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25 November 2020
ॐ
VIVEKACHUDAMANI
Talks by Swami Shivaprakashananda Saraswati.
सर्ववेदान्तसिद्धान्तगोचरं तमगोचरम् ।
गोविन्दं परमानन्दं सद्गुरुं प्रणतोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ १ ॥
sarvavedāntasiddhāntagocaraṃ tamagocaram |
govindaṃ paramānandaṃ sadguruṃ praṇato'smyaham || 1 ||
SHLOKA 137
अत्रानात्मन्यहमिति मतिर्बन्ध एषोऽस्य पुंसः
प्राप्तोऽज्ञानाज्जननमरणक्लेशसं
येनैवायं वपुरिदमसत्सत्यमित्यात्मबुद्ध्
पुष्यत्युक्षत्यवति विषयैस्तन्तुभिः कोशकृद्वत् ॥ १३७ ॥
atrānātmanyahamiti matirbandha eṣo'sya puṃsaḥ
prāpto'jñānājjananamaraṇakleśa
yenaivāyaṃ vapuridamasatsatyamityātmabudd
puṣyatyukṣatyavati viṣayaistantubhiḥ kośakṛdvat || 137 ||
The Guru of VivekaChudamani has taught the Atma and Anatama. The Anatma consists of three shariras-- sthoola sharira, sukshma sharira and karana sharira. We have seen the Anatma in detail. Then the Guru discussed the Atma also. After discussing Atma and Anatma the Guru is talking about the cause of Samsara. The Atma is pure, free from limitations, free from modifications, therefore the Atma is free from Samsara! If the Atma is free from Samsara then why there is Samsara? What causes Samsara? This has to be explained. The Guru is explaining the mechanism of Samsara. How Samsara appears.
To understand the cause of samsara the Guru uses two words—Bandha and Ajnana. बन्धः और अज्ञान
Bandha literally means bondage. In this context the author uses bandha बन्धः in a particular sense, taking the Anatma for Atma is called bandha. बन्धः
It is also called adhyaasa taking one for another is called adhyaasa, for example taking the rope for a snake, mistaking the rope for a snake. Rajjo sarpa buddhihi, it is adhyaasa, we make mistake with respect to the rope and perceive the rope as snake. Likewise, we make mistake here also. The body is Anatma and the mind and senses are Anaatma. We mistake them as Atma.
It is Adhyaasa Anatmani atma buddhihi This adhyaaasa, this error, this mistake is called bandha. बन्धः It deserves to be called bandha because it is responsible for the sense of limitation. The moment we identify with the body we are limited. Limitation is bondage. The sense of limitation is responsible for all our problems. Samsara!!
Therefore, bandha is the cause of Samsara. What is the cause of Bandha? The author says it is ajnana अज्ञान / ignorance .
अज्ञान / ajnana causes Bandha and bandha causes Samsara.
This can be understood with an example also. Let us take the example of rope and snake A very popular example in Vedanta.
We don’t know what it is! That means there is ignorance of the rope. This is rope ignorance. There is a rope and we are ignorant of the rope. That means there is rope ignorance. Because of the ignorance of the rope we superimpose the snake on the rope. Snake is superimposed therefore Rajju ajnana gives rise to sarpa adhyaasa.
When there is adhyaasa, problems start. There is fear when we perceive the sarpa, the snake. We get fear! The fear is the problem, the emotional problem. Samsara! Therefore, even in rope - snake ajnana produces adhyaasa and adhyaasa produces problem! Likewise, the Self Ignorance, the Atma Ajnana which is generally called Ajnana in Vedanta is the root cause!
Ajnana gives rise to. बन्धः bandha. Taking the body for Atma. Bandha gives rise to Samsara. This has been explained much before in verse 47.
अज्ञानयोगात्परमात्मनस्तव
ह्यनात्मबन्धस्तत एव संसृतिः ।
तयोर्विवेकोदितबोधवन्हिः
अज्ञानकार्यं प्रदहेत्समूलम् ॥ ४७ ॥
ajñānayogātparamātmanastava
hyanātmabandhastata eva saṃsṛtiḥ |
tayorvivekoditabodhavanhiḥ
ajñānakāryaṃ pradahetsamūlam || 47 ||
The Guru has explained long back. The same thing is expanded and elaborated here because after understanding what is Atma and what is Anatama we can understand the cause of Samsara from a better perspective!
The author therefore explains how Samsara comes into being. In this Anatama, which refers to sthoola sharira, sukshama sharira and karana sharira! Aham iti matihi Taking the Anatma as AHAM—I
Referring to the Anatma as I. Identifying with the Anatama as ‘I’.
It is a mistake because the Anatama does not deserve to be called ‘I’. It is not Aham pratyaya yogyaha ! It is idam pratyaha yogyaha!
Yet, we say –AHAM when we refer to the body, we say Aham and when we refer to the mind we say Aham! When we refer to the intellect, we say Aham and so on. It is bandha!
Asya pumsaha अस्य पुंसः-- of this person, this individual who has bandha. In the second pada the author says, what is the cause of bandha. प्राप्तोऽज्ञानात्
Bandha results from Ajana.
