one homogenous
entity. To the realised person, the latter applies due to his identity with the Self.
4 We return to the sky simile. The sky is infinite; the cloud is limited to some size. So
also the Self is limitless; whereas the Upadhis are limited.

Verse 504: Merit & Demerit Apply to Upadhis, Not Me

mÉÑhrÉÉÌlÉ mÉÉmÉÉÌlÉ ÌlÉËUÎlSìrÉxrÉ
ÌlÉ¶ÉåiÉxÉÉå ÌlÉÌuÉïM×üiÉåÌlÉïUÉM×üiÉåÈ |
MÑüiÉÉå qÉqÉÉZÉhQûxÉÑZÉÉlÉÑpÉÔiÉåÈ
oÉëÔiÉå ½lÉluÉÉaÉiÉÍqÉirÉÌmÉ ´ÉÑÌiÉÈ || 504||

1
punyaani paapaani
nirindriyasya
The accumulation of merits and demerits
for me who has no sense-organs;
2
nishchetasah nirvikriteh
niraakriteh; kutah mama
who has no mind and no modifications;
who has no form – how can it apply to me?
3 akhanda sukha anubhooteh He who has experienced unbroken Bliss,
4 broote hi ananvaagatam iti api shrutih. “He is untouched” so say the scriptures.

Here we focus on a different issue which concerns the Upadhis. All the Upadhis, both
subtle and gross, are designed by one’s Karmas. According to one’s Karmas, one gets the
right type of body, mind and intellect. Karmas are of two types: good and bad; due either to
merits or derits respectively (Punya and Paapa).
1-2 The Self has nothing to do with Punya and Paapa, since it does not engage in
good or bad deeds. The realised person can rightfully say he is beyond merit and demerit.
Hence, none of the Upadhis’ functions apply to the Self.
3-4 Since the realised person has no connection with his Upadhis, i.e. he is
unrestrained or unlimited by them in any way, it is said that he is “untouched” by them.

Verse 505: Upadhis are My Shadow

NûÉrÉrÉÉ xmÉ×¹qÉÑwhÉÇ uÉÉ zÉÏiÉÇ uÉÉ xÉÑ¸Ò SÒÈ¸Ò uÉÉ |
lÉ xmÉ×zÉirÉåuÉ rÉÎiMüÎgcÉimÉÑÂwÉÇ iÉÌ²sÉ¤ÉhÉqÉç || 505||

358

1
2
chaayayaa sprishhtam ushhnam vaa
sheetam vaa sushhthu duhshhthu vaa;
When the shadow of a man is touched by
heat or cold, or by good or evil,
3 na sprishati eva yat kinchit in no way whatsoever do they affect, even a little,
4 purushham tat vilakshhanam. the man himself, for he is distinct from his shadow.

The same point is explained further with a simile.
1-4 The Shadow Simile: To the realised person, the Upadhis are like his shadow. Just
as whatever happens to a shadow does not affect that which casts the shadow, so also
whatever the Upadhis do or do not do is of no concern to the Self. That is the level of
detachment the Self has to the Upadhis in a realised person.

Verse 506: The Witness Distinct from the Witnessed

lÉ xÉÉÍ¤ÉhÉÇ xÉÉ¤rÉkÉqÉÉïÈ xÉÇxmÉ×zÉÎliÉ ÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉqÉç |
AÌuÉMüÉUqÉÑSÉxÉÏlÉÇ aÉ×WûkÉqÉÉïÈ mÉëSÏmÉuÉiÉç |
SåWåûÎlSìrÉqÉlÉÉåkÉqÉÉï lÉæuÉÉiqÉÉlÉÇ xmÉ×zÉlirÉWûÉå || 506||

1 na saakshhinam saakshhya dharmaah Not the Witness do the properties of the
2 samsprishanti vilakshhanam; witnessed affect – for It is distinct from them,
3 avikaaram udaaseenam has no modifications, and is indifferent to them.
4 griha-dharmaah pradeepavat; As a room’s properties do not affect a lamp in it,
5 deha indriya manah dharmaah so also the properties of body, senses and mind
6 na eva aatmaanam sprishanti ahah. in no way touch the Self dwelling in them.

Now we deal with another aspect of the Upadhis.
1-3 The Upadhis, being instruments, can be witnessed, i.e. they can be observed,
operated, perform a function that can be seen and measured, etc. That which witnesses
them stands apart from them. In a human being, the Witness is the Self. The realised person
stands as a witness of his Upadhis, apart from them and unaffected by them.
4-6 Once again, a simile is given to help us see this distinction. The Self is compared
to a lamp in a room; the Upadhis are compared to the room’s contents. The light will shine
uniformly on everything that is within the room without any favour. The Upadhis, like the
bed, the table, chair, cupboard, etc. are all ‘seen’ – witnessed – because of the lamp, but the
lamp is not affected in any way by their presence or absence.

Verse 507: More Similes for the Self

UuÉårÉïjÉÉ MüqÉïÍhÉ xÉÉÍ¤ÉpÉÉuÉÉå
uÉ»åûrÉïjÉÉ SÉWûÌlÉrÉÉqÉMüiuÉqÉç |
U‹ÉårÉïjÉÉÅÅUÉåÌmÉiÉuÉxiÉÑxÉ…¡ûÈ
iÉjÉæuÉ MÔüOûxjÉÍcÉSÉiqÉlÉÉå qÉå || 507||

359

1
raveh yathaa
karmani saakshhi bhaavah
Just as for the Sun
all that happens is the content being witnessed;
2
vahneh yathaa
daahaniyaamakatvam;
Just as for fire
all that it encounters on its path is fuel that it burns;
3
rajjoh yathaa
aaropita vastu sangah
Just as for the rope
the snake is just a superimposed object upon it;
4
tathaiva kootasthah
chid-aatmanah me.
In the same way, for me, the Unchangeable Self,
everything is just the essence of intelligence.

Another three similes are given here to strengthen the idea that the Self stands apart
as a witness having no relationship with the Upadhis.
1 Sun: The Sun-Deity represents the “Eye of God”. For it, everything upon which it
casts its rays is just some event that is to be witnessed only.
2 Fire: Whatever is offered into fire is regarded by the fire as mere fuel. Everything
that encounters on its path is just fuel and nothing more.
3: Rope: The rope is the support and the basis for whatever people may
superimpose upon it, such as a snake, etc.
4 Me: In the same way, for Me, the realized sage, who am identified with the
Supreme Changless Self, everything appears only as Chit, the essence of intelligence.

Verse 508: Not Doer, nor Enjoyer, nor Seer am I

MüiÉÉïÌmÉ uÉÉ MüÉUÌrÉiÉÉÌmÉ lÉÉWÇû
pÉÉå£üÉÌmÉ uÉÉ pÉÉåeÉÌrÉiÉÉÌmÉ lÉÉWûqÉç |
Sì¹ÉÌmÉ uÉÉ SzÉïÌrÉiÉÉÌmÉ lÉÉWÇû
xÉÉåÅWÇû xuÉrÉgerÉÉåÌiÉUlÉÏSØaÉÉiqÉÉ || 508||

1
kartaa api vaa
kaarayitaa api na aham
I am neither the doer,
nor do I make others do anything;
2
bhoktaa api vaa
bhojayitaa api na aham;
I am neither the enjoyer,
nor do I make others enjoy;
3
drashhtaa api vaa
darshayitaa api na aham
I am neither the seer,
nor do I make others see.
4
sah aham svayam jyotih
aneedrig aatmaa.
I am that self-luminous,
transcendent Self.

We have just seen that the Self remains unaffected by the Upadhis. What relation
does It have with the functions of the Upadhis? Does it have a role in functioning through
them or making others function through them?
1-3 The Witness has nothing to do with the functions also. It neither initiates actions
nor enjoys the fruits of those actions. It is the individual Jiva that is responsible for that.
4 The Self simply stands as Witness. Under its watchful Eye, the Jiva does all actions
and enjoys all objects; it incurs merits and demerits, and reaps the joys and sorrows.

360

Verse 509: Action Erroneously Attributed to Self

cÉsÉirÉÑmÉÉkÉÉæ mÉëÌiÉÌoÉqoÉsÉÉæsrÉqÉçç
AÉæmÉÉÍkÉMÇü qÉÔRûÍkÉrÉÉå lÉrÉÎliÉ |
xuÉÌoÉqoÉpÉÔiÉÇ UÌuÉuÉÌ²ÌlÉÎw¢ürÉÇ
MüiÉÉïÎxqÉ pÉÉå£üÉÎxqÉ WûiÉÉåÅÎxqÉ WåûÌiÉ || 509||

1
chalati upaadhau
pratibimba laulyam
When there is movement of the conditioning,
the reflection of the object also moves;
2
aupaadhikam moodha-
dhiyah nayanti;
seeing the reflected object moving, men of little
intelligence believe that
3
svabimbabhootam
ravivat vinishhkriyam
the object itself is moving!
For example, the sun, which is really motionless.
4
kartaa asmi bhoktaa asmi
hatah asmi ha iti.
To say, “I am the doer; I am the enjoyer;
I am being killed,” – alas! (this has the same error in it.)

The error of attributing doership or enjoyership to the Self is now explained:
First we consider just the simile used. The simile has three components: i) the object;
ii) the mirror upon which falls the incoming light from the object; and iii) the reflected object
due to outgoing reflected light from the mirror.
1-3 Let us suppose the mirror is made of an elastic material. When it is rotated,
twisted, stretched, warped or bent, the reflection also changes accordingly. When seeing
this moving reflection, children think that the object itself is moving. For example, they see
the sun reflected from a lake having ripples. The reflected sun also moves up and down with
the ripples. The children shout out, “Look the sun is going up and down.” The parents smile
at the children’s remarks.
4 Similarly, the Light of the Self falls on the mirror of the human intellect. Its
reflection is the Jiva or individual consciousness. As the thoughts in the intellect change, the
Jiva actually experiences the changes. But ‘children’ (ignorant people) attribute the changes
to the Self, which all the while remains unmoved and constant.
Incidentally, the same simile shows that the Jiva (the reflected object) is actually an
unreal entity, created by the intellect of man. The simile is a very powerful way of
illustrating this unreality, which has led to all the misapprehension of Reality by man.

Verse 510: Jar-Space Unaffected by the Jar

eÉsÉå uÉÉÌmÉ xjÉsÉå uÉÉÌmÉ sÉÑPûiuÉåwÉ eÉQûÉiqÉMüÈ |
lÉÉWÇû ÌuÉÍsÉmrÉå iÉ®qÉæïbÉïOûkÉqÉæïlÉïpÉÉå rÉjÉÉ || 510||

1 jale vaa api sthale vaa api Whether (it falls) in water or on land,
2 luthatu eshhah jadaatmakah; let this inert body drop down (where it wishes);
3 na aham vilipye tat dharmaih I am untouched by its properties,
4 ghata dharmaih nabhah yathaa. just as jar-space by the properties of the jar.

361

Yet another simile is used for another purpose. This time it is to show how
insignificant death is when viewed from the standpoint of the Eternal Self.
The Self is represented as space within a jar; the body is represented by the jar itself.
Death is represented by the breaking of the jar.
The lesson from the simile is remarkably straightforward. The jar-space is unaffected
by the death of the jar. Relative to the jar, we say it merges into the space outside the jar.
But even that does not actually happen. Nothing actually happens. The space remains space.
In the light of this fact, what does it matter where the jar breaks? Whether we die on
the banks of the Ganges or in some remote unknown place is of no consequence at all. In
spite of this, many people consider it auspicious to die alongside the Ganga, such as at Kashi
(Varanasi). As a belief this is fine, but there is no logical support to the belief. Scriptures are
there which praise the Ganga, and one of those praises is the value of death along its banks.
It is said that a better birth is so obtained.
Such passages help to increase faith in devotees, and have their value at that level. In
Viveka Choodamani, Sri Shankaracharyaji is addressing a seeker of Truth at an intellectual
level. He cannot afford to see things from any other point of view. In other texts, Sri
Shankaracharyaji himself praises the Ganga to great heights!
Clearly, each scripture and each text has its own target audience of appeal.

Verse 511: The Passing States of the Intellect

MüiÉ×ïiuÉpÉÉå£×üiuÉZÉsÉiuÉqÉ¨ÉiÉÉ-
eÉQûiuÉoÉ®iuÉÌuÉqÉÑ£üiÉÉSrÉÈ |
oÉÑ®åÌuÉïMüsmÉÉ lÉ iÉÑ xÉÎliÉ uÉxiÉÑiÉÈ
xuÉÎxqÉlmÉUå oÉë¼ÍhÉ MåüuÉsÉåÅ²rÉå || 511||

1
kartritva bhoktritva
khalatva mattataa
The feelings “I am the doer”, “I am the enjoyer”,
“I am cunningness”, and “I am drunkenness”;
2
jadatva baddhatva
vimuktataa aadayah;
The feelings “I am dullness”, “I am in bondage”,
“I am liberated”, and so on –
3
buddheh vikalpaah
na tu santi vastutah
these are all passing states of the intellect.
These states are never to be found in the Self.
4
svasmin pare brahmani
kevale advaye.
For the Self is the Supreme Brahman,
ever alone, Absolute and Non-dual.

The focus of this verse is the Upadhi of the intellect, the most difficult to dissociate
from. The intellect is the seat of the “I”-thought.
1-2 The sense of “I”-ness is born in the intellect. From there it spreads out like a
disease to every thought in the mind. Everything is infected with this sense of “I”, as shown
in these lines.
3 However, they are all transitory and short-lived. the content of the thoughts keeps
changing. In some it is very strong, in others it may be weak. All these modifications rule it
our from being the true Self. The true Self can never be so changeable.
4 The Self’s Absolute nature is once again brought in contrast to that of the intellect.

362

Verse 512: Staying Detached from Modifications

xÉliÉÑ ÌuÉMüÉUÉÈ mÉëM×üiÉåSïzÉkÉÉ zÉiÉkÉÉ xÉWûxÉëkÉÉ uÉÉÌmÉ |
ÌMÇü qÉåÅxÉ…¡ûÍcÉiÉxiÉælÉï bÉlÉÈ YuÉÍcÉSqoÉUÇ xmÉ×zÉÌiÉ || 512||

1 santu vikaaraah prakriteh Let there be the above modifications of Prakriti,
2
dashadhaa shatadhaa
sahasradhaa vaa api;
by the tens, by the hundreds
or even by the thousands – in any number of ways.
3 kim me asanga-chitah taih What has my detached mind got to do with them?
4 na ghanah kvachit ambaram sprishati. Not ever can the clouds touch the sky!

Conclusion
This closes the disciple’s remarks related to his Upadhis.
1-2 He says, “Let there be any number of modifications among the Upadhis.” It
makes no difference to him who is now attuned to the Self. The proliferation of
modifications of the mind and intellect is something which does not pose trouble to the Self.
It can handle any number of these changes. How does the disciple manage to handle them?
3 The only condition needed to handle the variations in the content of the mind is
the spirit of Detachment from them. In the case of the realised one whom we are listening
to, this detachment is there to the maximum degree required. In lesser beings, it may vary
over a wide spectrum. The more detached one is from worldly events and the Upadhis’
functions, the easier is it to handle the variations of the mind.
4 Shankaracharyaji has an insatiable appetite for similes. He finishes this phase of
reporting with a final simile that takes us back to where we started in verse 501 with the sky
and clouds. The sky remains ever unaffected, no matter how many clouds are present in it.
When the beginning is repeated at the end of a section, it is a feature called
Upakrama-Upasamhaara in Vedanta, which indicates the two points between which the
subject was discussed.

*****

363

8.5 FEEDBACK FROM ABSOLUTE STANDPOINT

(Verses 513-517, 5 No.)

WE ARE NOW IN THE final phase of the report or feedback from the disciple to his
Guru. In five verses we get the disciple’s account from the standpoint of Advaita or Non-
duality, also known as the Absolute standpoint. This is followed by three concluding verses
where the disciple sums up his whole experience and gives gratitude to his Guru.
Earlier, under verse 496, we came across Abhyasa or repetition as a method to bring
the main teaching forward in a text. The Absolute Brahman or the Self is the main subject
matter of this text and hence descriptions of It abound throughout the text. We have
already seen a number of clusters where descriptions of Brahman have been given.
The next five verses fall in the same category and we ought to accept the repetition
as a means of reinforcing the idea we have of Brahman in our minds. Each time we repeat it,
it gets stronger in our intellect and, if we are truly receptive, a “Brahman Vasana” can be
formed which holds us in good stead throughout our spiritual life.

THE CONCEPT OF BRAHMAN CLARIFIED

The Universal Reality, as defined in Vedanta, is termed Brahman. In relation to the
human individual, the term used for the same Reality is Atman, or Self. It is different from
the word God that is commonly used to mean the Lord or Creator of the universe. The
equivalent of God in Vedanta would be Ishwara, not Brahman the Reality. There is a very
slight difference between these two, but it is significant. Ishwara has the illusory power
called Maya superimposed on Brahman, imparting to It the dynamism we attribute to God.
Brahman is the Absolute that the disciple speaks of when reporting to his Guru his
highest, most sublime experience of what is commonly called God-realisation. In the light of
the terms just defined, we should understand ‘God-realisation’ to mean Self-realisation or
Brahman-realisation, to avoid confusion with Ishwara.
In comparison to the dynamism of Ishwara, Brahman is seen as the unchanging,
indestructible, eternal substratum that is transcendent as well as immanent in Creation.
Brahman is not an emptiness, but rather “Fullness” itself (Poornam Idam). It is the very
Source of all intelligence (Buddhi-Mati), existence (Sat), knowledge (Chit) and bliss (Ananda).

Verse 513: The Universe is My Shadow, I Alone Am

AurÉ£üÉÌSxjÉÔsÉmÉrÉïliÉqÉåiÉiÉç
ÌuÉµÉÇ rÉ§ÉÉpÉÉxÉqÉÉ§ÉÇ mÉëiÉÏiÉqÉç |
urÉÉåqÉmÉëZrÉÇ xÉÔ¤qÉqÉÉ±liÉWûÏlÉÇ
oÉë¼É²æiÉÇ rÉ¨ÉSåuÉÉWûqÉÎxqÉ || 513||

364

1 avyakta aadi sthoola paryantam From the Unmanifest down to the gross,
2
etat vishvam yatra
abhaasa maatram prateetam;
whatever is here in this entire universe,
appears merely as a shadow;
3
vyoma prakhyam
sookshhmam aadi antaheenam
I am like the sky or space,
subtle and without beginning or end.
4
brahmaadvaitam yat
tat eva aham asmi.
Whatever is there, is the Non-dual Brahman.
Indeed, That alone am I!

