November 18 2020
Talks by Swami Shivaprakashananda Saraswati.
सर्ववेदान्तसिद्धान्तगोचरं तमगोचरम् ।
गोविन्दं परमानन्दं सद्गुरुं प्रणतोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ १ ॥
sarvavedāntasiddhāntagocaraṃ tamagocaram |
govindaṃ paramānandaṃ sadguruṃ praṇato'smyaham || 1 ||
Shloka 134.
न जायते नो म्रियते न वर्धते
न क्षीयते नो विकरोति नित्यः ।
विलीयमानेऽपि वपुष्यमुष्मिन्
न लीयते कुम्भ इवाम्बरं स्वयम् ॥ १३४ ॥
na jāyate no mriyate na vardhate
na kṣīyate no vikaroti nityaḥ |
vilīyamāne'pi vapuṣyamuṣmin
na līyate kumbha ivāmbaraṃ svayam || 134 ||
The author is continuing the description of Atma which is free from all modifications.
There was a Muni, a great Sage called Yasaka who has written a work on Vedic etymology He has enumerated six types of modifications that any object or body undergoes. They are called shad bhav vikāra (षड्विकार). Six types of modifications, Shad means six, Bhav / Vikara means modification of an object or a body. Yasaka has enumerated them as Jayate, Asti, Vardhate, Viparinamate, Apaksheeyate, Vinashyate . These are the six modifications or changes of the body.
जायते
अस्ति
Jayate –means -takes birth. Our bodies have a date of birth. They are born—jayate. Then Asti अस्ति --the second विकारः Vikara. In this context Asti अस्ति should be understood properly. ‘Asti’ is a Vikara. It survives, it continues to survive in a given form. After birth our body survives in a given form. Generally, we think survival is something passive, therefore it cannot be called a Vikara, but it is not so. Survival involves a lot of effort, a lot of struggle, every moment our body is struggling to survive. The heart is beating every moment. Breathing is happening every moment. So many metabolic activities are happening every moment. We are fighting with the external attacks like germs bacteria, virus etc. Our body is fighting with them There is a constant fight! Therefore, even survival involves a lot of activities so Asti अस्ति is also a Vikara. It survives i
Then वर्धते Vardhate—it grows. Increases in size, increases in weight and so on. Vardhate वर्धते
Viparinamate विपणिमते—it undergoes transformations. There are so many changes. Change in colour and change in voice and so on . विपणिमते
Then Apakshiyate अपक्षीयते—disintegration. The teeth fall, the hair falls.
Then finally, Vinashayti विनश्यति—comes to an end. Destruction!
These are six modifications. The body has these six modifications. The Atma is free from all modifications— निर्विकारः nirvikaara. The author is negating all the six modifications.
Atma is not born. न जायते Na Jayate—birth is negated.
First modification is negated.
The second modification is not mentioned here but we should understand. Even, that is negated.
The third modification is also negated. Na Vardhate न वर्धते
The fourth modification is negated Na Apaksheeyate—it is negated. Apakshya is negated.
The fifth modification is negated---Na Viparinamate न विपणिमते—does not undergo transformations.
न म्रियते न विनश्यति –‘naasha’--- is negated.
All sixfold modifications are negated.
Since Atma does not have modifications, Atma is Nitya-eternal. That which is free from modifications is eternal. Atma is Nitya. Free from limitations in time. Free from Kaal ! It is Nitya! Then there is a Purva Pakshi who raises an objection. How can you say that Atma is Nitya as people die? We see people die especially nowadays when there is Corona. Everyday so many people are dying! How can you say that Atma is Nitya?
Then the author answers. The body has death but the Atma doesn’t have death. The body is a Upadhi, which is a limiting factor. The Upadhi may come and go. The destruction of the Upadhi is not the destruction of the ‘Upahita’ which is something which seems to be limited by the Upadhi. For example, the pot is an Upadhi and the space in the pot is ‘Upahita’—the space seems to be limited by the pot.
The pot is the limiting agent—the Upadhi. The destruction of the pot does not destroy the space. The space remains intact. Likewise, destruction of the body does not destroy the Atma.
विलीयमानेऽपि वपुष्यमुष्मिन्
vilīyamāne'pi vapuṣyamuṣmin
When the body undergoes destruction, Atma does not perish. The example is –when a Kumbha/ a pot perishes or breaks the space does not break as the space transcends the pot though it seems limited by the pot. In reality, the space transcends the pot. Likewise, the Atma transcends the body therefore the modifications of the body do not affect the Atma.
Shloka 135.