Ajnana is the cause of bandha. ज्जननमरणक्लेशसंपातहेतुः / jananamaraṇakleśasaṃpātahetuḥ
Where does bandha lead us? Bandha gives rise to Samsara and Samsara means all the problems that an individual undergoes between birth and death! Jnana-- maranan klesha . There is birth and there is death and in between, there are so many problems like childhood, old age, diseases. All these are physical problems, There are emotional problems also that an individual experiences during his lifetime. These are called Janana marana klesha.
The ‘klesha’ does not come to an end with death because punarapi maranam and punarapi jananam. Again there is birth, and again there is death and therefore there is a cycle of janana marana klesha. The bandha causes one to merge, to submerge into the problems of Samsara. Get immersed in the problems of Samsara.
The ‘hetu’ for getting into the problems of Samsara is ignorance, therefore bandha is the cause of Samsara and ajnana is the cause of bandha! Because of bandha we start cherishing the Anatama as a result of Ajnana we take the body for ourselves we start cherishing the body. we keep cherishing the Anatma. The whole life is spent in cherishing the Anatma and we think we are wise in cherishing the Anatma.
The author says it is not wisdom, it is foolishness. What we think as wisdom is really foolishness as in the process of cherishing the Anatma, we lose the purpose of our life. We end up wasting our life. The author gives a beautiful example where foolishness is mistaken as wisdom. The example of the caterpillar. It thinks it is not very safe as it is open to the ambience, the elements. That is what it thinks and so to protect itself from the birds etc it builds a cocoon around itself. The caterpillar thinks that if I build a cocoon around myself, I will be safe as the cocoon is hard and no bird can peck through the cocoon but unfortunately the cocoon becomes the cause of its death. A human being goes and takes the cocoon and puts it in boiling water to get silk and the worm dies!
Likewise, the human beings work to protect this body all one’s life and makes hundreds of efforts to protect this body and to provide material comforts to this body. The Anatma ---we cherish. We spend the whole life in enjoying the anatama, in protecting the Anatma in preserving the Anatma. In the process we lose the purpose of life.
येनैवायं वपुरिदमसत्सत्यमित्यात्मबुद्ध्
Because of the bandha which is caused by ajnana, this body it is ASAT It is unreal. It is Anatma. Also it is unreal. It is mithya. Neither is it satya nor is it Atma yet we think it is Satya. We take it as Satya. Having Satya buddhi in the Asatya. This is a mistake and taking the Anatma as Atma.
आत्मबुद्ध्यात / Ātmabuddhyāt What happens when we take it for the Atma? The body becomes the priority. Enjoyments associated with the body and protecting the body becomes the only objective of life! That is dangerous. Body becomes the priority and the enjoyments associated with the body and the protection of the body becomes the only objective of life. That is dangerous.
pushyati / पुष्यति --This person nourishes the body with various sense objects.
पुष्यत्युक्षत्यवति विषयैस्तन्तुभिः कोशकृद्वत् / puṣyatyukṣatyavati viṣayaistantubhiḥ kośakṛdvat ||
He washes his body and अवति / avati –protects the body.
Nothing wrong in washing the body and protecting the body. The problem is when we think the body is the end. Life is not meant for preserving and cherishing the body. Body is a means—it is a साधनः saadhana for something greater. Dharma sadhana it is moksha sadhana therefore we should not take the body as an end itself. This is not wisdom. Taking the body as the means and making proper use of the body is the wisdom. This person thinks that he is very intelligent and therefore he commits his life for bodily enjoyments and protecting and preserving the body. All his life he earns money and spends his time in enjoyment. He thinks he is wise but unfortunately it is foolishness just as a the silkworm the caterpillar, It is called ‘koshakrit’ because it builds a cocoon like a कोशकृद्वत् / kośakṛdvat
The कोशकृद् / kośakṛd builds a cocoon with तन्तु tantu -thread and ends up in its own death. It is suicidal. Likewise, the person who cherishes the Anatma is as good as committing suicide.
अतस्मिंस्तद्बुद्धिः प्रभवति विमूढस्य तमसा
विवेकाभावाद्वै स्फुरति भुजगे रज्जुधिषणा ।
ततोऽनर्थव्रातो निपतति समादातुरधिकः
ततो योऽसद्ग्राहः स हि भवति बन्धः शृणु सखे ॥ १३८ ॥
atasmiṃstadbuddhiḥ prabhavati vimūḍhasya tamasā
vivekābhāvādvai sphurati bhujage rajjudhiṣaṇā |
tato'narthavrāto nipatati samādāturadhikaḥ
tato yo'sadgrāhaḥ sa hi bhavati bandhaḥ śṛṇu sakhe || 138 ||
The author further explains how ajnana causes bandha, with an example. The example is reversed here. Generally, we talk of superimposing snake in rope but here the author says it can be the other way around also. One can superimpose rope on snake and that is even more dangerous. There is a snake, a real snake, a poisonous snake and this person thinks that it is just a rope and picks it. There are all chances that the snake may bite and the person may even die. Likewise, because of ignorance we take the Anatama for Atma and this is equally dangerous and equally disastrous.