The “I” in this section refers to the disciple’s identity with Brahman the Reality.
1 The word “unmanifest” is generally used for anything that is not perceived by the
senses. Since there are many things not perceived by the senses, some confusion is caused
in its usage. At the causal level it refers to Ishwara; at the subtle level, to Hiranyagarbha; and
at the mental level, to our thoughts and feelings, which are just above the gross objects.
2 The whole hierarchy between Ishwara and the physical body comprises the entire
universe. Students would note that ‘God’, technically speaking, falls into the category of the
Unreal or the “shadow” as it is called here. Brahman exclusively falls outside the definition
of “entire universe”, and is referred as the Reality.
3 Immediately, we see the need for a simile to convey this idea. The sky or space
would represent Brahman. (Note this is only a simile; it should not be understood that space
is Brahman.) The whole universe would then be contained in the sky.
Does that make Brahman just a container for the universe? No, the purpose of the
simile is just to show the subtlety and the infinity of Brahman, nothing else. All similes have
their limitations, especially similes for Brahman, for which there can never be a perfect
simile. There are other similes to follow, which show other aspects of Brahman.
4 This Pada is repeated in the next two verses also. Non-dual means there is nothing
else. The interesting context of this verse is that the disciple says he is Brahman! That is, he
is all that there is in the Universe! If there was anything more, would he be that, too? Let us
read on and find out . . .

Verse 514: I am the Support & Illuminator of All

xÉuÉÉïkÉÉUÇ xÉuÉïuÉxiÉÑmÉëMüÉzÉÇ
xÉuÉÉïMüÉUÇ xÉuÉïaÉÇ xÉuÉïzÉÔlrÉqÉç |
ÌlÉirÉÇ zÉÑ®Ç ÌlÉ¶ÉsÉÇ ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉÇ
oÉë¼É²æiÉÇ rÉ¨ÉSåuÉÉWûqÉÎxqÉ || 514||

1
sarva aadhaaram
sarva vastu prakaasham
I am the support of all,
I am the illuminator of all things;
2
sarvaakaaram sarvagam
sarvashoonyam;
I am present in all forms,
yet I remain devoid of all multiplicity;
3
nityam shuddham
nishchalam nirvikalpam
I am eternal, pure,
motionless and free of all modifications;
4
brahma advaitam yat
tat eva aham asmi.
Whatever is there, is the Non-dual Brahman.
Indeed, That alone am I!

365

1-2 In this amazing description of who the disciple is, he is very careful not to say he
is “Everything”. In fact, he says he is devoid of everything! The disciple is drawing the fine
line of distinction between Brahman and Ishwara. Ishwara may be described as
Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent. But “I” the disciple am not that. Brahman is
something extremely subtle. He pervades everything but yet is apart from them.
3 If Brahman is free of all modifications, it means He does not change. Logically that
means He has to be eternal. Since there is nothing other than Brahman, logically He has to
be pure; impurity means something other than itself is mixed in it. Since He is everywhere,
logically He has to be motionless – He has nowhere to move!
4 These are the mind-boggling implications of Non-duality. Even God falls short of It!

Verse 515: I Transcend Maya & Am Beyond Mind

rÉimÉëirÉxiÉÉzÉåwÉqÉÉrÉÉÌuÉzÉåwÉÇ
mÉëirÉaÉëÔmÉÇ mÉëirÉrÉÉaÉqrÉqÉÉlÉqÉç |
xÉirÉ¥ÉÉlÉÉlÉliÉqÉÉlÉlSÃmÉÇ
oÉë¼É²æiÉÇ rÉ¨ÉSåuÉÉWûqÉÎxqÉ || 515||

1
yat pratyasta asheshha
maayaa visheshham
I am that which transcends the endless
differentiations of Maya, the illusory power;
2
pratyag roopam
pratyaya agamyamaanam;
I am the subjective essence (in everything),
and am beyond the reach of the mind;
3
satya jnaana anantam aananda
roopam
Known as “Truth, Knowledge, Infinity”,
I am of the form of Absolute Bliss;
4
brahma advaitam yat
tat eva aham asmi.
Whatever is there, is the Non-dual Brahman.
Indeed, That alone am I!

1 The disciple now draws the fine line of distinction between Brahman and Maya.
Brahman transcending Maya means Brahman is what is there when Maya is in equilibrium.
The moment Maya is in disequilibrium, disturbances set in and the disturbed Brahman is
Ishwara or ‘God’. From that disturbance arises “endless differentiations” which eventually
get projected as the Universe.
2 Beyond the reach of mind means that Brahman is there before any thoughts were
created. The mind can only function if there are thoughts. The implication is that the
thought-free mind is nothing but Brahman.
3 The most common description of Brahman in the Upanishads is Satchidananda,
which is Sat, Chit and Ananda, the triple nature of Brahman. Infinity amounts to Ananda. If
Brahman were not Infinite, whatever is omitted from Brahman would be a competitor to
Brahman and then Ananda or Bliss would not be possible.
4 Again, these are further implications of the Non-duality of Brahman.
Thus, we see how the descriptions of Brahman all arise from its Satchidananda
nature. A different description arises each time we look at Brahman from a different angle.
There could be limitless facets from which Brahman can be seen, producing limitless views.

366

Verse 516: I Undo My Old Signature

ÌlÉÎw¢ürÉÉåÅxqrÉÌuÉMüÉUÉåÅÎxqÉ
ÌlÉwMüsÉÉåÅÎxqÉ ÌlÉUÉM×üÌiÉÈ |
ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉÉåÅÎxqÉ ÌlÉirÉÉåÅÎxqÉ
ÌlÉUÉsÉqoÉÉåÅÎxqÉ ÌlÉ²ïrÉÈ || 516||

1
nishhkriyah asmi
avikaarah asmi
I am devoid of activity,
I am devoid of modifications;
2
nishhkalah asmi
niraakritih;
I am devoid of parts,
I am devoid of form;
3
nirvikalpah asmi
nitya asmi
I am devoid of all changes,
Eternal am I;
4
niraalambah asmi
nirdvayah.
I am devoid of any support,
I am devoid of all Duality.

1-4 The disciple has deleted his old personality. The negation of that personality is
described in this verse. Everything that he was is no longer valid. His old signature is deleted
in this verse.

Verse 517: . . . and Create My New Signature

xÉuÉÉïiqÉMüÉåÅWÇû xÉuÉÉåïÅWÇû xÉuÉÉïiÉÏiÉÉåÅWûqÉ²rÉÈ |
MåüuÉsÉÉZÉhQûoÉÉåkÉÉåÅWûqÉÉlÉlSÉåÅWÇû ÌlÉUliÉUÈ || 517||

1 sarvaatmakah aham sarva aham I am the universal Self, I am all in all,
2 sarvaateetah aham advayah; I transcend everything and so I am Non-dual,
3 kevala akhanda bodhah aham I am the absolute, unbroken knowledge.
4 aananda aham nirantarah. I am Absolute Bliss and am without end (eternal).

1-4 The disciple has acquired a totally new personality from what he was. The new
personality requires a new signature, which is shown in this verse.
The basic change is that individuality has given way to universality. The old sense of
ego which depended on the Upadhis and was selfish by nature has made way for a new
sense of universality, which is independent of the Upadhis and is selfless in nature.
Advaita Anubhava ends with this verse.
The entire report expresses all that the disciple has heard during Sravana from the
lips of the Guru. After due Manana and Nididhyasana upon these truths, the disciple has
made them his own, and converted them into Aparoksha Anubhuti, the direct experience of
the Supreme Reality, a living experience of Oneness with Brahman.
The report is welcomed by the Guru with great joy. The Guru is the most pleased
when he sees his disciple travel the spiritual journey the full distance. He is even more
pleased to see his disciple excel and exceed his expectations!

367

8.6 CONCLUSION of FEEDBACK

(Verses 518-520, 3 No.)

Verse 518: The Supreme Majesty of Thy Grace!

xuÉÉUÉerÉxÉÉqÉëÉerÉÌuÉpÉÔÌiÉUåwÉÉ
pÉuÉiM×ümÉÉ´ÉÏqÉÌWûqÉmÉëxÉÉSÉiÉç |
mÉëÉmiÉÉ qÉrÉÉ ´ÉÏaÉÑUuÉå qÉWûÉiqÉlÉå
lÉqÉÉå lÉqÉxiÉåÅxiÉÑ mÉÑlÉlÉïqÉÉåÅxiÉÑ || 518||

1
svaaraajya saamraajya
vibhootih eshhaa
I have gained freedom and sovereignty,
and all this grandeur
2
bhavat kripaa
shreemahima prasaadaat;
by the supreme majesty of your Grace.
and the Grace of Mother Saraswati.
3
praaptaa mayaa
shreegurave mahaatmane
For all that has been gained by me,
O noble Teacher! O great one!
4
namah namah te astu
punah namah astu.
My salutations, my salutations unto Thee!
Again and again, my salutations unto Thee!

The disciple concludes his report with gratitude to his Guru.
1-2 All that has been achieved is now laid in humility at the feet of the Guru and the
Goddess of Learning, Mother Saraswati.
3-4 It is a part of the Vedic tradition that the disciple always gives all credit to the
Guru, and looks to him for further guidance.

Verse 519: What You Have Saved Me From

qÉWûÉxuÉmlÉå qÉÉrÉÉM×üiÉeÉÌlÉeÉUÉqÉ×irÉÑaÉWûlÉå
pÉëqÉliÉÇ ÎYsÉzrÉliÉÇ oÉWÒûsÉiÉUiÉÉmÉæUlÉÑÌSlÉqÉç |
AWûƒ¡ûÉUurÉÉbÉëurÉÍjÉiÉÍqÉqÉqÉirÉliÉM×ümÉrÉÉ
mÉëoÉÉåkrÉ mÉëxuÉÉmÉÉimÉUqÉÌuÉiÉuÉÉlqÉÉqÉÍxÉ aÉÑUÉå || 519||

1
mahaasvapne maayaakruta
jani jaraa mrutyu gahane
From the great dream created by Illusion, made
never-ending by births, decay and deaths;
2
bhramantam klishyantam
bahula-tara-taapaih anudinam;
in which I have been wandering, tormented
by innumerable tribulations day by day;
3
ahamkaara vyaaghra vyathitam
imam atyanta krupayaa
persecuted by the tiger of my ego –
out of sheer compassion and Grace
4
prabodhya prasvaapaat param
avitavaan maam asi guro.
you have awakened me from this “deep slumber of
ignorance”, and saved me, O Divine Teacher!

368

The Story of a Typical Jiva
1 The story begins with an attractive dream of what sense pleasures promise. They
promise all the happiness and satisfaction in the world. In chasing that dream, we spend a
whole birth, then another, and another. It never seems to come to an end.
2 Soon the build-up of bondage in the world starts taking its toll. The wandering and
chasing after pleasures of the body end in torment of the soul. The soul loses itself day by
day, going deeper and deeper into the forest of Delusion.
3 As the merits and demerits start maturing, the Jiva experiences more and more
sorrow in life. The Ego that initially appeared so comforting and delightful now faces one
like a menacing tiger, with its sharp claws extended, waiting to devour us. Nothing can save
us except the Grace of the Guru.
4 The Guru steps into one’s life at that crucial moment and rescues one from the
torture. The Jiva is shaken out of its “slumber of Ignorance” and awakened to its higher
purpose. Thus, it is rescued by the Grace and knowledge of the Guru.

Verse 520: My Salutations to Thee, O Prince among Teachers!

lÉqÉxiÉxqÉæ xÉSæMüxqÉæ MüxqÉæÍcÉlqÉWûxÉå lÉqÉÈ |
rÉSåiÉÌ²µÉÃmÉåhÉ UÉeÉiÉå aÉÑÂUÉeÉ iÉå || 520||

1 namah tasmai sadaa ekasmai Salutations to you, who art always the same;
2 kasmaichit mahase namah; salutations to you who art of indefinable greatness;
3 yat etat vishvaroopena Thou art manifested as “This”, the entire universe,
4
raajate guru-raaja
te.
and Thou abidest in it, O pride among Teachers,
to Thee (my salutations a thousand times)!

As the disciple ends his gripping account of God-realisation, the undercurrent of
gratitude to the Guru surfaces strongly once again. The disciple can never forget how he was
helped out of helplessness when he was drowning in Samsara.
The 41 verses in this Part may well be considered a summary of the entire teaching
of the Viveka Choodamani. The account of the disciple is very systematic and follows the
instructions given to him by the Guru. This fact adds value to these verses for future
students as well as seekers of Truth.

END OF PART 8
*****

369

VIVEKA CHUDAMANI – Vol.4

PART 9: (Verses 521-581) 61 Verses

CONVERSATION of Two Saints

9.0 INTRODUCTION

THE GURU NOW exchanges a few words with his erstwhile disciple who has reached
the heights of spirituality as per his instructions. The Guru is no longer talking to a ‘disciple’
but to one who has climbed the full height up the spiritual ladder and can now walk into his
sandals. However, Indian tradition departs from the western on this matter. The Indian
disciple ever reveres his Guru as the Master and remains at his bidding till the end of the
latter’s life, and retains that attitude till the end of his own life.

An Introduction to the Conversation
The Guru and disciple share something in common – both are now realised souls!
One elevated soul is talking to another. Realised souls are themselves a rarity; rarer still is a
meeting between them. And it is our rarest of fortunes to be “eavesdropping” on their
conversation! What sort of conversation takes place between them henceforth?
It is not surprising that they kick off with “Glory of Realisation”. But it does not stop
there. They move on to a variety of other day-to-day matters. We hear them describe their
simple lifestyle; their childlike nature is very amusing as well as instructive to us. They
converse on these matters in a manner that arouses our amusement as well as amazement!
It is hard to tell who the speaker is in these verses. It is made clear to us that the
Guru starts the tone of the conversation. But, as the conversation progresses, we realise
that the speaker could be either one of them. In fact, there are many points at which we
may easily imagine that the verses alternate between the two in conversation style. There
are even times when it is very probable that the Padas within a verse are themselves being
spoken in alternation between the conversationalists. A vibrant, dynamic exchange can well
be imagined. It matters not who is speaking, now that both of them are realised!
Lastly, for how long does the conversation go on? When they finally stop, 55 verses
have elapsed (up to 575) without either of them noticing the time. They do stop, of course,
but it is not for a tea or coffee break; it is only because the time has come for them to have
their next meditation sitting. Being compulsive meditators, neither of them can brook a
moment’s delay in their daily routine!

*****

370

9.1 GLORY OF REALISATION

(Verses 521-530, 10 No.)

THE GURU NOW SPEAKS of the “Glory of Realisation”. There are two aspects to this
topic, and the Guru interweaves them both in almost every verse of this chapter. The two
aspects are i) the Means; and ii) the Goal. In talking about the means, the focus is on the
Mind; whereas in talking about the Goal, the focus is on experiencing the Bliss of Brahman.
As far as most of mankind is concerned, they understand mind more than they
understand Bliss of Brahman. Mind is the means through the training of which the goal of
God-realisation can be reached and the Bliss experienced. We will notice that equal
attention is given to both aspects.

Verse 521: The Valedictory Function

CÌiÉ lÉiÉqÉuÉsÉÉåYrÉ ÍzÉwrÉuÉrÉïÇ
xÉqÉÍkÉaÉiÉÉiqÉxÉÑZÉÇ mÉëoÉÑ®iÉ¨uÉqÉç |
mÉëqÉÑÌSiÉ™SrÉÇ xÉ SåÍzÉMåülSìÈ
mÉÑlÉËUSqÉÉWû uÉcÉÈ mÉUÇ qÉWûÉiqÉÉ || 521||

1 iti natam avalokya shishhyavaryam Seeing the worthy student, i) prostrating;
2
samadhigata aatmasukham
prabuddha-tattvam;
ii) well-filled with the Bliss of the Self;
iii) and awakened to the Reality;
3
pramudita hridayam
sah deshikendrah
the Guru became very glad at heart.
He, a renowned teacher,
4
punah idam aaha vachah
param mahaatmaa.
spoke once again these words
about the Supreme and Universal Self:

The scene reminds us of a Graduation Ceremony at the universities, or the
Valedictory at the end of a Yoga-Vedanta Course. Some may even be reminded of father and
son at a time when the father is retiring and the son is ready to take over his responsibilities.
1-2 Iti: “thus”, i.e. the exemplary way in which the disciple has performed in his
Sadhana and, despite his enormous achievement, his outstanding attitude of humility and
reverence towards his teacher, noted by his prostration.
3-4 Deeply pleased with this, the Guru takes the initiative to proceed further. Of
course, uppermost in his mind is the disciple’s realisation, which he takes up first.

Verse 522a: Nothing But Brahman

oÉë¼mÉëirÉrÉxÉliÉÌiÉeÉïaÉSiÉÉå oÉë¼æuÉ iÉixÉuÉïiÉÈ
mÉzrÉÉkrÉÉiqÉSØzÉÉ mÉëzÉÉliÉqÉlÉxÉÉ xÉuÉÉïxuÉuÉxjÉÉxuÉÌmÉ | || 522.1||

371

1-2
brahma pratyaya santatih
jagat atah
brahma eva tatsarvatah
An unbroken series of perceptions of Brahman
is this universe; therefore, (to the seer of Truth)
in every respect world is nothing but Brahman.
3-4
pashya adhyaatma-drishaa
prashaanta manasaa
sarvaasu avasthaasu api;
When one’s inner vision is illumined, he beholds with his
serene mind, Brahman alone
in all things and even in all conditions!

Brahman Everywhere!
1-2 The whole report of the disciple is studded with the vision of Brahman
everywhere. In the world and in himself, the disciple sees Brahman alone everywhere. The
Guru notes this and says that is normal after realization. He assures the disciple that there is
nothing to worry about – that he has not gone crazy!

Verse 522b: Worldly & Realised Men Compared

ÃmÉÉSlrÉSuÉåÍ¤ÉiÉÇ ÌMüqÉÍpÉiÉ¶É¤ÉÑwqÉiÉÉÇ SØzrÉiÉå
iÉ²SèoÉë¼ÌuÉSÈ xÉiÉÈ ÌMüqÉmÉUÇ oÉÑ®åÌuÉïWûÉUÉxmÉSqÉç || 522.2||

3
roopaat anyat avekshhitam
kimabhitah chakshhushh-
mataam drishyate
Apart from
5
forms (sense objects), those with
1
sense desire –
what else can such
2
worldly men having
3
eyes,
be able to
4
perceive with them?
4
tadvat brahmavidah
satah kimaparam
buddheh vihaaraaspadam.
By the very same token, to
2
realised men, what is there
other than the
1
Knowledge of
5
Brahman (the Reality)
for them to
4
know with their
3
intellects?

A Striking Comparison
3 The Guru first speaks of the case of worldly men:
Wanting
1
Sense pleasure,
2
Worldly men use their
3
Eyes (Senses)
to
4
Perceive
5
Forms (Sense Objects), what else?

4 The Guru then compares them to the God-realised men:
Wanting
1
Knowledge,
2
Realised men use their
3
Intellects (Discrimination)
to
4
Know
5
Brahman (the Reality), what else?

The question asked in both cases is: “What else would they use them for?”
The beauty and symmetry of the layout of the two Padas is worth appreciating. It
adds a forceful punch to the spiritual message Sri Shankaracharyaji wishes to convey.

Verse 523: Why a Painted Moon?