प्रकृतिविकृतिभिन्नः शुद्धबोधस्वभावः
सदसदिदमशेषं भासयन्निर्विशेषः ।
विलसति परमात्मा जाग्रदादिष्ववस्था
स्वहमहमिति साक्षात्साक्षिरूपेण बुद्धेः ॥ १३५ ॥
prakṛtivikṛtibhinnaḥ śuddhabodhasvabhāvaḥ
sadasadidamaśeṣaṃ bhāsayannirviśeṣaḥ |
vilasati paramātmā jāgradādiṣvavasthā
svahamahamiti sākṣātsākṣirūpeṇa buddheḥ || 135 ||
Further description of Atma प्रकृतिविकृतिभिन्नः prakṛtivikṛtibhinnaḥ.
Atma is ‘distinct’ from Prakriti and Vikriti. It is ‘different’ from Prakriti and Vikritti
Prakriti means the cause Maya or Karana Sharira. Vikritti—the effects which includes Sthoola and Sukshma Sharira. Different from Prakriti and Vikritti means different from Sthoola Sharira and Sukshma Sharira and Karana Sharira.
Shudha Bodha Swarupha or Shudha Svabhava.
Nature of Atma is pure consciousness. Pure Chaitanya. That is how Atma is different from the Sharira which is insentient in nature. Atma is Shudha Bodha, pure consciousness in nature.You can find this in second quarter of the shloka. Vishesha means attributes. Nirvishesha means free from attributes. ‘Paramatma’—that is nature of ‘Atma’. Atma is Paramatma.
Paramatma ‘vilasati’—shines. ‘Vilasti Paramatma’ – Paramatma shines. What makes Parmatma shine ? How does Paramatma shine?
Generally, everything in this world shines because of some other cause or something else but it is not so with the Atma. Atma does not shine because of an external cause -‘karanata nirapekshaha vilasti’. Therefore, the author says –‘sakshaat vilasti’. You can find the word ‘sakshaat’ in the fourth quarter. साक्षात्साक्षिरूपेण बुद्धेः - sākṣātsākṣirūpeṇa buddheḥ || From there we get ‘sakshaat’.
vilasati sākṣāt-- sakshaat vilasti ---Shines by itself, shines independently.
Further description of Vilaasti विलसति.
सदसदिदमशेषं भासयन्न विलसति -sadasadidamaśeṣaṃ bhāsayan vilasati.
Atma shines illumining everything.
भासयन्न –Bhasayan--- illumining everything, ‘asesham’ means everything.
Everything becomes evident because of the Atma. What is ‘everything’?
Sat and Asat सदसदिदमशेषं sadasadidamaśeṣaṃ---sat—in this context means ‘gross’--- ‘sthula’ and asat means ‘sukshma.’ That is IDAM ---all this. Bhasayan भासयन्न – illuming everything, vilasati--Atma shines and when Atma shines it illumines everything therefore everything gets illumined because of the ‘Atma’.
The Atma does not get by illumined by anything. Atma shines by itself. Doesn’t get illumined by anything. Now the Purva Pakshi can ask a question. When does the Atma shine?
The answer is ‘Always’! In all the three states, Jagrat, Svapna and Sushupti. जाग्रदादिष्ववस्था-- jāgradādiṣvavasthā
Jagrat ‘aadi’ ( आदि etc) means Jagrat ,Svapna and sushupti. In jagrat avastha Atma is shining and so it will shine in Svapna and Sushupti avastha too. Even in deep sleep, the Atma does not sleep.What goes to sleep? The Atma does not sleep and if it does not sleep it doesn’t even get up! It is present in all three states. It transcends the three avasthas and illumines the three avasthas.
जाग्रदादि विलसति.--jāgradādi vilasati . If the Atma is shining in jagarat avastha, where is it?
We see certain objects shining outside like the Sun and moon etc but we don’t see the Atma shining in front of us so therefore where is it shining? The author says do not look for the Atma outside. It is shining inside.
बुद्धेः साक्षात्साक्षिरूपेण- buddheḥ sākṣātsākṣirūpeṇa ----As the Sakshi of the Buddhi, as the witness of the Buddhi –Vilasati.
Everything else shines as the object of buddhi. The Atma does not shine as the object of the buddhi. It shines as the illuminer of the buddhi. That is why you cannot find the Atma outside.
Since it is the illuminer of Buddhi , it is the witness of the buddhi , it is the one that deserves the reference ‘I’ Aham / अहम् Therefore, the author says that it shines as the one who deserves the reference Aham / अहम्
Shloka 136.
नियमितमनसामुं त्वं स्वमात्मानमात्मन्य्
अयमहमिति साक्षाद्विद्धि बुद्धिप्रसादात् ।
जनिमरणतरङ्गापारसंसारसिन्धुं
प्रतर भव कृतार्थो ब्रह्मरूपेण संस्थः ॥ १३६ ॥
niyamitamanasāmuṃ tvaṃ svamātmānamātmany
ayamahamiti sākṣādviddhi buddhiprasādāt |
janimaraṇataraṅgāpārasaṃsārasi
pratara bhava kṛtārtho brahmarūpeṇa saṃsthaḥ || 136 ||
So far, the author was describing Atma. Now the Guru of Viveka Chudamani ( we should remember that Viveka Chudamani is a dialogue between a Guru and a shishya.) is instructing the shishya to understand the Atma properly. Generally, we are interested in the Anatma. What happens outside us! What happens in the neighbour’s house. All of us are interested in that.
