2 December 2020.
Talks by Swami Shivaprakashananda Saraswati.
सर्ववेदान्तसिद्धान्तगोचरं तमगोचरम् ।
गोविन्दं परमानन्दं सद्गुरुं प्रणतोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ १ ॥
sarvavedāntasiddhāntagocaraṃ tamagocaram |
govindaṃ paramānandaṃ sadguruṃ praṇato'smyaham || 1 ||
Shloka 140.
तिरोभूते स्वात्मन्यमलतरतेजोवति पुमान्
अनात्मानं मोहादहमिति शरीरं कलयति ।
ततः कामक्रोधप्रभृतिभिरमुं बन्धनगुणैः
परं विक्षेपाख्या रजस उरुशक्तिर्व्यथयति ॥ १४0 ॥
tirobhūte svātmanyamalataratejovati pumān
anātmānaṃ mohādahamiti śarīraṃ kalayati |
tataḥ kāmakrodhaprabhṛtibhiramuṃ bandhanaguṇaiḥ
paraṃ vikṣepākhyā rajasa uruśaktirvyathayati || 140 ||
The author is explaining the cause of Samsara. What causes Samsara?
Bandha is the cause of Samsara. Bandha means mistaking the Anatma as Atma. Identification with the Anatma as Atma. This mistake is called Bandha. It is the cause of Samsara. Then, what causes Bandha? The cause for Bandha is Ajnana / Maya. How does Ajnana cause Bandha? This is being discussed now from the previous verse. How Ajnana causes bandha?
Ajnana has two Shaktis / powers. Avarana and Vikshepa Shakti. These two Shaktis work and cause Bandha. First, the Avarana Shakti works because of which the true nature of Atma gets hidden and because of the Avarana Shakti the individual takes the Anatma as Atma. That is much is the work of Avarana Shakti. In fact, bandha is initially causing the Avarana Shakti.
But Viksehpa Shakti strengthens the bandha by producing a strong attachment to the body and various emotions that are related to the body. Vikshepa Shakti strengthens Bandha by producing a strong attachment to the body and the various emotions. That is how they work in harmony to keep the person bound into Samsara. This verse explains the work of both Avarana and Vikshepa Shakti in causing Samsara.
तिरोभूते स्वात्मन्यमलतरतेजोवति -
tirobhūte svātmanyamalataratejovati pumān
The Atma is ‘Amalatara tejovaan.’. It has pure consciousness ‘Amaltara’ very pure.
Tejovaan -consciousness. That kind of Atma is veiled-- तिरोभूते / tirobhūte.
When the true nature of Atma is hidden. Who hides ? The Avarana Shakti ! Then what happens?
Anatmanam Sharira ---The Sharira is Anatma --Non-self, but because of Moha, because of delusion, ‘aham iti kalayati’ --He takes the body to be I.
He identifies with the body as ‘I’. This body is me
मोहादहमिति कलयति / mohādahamiti kalayati |
Because of Moha, because of delusion, he takes the body as himself. So far, this is the function of Avarana Shakti.
Once Avarana Shakti has completed its work the Viskhepa Shakti becomes active.
tathah --After the work of Avarana Shakti, a strong power called Vikshepa!
विक्षेपाख्या उरुशक्तिर्व्यथयति / vikṣepākhyā rajuruśaktirvyathayati ||
The name is –‘Vikshepa’. What does Vikshepa shakti do ? Vikshepa belongs to Rajas –Rajo Guna. It is the quality of Rajas .Vikshepa Shakti produces certain impulses.
ततः कामक्रोधप्रभृतिभिरमुं बन्धनगुणै: /tataḥ kāmakrodhaprabhṛtibhiramuṃ bandhanaguṇaiḥ
Kaam, Krodha Anger etc. Lobha, Moha, Madah, Matsarya. Varieties of undesirable emotions. Why are they undesirable emotions? They are undesirable because they are the qualities that strengthen the Bandha and hold a person back in Samsara. They act as ropes that tie a person down to Samsara. He cannot escape from Samsara .