MüxiÉÉÇ mÉUÉlÉlSUxÉÉlÉÑpÉÔÌiÉ-
qÉ×ixÉ×erÉ zÉÔlrÉåwÉÑ UqÉåiÉ ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç |
cÉlSìå qÉWûÉ¿ûÉÌSÌlÉ SÏmrÉqÉÉlÉå
ÍcÉ§ÉålSÒqÉÉsÉÉåMüÌrÉiÉÑÇ Mü CcNåûiÉç || 523||

372

1
kah taam paraananda
rasa anubhootim
Who is there that, while tasting the Supreme Bliss,
and revelling in the essence of it,
2
utsrijya shoonyeshhu
rameta vidvaan;
abandons it and in paltry things
indulges in their enjoyment – is he a wise man?
3
chandre mahaahlaadini
deepyamaane
When the greatly enchanting moon
shines out there in the sky,
4
chitrendum
aalokayitum kah ichchhet.
a painted moon –
who would be desirous to see?

Here again we see quality poetry. Acharyaji never tired of pointing this out at every
opportunity. Much of Sri Shankaracharyaji’s greatness lies in this ability of his.
1-2 The realized sage tastes the supreme Bliss of Brahman and revels in It. Will he
ever surrender that in order indulge in trivial sense pleasures? He would be a fool if he did!
3-4 The simile follows at once: When the natural enchanting moon is there for one
to enjoy, who would desire to enjoy a painted moon! He, too, would be a fool if he did!

Verse 524: Another Comparison

AxÉimÉSÉjÉÉïlÉÑpÉuÉålÉ ÌMüÎgcÉlÉç
lÉ ½ÎxiÉ iÉ×ÎmiÉlÉï cÉ SÒÈZÉWûÉÌlÉÈ |
iÉS²rÉÉlÉlSUxÉÉlÉÑpÉÔirÉÉ
iÉ×miÉÈ xÉÑZÉÇ ÌiÉ¸ xÉSÉiqÉÌlÉ¸rÉÉ || 524||

1 asat padaartha anubhavena kinchit In the perception of objects that are unreal,
2
na hi asti triptih
na cha duhkha-haanih;
there is neither the slightest contentment,
nor is there any cessation of misery.
3
tat advayaananda
rasa anubhootyaa
(On the other hand), in That Non-dual Bliss,
by experiencing the essence of It,
4
triptah sukham tishhtha
sadaa aatma-nishhthayaa.
you find contentment and happiness,
by ever remaining firmly established in the Self.

In these words, we see how deeply Sri Shankaracharyaji is pained to see people
blindly seeking contentment and relief in the wrong place. There is a fatherly care and
concern rarely noticed in spiritual literature which comes through strongly here. It will be an
injustice to the great Acharya if we let it just pass by.
1-2 First he takes a square look at our efforts to find contentment and happiness in
the wrong place. When we taste the pleasure found in ‘unreal’ transitory sense objects,
does it ever give us ‘real’ contentment? Does it ever reduce our misery even by a single
grain? Our fruitless effort to find them in the wrong place pains him.
3-4 Then he places before us the effort to find the same contentment and happiness
in the right place. When we taste even a single grain of Bliss of the Self, don’t we find lasting
contentment in it? Does it not genuinely reduce our misery?
His coaxing and cajoling is artistic. They make their impact on our hearts! Acharyaji
never failed to bring out these precious points while studying this great book. To miss these
finer points would make the study a dry intellectual toil.

373

Verse 525: Threefold Programme for Realisation

xuÉqÉåuÉ xÉuÉïjÉÉ mÉzrÉlqÉlrÉqÉÉlÉÈ xuÉqÉ²rÉqÉç |
xuÉÉlÉlSqÉlÉÑpÉÑgeÉÉlÉÈ MüÉsÉÇ lÉrÉ qÉWûÉqÉiÉå || 525||

1 svam eva sarvathaa pashyan i) Always beholding your Self alone;
2 manyamaanah svam advayam; ii) contemplating upon It as the Non-dual Reality;
3 svaanandam anubhunjaanah iii) and enjoying the Bliss of the Self;
4 kaalam naya mahaamate. may you pass your time, O intelligent One!

1-4 “Behold, contemplate and enjoy the Self. Let this be your threefold programme
for each day. In the Bliss of the Self you have all you ever need to be content.”
This is the Master’s encouraging message. To whom? The disciple is already realized.
Now, through the disciple, we are the ones Shankaracharyaji is targeting!

Verse 526: Non-Dual Bliss is Permanent

AZÉhQûoÉÉåkÉÉiqÉÌlÉ ÌlÉÌuÉïMüsmÉå
ÌuÉMüsmÉlÉÇ urÉÉåÎqlÉ mÉÑUmÉëMüsmÉlÉqÉç |
iÉS²rÉÉlÉlSqÉrÉÉiqÉlÉÉ xÉSÉ
zÉÉÎliÉÇ mÉUÉqÉåirÉ pÉeÉxuÉ qÉÉælÉqÉç || 526||

1
akhanda bodhaatmani
nirvikalpe
The state of unbroken (Non-dual) knowledge
is free from all changes or modifications.
2
vikalpanam
vyomni pura-prakalpanam;
(In comparison to it,) dualistic conceptions
are like imagining a city in the sky!
3
tat advayaanandamaya
aatmanaa sadaa
That fountain of Non-dual Bliss
is ever present in your own Self within,
4
shaantim paraam etya
bhajasva maunam.
Once you taste it, you will enjoy Supreme Peace,
and your quest for joy will be silenced forever.

Once again juxtaposition of two opposing states is the technique used to draw our
attention to the Truth. The disciple’s success gives Shankaracharyaji an ideal opportunity to
instill the same thirst for Truth into us.

1 The state of being established in Non-duality brings about a permanent change in
us. It fixes us in the Reality where there are no changes.
2 In contrast, the state of remaining in Duality, fixes us in Unreality which is ever
changing. It is like building castles in the air!
3 “Therefore, why don’t you aim for the solid Bliss to be found in Reality? It is there
within you already.
4 “Once you taste it within you, you will not run about here and there in the world
hunting for it. Your search for happiness will be over once and for all!”

374

Verse 527: The Self & the Mind Contrasted

iÉÔwhÉÏqÉuÉxjÉÉ mÉUqÉÉåmÉzÉÉÎliÉÈ
oÉÑ®åUxÉiMüsmÉÌuÉMüsmÉWåûiÉÉåÈ |
oÉë¼ÉiqÉlÉÉå oÉë¼ÌuÉSÉå qÉWûÉiqÉlÉÉå
rÉ§ÉÉ²rÉÉlÉlSxÉÑZÉÇ ÌlÉUliÉUqÉç || 527||

1
tooshhneem avasthaa
parama upashaantih
The state of quiescence,
is one of Supreme indescribable Peace.
2
buddheh asat
kalpa-vikalpa hetoh;
The mind, in contrast, is the home of Unreality,
the cause of all fanciful thinking.
3
brahmaatmanaa
brahmavidah mahaatmanah
One who is ever identified with Brahman
who is a knower of Brahman, a great Soul,
4
yatra advayaananda
sukham nirantaram.
who ever remains in the Bliss of Non-duality,
he constantly enjoys the state of Happiness.

This verse follows the same pattern as the previous one. By contrasting the spiritual
with the material, Sri Shankaracharyaji hopes to succeed in sowing the seeds of spiritual
desire in our heart. While the opportunity is ripe, he makes full use of the method.
1 When the mind has been quietened, then real Peace is enjoyed.
2 In contrast, when the mind is active with thoughts, the doors are open for
Unreality to reign in the form of all sorts of imaginations in it.
3 “Therefore, why don’t you try to still your mind by keeping it always fixed in
Brahman? By being a knower of Brahman, you will become a Mahatma, a great soul.
4 “You will ever taste the bliss of the Self, and you will always be happy.”

Verse 528: How to Get Freedom from Vasanas

lÉÉÎxiÉ ÌlÉuÉÉïxÉlÉÉlqÉÉælÉÉimÉUÇ xÉÑZÉM×üSÒ¨ÉqÉqÉç |
ÌuÉ¥ÉÉiÉÉiqÉxuÉÃmÉxrÉ xuÉÉlÉlSUxÉmÉÉÌrÉlÉÈ || 528||

1 na asti nirvaasanaat maunaat Than the quiescence of having no Vasanas, there is
2 param sukhakrit uttamam; nothing superior as a source of highest happiness.
3 vijnaat-aatma-svaroopasya Such a one directly comes to know his own nature;
4 svaananda-rasa-paayinah. he drinks liberally from the fountain of Self-Bliss.

This verse, too, is from the same family – it is a cousin of the previous two:
Vasanas are deeply embedded desire formations. They lie dormant in the
subconscious mind. At an opportune moment, they awaken from their sleep, as it were, and
start troubling us. When they awaken, the mind is the instrument they use to trouble us.
1 The problem concerning Vasanas is really a problem of training the restless mind.
By mastery over mind is gained the checking of Vasanas. There is little hope of checking
Vasanas directly because they are in the subconscious mind, and not accessible to the mind.

375

When the Vasanas surface, they knock at the mind’s door. If the mind is well-trained,
the Vasanas do not have the scope to do any mischief, and peter out on their own. If the
mind is not well-trained, the Vasanas overcome it easily and run riot with our senses. Thus,
a trained mind becomes the means to check and destroy the Vasanas that surface.
2 A Vasana-less mental environment becomes “a source of highest happiness.”
3 Here is the full sequence of the logic of God-realisation:

8-STEP LOGIC FROM VASANAS TO GOD-REALISATION

1. First the MIND has to be well-trained. It must be a good soldier.
2. The trained mind destroys the Vasanas that surface by not giving them free play.
3. Soon all the Vasanas get destroyed.
4. When the Vasanas are all destroyed, the mind has served its purpose.
5. At this point the mind also gets destroyed. Such a mind is said to be a pure mind.
6. The pure mind (the ‘no mind’) is no different from one that knows its true nature.
7. Knowing one’s true nature is nothing short of Self-realisation itself!
8. Self-realisation is no different from GOD-REALISATION.

This is the full understanding of not just this verse, but this whole Chapter.
4 In the state of God-realisation, the seeker-sage enjoys the Bliss of the Self.

Verse 529: At Ease In All Conditions

aÉcNÇûÎxiÉ¸³ÉÑmÉÌuÉzÉgNûrÉÉlÉÉå uÉÉÅlrÉjÉÉÌmÉ uÉÉ |
rÉjÉåcNûrÉÉ uÉxÉåÌ²²ÉlÉÉiqÉÉUÉqÉÈ xÉSÉ qÉÑÌlÉÈ || 529||

1 gachchhan tishhthan upavishan Whether going or staying, sitting
2 shayaanah vaa anyathaa api vaa; or lying down, or even in any other state,
3 yathaa ichchhayaa vaset vidvaan as he pleases does the wise realised sage live,
4 aatmaaraamah sadaa munih. his pleasure being to always revel in the Self!

1-4 The above 8-step sequence lays out the conditions to be fulfilled before a person
can be permitted to behave “as he pleases”. The first and last steps summarise them:
i) The mind has to be under perfect control; and
ii) Identity with the Self has to be attained.
“As one pleases” is usually considered an egoistic thing to do. But in the case of a
sage, it comes naturally, spontaneously, like a child – and it does not offend anybody.
The same behaviour can have two diametrically different effects: When an egoistic
person behaves “as he pleases” others are hurt by it. When a realized sage behaves “as he
pleases” others learn a valuable lesson from it, or are simply delighted by it.

376

Verse 530: When No Rules & Conditions Apply

lÉ SåzÉMüÉsÉÉxÉlÉÌSarÉqÉÉÌS-
sÉ¤rÉÉ±mÉå¤ÉÉÅmÉëÌiÉoÉ®uÉ×¨ÉåÈ |
xÉÇÍxÉ®iÉ¨uÉxrÉ qÉWûÉiqÉlÉÉåÅÎxiÉ
xuÉuÉåSlÉå MüÉ ÌlÉrÉqÉÉ±uÉxjÉÉ || 530||

1
na desha kaala
asana dig yama aadi
Upon conditions of place and time,
upon disciplines of posture, direction and morality,
2
lakshhyaadi apekshhaa
apratibaddha-vritteh;
upon objects of meditation, etc. – no more does he
depend, for his mind encounters no obstruction.
3
samsiddha tattvasya
mahaatmanah asti
One who has perfectly realised the principle of Truth
is called an “enlightened sage”.
4
svavedane kaa
niyamaadi avasthaa.
After all, for recognizing one’s own Self
what rules and regulations are needed to be in place?

The liberty of behaving “as he pleases” of the previous verse, is extended further in
this verse. Here it is said “No conditions, rules or regulations” apply to the realized person.
What could be the reason to extend such liberty to a sage?
Once again the same two conditions listed above need to be present. Then and then
alone are no rules and codes of behavior necessary for the person.

Need for Rules & Regulations
1-4 In ordinary life we see many instances of standard codes of conduct which
people are expected to adhere to if they wish to have certain privileges. Rules and
regulations are a requirement in any civilized society, and even more so in smaller groups of
people with responsibility. In a spiritual organization rules are even more strict. A member
has to abide by rules and a dress code such as no shorts, no sleeveless wear, etc.
Rules are like “medicines” – they are administered to correct an illness in behaviour.
Once behaviour is normal by nature, then the medicine is not needed. This is the spirit in
which this verse says that a realized person does not need to follow rules. It is because he
does not have the illness of ‘bad behaviour’!
The realised sage – and only he – is free from all rules and social customs that
pertain to a given society, time and place. All others are bound to these for their own good –
till they get cured of the illness of Individuality.

*****

377

9.2 ON THE MEANS OF KNOWLEDGE

(Verses 531-536, 6 No.)

Introduction

THE DISCUSSION SHIFTS to the means of knowledge. If the right Pramana or “means
of knowledge” is used to know a thing, then the knowledge of that thing will be revealed or
will reveal itself. Nothing can stop that happening, provided the means is the correct one.
There are six Paroksha or indirect means to obtain knowledge other than the Self.
These are listed on the next page. Among them is Shabda Pramana, i.e. the Shrutis or
Upanishads. For Knowledge of the Self, this is the only one that is valid.
Why this is so is well explained in the discussion that follows.
The means relevant to Knowledge of the Self is a very special, unique case. It is
totally unlike that used to obtain any other knowledge. Nothing external governs our
relationship with our Self. No other condition is needed but the purification of our heart.
Guidelines are be prescribed in the scriptures and can help to some extent. However,
Aparoksha Anubhuti or “direct experience” is the only means of knowing the Self. When
that happens, even the scriptures become unnecessary.
This is summarized clearly with the simile of the Pole Star, which points out
everything around it, but does not need anything to point it out – it is a direction to itself!

Verse 531: The Means to Know a Physical Object

bÉOûÉåÅrÉÍqÉÌiÉ ÌuÉ¥ÉÉiÉÑÇ ÌlÉrÉqÉÈ MüÉåÅluÉmÉåå¤ÉiÉå |
ÌuÉlÉÉ mÉëqÉÉhÉxÉÑ¸ÒiuÉÇ rÉÎxqÉlxÉÌiÉ mÉSÉjÉïkÉÏÈ || 531||

1 ghatah ayam iti vijnaatum “This is a pot” – to know this
2 niyamah kah anvapekshhate; what other condition is necessary save that
3 vinaa pramaana sushhthutvam the means of knowledge be without any defects.
4 yasmin sati padaartha dheeh. If this is so, then cognition of the object is certain.

1 To begin the discussion, let the object to be known be a physical object in the
external world. A typical object chosen in the Shrutis is Ghata, “a pot”.
2-3 Physical objects can be known through the senses. This means of knowledge is
called Pratyaksha or “direct perception”. One or more of the senses is sufficient to know a
physical object. The only condition is that the particular sense should not be defective. The
sense organs are instruments, and the instrument has to be functioning well.
4 When this condition is fulfilled, then the knowledge of the object is obtained
without a doubt. The different senses bring in their respective sensory data to the mind. The
eyes bring the form, the ears bring the sound, the tongue brings the taste, the nose brings
the smell and the skin brings the touch. Together, the object is known in all its details.

378

THE SIX MEANS OF KNOWLEDGE

i) Pratyaksha: is “direct perception” known through the Jnanendriyas or senses. We
know a thing by perceiving it directly with our senses. This is generally taken as irrefutable
proof of knowledge, although there are complications. Pratyaksha is strictly that which is
obtained only through the Jnanendriyas.
ii) Anumaana: is “inference” known through the Buddhi or intellect. Another word is
Yukti. Knowledge of a thing is deduced by observing its effects. From the effects, the cause
is known by inference.
In Anumana, the cause is present with the effect, like fire and the rising smoke.
iii) Upamaana: is “analogy” or “similarity” known through the Manas or mind. By
observing a thing’s similarity with another known thing, we come to know it. Take a bison
for example. You may not have seen one but someone tells you it is like an ox with more fur,
larger head and a double twist in the horns. One day you see an animal with this description
and you conclude “This must be a bison.” Similarly, we can explain an aeroplane to a child,
by saying it is a vehicle that flies like a bird in the sky.
iv) Arthaapatti: is “postulation” or “presumption” and is also known by the Buddhi. If
a fat person is not seen eating during the day, then we postulate or presume that he must
be eating at night, else how can he be so fat? If one is sleeping a lot during the day, we
presume that he must be prowling about at night.
Unlike Anumana, in Arthapatti the cause is not present at the time of seeing the
effect. The eating is not seen with the fatness; the prowling is not seen with the sleeping.
v) Anupalabdhi: is “absence” or “non-apprehension” known by mind and intellect.
Certain effects happen only in the absence of something. i) We can know the boss is absent
when we see the workers loafing. ii) If the attendance at the meditation class is very low
one day, we can presume that the Swamiji in charge is ill! iii) Every morning you hear the
neighbour’s cock crowing. One day there is no crowing; you can presume that the neighbour
must have had a good supper the previous night!
There is a combination of Upamana and Arthapatti here. Upamana detects a change
in a similar situation known before, and then Arthapatti presumes the absence that is
causing the change.
vi) Shabda: is “word of authority” accepted on the basis of trust or Faith. We accept
what a trustworthy, authoratative source has to say. The matter could be secular or
spiritual. In football, I will rather accept the opinion of an experienced manager than that of
my own father. In metaphysical matters, we seek the advice of a spiritual person. The
ultimate Authority on matters concerning the Self is Shastra or the scriptures.

Verse 532: The Means to Know the Atman

ArÉqÉÉiqÉÉ ÌlÉirÉÍxÉ®È mÉëqÉÉhÉå xÉÌiÉ pÉÉxÉiÉå |
lÉ SåzÉÇ lÉÉÌmÉ uÉÉ MüÉsÉÇ lÉ zÉÑÎ®Ç uÉÉmrÉmÉå¤ÉiÉå || 532||

379

1 ayam aatmaa nityasiddhah This Self is an eternal Truth.
2 pramaane sati bhaasate; In the presence of the right means, It manifests.
3 na desham na api vaa kaalam Not on place, nor even on time,
4 na shuddhim vaa api apekshhate. and not even on (outward) purity does it depend.