Tamas is ajnana, ignorance. This person is vimudha / विमूढाः He is deluded by ignorance. When he is deluded by ignorance, he takes one for another. Tat तत् means ‘that’ and atat अतत् means ‘non-that’.
Tat buddhihi -taking it as ‘that’ तत् . Let us say that there is X and you take the X as Y.
X is not Y. You mistake the X for Y –this is adhyaasa अद्धयासः. This is the definition of adhyaasa. अद्धयासः
Asmin tat buddhihi. अस्मिन तत् बुद्धिः
Rajjo sarpa buddhihi or rajje sarpa buddhihi .
This is adhyaasa which happens because of tamas. /ajnana. अतस्मिंस्तद्बुद्धिः प्रभवति / atasmiṃstadbuddhiḥ prabhavati
Prabhavati –the mistake happens because of ignorance. The mistake happens because of ignorance.
The example--
विवेकाभावाद् / vivekābhāvāda भुजगे रज्जुधिषणा bhujage rajjudhiṣaṇā |
There is dim light. Not enough light. One cannot see clearly what is in front of me and he thinks this is just a rope, a harmless rope.
भुजगे रज्जुधिषणा ।
ततोऽनर्थव्रातो निपतति / bhujage rajjudhiṣaṇā
Snake-rajju buddhi
dhisana means buddhi, cognition, perception One takes it as a rajju / harmless rope. Then he goes near and tries to hold it because
then if this person goes and tries to hold it then
ततोऽनर्थव्रातो निपतति समादातुरधिकः / tato'narthavrāto nipatati samādāturadhik
A series of problems happen , disasters happen.. The snake bites and he is taken to ICU etc , etc.
Similarly when there is ajana there is a series of problems.
ततो योऽसद्ग्राहः स हि भवति बन्धः शृणु सखे / tato'narthavrāto nipatati samādāturadhikaḥ
Erroneous perception/ wrong perception. Taking one for another. This is bandha. It is responsible for Samsara—all problems. The Guru is telling the Shishya please listen properly Sakhe( friend). The Guru is telling the Shishya as a friend because the Guru is trying to convey that he is the well-wisher of the Shishya and he is saying this not for his own benefit but for the benefit of the Shishya.
अखण्डनित्याद्वयबोधशक्त्या
स्फुरन्तमात्मानमनन्तवैभवम् ।
समावृणोत्यावृतिशक्तिरेषा
तमोमयी राहुरिवार्कबिम्बम् ॥ १३९ ॥
akhaṇḍanityādvayabodhaśaktyā
sphurantamātmānamanantavaibhav
samāvṛṇotyāvṛtiśaktireṣā
tamomayī rāhurivārkabimbam || 139 ||
SHLOKA 139.
Now the author is reminding avarana shakti and vikshepa shakti. We have already seen the avarana shakti and vikshepa shakti play their roles in causing Samsara.
The ajnana has two shaktis. The tamas, Ajnana is Maya. It has tamo guna and tamo guna has avarana shakti and that is responsible for hiding the true nature of Atma making the Anatma appears as Atma. Making the individual mistake the Anatma as Atma. This is the work of avarana shakti. Then the vikshepa shakti also plays its role. It causes emotional problems like hatred, greed and so on.
अखण्डनित्याद्वयबोधशक्त्या
akhaṇḍanityādvayabodhaśaktyā
The Atma is Consciousness in nature and that why the Atma always shines, always evident yet the avarana shakti becomes capable of covering the Atma, veiling the Atma. This is the power of avarana shakti. अखण्डनित्याद्वयबोधशक्त्या / akhaṇḍanityādvayabodhaśaktyā
Atma is bodha shakti. Consciousness in nature and Consciousness is akhanda without and parts and without any limitations. Nitya—eternal. Consciousness does not come and go It is free from limitations of time. It is without a second.
स्फुरन्तमात्मानमनन्तवैभवम् ।
sphurantamātmānamanantavaibhav
The Atma is shining! Ever shining, ever effulgent because it’s nature is bodha Consciousness. Atma is infinite in nature and yet this avarana shakti covers the Atma. Veils the Atma. Hides the Atma. An example--– तमोमयी राहुरिवार्कबिम्बम् / tamomayī rāhurivārkabimbam
तमोमयी / tamomayī -is an adjective to avarana shakti.
Avarana shakti is तमोमयी tamomayī It is tamas it is the shakti of tamo guna. We have seen earlier that tamo guna has avarana shakti and rajo guna has vikshepa shakti.
Example –just like the arka—Surya , the Sun , the arka bimba the Solar disc rāhurivārkabimbam / राहुरिवार्कबिम्बम् ॥
The Sun is covered by Rahu during a solar eclipse, a planet covers the Sun. It doesn’t mean tha the Sun has lost its shine. The Sun is shining in his own nature but we are not able to see the Sun even though the Sun is shining and the Sun is very much there and though the Sun is not affected by Rahu we are not able to see the Sun. We are affected because we are not able to get the light of the Sun.
Likewise, the avarana shakti veils the Atma and because of the avarana shakti we remain unaware of the presence of the Atma and we do not get the benefit of the Atma.
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