As long as kaam, krodha are active, a person cannot think of getting Atma Jnana or Moksha. That is why – बन्धनगुणै: / bandhanaguṇaiḥ
By producing these Bandha the Vikshepa Shakti tortures a person.
परं विक्षेपाख्या रजस उरुशक्तिर्व्यथयति / paraṃ vikṣepākhyā rajasa uruśaktirvyathayati
‘param’ very much, ‘yathayati’ --intensely.
Shloka 141.
महामोहग्राहग्रसनगलितात्मावगमनो
धियो नानावस्थां स्वयमभिनयंस्तद्गुणतया ।
अपारे संसरे विषयविषपूरे जलनिधौ
निमज्योन्मज्यायं भ्रमति कुमतिः कुत्सितगतिः ॥ १४१ ॥
mahāmohagrāhagrasanagalitātmāv
dhiyo nānāvasthāṃ svayamabhinayaṃstadguṇatayā |
apāre saṃsare viṣayaviṣapūre jalanidhau
nimajyonmajyāyaṃ bhramati kumatiḥ kutsitagatiḥ || 141 ||
Shloka 141.
Further description of and the role of Avarana Shakti. How the Avarana Shakti makes a person remain submerged in the ocean of Samsara.
Samsara can be compared to an ocean because of various similarities. One similarity is that it is not easy to cross the ocean. If a person is in the ocean, someone who is in the middle of the ocean and he feels it is almost impossible to reach the shore. He does not think of the is a possibility of reaching the shore
apaara – means no shore. para means shore --apara means, endless. Seems endless. That is one similarity. Another similarity –there are waves –ups and downs. In the ocean, there are ups and downs. Someone floating in the ocean keeps moving up and down. Likewise, in Samsara also there are ups and downs. Sometimes we go up in Samsara and everything seems to be ok and then there seems is doubt when sometimes things are not ok. That is another similarity.
Likewise, there are many similarities between Samsara and Ocean A very good comparison. In the Samsara ocean, there is shark and this shark is ‘ignorance.’
‘maha moha graha’ ---The author compares ignorance to a shark--- ‘maha moha’.
The ignorance is ‘maha’ --very great because it doesn’t go easily just like the shark cannot be killed easily the ignorance doesn’t go away easily, maha moha --this shark has swallowed up something!
‘maha moha graha grasana’ it has swallowed something and because of the swallowing up, something is missing! What is missing? ATMA JNANA Atma Avgaa means AtmaJnana . Atma Jnana is missing ! galita nashta --- and why is it missing? Because it is swallowed up by the shark of ‘moha’ - ignorance.
If there is Atma Jnana the person is saved from the ocean of Samsara.
Saving doesn’t happen because Atma Jnana is missing , because of the ignorance the person identifies with the ‘sharira.’
Among various components of the ‘sharira’ the most significant part that is referred to as Samsara is ‘mind’ and that is why the author is mentioning the identification with the mind and this identification is the one that really causes Samsara.
There are three ‘avasthas’ –Jagrat, Svapna and Sushupti.
Who has these three avasthas? These three avasthas do not belong to the Atma, they belong to the mind. The Suskhma Sharira, specifically the mind.
When we are awake the mind is fully active. When we are in the dream - state the mind is semi-active, half active. When we are in deep sleep the mind is inactive. therefore the extent of activity of the mind is responsible for the three states, therefore the three states belong to the mind. The three states of the mind are superimposed on the Atma.
That is why we say I am awake! Atma is always awake. It, doesn’t sleep! Even in sleep it is equally awake therefore what is awake now and what goes to sleep ---is the MIND.
धियो नानावस्था: / dhiyo nānāvasthāha -- the various states, the three states -- they belong to ‘dhihi’--the mind. This person superimposes the three states on himself.
स्वयमभिनयं / svayamabhinayaṃ
‘tata guna taya’ and he superimposes all the qualities of the mind on himself. All emotions belong to the mind. Pleasure and pain etc all belong to the mind.