Now the discussion takes a leap and considers an “object” at the other end of the
spectrum. It is the Self, something that is in complete contrast to a physical object. From the
first Pramana, we leap to the sixth Pramana given in the above list. All the other Pramanas
in between relate to mental deductions of external objects knowable through the senses of
others, not one’s own. These are also valid means of knowing objects.
1 The Self falls into the metaphysical category of item vi) Shabda, in the above list. It
is an object that cannot be known through the senses, either our own or those of others.
2 Only by using the right means can it be known. In the introduction we said It can
only be truly known through direct experience, but scriptural guidelines can help us to make
the direct experience possible. There is no other guideline available for this “object”.
3 None of the other Pramanas can apply to the Self. They apply only to “mind-
related objects” such as a solid object in front of us, or a mentally deduced object, or a
mental concept. All these are limited to the realm of Space and Time.
4 It is said by some people that it is sufficient to be pure in order to know the Self.
That is only a partial truth. The scriptures tell us exactly what that purity entails. There are
different ideas of purity among men. These are not all valid for knowing the Self. The purity
demanded by the scriptures is that which concerns being cleansed of all likes and dislikes, of
all ego-sense, of all desires, etc. Only the scriptures give the right directions about the purity
that is required.

Verse 533: How to Know “Me”

SåuÉS¨ÉÉåÅWûÍqÉirÉåiÉÌ²¥ÉÉlÉÇ ÌlÉUmÉå¤ÉMüqÉç |
iÉ²SèoÉë¼ÌuÉSÉåÅmrÉxrÉ oÉë¼ÉWûÍqÉÌiÉ uÉåSlÉqÉç || 533||

1 devadattah aham iti etad “I am Devadatta” – this
2 vijnaanam nirapekshhakam; knowledge is independent of conditions.
3 tadvat brahmavidah api asya In the same way, to the knowers of Brahman,
4 brahma aham iti vedanam. “I am Brahman” is knowledge (that is independent).

As mentioned earlier, the only means to know the Self is direct experience. That is
now being explained. Direct experience may be calle the “Seventh Pramana”!
1-2 To know oneself no outer conditions are necessary. “I am So-and-so (Devadatta)”
is how we proclaim our existence to the world. But So-and-so is not the Self. It is only an
example used here to point out a case where no external conditions are needed.
3-4 The example above is applied to the Self. The only thing the example is meant to
convey is that the Self is known without the need for any external conditions.

380

Verse 534: The Illuminator of Unreality

pÉÉlÉÑlÉåuÉ eÉaÉixÉuÉïÇ pÉÉxÉiÉå rÉxrÉ iÉåeÉxÉÉ |
AlÉÉiqÉMüqÉxÉ¨ÉÑcNÇû ÌMÇü lÉÑ iÉxrÉÉuÉpÉÉxÉMüqÉç || 534||

1 bhaanunaa iva jagat sarvam Just as the sun illumines the entire objective world,
2 bhaasate yasya tejasaa; That by whose effulgence is illumined the world’s
3 anaatmakam asat tuchchham fallaciousness, Unreality and insignificance –
4 kim nu tasya avabhaasakam. what indeed can be the illuminator of That?

Now another aspect of the Self is explained using a new simile. The scriptures resort
to the use of similes to guide our thoughts in the right direction. The similes are not meant
to convey the whole idea of the Self, but a certain aspect or aspects of It. Here the aspect
explained is the self-illuminating nature of the Self.
1 A simile is chosen which is self-illuminating in a physical sense, with respect to
light. The sun is a source of light. It can illuminate the whole world. But it stands in no need
of being illumined by any other light, because it itself is a source of light.
2-4 Now we apply the simile to the case of the Self. Yes, the Self, too, is self-
luminous, but it is not a physical light. It is the Light of Consciousness. This Light is taken as
the only Supreme Reality. It can reveal all that is Dark, i.e. all that is Unreal. It can reveal all
that is false, it can also reveal all that is under delusion. This is what physical light does in
some way. That is the only help that this simile gives us. It guides our mind towards the Self,
by pointing out the self-revealing nature of the Self.
The picture is still not complete. There are still many other aspects to be known of
the Self before we can get the full picture and make the direct experience possible.

Verse 535: The Reality Illumines All Knowledge

uÉåSzÉÉx§ÉmÉÑUÉhÉÉÌlÉ pÉÔiÉÉÌlÉ xÉMüsÉÉlrÉÌmÉ |
rÉålÉÉjÉïuÉÎliÉ iÉÇ ÌMü³ÉÑ ÌuÉ¥ÉÉiÉÉUÇ mÉëMüÉzÉrÉåiÉç || 535||

1 veda shaastra puraanaani The Vedas, Shastras, and Puranas,
2 bhootaani sakalaani api; as well as all beings and even all things –
3 yena arthavanti tam kim nu indeed, what is That by which they become known?
4 vijnaataaram prakaashayet. What can illumine That which is the Eternal Knower?

Here we have another pointer, and it extends our frontier of understanding in a big
way. Of course, this comes from the scriptures.
1 The scriptures themselves are now telling us that there is a Light by which even
they are known. That is the Light we have to experience for ourselves.
2 That Light is present in all living beings. It is also present in all inert things, although
in their case they cannot know It. All living beings are aware of that Light within them.
However, only the human being is able to know it by direct experience.

381

3 Now we come to the point by which our understanding is extended in this verse.
All the things, beings and the scriptures themselves are known by this Light that is present in
them. The Light is what makes them known. This Reality that we are trying to grasp is that
by which we know everything else.
4 However, a rhetorical question is asked about the Light itself. How can It be
known? How can that be known, by which everything else is known? The idea being
conveyed is that it cannot be known as other things are known, because it is Knowledge
itself! We have to cease thinking of knowing the Self as we know a book or a table, or as we
know a concept such as the day or the night, or as we know something abstract by using
reason. The Self has no need to be known in that manner.

Verse 536: Direct Perception – the Ultimate Means

LwÉ xuÉrÉgerÉÉåÌiÉUlÉliÉzÉÌ£üÈ
AÉiqÉÉÅmÉëqÉårÉÈ xÉMüsÉÉlÉÑpÉÔÌiÉÈ |
rÉqÉåuÉ ÌuÉ¥ÉÉrÉ ÌuÉqÉÑ£üoÉlkÉÉå
eÉrÉirÉrÉÇ oÉë¼ÌuÉSÒ¨ÉqÉÉå¨ÉqÉÈ || 536||

1 eshhah svayam-jyotih ananta shaktih This self-effulgent, endless power,
2
aatmaa aprameyah
sakala anubhootih;
called the Self, is beyond all conditioned knowledge;
it can be directly experienced by anyone.
3 yam eva vijnaaya vimukta-bandhah Such a one alone is free from bondage.
4 jayati ayam brahmavit uttamottamah. Victory is for the best, Knowers of Brahman.

We have had many clues and guidelines to direct our intellect towards the Self.
There are other aspects, too, that have appeared earlier in the text. Here, in the discussion,
we now come to the conclusion of it. The Guru wraps up the matter on direct experience.
1-2 The conclusion is that the Self cannot be known as we know things through the
mind. It is a different kind of knowing altogether. Conditioned knowledge refers to secular
knowledge of the sciences, using the six Pramanas. The Self can only be known by direct
experience, which we may call as the “Seventh Pramana”.
3-4 The whole text aims to take us out of bondage. Thus the anticipated conclusion is
that we should all strive, as the disciple has strived and succeeded, so that we can make
Self-experience our own as the disciple has done. Then we, too, will be out of bondage as he
has become. This is the overall purpose of this discussion.

*****

382

9.3 A RIDDLE IN SIMPLICITY

(Verses 537-550, 14 No.)

THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES with the inspiring account of the life of a realized
sage. The power of poetry is used to the maximum extent in these verses, and will be
enjoyed by those who have some knowledge of the divine language – Samskrit.
In the eyes of the layman, the sage will ever remain “a riddle within an enigma in a
mystery!” as Pujya Gurudev Chinmayananda puts it. Gurudev continues: “His is a life of
carefreeness without carelessness.”

Saints are “Universal Creatures”
Saints live without the limitations imposed by body and mind, yet we can only see
them through our own limitations. That is the source of all our enigmatic perception of the
saint’s life. How would we react to seeing a man from Jupiter arrive on our planet? We are
sure to superimpose our earthly standards in judging him. That is the mistake we make
when trying to probe into the lives of saints.
Saints are ‘universal creatures’. We limit them to Earth, nay, to our own mind! What
chances have we of knowing the truth about them? They themselves have tried so much to
explain themselves to us, but all their efforts go above our heads. The best they can do is to
show us the route they have taken and ask us to follow it so that we can see for ourselves!

Verse 537: Ever Content in Bliss

lÉ ÎZÉ±iÉå lÉÉå ÌuÉwÉrÉæÈ mÉëqÉÉåSiÉå
lÉ xÉ‹iÉå lÉÉÌmÉ ÌuÉUerÉiÉå cÉ |
xuÉÎxqÉlxÉSÉ ¢üÏQûÌiÉ lÉlSÌiÉ xuÉrÉÇ
ÌlÉUliÉUÉlÉlSUxÉålÉ iÉ×miÉÈ || 537||

1
na khidyate no vishhayaih
pramodate
He is neither grieved by sense objects,
nor is he elated by them;
2 na sajjate na api virajyate cha; He neither gets attached to them nor rejects them;
3
svasmin sadaa
kreedati nandati svayam
Being always established in his own Self,
he sports and revels by himself
4 nirantara aanandarasena triptah. By drinking the inner Bliss, he is ever satisfied.

We begin our observations with a verse that well illustrates the fact that we try to
judge saints from our own standpoint.
1-2 Why is it that a saint does not grieve or get elated by sense objects; that he does
not get attached to anything nor reject anything? One clue to the answer is obtained by
looking at it from our own angle.

383

We find that we will grieve in some situations and be elated in other situations; we
get attached to some things or people, and reject other things and people. We expect
everyone else to do the same. We judge everyone by our own standards. Let alone saints,
why should anyone else for that matter behave the same way as we do?
I pass a group of people who are bunched up close together, muttering some
prayers. I pass a sports stadium and hear loud roars of cheering suddenly. Neither event
makes any impact on me, and I walk on unconcerned. It turns out later that the first event
was the funeral of my close friend; and the second was a football game where my team had
just scored a goal. I neither grieved in the first case, nor was I elated in the second case.
Does that make me a saint?
3-4 A saint has a different reason from mine not to be grieved or elated. Mine was
ignorance; the saint’s reason is total identification with knowledge. The saint could be
knowing exactly what was happening at each event, but he sees himself in all the
happenings. He has no reason to grieve for one and be elated for another, even if he knows.
His mind is made of different stuff. It does not have the ‘glue’ of past impressions to stick to
certain fixed responses. He is free. He is not in his mind; he is in his Self.
Even with my best effort I would not be able to pretend to be him! It can only come
naturally.

Verse 538: As a Child Absorbed in Play

¤ÉÑkÉÉÇ SåWûurÉjÉÉÇ irÉYiuÉÉ oÉÉsÉÈ ¢üÏQûÌiÉ uÉxiÉÑÌlÉÈ |
iÉjÉæuÉ ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç UqÉiÉå ÌlÉqÉïqÉÉå ÌlÉUWÇû xÉÑZÉÏ || 538||

1 kshudhaam deha-vyathaam His hunger and physical pains –
2 tyaktvaa baalah kreedati vastunih; forgetting these, a child plays with his toys.
3 tathaa eva vidvaan ramate In the same way, the wise man revels (in God)
4 nir-mamo nir-aham sukhee. without ideas of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, and is happy.

We have here a picture of the simplicity of the sage’s life, best seen in the carefree
innocence and freedom of a child’s life.
1-2 The usual concerns of a child are food and physical comfort. But when something
else engages its mind, such as a toy, then even those concerns go into the background.
3-4 The sage is the same. All his concerns over “I” and “mine” are put aside when he
is busy with his ‘toy’ – revelling in the Self within. The only difference between child and
saint is that the child tires of the toy sooner or later and then runs to his food. The saint is
permanently busy with his Self, and so he never runs after any other pleasures.

Verse 539: Food, Water, Clothes & Dwelling

ÍcÉliÉÉzÉÔlrÉqÉSælrÉpÉæ¤ÉqÉzÉlÉÇ mÉÉlÉÇ xÉËU²ÉËUwÉÑ
xuÉÉiÉl§rÉåhÉ ÌlÉUƒ¡ÓûzÉÉ ÎxjÉÌiÉUpÉÏÌlÉïSìÉ zqÉzÉÉlÉå uÉlÉå |

384

uÉx§ÉÇ ¤ÉÉsÉlÉzÉÉåwÉhÉÉÌSUÌWûiÉÇ ÌSauÉÉxiÉÑ zÉrrÉÉ qÉWûÏ
xÉgcÉÉUÉå ÌlÉaÉqÉÉliÉuÉÏÍjÉwÉÑ ÌuÉSÉÇ ¢üÏQûÉ mÉUå oÉë¼ÍhÉ || 539||

1
chintaa shoonyam adainya
bhaikshham ashanam,
paanam saridvaarishhu
Without any anxiety or feeling of humiliation,
by begging their food
and drinking water from rivers;
2
svaatantryena nirankushaa
sthitih abheeh,
nidraa shmashaane vane;
With the independence of being unrestrained,
they live a life of fearlessness,
sleeping in burial grounds or in forests;
3
vastram kshhaalana
shoshhana aadi rahitam,
dig vaastu shayyaa mahee
Regarding their clothes, the problem of washing,
drying, etc, does not even exist!
The horizon is their dwelling, the earth their bed!
4
sanchaarah vidaam,
nigamaanta veethishhu,
kreedaa pare brahmani.
(And what do they do?) The wise ones wander about
along the avenues of Vedanta,
and enjoy pastimes with the Supreme Brahman.

The little details of survival form the subject of this verse. We say “little” relative to
the saint; for most people this is all they are concerned with throughout the day,
throughout life! In Sri Shankaracharyaji’s time, the practices were exactly as described.
Among the Sadhu and Sannyasi community in India this way of life was common till
not very long ago. When Gurudev Sivananda came to Rishikesh in 1924, this was the lifestyle
among the Sadhus. Now the practice is much changed due to modern conveniences
becoming more available. Elsewhere in the world, there have been many spiritual and
religious communities who practised exactly the same lifestyle described here.
1 Food is obtained by begging. The culture of India supprts this tradition. Perhaps
this is responsible for the numerous ‘Bhandara’ (feast) days in many Ashrams. Rivers for
drinking water is still the case in India in the upper, unpolluted stretches. For bathing, it is
now more restricted just to ritual bathing.
2 The rugged forest life, once the only option available in India, is fast making way
for large Ashrams, with more modern facilities. However, the spirit of renunciation is largely
maintained in these Ashrams. Sleeping in burial grounds, even in olden times, was not so
common as made out here, but a few are known to have lived practising it.
3 The simple clothing with hardly a washing problem is literally true even to this day
in India, where most Sadhus and Sannyasis live with two pieces of cloth, one for the lower
body and an optional one for the upper according to weather. The case of Mahatma
Gandhiji who did away with the upper cloth is well-known in modern times.
4 Most of the time among serious spiritual seekers, is spent in “wandering along the
avenues of Vedanta”. This could not be better described. Study of the scriptures, even
today, occupies a dominant part of their time. The two-year Sandeepany Course where this
text was studied was a full-time residential study course. There were no holidays taken
during the period. All the students were engaged solely in studies for the whole period.
In India there are many traditions regarding scriptural studies. There are the Brahmin
families or clans who specialise in memorising large sections of the Vedas. According to the
number of Vedas memorised they were given family names such as Dwivedi, Trivedi and
Chaturvedi (two, three and four Vedas respectively).

385

Verse 540: Attitude to Body, Senses, Outer Symbols

ÌuÉqÉÉlÉqÉÉsÉqorÉ zÉUÏUqÉåiÉSè
pÉÑlÉYirÉzÉåwÉÉÎluÉwÉrÉÉlÉÑmÉÎxjÉiÉÉlÉç |
mÉUåcNûrÉÉ oÉÉsÉuÉSÉiqÉuÉå¨ÉÉ
rÉÉåÅurÉ£üÍsÉ…¡ûÉåÅlÉlÉÑwÉ£üoÉÉ½È || 540||

1
vimaanam aalambya
shareeram etad
Without any sense of identification, he remains
in this body without being conscious of it;
2
bhunakti asheshhaan
vishhayaan upasthitaan;
through it, he experiences completely
the sense objects present around him
3
parechchhayaa baalavat
aatmavettaa
according to his wishes, just as a child does –
such is the conduct of the knower of the Self.
4
yah avyakta-lingah
ananushhakta baahyah.
Regarding any external insignia, he is
indifferent and unattached to all external symbols.

What is the author trying to tell us here?
1-4 Throughout the verse, the attitude towards the external world is what is being
described. The message is:
“Look at the simplicity of the man. He does not wear clothes to impress anybody.”
To a world driven by fashion and designer wear, this comes out as a deafening statement on
simplicity. To give concrete form to the practice of intense renunciation, the simple lifestyle
is very common among the Sadhus and Sannyasis.

Verse 541: His Dress and Behaviour

ÌSaÉqoÉUÉå uÉÉÌmÉ cÉ xÉÉqoÉUÉå uÉÉ
iuÉaÉqoÉUÉå uÉÉÌmÉ ÍcÉSqoÉUxjÉÈ |
ElqÉ¨ÉuÉ²ÉÌmÉ cÉ oÉÉsÉuÉ²É
ÌmÉzÉÉcÉuÉ²ÉÌmÉ cÉUirÉuÉlrÉÉqÉç || 541||

1
digambarah vaa api
cha saambarah vaa
He may be clad only in a loin-cloth
or having regular clothes on;
2
tvagambarah vaa api
chidambarasthah;
He may be dressed in skins (of deer or tiger),
or as one whose knowledge is vast (like the sky) ought to;
3
unmattavat vaa api
cha baalavat vaa
He may behave like one insane,
or like a child in an innocent, carefree manner;
4
pishaachavat vaa api
charati avanyaam.
He may appear like a ghost (frightening),
or one who travels about (on tours, pleasing to the eye).

1-4 A point is made here that externals are not a reliable sign of sincerity of the
person. It is the Sannyasi community themselves who are the first to recognise this. There is
a vast range of types amongst them covering the full range of dress and behaviour codes.
The same Sannyasin could adopt a variety according to the requirement of the occasion.

386

Verse 542: Desireless & Ever Content

MüÉqÉÉÍ³ÉwMüÉqÉÃmÉÏ xÉÇ¶ÉUirÉåMücÉUÉå qÉÑÌlÉÈ |
xuÉÉiqÉlÉæuÉ xÉSÉ iÉÑ¹È xuÉrÉÇ xÉuÉÉïiqÉlÉÉ ÎxjÉiÉÈ || 542||

1 kaamaan nishhkaama-roopee san Free from desire, being desirelessness itself,
2 charati ekacharah munih; the sage enjoys living alone.
3 svaatmanaa eva sadaa tushhtah He is ever content in company of his own Self,
4 svayam sarvaatmanaa sthitah. for he exists as everything everywhere.