Very rarely people take an interest in understanding the Atma. The Anatma is not worth knowing. What happens in my neighbour’s house it is not worth knowing and even if I know I am not going to get Moksha. If I have to get Moksha I have to know only one thing and that is ‘Atma’. The Guru urges to ‘know’ the Atma properly--to ‘understand’ the Atma properly.
The Guru is telling the Shishya—YOU, Oh Shishya you, the Atma which has been described in the last few verses, साक्षाद्विद्धि please understand properly. How ? साक्षाद्विद्धि--Ayam Aham iti . I am that Atma. Not that the Atma is somewhere else. One should understand 'oneself as the Atma'.
‘Aham Atma iti’ ---that is proper understanding.
So where so should one look to understand the Atma? Not outside. In one’s own Atma
The second Atma ‘Shabda’ refers to the Mind the Antaha Karana. In one’s ‘own mind’. To understand the Atma one has to make effort. The author is mentioning the efforts also. नियमितमनसामुं त्वं -niyamitamanasāmuṃ tvam. With a disciplined mind. One cannot understand the Atma without having a disciplined mind therefore there is a need to make an effort to discipline the mind.
All the spiritual disciplines that we do, all contribute to the discipline like pooja, japa etc they all contribute to the discipline of the mind. Discipling the mind acts as a tool, acts as an instrument to understand the Atma with the clarity in buddhi which is the intellectual faculty which should be favourable and conducive for knowledge.
Sometimes the buddhi does not give Atma Jnana. Buddhi can have it's preconceived ideas. It is the greatest hurdle in the pursuit of Atma Jnana. A person has his own preconceived ideas and he is not ready to give up even after doing shravana श्रवण he is not able to give up his preconceived idea.
Aa long as the ideas that are contradictory to Vedanta are not given up one cannot accept the vision of Vedanta. It doesn’t enter the mind and therefore to understand the teachings one should have an open mind keeping the previous ideas aside. One should open oneself to the teachings ---Buddhi Prasadat.
Aham Ayam. अयमहमिति साक्षाद्विद्धि ayamahamiti sākṣādviddhi
Understand, ‘Ayam’ and ‘Aham’.
I am the ATMA.
Then the shishya may ask, “If I understand the Atma what will I get?” The Guru says you will get moksha.
प्रतर भव कृतार्थो ब्रह्मरूपेण संस्थः
pratara-- Cross over the ocean of Samsara. ‘Samsara is compared to an ocean which is very vast. Someone who is in the middle of the ocean does not even see the shore as it is not visible. Likewise, if someone is in the middle of Samsara, he doesn’t not even see the remote possibility of an end of Samsara, therefore—Samsara Sagara, the Samsara Sindhu which means ocean, Sagara seems to be APARA—endless.
āpārasaṃsārasindhuṃ अपारसंसारसिन्धुं
Then the ocean has waves. What are the waves of the ocean of Samsara? Birth and death are the waves. जनिमरणतरङ्गा: janimaraṇataraṅgā
Birth and death and all the problems that are between birth and death. They are the waves of the ocean of Samsara. Knowledge of Atma leads to freedom from the ocean of Samsara
ATMA Gyan puts an end to the problem of Samsara.
ब्रह्मरूपेण संस्थः भव brahmarūpeṇa saṃsthaḥ bhava
As a result of Atma Jnana one remains as Brahman, one stays as Brahman.
Before Atma Jnana we live as individuals, as ‘Jeevas’ because we identify as individuals, as limited beings. After the Atma Jnana he is no longer a limited individual. Then, what is he? He is Brahman, he remains as Brahman. Therefore, the Guru is advising the shisya, “ ब्रह्मरूपेण संस्थः brahmarūpeṇa saṃsthaḥ”. Remain as Brahman. Establish yourself as Brahman. If I establish myself in the nature of Brahman what will I get?( asks the shishya).
Brahman is free from limitations. Brahman is पूर्णः Purna / complete, therefore, if I remain as Brahman, I am free from all incompleteness. Therefore, the Jnana leads to freedom from all sense of limitations, freedom from all sense of incompleteness and therefore, the Jnani attains absolute fulfilment. Jnana is the means for absolute fulfilment.
Therefore, the Guru tells the Shishya, “Become कृतार्थ: kṛtārtha, कृतार्थो भव , kṛtārtho bhava, become a man of fulfilment.”
He ( कृतार्थ: kṛtārtha ) has accomplished the Purushartha, the ultimate goal of life and there is nothing more to accomplish after discovering Paramatma and therefore, it is worth making effort to understand the Atma.
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