He superimposes everything on himself . ‘aham sukhi aham dukhi etc.
and because of superimposition of pleasure and pain, he goes up and down in the ocean of samsara.
The Samsara is compared to an ocean and the ocean is apara.
The ocean of Samsara is apara. You don’t see the end you don’t see the shore and it is not an ocean of pure water as there is poison--
विषयविषपूरे जलनिधौ / viṣayaviṣapūre jalanidhau
Sense objects are the poison and if the person drinks the water he may die as he may also drink the poison and die! Full of poisons in the So in this kind of Samsara this person goes up and down. He wanders, he rotates, keeps whirling! Keeps whirling means he doesn’t move in the direction of reaching the shore. He remains in Samsara He goes round and round catching various pleasures. He wanders around and goes round and round.
Who is he? Today I learnt a word--Foolish wisdom! This person has foolish wisdom That is ‘kumati’. One who has foolish wisdom thinks he is wise but really his wisdom is foolish. He has various ideas to lead a successful life on earth. How to make more money. How to spend less money etc. So many ideas of wisdom but all these ideas do not take him anywhere near Moksha therefore all these ideas of wisdom do not take him anywhere near moksha therefore all this wisdom are as good as foolishness. Therefore –‘kumati.’
Since he is ‘kumati’ he is in a pitiable condition, a poor condition ! A Jnani sympathises with him or Ajnana. He needs help to come out of Samsara. A Jnani, feels like helpinh him out of compassion and he tries to help him also but unfortunately kumati is not ready to take help because if a Ajnani tries to help him he doesn’t know that this person is really trying to help him and he doesn’t even understand who is his true well-wisher ! Threfore,he is a very pitiable state.
भानुप्रभासंजनिताभ्रपङ्क्तिः
भानुं तिरोधाय विजृम्भते यथा ।
आत्मोदिताहंकृतिरात्मतत्त्वं
तथा तिरोधाय विजृम्भते स्वयम् ॥ १४२ ॥
bhānuprabhāsaṃjanitābhrapaṅkti
bhānuṃ tirodhāya vijṛmbhate yathā |
ātmoditāhaṃkṛtirātmatattvaṃ
tathā tirodhāya vijṛmbhate svayam || 142 ||
In this verse the author is answering a possible doubt. Somebody may get a doubt and asks, “The Anatma covers the Atma, Anatma veils the Atma but then Anatma is the effect of Atma ! According to Vedanta all Anatma comes from Atma.”
Atma is the ‘cause’ and Antama is the ‘effect’. This is discussed in the Upanishad and it will become clear as we move on.
His question is --how can the effect veil the Atma? This, is the doubt. The Siddhanti answers the doubt with an example. The example of cloud- ‘abhra’. That which holds water is called ‘abhra’--‘megha’ -- the cloud is born because of Sun rays. The Sun rays are responsible for the formation of clouds, therefore the cloud is the effect Sun.
Sun is the cause and cloud is effect yet the cloud covers the Sun and not only it covers the Sun and after covering the Sun it presents itself as an important thing, as something prominent ! On a cloudy day, the cloud gets prominent and the Sun gets hidden, less important. Likewise, the Anatma ( mainly the Anatma discussed in this shloka is Ahamkaara-- the Mind ) .
The mind is called Ahamkaara.
‘Aham Kritti’ because that is what we generally identify the Mind as ourselves, so Ahamkaara is born of the Atma and it sustained by the Atma.
This Ahamkaara hides the real Atma and presents itself as the real Atma and that is why we mistake the mind as the Atma.
‘Aham dukhi aham sukhi’-- we are referring to the Mind.
भानुप्रभासंजनिताभ्रपङ्क्तिः / bhānuprabhāsaṃjanitābhrapaṅkti
ābhrapaṅktiḥ---an array of clouds is भानुप्रभासंजनिता / bhānuprabhāsaṃjanitā
‘Bhanu Pratap’. It is born of the rays of the SUN. The Sunrays and yet ‘bhanumam tirodhaya---It covers the Bhanu covers the Sun , hides the Sun and presents itself Dominates!