Solitude is a way of life among the community of spiritual seekers. Even today,
although living in communal Ashrams, Sannyasis live with minimal interaction with others.

Verse 543: Ever Enjoying the Blissful State

YuÉÍcÉlqÉÔRûÉå ÌuÉ²ÉlÉç YuÉÍcÉSÌmÉ qÉWûÉUÉeÉÌuÉpÉuÉÈ
YuÉÍcÉSèpÉëÉliÉÈ xÉÉæqrÉÈ YuÉÍcÉSeÉaÉUÉcÉÉUMüÍsÉiÉÈ |
YuÉÍcÉimÉÉ§ÉÏpÉÔiÉÈ YuÉÍcÉSuÉqÉiÉÈ YuÉÉmrÉÌuÉÌSiÉÈ
cÉUirÉåuÉÇ mÉëÉ¥ÉÈ xÉiÉiÉmÉUqÉÉlÉlSxÉÑÎZÉiÉÈ || 543||

1
kvachit moodhah, vidvaan kvachit
api mahaaraaja vibhavah
Sometimes a fool, sometimes a wise man,
and sometimes even in royal grandeur;
2
kvachit bhraantah, saumyah kvachit
ajagara achaara-kalitah;
Sometimes deluded, sometimes peaceful,
sometimes like a motionless python;
3
kvachit paatree-bhootah, kvachit
avamatah, kvaa api aviditah
Sometimes respected, sometimes insulted,
somewhere even unknown;
4
charati evam praajnah
satata paramaananda sukhitah.
Whatever he thus does, the realised man
constantly enjoys the ever-blissful state.

1-3 The poetic magic of this verse is irresistible. Sometimes he is this, sometimes he
is that! There is no way that we can make head or tail of his life. The bottom line is that he
cannot conform to the ‘norms’ of a ‘civilised’ society.
4 The Sannyasi is ever contented and cheerful. Until we decide to begin living more
meaningful lives, there are no words we can find to describe him. He is immeasurable by the
standards of civilised society.
The verse has its “see-saw” feeling, as extremes are seen in the same person at
different times. The “see-saw” effect is relative. It cannot be omitted in an explanation of
such a verse that it is perhaps due to a “see-saw” world that such observations arise in the
first place. It is not the Saint who is riding the “See-saw”, but it’s a “see-saw” world that is
observing the saint and inadvertently recording its own defects!
For one thing is clear. Reality is the most constant thing in existence. One who has
experienced Reality, cannot be so changing. Only a changing world sees him as such. The
saint stands like a meter-guage along the dam wall; the water level rises up and down!

387

Verse 544: The Saint’s Life is a Puzzle

ÌlÉkÉïlÉÉåÅÌmÉ xÉSÉ iÉÑ¹ÉåÅmrÉxÉWûÉrÉÉå qÉWûÉoÉsÉÈ |
ÌlÉirÉiÉ×miÉÉåÅmrÉpÉÑgeÉÉlÉÉåÅmrÉxÉqÉÈ xÉqÉSzÉïlÉÈ || 544||

1 nirdhanah api sadaa tushhtah Though without wealth, he is ever satisfied;
2 api asahaayah mahaabalah; though without help he is very powerful;
3 nityatriptah api abhunjaanah though without enjoyments, he is ever content;
4 api asamah samadarshanah. and though without an equal, he has equal vision!

This verse is a cherry on the cake of our discussion. When something dramatic has to
be said, Sri Shankaracharyaji comes up with the right goods.
1 By his commitment to the life of Renunciation, the saint does not possess wealth.
Yet he is completely satisfied without it. He revels in the wealth of pure Bliss and in the
wealth of virtues.
2 Most people of power get the help of others to get into a position of power and
need their help to remain in power. The saint also wields power, enormous power, over
people. But he does not depend on people to place him up there. The Divine does that for
him. His power consists of moral force, the strength of his character.
3 The saint has seen the ephemeral and addictive nature of sense enjoyments and, in
the spirit of renunciation, he has given them up voluntarily. In its place he is contented with
the pure Bliss that he enjoys from the Self.
4 He is without an equal since it is so rare to see people who take to the spiritual
path and make a success of it. Although he is a cut above others, yet he is humble and sees
the Self in all beings equally. His equal vision rests in seeing God in all. He may treat each
one according to his need, but sees all as souls struggling towards the Divine.
Thus we get a peep into the simplicity of saints. Though the saint is worthy of being
an Emperor among people, he is just as ready to be a beggar among them!

Verse 545: His Life is a Riddle!

AÌmÉ MÑüuÉï³ÉMÑüuÉÉïhÉ¶ÉÉpÉÉå£üÉ TüsÉpÉÉåarÉÌmÉ |
zÉUÏrÉïmrÉzÉUÏrÉåïwÉ mÉËUÎcNû³ÉÉåÅÌmÉ xÉuÉïaÉÈ || 545||

1 api kurvan akurvaanah Though acting, he appears not to be the actor;
2 cha abhoktaa phalabhogee api; though enjoying the fruits, he appears not as enjoyer;
3 shareeree api ashareeree eshha though he has no body, he appears identified with it;
4 parichchhinnah api sarvagah. and though omnipresent, he appears limited.

Sri Shankaracharya now writes two verses with a tinge of irony: A saint’s life reflects
the Truth itself; it is our life that is full of contradictions such as these!
1-4 If each statement is reversed, they would accurately describe the predicament of
man! For example, read the lines as “Though not acting, he appears to act”, etc.

388

Verse 546: Without the “Body”-Idea

AzÉUÏUÇ xÉSÉ xÉliÉÍqÉqÉÇ oÉë¼ÌuÉSÇ YuÉÍcÉiÉç |
ÌmÉërÉÉÌmÉërÉå lÉ xmÉ×zÉiÉxiÉjÉæuÉ cÉ zÉÑpÉÉzÉÑpÉå || 546||

1 ashareeram sadaa santam imam Without body-idea, he appears as though he has –
2 brahmavidam kvachit; rare, indeed, is such a soul who knows Brahman.
3 priya-apriye na sprishatah Neither pleasure nor pain ever touch him;
4 tathaa eva cha shubha-ashubhe. and, in the same way, neither good nor evil.

The play of irony continues; it really awakens us to our real situation:
“How different is he (the saint) from me! I am the one who is full of contradictions. I
am superimposing my contradictions onto him by measuring him with my standards.”
1-4 Is this not what we are guilty of? Each line, when reversed as shown in the
previous verse, becomes the very picture of the human predicament. For example. “Having
body-idea, he appears as though he does not,” etc.
When we look up in envy at the bird flying in total freedom, we are indirectly
admitting our own bondage to the world below! The next verse brings out the irony openly.

Verse 547: Beyond Joy and Sorrow

xjÉÔsÉÉÌSxÉqoÉlkÉuÉiÉÉåÅÍpÉqÉÉÌlÉlÉÈ
xÉÑZÉÇ cÉ SÒÈZÉÇ cÉ zÉÑpÉÉzÉÑpÉå cÉ |
ÌuÉkuÉxiÉoÉlkÉxrÉ xÉSÉiqÉlÉÉå qÉÑlÉåÈ
MÑüiÉÈ zÉÑpÉÇ uÉÉÅmrÉzÉÑpÉÇ TüsÉÇ uÉÉ || 547||

1
sthoolaadi sambandha-
vatah abhimaaninah
He who is attached to his gross body,
and is identified with it;
2
sukham cha duhkham cha
shubha-ashubhe cha;
he alone is affected by happiness and sorrow,
and by good and evil.
3
vidhvasta-bandhasya
sadaatmanah muneh
But he who has severed his bondage (to the body)
and is a sage identified with Reality,
4
kutah shubham vaa api
ashubham phalam vaa.
how can he be affected by any good or even
any evil or their fruits (effects)?

We are slowly cracking the Riddle of the saint’s life. The riddle is our life in bondage.
1-2 This is our situation. We are the ones bobbing up and down on the waves of
happiness and sorrow, of good and evil. Ours is the life of contradictions, not the saint’s.
3-4 This is the saint’s situation. He is like the bird in the sky, flying in freedom,
unattached to terrestrial grossness. He has bravely chosen to sever his connection to all
bondage. He has plucked up the courage to shake himself off from all ties that grounded
him down to sorrow. He deserves to be saluted for that. He is the hero, we are revealed to
be the cowards or villains in the drama of life.

389

Verse 548: Example: The Eclipse of the Sun

iÉqÉxÉÉ aÉëxiÉuÉ°ÉlÉÉSaÉëxiÉÉåÅÌmÉ UÌuÉeÉïlÉæÈ |
aÉëxiÉ CirÉÑcrÉiÉå pÉëÉlirÉÉ ½¥ÉÉiuÉÉ uÉxiÉÑsÉ¤ÉhÉqÉç || 548||

1 tamasaa grastavat bhaanaat (In an eclipse), the moon appears to swallow the sun,
2 agrastah api ravih janaih; but in fact the sun is not swallowed. By people
3 grastah iti uchyate bhraantyaa in their delusion, it is said to be swallowed;
4 hi ajnaatvaa vastu lakshhanam. of course, they are ignorant of the true situation.

The Riddle is now cracked. The riddle is about us, not the saint.
1-2 The sun is the saint; the moon the ignorant man. We superimpose our ignorant
ways upon the saint and behold him as a riddle due to our own fluctuating ways.
There is no eclipse as far as the sun is concerned. It does not know anything about
any eclipse. It only gives light everywhere.
Acharyaji tried his best to describe the situation:
The sun complained to man that it cannot see darkness. The
man said, “You can’t see the Dark? Well, why don’t you come a few
hours earlier tomorrow – then you can see it for yourself!”
3-4 The descriptions we attempt to make of the saint has this one flaw in it. We see
the sun as being eclipsed because of our own darkness. We try to measure the saint, but our
yardstick is not long enough! The solution to the riddle lies in our own hands – our yardstick.
It is not in the saint at all. He is not a riddle, he is simplicity itself! We are the riddles.

Verse 549: Application: The ‘Eclipse’ of the Self

iÉ²¬åWûÉÌSoÉlkÉåprÉÉå ÌuÉqÉÑ£Çü oÉë¼ÌuÉ¨ÉqÉqÉç |
mÉzrÉÎliÉ SåÌWûuÉlqÉÔRûÉÈ zÉUÏUÉpÉÉxÉSzÉïlÉÉiÉç || 549||

1 tadvat deha aadi bandhebhyah So too, free from bondage to the body, etc,
2 vimuktam brahmavittamam; is the liberated sage, the perfect knower of Brahman.
3 pashyanti dehivat moodhaah But foolish people see him as being body-bound,
4 shareera aabhaasa darshanaat. just because they see the appearance of his body.

With the Riddle cracked in the previous verse, Sri Shankaracharyaji now lays bare the
truth. There is nothing for him to explain, but he does explain – he explains to us in the
kindest words possible – that we are Moodhaah, the fools!
1-4 We are bound to our body. Because of that, we think that everyone else who has
a body is also bound equally fast to it. We do not see that the real bondage lies not in our
body but in our mind. The saint’s mind has completely been dissolved in Supreme
Consciousness, whereas ours is firmly tied to our body. That is the origin of the Riddle.

390

Verse 550: The Body as the Slough of a Snake

AÌWûÌlÉïsuÉïrÉlÉÏuÉÉrÉÇ qÉÑYiÉSåWûxiÉÑ ÌiÉ¸ÌiÉ |
CiÉxiÉiÉ¶ÉÉsrÉqÉÉlÉÉå rÉÎiMüÎgcÉimÉëÉhÉuÉÉrÉÑlÉÉÇ || 550||

1 ahirnirlvayanee iva ayam This body is like the slough of the snake;
2 mukta-dehah tu tishhthati; in one who is liberated from the body, it still remains.
3 itah tatah chaalyamaanah Here and there it is still seen to move as it pleases,
4 yatkinchit praana-vaayunaam. by whatever little, due to the force of the vital airs.

These verses are soaked in the teaching of the Chandogya Upanishad, Chapter 8.
The mystery of the Riddle has been solved – it is the ignorant man who sees the saint
as having a body, and then ascribes contradictions to him. In this verse, the true nature of
the saint’s “body” is being described.
1-2 The bare truth is that the sage is not present in his body at all – his body is merely
like the slough of a snake! The snake is the only creature in nature that sloughs off its body
several times during the course of its life. The slough appears exactly like the original skin of
the snake, but there is no snake inside it; the snake has slithered out of it and gone
elsewhere. The slough appears almost exactly like a live ‘snake’.
3-4 It may even move! On a windy day, for instance, it gives the appearance of being
a live snake. Philosophically, the movement due to “the force of the vital airs”, can be
interpreted as the playing out of his remaining Prarabdha Karma. Indeed, the Jnani, too,
goes through the ups and downs of life, but his experience of them is like the slough moving
in the wind.

Conclusion
The message of this Chapter is very clear: The sage’s point of focus is on the Self.
That point is nowhere within the ambit of our limited intellect. It is beyond our intellect’s
reach. We cannot find him behind the intellect, for he is far beyond it – as far away as is the
sun beyond the clouds.
It is our folly that makes us think he is still bound to his body. The truth is that he has
sloughed it off; he has long slid away and out of it, and can now be found only in the heights
of Brahman!

*****

391

9.4 THE ATTITUDE OF A SAINT

(Verses 551-554, 4 No.)

WE COME TO THE climax of this conversation. The Guru and disciple return to the
theme they began with – namely, the “Glory of Realisation”. Any doubt about this glory
should have been cleared by the content of the conversation so far. However, in case there
is still a trace of doubt in our mind, this short Chapter is aimed to clear it.
The verses touch upon the Attitude that a saint bears while he is faced with all the
ups and downs in life. Because of his Attitude, he does not lose his balance as we would
when faced with the same ups and downs. The whole difference between a saint and others
lies in the respective Attitude in life.

Verse 551: Surrender: Like a Floating Log of Wood

x§ÉÉåiÉxÉÉ lÉÏrÉiÉå SÉÂ rÉjÉÉ ÌlÉqlÉÉå³ÉiÉxjÉsÉqÉç |
SæuÉålÉ lÉÏrÉiÉå SåWûÉå rÉjÉÉMüÉsÉÉåmÉpÉÑÌ£üwÉÑ || 551||

1 strotasaa neeyate daaru As a piece of wood is carried by the current in a river
2 yathaa nimnonnatasthalam; to a crest or a trough of a wave, even so in a sage,
3 daivena neeyate dehah by the sweet will of Karma, his body is carried,
4
yathaa-kaala
upabhuktishhu.
in accordance with its destiny of place and time,
to wherever, whenever and whatever is due to it.

The attitude of complete Surrender to the Will of the Lord is brought out here.
We are left gasping at the Being whom we call the realized sage. He is here and he is
not here also – he is everywhere. He soars above his fellowmen, yet lives amidst them like a
child. A more profound picture of serenity cannot be painted of this ‘enigma among men’.
1-2 A piece of wood cannot but helplessly follow the ups and downs of the waves
that pass it. There is helpless surrender in the wood to the waves in the river.
3-4 The similarily of the saint’s surrender to God’s Will to that of the piece of wood is
brought out. But the saint is not a block of wood that surrenders passively. The saint
surrenders willingly, knowingly, and happily. The saint’s surrender is out of knowledge, not
out of ignorance. In other words, the simile only partially conveys his surrender, not fully.
The nobility and loftiness of the saint’s surrender is not captured by this simile. The
willingness to submit to a greater force is not captured. The renunciation of self-will is not
captured. The identity with the water of the river rather than the waves in it is not captured.
In comparison, the block of wood represents only the submission or the surrender.
Other similes are needed to more accurately grasp the attitude of a saint towards
the Divine Will. This is attempted in the verses that follow.

392

Verse 552: Witness-ship: Like the Pivot of a Wheel

mÉëÉUokÉMüqÉïmÉËUMüÎsmÉiÉuÉÉxÉlÉÉÍpÉÈ
xÉÇxÉÉËUuÉŠUÌiÉ pÉÑÌ£üwÉÑ qÉÑ£üSåWûÈ |
ÍxÉ®È xuÉrÉÇ uÉxÉÌiÉ xÉÉÍ¤ÉuÉS§É iÉÔwhÉÏÇ
cÉ¢üxrÉ qÉÔsÉÍqÉuÉ MüsmÉÌuÉMüsmÉzÉÔlrÉÈ || 552||

1
praarabdha karma parikalpita
vaasanaabhih
Prarabdha Karma allegedly prompts
(the man of perfection) to hold desires,
2
samsaarivat charati
bhuktishhu
mukta-dehah;
and make him move about in worldly circles,
among sense attractions despite him being
liberated from having any body-idea;
3
siddhah svayam vasati
saakshhivat atra tooshhneem
But the truth is that he lives his life
as a Witness here in the world, in silence;
4
chakrasya moolam iva
kalpa-vikalpa shoonyah.
and like the hub of a wheel, he remains
unaffected by any agitations encircling him.

Tossed Helplessly by Prarabdha
1 The “block of wood” represents Prarabdha Karma, and we have seen that it does
not do justice to the attitude of a saint. Prarabdha presumes the presence of desire.
2 The desire is what is supposed to ‘drag’ the saint through the mud of worldliness
and sense attractions, as though the saint is helpless in the matter, and as though the saint
is still controlled by the demands of his body.
3 But that is not true. The saint is not a pawn in the world’s game of chess. His true
situation is that he is a Witness of all that goes on in his mind and through his body. As
Witness, there is a big element of freedom that he has. He is not helpless. Hence a new
simile is brought in to describe this attitude of Witness-ship.
4 We are now given an improvement on the “block of wood” simile. The saint is
given a fixed place of honour, the hub of a wheel, where he is King. He is no longer helpless.
He is still while everything else around him rotates in frenzy, he being their Witness.
This is a big improvement, yet, even this is not good enough; it does not do full
justice to the Truth. It gives the impression that the saint, although in a stable position, is in
an environment of turmoil that he has to somehow helplessly endure till the end of his life.
Thus, even the hub has some limitations in describing the true attitude of a saint
towards the world. Is there some better simile?

Verse 553: Indifference: Like a Man Drunk with Wine

lÉæuÉåÎlSìrÉÉÍhÉ ÌuÉwÉrÉåwÉÑ ÌlÉrÉÑ‡û LwÉ
lÉæuÉÉmÉrÉÑ‡û EmÉSzÉïlÉsÉ¤ÉhÉxjÉÈ |
lÉæuÉ Ì¢ürÉÉTüsÉqÉmÉÏwÉSuÉå¤ÉiÉå xÉ
xuÉÉlÉlSxÉÉlSìUxÉmÉÉlÉxÉÑqÉ¨ÉÍcÉ¨ÉÈ || 553||

393

1
na eva indriyaani niyunkta
vishhayeshhu eshhah
Never are the sense organs directed towards the
sense-objects by a realised man;
2
na eva apayunkta upadar-
shana-lakshhanasthah;
Never are they even detached from them by the one
who views them from the standpoint of a Witness;
3
na eva kriyaa-phalam api
eeshhat avekshhate sah
Never are the fruits of action even
anticipated a little bit by the realised one;
4
svaananda saandra rasa
paana sumatta chittah.
The abundant Bliss of the Self, is like a drink of wine
to one whose mind is inebriated with it!

1-3 We feel the sheer thrill of a life lived in utter surrender to God. Not a nerve
needs to be strained in the stream of life, not a muscle need be stretched to a frown amidst
life’s encounters. The sage is like a perfect mirror, reflecting perfectly everything that comes
to him. And, O yes – what about an improved simile?
4 Finally, a near-perfect simile is found – Wine!
A drunkard is in his own world created by his drink of wine. Everything he does or
thinks is inebriated by the wine. To the realized saint, the Bliss of the Self is what wine is to a
drunkard. It creates its own environment of thoughts and actions. The disadvantage of the
previous two similes is removed. The saint carries his own Environment wherever he goes!
“Drunk with the wine of Bliss”, this divine Drunkard drinks not to forget his worries,
but to celebrate their total absence in his life.
For those who object to wine being used as a simile, it means that the simile is
already working well on them – it is teaching them to keep away from sense pleasures
which wine represents. A realized sage needs no warning of this danger. Does a skilled
swimmer need to be told to be careful of going into water!
Some may be more comfortable with a fragrant flower instead of wine. A rose is
always enjoying its own fragrance. No one can stop it from doing so; it wells up from deep
within itself, just like the Bliss from the Self.

Verse 554: Summary: Renounce, Abide, Personify

sÉ¤rÉÉsÉ¤rÉaÉÌiÉÇ irÉYiuÉÉ rÉÎxiÉ¸åiMåüuÉsÉÉiqÉlÉÉ |
ÍzÉuÉ LuÉ xuÉrÉÇ xÉÉ¤ÉÉSrÉÇ oÉë¼ÌuÉSÒ¨ÉqÉÈ || 554||

1 lakshhya alakshhya gatim tyaktvaa He who renounces the desire to attain or not;
2 yah tishhthet kevala aatmanaa; who abides by himself in his Self;
3 shiva eva svayam saakshhaat who personifies Lord Shiva alone in Himself;
4 ayam brahma-viduttamah. such a one is the best among the knowers of Brahman.

Shankaracharyaji leaves us with two sobering thoughts about saints to counter the
effects of the ‘wine’ in the last simile.
1 The saint has no desire, not even the desire to attain or not to attain God.
2 He thoroughly enjoys being alone in his own company – i.e. abiding in his Self,
which could be in meditation or in active life.

394

3 Such unconditional love for God is required to attain the state of pure Bliss. The
best simile for this state is Lord Shiva Himself, who is a picture of calmness, of solitude, of
renunciation, and of aloofness.
4 Such a person, who loves the Lord for the Lord’s sake, is the best way to describe
the Knower of Brahman. There is no need to take shelter under a simile for this state.

Conclusion
Three similes were considered to express the attitude of a Saint.
First we had the block of wood in a river to illustrate the attitude of complete
surrender to God.
Secondly, we had the hub of a wheel to illustrate the witnesshood attitude of
remaining detached from the world.
And thirdly, we had the controversial wine to illustrate how the saint creates his own
world intoxicated in the Bliss of the Self.
Fourthly, all similes are dropped and the Lord Himself is offered as the best “simile”
for the state of attaining Oneeness with Him. Only two things are required: Desirelessness
and Love for God. That is sufficient to obtain the highest spiritual experience of Oneness.

Now, extending over the next two Chapters, the conversation continues on the
theme of what becomes of the sage after the death of his body. We shall discover that
Vedanta has its own unique definition of “Death”. . .

*****

395

9.5 VIDEHAMUKTI – DROPPING THE BODY

(Verses 555-567, 13 No.)

THIS THEME OF the conversation between two Self-realised Vedantins may surprise
most of us. Death is not a subject savoured by humanity. It is the most feared of all human
experiences, and most people spend all their life trying to figure out how to avoid an
encounter with it. We may be curious to know how saints meet it when it does come to
them, as sooner or later it must. However, we should be prepared to learn a lesson or two.
With Sri Shankaracharyaji, we can be assured that our curiosity will be satisfied.

Verse 555: Before or After Death, Brahman Alone Is

eÉÏuÉ³ÉåuÉ xÉSÉ qÉÑ£üÈ M×üiÉÉjÉÉåï oÉë¼ÌuÉ¨ÉqÉÈ |
EmÉÉÍkÉlÉÉzÉÉSèoÉë¼æuÉ xÉlÉç oÉë¼ÉmrÉåÌiÉ ÌlÉ²ïrÉqÉç || 555||

1 jeevan eva sadaa muktah Even in life, eternally free
2 kritaarthah brahmavittamah; and fulfilled is the perfect knower of Brahman;
3 upaadhinaashaat But at death, with the limitation of body destroyed,
4
brahma eva san brahma
api iti nirdvayam.
Brahman, which he was all along, alone remains,
and he attains the state of Non-duality.

Acharyaji first clarified that there is no such thing as ‘becoming Brahman’. The
Reality always is, it does not change at all. One cannot ‘become Brahman’ because that is
what one already is. We have to understand Sri Shankaracharyaji’s difficulty in putting into
words something that is inexpressible.
In a way, he is compelled to say half his words from the plane of higher or Absolute
Reality, and the other half from the plane of lower or relative reality. Only a Master like Sri
Shankaracharyaji can do this effectively.
1-2 As an introduction to the teaching on Videhamukti, the fact is laid before us that
the realized sage is fully immersed in Brahman even while he is living. At the “moment of
realisation” his individual consciousness merges into Brahman or universal Consciousness.
This is Event 1. It does not happen in ordinary mortals, only in a realized sage.
Then death occurs. The physical body drops off. This is Event 2. It occurs to
everyone, whether realized or not. What does this mean? The answer to the question is
enigmatic because it depends from which plane we are to answer it.
3 From our relative standpoint, death is understood as the destruction of the
Upadhis, which has two parts, the gross and the subtle. The gross Upadhi, the body, is burnt
and returned to its elements. The subtle Upadhi (mind, intellect, etc) gets “packed up” and
leaves the physical body at Event 2. That is the departing soul, the Jiva, which returns to
take birth again.

396

In the case of the realized sage, the destruction of the gross body is in common with
the non-realised person. However, there is a difference in what happens to his subtle body.
In the sage’s case, the most important part of the subtle body, the Ahamkara or Ego was
already dissolved or ‘destroyed’ during Event 1. At Event 2, it is not there. The rest of the
subtle body is also destroyed, not packed up for the next birth, because there is to be no
next birth in the case of the realized sage.
4 Now the answer from the Absolute standpoint:
Brahmaiva San Brahma Api Iti: These words are actually a quotation from the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. They mean, “Brahman, which he was all along, That alone he
remains”. In other words, the death of the body makes no difference at all to the sage. After
Event 1 and before Event 2, he was in Brahmic-consciousness alone, and free from body-
consciousness and ego-consciousness. After Event 2 there is no change in this situation.
Event 2, Death, makes no difference at all in his case.
Thus, the death of the body is an insignificant event in the life of a realized sage.

Verse 556: Life: The Costume of an Actor!

zÉæsÉÔwÉÉå uÉåwÉxÉ°ÉuÉÉpÉÉuÉrÉÉå¶É rÉjÉÉ mÉÑqÉÉlÉç |
iÉjÉæuÉ oÉë¼ÌuÉcNíåû¸È xÉSÉ oÉë¼æuÉ lÉÉmÉUÈ || 556||

1 shailooshhah veshha-sadbhaava An actor may be dressed in his acting role
2 abhaavayoh cha yathaa pumaan; or be without it, yet he is the same man.
3 tathaa eva brahmavit shreshhthah Even so, the perfect knower of Brahman
4 sadaa brahma eva na aparah. is always Brahman and nothing else.

In the first verse, we took pains to explain the basic concepts concerning death, so
that they need not be repeated throughout the Chapter. We shall use the above analysis to
interpret all the remaining verses of this Chapter.

Simile: Actor & His Costume
We begin with an overview of the life and death cycle as seen from the perspective
of a realized sage. The simile used is of an actor and his costumes.
1-2 In the general case, an actor is and will always remain the human being that he is
with his own unique nature. As an actor he may play different roles in different costumes,
but he never forgets that they are all mere roles, not his real personality.
3-4 In the case of a realized sage, his real nature is Brahman. He is fully identified
with Brahman and that is what he essentially is. When he acts the role of a human being, he
wears the costume of a human body. In a human body, he is given another name. However,
when Brahman is off-duty as an actor, He puts aside His costume. When he does so, we call
it ‘Death’. But it is death of the actor, not of Brahman. To Brahman it is only a change in his
costume. He returns to His “bodiless costume” when He is not acting!
Put differently, when Mr Brahman puts on His costume of the human body, it is
called birth. When Mr Brahman decides to take a break, He discards His body, and that is
called death. In either case, He always remain Mr Brahman.

397

Verse 557: Death: The Falling of a Withered Leaf!

rÉ§É YuÉÉÌmÉ ÌuÉzÉÏhÉïÇ xÉimÉhÉïÍqÉuÉ iÉUÉåuÉïmÉÑÈ mÉiÉiÉÉiÉç |
oÉë¼ÏpÉÔiÉxrÉ rÉiÉåÈ mÉëÉaÉåuÉ iÉÎŠSÎalÉlÉÉ SakÉqÉç || 557||

1 yatra kvaapi visheernam sat Whenever and wherever it gets withered,
2 parnam iva taroh vapuh patataat; a leaf of a tree falls; so it is with the body.
3
brahmeebhootasya yateh
praak eva
To the sage who knows he is Brahman,
(it matters not) for even before (the body falls)
4 tat chit agninaa dagdham. it was already burnt by the fire of knowledge.

In this verse the basic truth about Videhamukti is told with no room for any
ambiguity. Unlike the way in which we toyed with the idea of Prarabdha and took it step by
step to the Absolute viewpoint to get its ultimate meaning, here Sri Shankaracharyaji is very
direct – Videhamukti is of no significance whatsoever in the life of a realized sage.
1 Since he has no body identity, being completely identified with Brahman, it is of
little interest to him to concern himself with how, when or where he dies.
2 The simile of a leaf falling from a tree is very appropriate. Once it is withered, when
it falls makes no difference to the tree, because it is already withered and is of no use.
Further, where it falls is also of no consequence to the tree. Whether it falls in a wayside
ditch or on a bed of roses, makes no diference to the tree. And how it falls is of least
importance. The case is similar for the sage’s body after the “moment of realisation”. Why?
3-4 After realisation, the sage’s body is considered as burnt already. It is there only in
name; the consciousness of the sage is entirely in Brahman, not on the body. This means
that even before he dies, the body of a sage is as good as ‘a withered leaf’ since his
consciousness is not there but has been raised to that of Brahman.
The next four verses drive hard at this fact, and teach glaring lessons in the process:

Verse 558: A. Death is Not a Big Deal

xÉSÉiqÉÌlÉ oÉë¼ÍhÉ ÌiÉ¸iÉÉå qÉÑlÉåÈ
mÉÔhÉÉïÅ²rÉÉlÉlSqÉrÉÉiqÉlÉÉ xÉSÉ |
lÉ SåzÉMüÉsÉÉ±ÑÍcÉiÉmÉëiÉÏ¤ÉÉ
iuÉ‰ÉÇxÉÌuÉOèûÌmÉhQûÌuÉxÉeÉïlÉÉrÉ || 558||

1
sadaa aatmani brahmani
tishhthatah muneh
Always in the Self, the eternal Reality or Brahman –
the sage who is thus established,
2
poorna advaya aananda-
maya aatmanaa sadaa;
is infinite, Non-dual and
always full of Bliss Absolute all by himself.
3
na desha kaala aadi
uchita prateekshhaa
In the event of death, on the place, the time, etc. –
upon these superficial considerations – why wait?
4
tvang maamsa vit
pinda visarjanaaya.
After all, just a bundle of skin, flesh and filth
is this body. To give it up, (what is the big deal?)

398

Verse 559: B. Death is Not Equivalent to Liberation

SåWûxrÉ qÉÉå¤ÉÉå lÉÉå qÉÉå¤ÉÉå lÉ ShQûxrÉ (lÉ) MüqÉhQûsÉÉåÈ |
AÌuÉ±É™SrÉaÉëÎljÉqÉÉå¤ÉÉå qÉÉå¤ÉÉå rÉiÉxiÉiÉÈ || 559||

1 dehasya mokshhah no mokshhah Giving up the body is not liberation;
2 na dandasya (na) kamandaloh; nor is giving up the staff or the water-pot!
3 avidyaa hridaya granthi The heart’s knots of stubborn ignorance –
4
mokshhah mokshhah
yatah tatah.
to surrender them is true liberation.
“That which is, That alone is.”

1-2 Among non-Sannyasis, the belief persists that when one dies, one goes to
heaven or hell. Even among Sannyasis, they may say “I am not the body”, but can become
attached to their ‘staff and water-pot’! If the belief is to attain a heaven where one can
enjoy unlimited pleasures, or fear a hell where one will be punished indefinitely, then, yes,
giving up the body becomes an important event to begin such a life hereafter.
3-4 But Vedanta offers something more substantial. The goal is God-realisation,
which is very different from attaining heaven or hell. It is the complete transformation of
oneself so that there is no longer any trace of ignorance or delusion in one’s intellect. There
is a purity which ensures that only righteousness prevails in one’s life. That defines
liberation in Vedanta philosophy. Such liberation is independent of what happens to the
body. It has nothing to do with death. In fact, it can be attained only while living!

Verse 560: C. Death: Its ‘When’ & ‘Where’ Matter Not

MÑüsrÉÉrÉÉqÉjÉ lÉ±ÉÇ uÉÉ ÍzÉuÉ¤Éå§ÉåÅÌmÉ cÉiuÉUå |
mÉhÉïÇ mÉiÉÌiÉ cÉå¨ÉålÉ iÉUÉåÈ ÌMÇü lÉÑ zÉÑpÉÉzÉÑpÉqÉç || 560||

1 kulyaayaam atha nadyaam vaa In a stream or in a river;
2 shivakshhetre api chatvare; in a consecrated place or on the roadside –
3 parnam patati chet tena if a leaf has to fall in any of these places,
4 taroh kim nu shubhaashubham. what good or harm will that bring to the tree?

1-3 (Refer to verse 557.) The tree represents the Reality, Brahman. That is what the
realised sage is anchored in. The leaf represents the body, which in relation to the tree is
something very trivial. (We are not talking of the botanical importance of a leaf to the tree.)
Acharyaji rose to the occasion to express the underlying feelings in the author: “Is
anybody going to wait for the right time to drop a stinking, filthy body? Is he going to wait to
reach Kashi, or wait for the bright half of the lunar fortnight, etc? No, nothing like that.
4 “Those who want to get a better birth to go to some Loka or other, aim to earn
more merits in various superstitious ways, such as choosing where they die and which
direction they face when dying! Real liberation, we saw earlier, has nothing to do with the
dropping of the body. It lies in giving up of Avidya or ignorance. That is the true death worth
working towards. Surrendering the ‘knots of the heart’ (559) is true liberation.”

399

Verse 561: D. Death is No Loss to Anyone

mÉ§ÉxrÉ mÉÑwmÉxrÉ TüsÉxrÉ lÉÉzÉuÉSè-
SåWåûÎlSìrÉmÉëÉhÉÍkÉrÉÉÇ ÌuÉlÉÉzÉÈ |
lÉæuÉÉiqÉlÉÈ xuÉxrÉ xÉSÉiqÉMüxrÉ-
AÉlÉlSÉM×üiÉåuÉ×ï¤ÉuÉSÎxiÉ cÉæwÉÈ || 561||

1
patrasya pushhpasya
phalasya naashavad-
As is the loss of a leaf, or of a flower,
or the loss of a fruit (to a tree),
2
deha indriya praana
dhiyaam vinaashah;
so is the loss of the body, or senses, or Prana,
or the loss of even the intellect (to the Reality).
3
na eva aatmanah svasya
sadaatmakasya
Nothing can be a loss to the Self,
which is but the eternal Reality.
4
aananda-aakriteh vrikshha-vat
asti cha eshhah.
Like the tree, the embodiment of Bliss
goes on existing despite these losses.

This verse consolidates the ideas already explained from verse 557 to 560.

Verse 562: Pure Consciousness Vs Its Conditionings

mÉë¥ÉÉlÉbÉlÉ CirÉÉiqÉsÉ¤ÉhÉÇ xÉirÉxÉÔcÉMüqÉç |
AlÉÔ±ÉæmÉÉÍkÉMüxrÉæuÉ MüjÉrÉÎliÉ ÌuÉlÉÉzÉlÉqÉç || 562||

1 prajnaanaghana iti aatma “A homogenous mass of Consciousness” – the Self is
2 lakshhanam satya-soochakam; indicated in this way, and its Reality is thus placed
3 anoodya upaadhikasya eva beyond dispute. For the apparent conditionings only
4 kathayanti vinaashanam. do the scriptures proclaim there is destruction.

Now some scriptural references are given to substantiate the above view.
1 Prajnaanaghana: “a homogenous mass of consciousness”. This word is very
common in the Upanishads. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad it refers to the state of cosmic
dissolution when there is no creation but only Consciousness. In the Mandukya Up., the
deep sleep state is used as a simile for it since there is no presence of mind or body.
2 Swami Chinmayananda refers to the same word as “the eternal Reality that
survives all destructions. It is that which was, is and shall ever be.”
3-4 When all the Upadhis or conditionings are destroyed (at the time of death for a
creature; at the time of Pralaya or dissolution for the whole universe), then only the Reality
remains. The Reality is indestructible. Death is only for the Upadhis, never for the Reality.

Verse 563: The Immortal in the Midst of the Mortal

AÌuÉlÉÉzÉÏ uÉÉ AUåÅrÉqÉÉiqÉåÌiÉ ´ÉÑÌiÉUÉiqÉlÉÈ |
mÉëoÉëuÉÏirÉÌuÉlÉÉÍzÉiuÉÇ ÌuÉlÉzrÉixÉÑ ÌuÉMüÉËUwÉÑ || 563||

400

1 avinaashee vaa are ayam “Immortal, indeed, my dear, is this
2 aatmaa iti shrutih aatmanah; Atman” – thus, concerning the Self, the scriptures
3 prabraveeti avinaashitvam declare emphatically its indestructibility
4 vinashyatsu vikaarishhu. in the midst of things finite and mortal (changing).

1-2 Also in the Br.Up, Sage Yajnavalkya advises his wife, Maitreyi, of the immortality
of the Self in these words. 3-4 Thus scriptural support is cited to add thrust to the message.