In some offices you can find that the main officer is outside and the receptionist behaves as though he is the main office. Likewise, the cloud behaves as he is main person in the sky.
‘atha’-- This much is the example. This is ‘drshtant’. The second half of the shloka is dashtanta --exemplified To explain what you are giving the example of is exemplified.
The drishtanta begins with atha. ‘dashanta’ begins with ‘tatha ’.
Similarly so Atma Aham Kriitiihi --The Ahamkaara is born of Atma. It is produced by Atma -- the effect of Atma. Being Anatma, it is the effect of Atma. Yet it covers the Atma, hides the Atma, inside itself and presents itself –dominates.
विजृम्भते स्वयम् / vijṛmbhate svayam
We mistake the Ahamkaara for the Atma.
Shloka 143.
कवलितदिननार्थे दुर्दिने सान्द्रमेघैः
व्यथयति हिमझंझावायुरुग्रो यथैतान् ।
अविरततमसात्मन्यावृते मूढबुद्धिं
क्षपयति बहुदुःखैस्तीव्रविक्षेपशक्तिः ॥ १४३ ॥
kavalitadinanārthe durdine sāndrameghaiḥ
vyathayati himajhaṃjhāvāyurugro yathaitān |
aviratatamasātmanyāvṛte mūḍhabuddhiṃ
kṣapayati bahuduḥkhaistīvravikṣepaśaktiḥ || 143 ||
Shloka 143.
Now the author is explaining the works of both Avarana Shakti and Vikshepa Shakti with a beautiful example. The example is the example of cloud, The cloud is the example for Avarana Shakti. Then there is storm, hail storm and this is an example of Vikshepa Shakti.
On a cloudy day –a cloudy day is called ‘durdinam’ bad day—as the weather is bad it is called bad day.
Amar Kosha says that the day that is cloudy is called a ‘durdina’.
On a cloudy day a person is travelling or walking . In olden days there was no car so people are walking from one place to another and there is no shelter until he reaches another place at night there is no shelter and so then the cloud, the dense clouds has covered the sky. The visibility has decreased very poor visibility. Then, to add to the trouble there is a hail storm ! Rain with a hail storm. What will be the condition of this person, the ‘pathika’, this traveller? Both are troubling him. The cloud and the hail storm. They torment him. Likewise, the Avarana Shakti covers the Atma and to add to it Vikshepa Shakti also produces certain emotions these emotions are like storms in the mind.
कवलितदिननार्थे दुर्दिने सान्द्रमेघैः / kavalitadinanārthe durdine sāndrameghaiḥ
व्यथयति हिमझंझावायुरुग्रो यथैतान् / vyathayati himajhaṃjhāvāyurugro yathaitān |
yatha—‘drshtanta’. The ‘purvartah’ is drshtanta, the first half is drishtanta.
दुर्दिने / durdine---- on a cloudy day. सान्द्रमेघैः / sāndrameghaiḥ ---by dense clothes.
din natha means Surya, the lord of the day is Sun. Din means day.
Sun is hidden- veiled. This is an example for Avarana Shakti.
Then हिमझंझावायुरुग्रो /himajhaṃjhāvāyurugro yathaitān | The hail storm.
‘etan adhikana’ the Vyakhanakara adds ‘etan adhikana’ these travellers, the hail storm troubles, torments. them.
‘tatha ‘the second half is drashtanta
अविरततमसात्मन्यावृते /
aviratatamasātmanyāvṛte
‘tamas’ the Shakti of tamas. The Avarana Shakti is अविरत: / ‘avirata’. It does not come to an end easily. No gap. It is continuous.
The Atma is veiled. The ‘teevra Vikshpa Shakti’ , intense Vikshepa Shakti. Powerful, strong Vikshepa Shakti produces various forms of ‘dukhas’- troubles. Various forms of troubles various forms of emotional issues. It troubles!
' Ksapayati '.
Whom????
The man of deluded mind- ‘mudha’!
The person whose mind is already deluded with Avarana Shakti.
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