Verse 564: The FIRE of Knowledge of Brahman

mÉÉwÉÉhÉuÉ×¤ÉiÉ×hÉkÉÉlrÉMüQûƒ¡ûUÉ±É
SakÉÉ pÉuÉÎliÉ ÌWû qÉ×SåuÉ rÉjÉÉ iÉjÉæuÉ |
SåWåûÎlSìrÉÉxÉÑqÉlÉ AÉÌS xÉqÉxiÉSØzrÉÇ
¥ÉÉlÉÉÎalÉSakÉqÉÑmÉrÉÉÌiÉ mÉUÉiqÉpÉÉuÉqÉç || 564||

1
paashhaana vrikshha trina
dhaanya kadankara aadyaa
Just as coal, trees, straw,
grain, husk, etc.,
2
dagdhaah bhavanti hi mrit eva
yathaa tathaa eva;
are reduced to ashes alone when burnt by fire;
In the very same way,
3
deha indriya asu manah aadi
samasta drishyam
the body, senses, Pranas, mind, etc –
indeed, the entire objectifiable universe –
4
jnaana-agni dagdham
upayaati paraatma-bhaavam.
is burnt in the fire of knowledge
and reduced to the state of the Supreme Self.

Thus far we have looked at death as a physical destruction of the body. Sri Shankara-
charyaji now moves on to consider “philosophical death” through the Fire of Knowledge.
1-2 Fire brings about physical destruction. For all mortals, including realised sages,
the physical destruction of the Upadhis takes place at the ‘moment of death’, i.e. at Event 2.
3-4 Knowledge brings about philosophical destruction. For the realised sage,
philosophical destruction of the Upadhis takes place at the ‘moment of realisation’, i.e. at
Event 1. For this reason, Event 2 is of no consequence to sages, since Event 1 has already
taken care of their Upadhis’ destruction. The idea given in verse 557 is now expanded.

Verse 565: The LIGHT of the Supreme Reality Brahman

ÌuÉsÉ¤ÉhÉÇ rÉjÉÉ kuÉÉliÉÇ sÉÏrÉiÉå pÉÉlÉÑiÉåeÉÍxÉ |
iÉjÉæuÉ xÉMüsÉÇ SØzrÉÇ oÉë¼ÍhÉ mÉëÌuÉsÉÏrÉiÉå || 565||

1 vilakshhanam yathaa dhvaantam Just as darkness, which is so different from light,
2 leeyate bhaanutejasi; vanishes in the presence of the sun’s effulgence;
3 tathaa eva sakalam drishyam so also, the entire objective universe
4 brahmani pravileeyate. vanishes completely in the Presence of Brahman.

401

The philosophical destruction of the bodily Upadhis through the Fire of knowledge
(previous verse) is now matched by the philosophical destruction of the darkness in the
entire Universe by the Light of the Supreme Reality, Brahman.
1-2 The most common simile for Brahman, is the Sun. On the physical plane, the sun
has characteristics which Brahman has on the Absolute plane. It’s self-luminosity is one of
them. In the presence of the sun, all darkness vanishes. The two cannot co-exist.
The opposite is not possible. Darkness is not a thing that has any reality. One cannot
say in the presence of darkness, the sun vanishes!
3-4 In the same way, on the Absolute plane, in the presence of Knowledge
(Brahman), the darkness of ignorance vanishes. This, too, cannot work the other way
around, since ignorance, like darkness, is not something real.

Verse 566: The Limitless SPACE of Brahman

bÉOåû lÉ¹å rÉjÉÉ urÉÉåqÉ urÉÉåqÉæuÉ pÉuÉÌiÉ xTÑüOûqÉç |
iÉjÉæuÉÉåmÉÉÍkÉÌuÉsÉrÉå oÉë¼æuÉ oÉë¼ÌuÉixuÉrÉqÉç || 566||

1 ghate nashhte yathaa vyoma Just as when a pot is broken, the limited pot-space
2 vyomaiva bhavati sphutam; bursts open as it were and joins the limitless space,
3 tathaa eva upaadhi vilaye so also, when his conditionings are destroyed,
4 brahma eva brahmavit svayam. the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman Himself.

The theme of philosophical destruction continues. In verses 555 and 556, the
identity of the sage with Brahman was stated as a fact, without an explanation. That
explanation is now being given, using Space as the simile for Brahman.
1-2 The pot represents the Upadhis, such as the body, senses, the Pranas, the mind
and intellect. The pot-space represents the Self, the Reality associated with the individual.
When the pot breaks (‘dies’), the pot-space merges with the rest of space outside the pot.
3-4 The same thing happens in the case of the realised sage. Before becoming a sage,
he was associated with his individual consciousness. At the moment when he realised, his
Upadhis were philosophically destroyed. When this happened, he merged completely into
Brahman, his Self. This is why it is said that a knower of Brahman becomes Brahman.

Verse 567: Merging of Individuality into Universality

¤ÉÏUÇ ¤ÉÏUå rÉjÉÉ Í¤ÉmiÉÇ iÉæsÉÇ iÉæsÉå eÉsÉÇ eÉsÉå |
xÉÇrÉÑ£üqÉåMüiÉÉÇ rÉÉÌiÉ iÉjÉÉÅÅiqÉlrÉÉiqÉÌuÉlqÉÑÌlÉÈ || 567||

1 kshheeram kshheere yathaa kshhiptam Just as when milk is poured into milk,
2 tailam taile jalam jale; oil into oil, and water into water,
3 samyuktam ekataam yaati each gets fully merged and appears as one,
4 tathaa aatmani aatmavit munih. so too, the realized sage merges with the Atman.

402

This verse brings the topic of Videhamukti to a perfect conclusion. It brings in the
highest purpose of the scriptures – the identity of the Jiva with Brahman – which is spoken
of in all the Mahavakyas or Great Sentences of the Upanishads.
Identity happens in Event 1, not Event 2. Event 1 is the “moment of realisation”. It is
the moment that matters to a sage. It is the moment of philosophical destruction of the
Upadhis. This is the destruction that matters to the sage.
Just as an ordinary man gives importance to Event 2 (death), so also the realised
sage gives the same importance to Event 1 (realisation). Once again, we repeat the
statement given at the very outset: Event 2 is of no consequence to the man of realisation.

Identity between Jiva and Brahman
1 A glass of milk, when poured into a jar of milk, merges fully with it.
2a A tablespoon of oil, when poured back into a bottle of oil, merges fully with it.
2b A tumbler of water poured into a lake, merges completely into it.
3 In all three cases, there is no question of re-separating the original liquid from the
bulk liquid.
4 Even so, the consciousness of a realised sage merges into Brahman at the moment
of realisation. There is no question of separating them once again. It means that realisation
is irreversible. The realised sage is no longer identified with his individual Upadhis, nor his
Jiva, i.e. the consciousness that was associated with his Upadhis.
Here is the bottom-line message or lesson to be drawn from this Chapter:
Videhamukti (death of the body) is immaterial to the one who
has attained Jivanmukti (realisation of the Self).

*****

403

9.6 TRANSMIGRATION & LIBERATION

(Verses 568-575, 8 No.)

THE TITLE OF THE Chapter first needs to be explained. The two terms represent two
different, if not opposing, approaches to life with each approach having its own philosophy
of life. The common ground is that both approaches accept that life is cyclic in nature and
that human beings take birth again and again in accordance with their Karma. The theories
of Reincarnation and Rebirth are thus accepted by both approaches as the basic flow or
movement of life.
However, the difference in the two approaches lies in what each sees as the ultimate
purpose of this cyclical movement of life. Where is it all heading to? Depending on how one
answers this question, we can either aim to infinitely prolong the cycle or aim to terminate
it at the earliest possible moment.
A. Transmigration: In the case of the first aim, the implication is that we see life as a
movement in which enjoyment and pleasure are the ultimate goals. With such a view, the
aim is to prolong the cycle as long as possible, and thereby maximize the opportunity to
enjoy more pleasure. Accepting this approach leads to endless Transmigration of the soul.
B. Liberation: In the case of the second aim, the implication is that there is some
other higher purpose to life – that of divinizing our nature and recognising our true worth.
With such a view, the aim is to liberate ourselves from the cycle as soon as possible, and
thereby minimize the suffering due to remaining endlessly bound to a meaningless cycle.
Accepting this approach leads to Liberation of the soul.
This Chapter does not debate the issue, but presents the argument from the point of
view of Vedanta, which supports the Liberation of the soul, as opposed to the endless
Transmigration of the soul.

*****

9.6.1 TRANSMIGRATION & REBIRTH (Verses 568-569, 2 verses)

Verse 568: No Rebirth for a Realised Saint

LuÉÇ ÌuÉSåWûMæüuÉsrÉÇ xÉlqÉÉ§ÉiuÉqÉZÉÎhQûiÉqÉç |
oÉë¼pÉÉuÉÇ mÉëmÉ±æwÉ rÉÌiÉlÉÉïuÉiÉïiÉå mÉÑlÉÈ || 568||

1 evam videha kaivalyam In this way, the sage at death becomes re-united
2 sat-maatratvam akhanditam; with the pure, unbroken Existence.
3 brahma-bhaavam prapadya eshhah He attains the state of Brahman.
4 yatih na aavartate punah. Such a seeker does not suffer transmigration.

404

Evam: “in this way”. This refers to “as milk into milk”, etc, (verse 567). The realised
sage merges into Brahman at the time of his realisation. The facts related to his death are
presented. Two things occur to the sage at the time of the death of his body:
1-3 i) The first is that he gets totally re-united with Brahman. This is the culmination
of his view of life. He merges or re-unites with his origin or source. The term “back to
Godhead” is an appropriate expression for this re-union. Yoga is another well-known word
for it. He attains the state of Brahman, which is the same as saying he becomes Brahman.
4 ii) The second thing to happen to the sage is that he is freed from the cycle of birth
and death once and for all. Videhamukti literally means “free from ever having to take up a
body again.” This is his last death, as a matter of fact. He will never die again, because he
will never be born again!
This is the Liberation the sage seeks at the very outset. He strives hard for it and
achieves it by following his Guru’s instructions. Freedom from Transmigration is Liberation.
More clarity on the use of the word “Liberation” is given in the block below.
This is totally unlike what happens to the person who chooses to pursue the path of
enjoyments. He chooses to perpetuate his cycle of births and deaths. He does not want to
be free from it. He prefers to be born again and again to enjoy the pleasures of life.

“LIBERATION” – ITS NON-POLITICAL USAGE

An important clarification is made here on the use of the term “Liberation”:
Liberation is a word heavily loaded in Politics. We commonly hear of Liberation
struggles, Liberation movements, and Liberation parties. Women’s Lib is a social liberation
movement. It is emphasized that Liberation in Vedanta has no political connotations to it.
There is no political or social agenda attached to the Vedantic concept of Liberation. If the
term is used to promote a political view, it is not subscribed to in this text. Sri
Shankaracharyaji uses the word Moksha purely as a philosophical term representing
liberation of the soul from the cycle of births and deaths.
God-realisation is a more common term used for it. Enlightenment and illumination
are other common terms often used. Technically, in this text we have also used Nirvikalpa
Samadhi. The Buddhists call it Nirvana.
The Christian term Salvation could refer to it if Christian teachings are interpreted
from a Vedantic perspective. But if interpreted in terms of orthodox Christian theology, then
it really falls under Transmigration and not Liberation. Since Christianity does not accept the
theory of Transmigration, they are logically bound to the concept of eternal damnation! Not
accepting the frying pan, they have jumped into the fire!
In contrast to Liberation as the goal of life, is the attainment of various heavens or
hells in which one can spend time to enjoy highly refined forms of sense pleasures or suffer
unimaginably for sins. After the term to stay there expires, one returns to earth to earn
more merits in order to make another trip perhaps to another heaven. All such efforts fall
under the heading of Transmigration and not Liberation, as far as this text is concerned.

405

Verse 569: The Logic of No Transmigration

xÉSÉiqÉæMüiuÉÌuÉ¥ÉÉlÉSakÉÉÌuÉ±ÉÌSuÉwqÉïhÉÈ |
AqÉÑwrÉ oÉë¼pÉÔiÉiuÉÉSè oÉë¼hÉÈ MÑüiÉ E°uÉÈ || 569||

1 sat aatmaa ekatva vijnaana By realizing the identity of Jiva and Brahman,
2 dagdha avidyaadi varshhmanah; the 3 bodies – Avidya, subtle & gross – are burnt.
3 amushhya brahmabhootatvaat Further, due to his becoming one with Brahman,
4 brahmanah kuta udbhavah. how can the unborn Brahman ever have rebirth?

In this verse there is a more rational approach to explaining why Transmigration
does not apply to a realised sage. The previous verse was a more factual approach. It also
viewed transmigration as perpetuating one’s Suffering in the world. This was the impetus to
avoid transmigration. In the rational approach, the focus is on a logical explanation and the
impetus is the wisdom of applying discrimination in solving the problems of life.
1 The topic of Transmigration is being dealt for the case of the realised sage only. We
are not looking at it from the standpoint of the ordinary man, for whom transmigration
applies without an argument. It applies to virtually 99.99% of humanity. Anyone who bears
a load of Karma has to transmigrate in order to burn out that Karma.
So we are concerned with a tiny fraction of souls called Saints in society due to their
having acquired divine qualities. They obtain these qualities through spiritual endeavours
which lead to discovery of their identity with Brahman, something not so easily attained.
2 Occuring simultaneously with realisation of this identity is another achievement
more intelligible to us because it concerns the phenomenal plane of existence. In a realised
sage, all the Upadhis are burnt by the fire of knowledge. We have already encountered this
point in 557 and in 564 at the beginning and end of the discussion on Videhamukti.

The Theory of Reincarnation
Transmigration is also commonly known as Reincarnation in the West. Reincarnation
is a relative theory, and applies to the relative world that we know, i.e. to the Vyavaharic
level of reality. The theory gains much validity since it explains many anomalies in relative
existence, and has gained wide acceptance in Western society in the last century. “New
Age” writers accept it, although a section still avoids the Vedantic theory of Brahman.
3 Because a realised sage becomes one with Brahman, transmigration does not
apply in his case. What is the reason for this exemption from transmigration?
4 The reason is that Brahman is birthless and deathless. There can be no rebirth for
that which can never be born. The question, “How can the unborn ever have rebirth?” is
posed from the Absolute standpoint. The realized sage has crossed over from relative
existence to Absolute Existence. What applies to the relative plane does not apply to him in
the Absolute plane.

*****

406

9.6.2 BONDAGE & LIBERATION (Verses 570-575, 6 verses)

This is the last topic taken up in the conversation between Guru and disciple. A high
position is posited for Vedanta in these six verses. We are discussing a realm that is far
above that experienced by the ordinary man. It is the subtlest plane known to man.

THE COIN OF BONDAGE & LIBERATION

Vedantic concepts are coins with two sides – the relative side and the Absolute
side. With more than half this book dealing with bondage and liberation, one may stand in
disbelief at what is going to be said in the next six verses to conclude the topic. The only way
to understand the apparent contradiction in what is said here is to note that the two views
are from two completely different levels of reality; from different sides of the same ‘coin’.
For the purposes of one who is in the ordinary consciousness, wanting to raise
himself to the higher, it is necessary to hold the concepts presented in this book until one
crosses the threshold and enters the higher Reality. Then the old concepts can be dropped
for they would have served their purpose.
The dropping of the concepts in these verses has to be seen in this light. If we are
students of this subject, still in the lower reality, we would do well not to prematurely
abandon the concepts of bondage and liberation learnt so far, merely on the strength of
reading these verses. It would be detrimental to our progress if we quote these verses in
order to justify a ‘liberal’ approach to life, i.e. exemption from any moral regulatory
principles. Nothing of the kind is being promoted by these verses.

TRANSCENDENTAL & CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE

The most important thing to remember here is that one who has realized Brahman is
Brahman. There can be no question about that, as controversial as that may sound to
sceptics. The Knowledge obtained in this state of consciousness is transcendental. It is not
held in the intellect of the sage. Hence it is not something that can be lost or forgotten,
defects which affect ordinary thought-based knowledge.
In these verses it is clear that conceptualization is a function of the intellect. It may
have a great value in the realm of thought and intellectual grasp of a subject, but it is not
present in the transcendental realm of Knowledge. In the latter there are no such things as
concepts, theories, etc., which are so essential in governing intellectual knowledge.
The Hindu scriptures, whilst stating the fact about transcendental knowledge, do not
look down upon the conceptual knowledge commonly known to man. All the scriptures
have explained creation and the human endeavour to attain enlightenment in the most
logical and reasonable language of the day. They have spared no pains in explaining the
mysteries of life in a manner that is intelligible to man. Theories on Karma, reincarnation,
transmigration, liberation, etc., are not in short supply. All have a place in raising the level of
man from grossness to subtler regions of thought, ideals, and experiences.
The point never to be forgotten is that these verses apply to those who are totally
immersed in God-consciousness in an effortless way. It has become ‘Sahaja’ in their case to
live fully in this consciousness. There is no more lingering after sense enjoyments.

407

Verse 570: Bondage & Liberation Apply to Unreality Only

qÉÉrÉÉYsÉ×miÉÉæ oÉlkÉqÉÉå¤ÉÉæ lÉ xiÉÈ xuÉÉiqÉÌlÉ uÉxiÉÑiÉÈ |
rÉjÉÉ U‹Éæ ÌlÉÎw¢ürÉÉrÉÉÇ xÉmÉÉïpÉÉxÉÌuÉÌlÉaÉïqÉÉæ || 570||

1 maayaaklriptau bandhamokshhau Bondage and liberation are Maya conjured up;
2 na stah svaatmani vastutah; they do not apply to one’s Self, i.e. to the Absolute.
3 yathaa rajjau nishhkriyaayaam This is like saying that on the changeless rope,
4 sarpa aabhaasa vinirgamau. the snake appears (is bound) and disappears (is liberated).

Up till now, we conceived of Bondage and Liberation only with respect to the
phenomenal world. In the discussion that follows, these two concepts are seen from the
Absolute point of view. Hence, the red warning light in our intellects should be switched on!
1 From the Absolute Vedantic view, the entire phenomenal world is seen as a
superimposition of Unreality on the Reality. In crude words, the world is ‘unreal’ and can be
thought of as a trick conjured up by a magician. The magician is Maya. Thus everything that
follows from the unreal world also has to be considered as unreal.
This is the root of considering Bondage and Liberation as being Maya conjured up.
2 As far as Reality is concerned, there is no such thing as Bondage or Liberation.
3-4 The typical Upanishadic example of the snake and rope is quoted, an example
that has yet to be beaten. The snake is only imagined (is bound) on the rope. When the
truth of the rope is realised, the snake disappears (is liberated). Since the snake was never
really there, both its bondage and its liberation are only imaginary concepts from the point
of view of the real rope.

Verse 571: Non-Duality Does not Permit Veiling of Reality

AÉuÉ×iÉåÈ xÉSxÉ¨uÉÉprÉÉÇ uÉ£üurÉå oÉlkÉqÉÉå¤ÉhÉå |
lÉÉuÉ×ÌiÉoÉëï¼hÉÈ MüÉÍcÉSlrÉÉpÉÉuÉÉSlÉÉuÉ×iÉqÉç |
rÉ±xirÉ²æiÉWûÉÌlÉÈ xrÉÉSè ²æiÉÇ lÉÉå xÉWûiÉå ´ÉÑÌiÉÈ || 571||

1 aavriteh sad-asat-tvaabhyaam When there is the presence or absence of veiling,
2 vaktavye bandha-mokshhane; then bondage or liberation can be spoken of.
3 na aavritih brahmanah kaachid There can be no veiling for Brahman of any kind,
4 anya abhaavaat anaavritam; as no other thing besides It exists that can veil It.
5 yadi asti advaita-haanih syaat If there is, it contradicts Brahman’s Non-duality.
6 dvaitam no sahate shrutih. The scriptures will never bear to suffer duality.

The idea just conveyed is now applied to the actual situation of the world.
1-2 Bondage or liberation require something real such as a veil to produce it or to
remove it. Clouds are needed to veil the sun, and clouds have to be removed to see the sun
again. But the clouds themselves are a part of the unreal world. They are not real.

408

3-4 Brahman is unique. It is not an object that can be veiled or unveiled. Since other
than Brahman nothing else exists, there is nothing ‘other’ to it that can veil it! No second
thing is permitted when we think from the perspective of Brahman.
5-6 If there existed something else, then Brahman’s Non-duality would be violated. If
such a thing were accepted, then the scriptures will be falsified.
Thus, with respect to Brahman, the very idea of veiling is an impossibility. It has to be
admitted that while we are still under the delusion of Maya, Maya plays the role of being
the thing ‘other than Brahman’. Maya is that which produces the magic veil. While we are in
the domain of Maya, we have to be honest to ourselves and dare not discard Bondage and
Liberation, except intellectually. Only when we have transcended Maya, and not before, can
we realise that the whole thing is just a game!

Verse 572: Bondage & Liberation are Intellectual Concepts

oÉlkÉgcÉ qÉÉå¤ÉgcÉ qÉ×wÉæuÉ qÉÔRûÉ
oÉÑ®åaÉÑïhÉÇ uÉxiÉÑÌlÉ MüsmÉrÉÎliÉ |
SØaÉÉuÉ×ÌiÉÇ qÉåbÉM×üiÉÉÇ rÉjÉÉ UuÉÉæ
rÉiÉÉåÅ²rÉÉÅxÉ…¡ûÍcÉSåiÉS¤ÉUqÉç || 572||

1
bandhan cha mokshhan cha
mrishhaa eva moodhaah
Bondage and liberation are concepts
which only the foolish uselessly quarrel over.
2
buddheh gunam
vastuni kalpayanti;
They are attributes of the intellect,
superimposed upon the Reality.
3
drig aavritim megha-
kritaam yathaa ravau
The veiling (of the sun) from the eye is due to clouds
and clouds are brought about by the sun itself.
4
yatah advaya asanga
chit etat akshharam.
Know, therefore, that the non-dual and unattached
pure Consciousness is ever immutable.

1-2 This verse clarifies the source of the idea of bondage and liberation. They arise in
the intellect. They are products of the intellect, which is created by Maya. No doubt, they
are very useful in our spiritual infancy, but they are redundant to the realized sage. It is
senseless to quarrel over mere intellectual concepts.
3 The example of the clouds veiling the sun is interesting. The clouds were produced
by the sun in the first place, and now they veil the sun! In the same way our ego-sense was
produced by our Self in our intellect, and now that intellect veils the Self with its ideas of
bondage and liberation!
4 The only solution now is to aim to free ourselves from the Duality by always
remembering our pure nature of unchanging Non-duality.

Verse 573: Reality has No Bondage or Liberation

AxiÉÏÌiÉ mÉëirÉrÉÉå rÉ¶É rÉ¶É lÉÉxiÉÏÌiÉ uÉxiÉÑÌlÉ |
oÉÑ®åUåuÉ aÉÑhÉÉuÉåiÉÉæ lÉ iÉÑ ÌlÉirÉxrÉ uÉxiÉÑlÉÈ || 573||

409

1 asti iti pratyayah yah cha The concept which says “It (bondage) is”, and
2 yah cha na asti iti vastuni; the concept which says “ It is not”, are matters
3 buddheh eva gunau etau concerning only the intellect. Both these, in fact,
4 na tu nityasya vastunah. can never be attributed to the eternal Reality.

Just getting out of the mind and being in the Self without any interference from the
intellect – this is liberation. We need to be in that realm where the very idea of liberation
does not exist. This verse brings us to the door of that realm.

ASSISTANCE FROM ACHARYAJI

Acharyaji expressed the situation in glowing eloquence: “What is there that stands in
between us and our own Self? It is self-luminous, why can’t we see It? In fact, to say that we
want to see the Self is itself wrong. We are our Self – what is there to see in it? It is absurd
to think of seeing our own Self. Nothing prevents us from seeing our Self, except our own
stubborn old ideas. Our own thoughts are the prison wardens who hold us hostage and
prevent us from claiming what is ours. We are prisoners of our own mind.
“If we can for a moment step out of our mind and observe its doings, we could start
re-shaping our thinking. We need to first abandon all ideas of time and place, for the mind
thrives on them. Time and place give security to the mind. Without them it meets its end.
“It is the mind that says it is bound, and the mind wants to be freed. We should
speak firmly to our mind and knock some sense into it.”
To our surprise, Acharyaji suddenly got into the shoes of the sage and addressed his
mind as follows: “I have nothing to do with your ideas of bondage and liberation. You are
saying I am bound. Why should I listen to you? You can think what you like, I am always free.
Nothing in the world can bind me! As the Self, I have always been free; in fact, I have never
known what is bondage. Can the stench of a dream somehow seep into the waking state?
Sorry, you can decide whether you want to stay with your dream or come with me. I have
already awakened to the Truth. Are you joining me or are you staying?”
Such an approach will certainly require tremendous focus and awareness. It is worth
that effort because it is worth being free.
Acharyaji then surprised us further. He stepped into the coils of the proverbial rope
and said: “I have never known of the existence of any snake on me. What snake? I don’t see
any snake!”
That is how Acharyaji always made the class feel that Vedanta was something alive!

Verse 574: How can the Limitless be Bound or Liberated?

AiÉxiÉÉæ qÉÉrÉrÉÉ YsÉ×miÉÉæ oÉlkÉqÉÉå¤ÉÉæ lÉ cÉÉiqÉÌlÉ |
ÌlÉwMüsÉå ÌlÉÎw¢ürÉå zÉÉliÉå ÌlÉUuÉ±å ÌlÉUgeÉlÉå |
AÌ²iÉÏrÉå mÉUå iÉ¨uÉå urÉÉåqÉuÉiMüsmÉlÉÉ MÑüiÉÈ || 574||

410

1 atah tau maayayaa klriptau Thus, we see that both are conjured up by Maya.
2 bandha-mokshhau na cha aatmani; Bondage and liberation are not in the Self,
3 nishhkale nishhkriye shaante which is devoid of parts, devoid of activity, serene;
4 niravadye niranjane; which is unimpeachable and untainted;
5 adviteeye pare tattve which is the non-dual Supreme Reality; and
6
vyomavat
kalpanaa kutah.
which is infinite like space, having no limitation.
How can there be any limitations to the Self?

1-6 Bhagavan Shankara is pooh-pooing the entire conceptual world. “How can there
be any limitation in the Supreme Reality?” This is his final counter to all that has been said
regarding the concepts.
So, we come to the crucial question: What does it mean to go beyond the mind?

Verse 575: The Ultimate View – No Birth, No Bondage, No Seeker

lÉ ÌlÉUÉåkÉÉå lÉ cÉÉåimÉÌ¨ÉlÉï oÉ®Éå lÉ cÉ xÉÉkÉMüÈ |
lÉ qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÑlÉï uÉæ qÉÑ£ü CirÉåwÉÉ mÉUqÉÉjÉïiÉÉ || 575||

1 na nirodhah na cha utpattih There is no birth; what to talk of death?
2 na baddhah na cha saadhakah; Nobody is bound; what to talk of a struggling one?
3 na mumukshhuh na vai muktah There is no seeker; what to talk of a liberated one?
4 iti eshhaa paramaarthataa. This is the Truth from the ultimate standpoint.

Pushed to the Beyond
Finally, the teaching comes to a close with an emphatic declaration of the Truth. The
viewpoint of the Self is presented unequivocally. It is all that matters in the end. The Master
sticks with the Truth, not interested in deviating from it one bit.
In his vision from beyond the threshold of worldly existence, he sees:
1 No birth and death;
2 No one is bound and no one struggles to be free;
3 No one can ‘seek’ the Self let alone anyone being liberated.
Referring to this vision, Pujya Gurudev used to say, “Sri Tapovanji, when he came to
this point, gave me a big push – and I entered the Beyond.” Shankaracharyaji has achieved
the same in these verses. He has brought us to the edge of the precipice of relative
existence. Now, either we take the big leap forward, or he pushes us from behind!
4 What do we pick up in this final verse? The message is straightforward: “How long
are you going to go on listening to the mind? The mind will go on doubting, that is its very
nature. There is no end to its game. Wake up! Put an end to its stranglehold over you.
Simply ignore its existence and be free.”
In conclusion, Acharyaji uttered these words pregnant with meaning, “The final
message here is: Individuality is not there. Don’t try to be free of it. Just ignore it.”

411

THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Is there a danger of slipping back from the Absolute State?
This is typical of the human mind’s endless tendency to doubt. The answer is simple.
No, there is no chance. Attainment of Brahmic Consciousness is irreversible. When once one
is established in that Consciousness, there is no thought there, there is no mind. Where
then are the means by which one can be pulled back into Samsara? Thought is the only
thing that can do that, and it has been transcended.
Acharyaji gave an interesting simile for this: There is a game often seen in children’s
magazines. It is called ‘Leading the Rabbit Out’. A maze of routes are drawn in a square
space, and one has to lead the rabbit in at one end and out at the other. The mind is – no,
not the rabbit – but the square with this tangled maze of routes! It just has to be bypassed.
The mind has the knack of amusing itself on fantasies. There is no snake, yet it wants
to count the stripes on it, it wants to see how many heads it has, it wants to know whether
it is poisonous or not. It is ‘Much Ado About Nothing’! If we give importance to such a mind,
it takes a secure hold of us for life. It is we who hold on tightly to the mind and ask all sorts
of questions.

The mind tricks us through curiosity in order to secure
its own existence. If we discover its tricks, it knows its doom
has come. If we allow it to have its way, it only means we are
more interested in the game than in being liberated from it.

*****

412

9.7 CONCLUSION TO THE WHOLE BOOK

(Verses 576-581, 6 No.)

WE HAVE COME TO the conclusion of Viveka Choodamani. This Conclusion applies
to the whole Book, not just to this Part. In the remaining verses the Guru concludes his
exchange with the disciple.

Verse 576: A Survey of the Teaching

xÉMüsÉÌlÉaÉqÉcÉÔQûÉxuÉÉliÉÍxÉ®ÉliÉÃmÉÇ
mÉUÍqÉSqÉÌiÉaÉÑ½Ç SÍzÉïiÉÇ iÉå qÉrÉÉ± |
AmÉaÉiÉMüÍsÉSÉåwÉÇ MüÉqÉÌlÉqÉÑï£üoÉÑÎ®Ç
xuÉxÉÑiÉuÉSxÉM×ü¨uÉÉÇ pÉÉuÉÌrÉiuÉÉ qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÑqÉç || 576||

1
sakala nigama choodaa-
svaanta
siddhaantaroopam,
The crest-jewel of the entire Vedas,
the ultimate truth about ourselves,
the innermost essence of Vedantic teaching,
2
param idam atiguhyam
darshitam te mayaa adya;
the supreme and most profound secret –
all these I have today revealed to you.
3
apagata kali doshham
kaama nirmukta buddhim
This will purge you of the taints of this Dark Age,
and your mind will become free from desires.
4
svasutavat
asakrit twaam,
bhaavayitvaa mumukshhum.
Taking you as my own son,
again and again (I have explained) it to you, for I
considered you to be a ripe seeker after liberation.

2 What has been said here to the disciple is a secret which the disciple is to guard for
the rest of his life. We have already seen what can happen if this knowledge is scattered
carelessly among people. Its misuse can cause the breakdown of sacred traditions that help
to protect the moral fibre in society.

Verse 577: The Disciple Asks for Blessings Before Leaving

CÌiÉ ´ÉÑiuÉÉ aÉÑUÉåuÉÉïYrÉÇ mÉë´ÉrÉåhÉ M×üiÉÉlÉÌiÉÈ |
xÉ iÉålÉ xÉqÉlÉÑ¥ÉÉiÉÉå rÉrÉÉæ ÌlÉqÉÑï£üoÉlkÉlÉÈ || 577||

1 iti shrutvaa guroh vaakyam Hearing the words of the Teacher,
2 prashrayena krita aanatih; the disciple prostrated to him with reverence,
3 sah tena samanujnaatah and after he obtained the Guru’s permission,
4 yayau nirmukta bandhanah. he went his way, freed from all bondages.

413

1-4 The student prostrates to the Master and takes his leave. He is acutely aware
that he is only free because of the role played by his Guru. Is he not then bound to him? The
tradition sees the disciple ever at the beck and call of his Master. A disciple never abandons
his Master but serves him for life. Nevertheless, that does not necessarily mean physically
bound to the Guru. His mission could well be elsewhere.

Verse 578: The Guru Continues Teaching Other Students

aÉÑÂUåuÉ xÉSÉlÉlSÍxÉlkÉÉæ ÌlÉqÉïalÉqÉÉlÉxÉÈ |
mÉÉuÉrÉluÉxÉÑkÉÉÇ xÉuÉÉïÇ ÌuÉcÉcÉÉU ÌlÉUliÉUÈ || 578||

1 guruh eva sadaananda And the Teacher, alone again but in eternal Bliss,
2 sindhau nirmagna maanasah; his mind immersed in the ocean of that Bliss,
3 paavayan vasudhaam sarvaam blessing everyone wherever he goes in the world,
4 vichachaara nirantarah. continues his wanderings once again.

1-4 We see how the Guru reacts to the whole episode of his student’s success. He
remains immersed in Bliss. He does not hold any expectations from his disciple. He
continues ‘his wanderings’ to help the next keen student that may come his way.

THE IMPORTANCE OF “VIVEKA CHOODAMANI”

The final three verses stress the importance of a book such as this. Both, the serious
seeker as well as the one who seeks some relief in the world are addressed:

Verse 579: The Upasamhaara: Concluding Statement

CirÉÉcÉÉrÉïxrÉ ÍzÉwrÉxrÉ xÉÇuÉÉSålÉÉiqÉsÉ¤ÉhÉqÉç |
ÌlÉÃÌmÉiÉÇ qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉÔhÉÉÇ xÉÑZÉoÉÉåkÉÉåmÉmÉ¨ÉrÉå || 579||

1 iti aachaaryasya shishhyasya Thus, between the Teacher and the disciple,
2 samvaadena aatma lakshhanam; the dialogue that indicates the Self
3 niroopitam mumukshhoonaam has been expounded for seekers of liberation
4 sukhabodha upapattaye. in an easy-to-understand manner to attain It.

Verse 580: Who Will Benefit from this Book?

ÌWûiÉÍqÉSqÉÑmÉSåzÉqÉÉÌSìrÉliÉÉÇ
ÌuÉÌWûiÉÌlÉUxiÉxÉqÉxiÉÍcÉ¨ÉSÉåwÉÉÈ |
pÉuÉxÉÑZÉÌuÉUiÉÉÈ mÉëzÉÉliÉÍcÉ¨ÉÉÈ
´ÉÑÌiÉUÍxÉMüÉ rÉiÉrÉÉå qÉÑqÉÑ¤ÉuÉÉå rÉå || 580||

414

1
hitam idam upadesham
aadriyantaam
This is a salutary teaching
for those who appreciate the quest for God:
2
vihita nirasta samasta
chitta-doshhaah;
i) Who follow prescribed methods to eliminate entirely
the deep-seated impurities in their mind;
3
bhava-sukha virataah
prashaanta chittaah
ii) Who are averse to the pleasures of the world
and possess a calm and serene mind;
4
shruti-rasikaa yatayah
mumukshhavah ye.
iii) Who take delight in the scriptures – such strivers
are the true seekers after liberation (who will appreciate it).

Verse 581: The Author’s Aim – to Reach Out to Suffering Man

xÉÇxÉÉUÉkuÉÌlÉ iÉÉmÉpÉÉlÉÑÌMüUhÉmÉëÉå°ÕiÉSÉWûurÉjÉÉÎZÉ³ÉÉlÉÉÇ
eÉsÉMüÉXç¤ÉrÉÉ qÉÂpÉÑÌuÉ pÉëÉlirÉÉ mÉËUpÉëÉqrÉiÉÉqÉç |
AirÉÉxÉ³ÉxÉÑkÉÉqoÉÑÍkÉÇ xÉÑZÉMüUÇ oÉë¼É²rÉÇ SzÉïrÉ-
irÉåwÉÉ zÉƒ¡ûUpÉÉUiÉÏ ÌuÉeÉrÉiÉå ÌlÉuÉÉïhÉxÉlSÉÌrÉlÉÏ || 581||

1
samsaara aadhvani
taapa-bhaanu-kirana, prodbhoota
daaha-vyathaa-khinnaanaam
In the journey through this realm of change,
the rays of the scorching sun cause
burning pains in those afflicted by them;
2
jalakaangkshhayaa
marubhuvi, bhraantyaa
paribhraamyataam;
Those parched souls desirous of drinking water,
being in delusion and trapped in a burning desert,
roam about desperately in search of it;
3
atyaasanna sudhaambudhim
sukhakaram, brahma-
advayam darshayati
In the pages of this book lies the ocean of Bliss which
promises to quench them – the Supreme Brahman,
Non-dual in nature is shown to them.
4
eshhaa shankara-
bhaaratee vijayate,
nirvaana sandaayinee.
This is the aim and purpose of Sri Shankaracharya
to write this glorious message, sure to bring victory,
and place them well on the Path to Liberation.

Shankaracharya places the responsibility of ensuring that this message never dies,
upon all serious spiritual seekers. Those who have given up sensual pleasures, who have
cleansed themselves of the taints of the mind, etc., are given the task of propagating this
message. Their very life itself preserves the spirit of the message.
For the majority of mankind, he promises that the message of this book will relieve
them in many ways from the pangs of worldly existence. It will comfort them to know that
there is a way out of their sorrow. Even a little practice will bring great relief to them.
Thus, filled with compassion for all humanity, the Master offers spiritual solace to all
those afflicted souls striving to make some progress in life.
Acharyaji himself concluded with these words: “One can read this message a
thousand times, it never gets stale. In Pujya Gurudev’s words, “This book is all one needs to
lead the spiritual life and bring it to its glorious culmination.”
May the Guru ever reside in our heart. May his example be ever stamped therein!

*****
END OF PART 9

415



|| CÌiÉ zÉƒ¡ûUÉcÉÉrÉïÌuÉUÍcÉiÉÇ ÌuÉuÉåMücÉÔQûÉqÉÍhÉÈ ||
|| iti shankaraachaaryavirachitam vivekachoodaamanih ||

|| Á iÉixÉiÉç ||
|| om tat sat ||

END OF VIVEKA CHOODAMANI
*****

OM TAT SAT

416

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