Saddarsanam – 9

Conclusion

(Verses 41 to 44)

Verse 41

baddhatva-bhave sati moksa-cinta bandhas-tu kasyeti vicaranena।
siddhe svayam svatmani nitya-mukte kva bandha-cinta kva ca moksa-cinta ॥

When there is the sense of bondage, anxiety for Liberation is there.   By the enquiry “bondage of whom?”  one’s own (true) Self, the ever-liberated, is established.    Then where is the thought of bondage, and where is the concern for Liberation?

When one knows oneself by enquiring ‘Who am I, the individual who is in bondage?' one will find that the individual or ego is non-existent and that the real Self, which is ever-liberated, alone exists.  Since bondage and liberation are both mere thoughts, and since all thoughts depend for their seeming existence upon the first thought, which is the ego, the feeling ‘I am so-and-so’; when the ego is found to be non-existent the thoughts of bondage and liberation will no longer be able to stand.  So Vedanta says that bondage is a notion in the mind and Liberation is the clear understanding that there is no bondage to be removed.  It is like the elimination of the rope-snake through the understanding of the rope.  The negation of bondage and seeing the irrelevance of liberation is figuratively presented as “Liberation”.  Since everyone feels he is bound and desires liberation, Vedanta draws the attention of a seeker promising liberation and guides him into “Self-enquiry” and lets him discover that Athma, his true Self was never bound and the thought of bondage was only a misconception like snake on the rope.   As Amrta-bindhu upanishad  verse 2 states “Mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation of human beings (mana eva manushyanam karanam bandha-mokshayoh )”   So with successful Self-enquiry, one discovers that he as Athma was never bound and was, is and will be a Liberated one only. 

Verse 42

Rupinyarupinyubhayatmika ca muktis-trirupeti vido vadanti।
Idaṃ trayam ya vivinaktyahan-dhis - tasyah pranasah paramartha-muktih ॥

The knowers say that liberation is of three forms - having a form, having no form, and of the nature of both kinds. The complete destruction of that “I”-notion that examines this triad Is the Supreme Liberation.

Different schools of thought hold different views about ihe nature of liberation. Some say, while having body (Jivan mukthi); some say, after shedding body (videha mukthi), and some others say, while having body that continues after shedding body.  Instead of trying to find out which is right, if we enquire who analyses these three ideas we find it is the ego and the destruction of this ego through ‘Who am I’ enquiry is the Supreme Liberation. All other kinds of liberation are nothing but mere thoughts, which can stand only so long as the ego, the sense of individuality, seems to exist. When the ego is found to be non-existent, the state which remains will be completely free of all thoughts such as ‘I am a form’, ‘I am formless’ or ‘I am free either to become a form or to become formless’.  For liberation is the freedom from the sense of limitation caused by the identification with the body and does not concern the Athma which is never bound and Athma is the true ‘I’.    Defanging ego, the sense of individuality,  by assertion of its mithyathvam through Self-enquiry is the only one real kind of liberation that is called here the ‘Supreme Liberation’.

Verse 43

Saddarsanam dravida-van-nibaddham maharsina Sri-Ramanena suddham।
Prabandham-utkrstam-amartya-vanyam - anudya vasistha-munir-vyatanit ॥

Vasishta Muni composed this Saddarsanam translating the pure, superb composition written by Sri Ramana Maharshi, in the Dravida language (Tamil) into the language of the immortals (Sanskrit)

As mentioned briefly in the introduction (vide blog – Saddarsanam 1) this is the Sanskrit translation of the Tamil work “Ulladu Narpathu” by Sri Ramana Maharishi.  The translation is done by his faithful devotee Vasihta Ganapathi Muni.  This verse speaks of the glory of original work as well.   Saddarsanam gives one a true vision of oneself and the world while exposing the impostor ego, the cause of one’s problems. The original work is the outpouring of the inner experiences of Maharishi and also an explanation of his oft-quoted advice - “Who am I’ enquiry. The original work is praised as suddham, pure, indicating it is free from logical defect and language defect.

Verse 44

Sat-tattva-saram saralam dadhana mumuksu-lokaya mudam dadana।
Amanusa-sri-ramaniya-vani - mayukha-bhittir-muni-vag-vibhati ॥

The Muni’s words shine as a wall-like surface, reflecting the rays of utterances of Sri Ramana who was more than human, giving honestly the Essence of the Truth of Being (Existence) and giving joy to the world of seekers of Liberation.

Maharishi is like the sun and shines in his own glory of Self-realization.  His words are like the rays giving one the vision of Truth.  Sri Vasishta Muni’s translation is like a reflecting surface that shines with an extra glow, benefitting all seekers of liberation who may not derive benefit from the original work due to their incapacity to reflect it in their understanding.

With this verse the work of Sat-Darsan ends.  The essence of Maharishi’s teaching in Saddarsan can be summed up as follows:

Know your Self through Self-enquiry and abide in your Self always, understanding the mithyathvam of ego, the sense of individuality. which is the cause of all problems.  Avoid  arguments and wasteful discussions on the nature of Self and Liberation.

Acknowledgement

While concluding the series of blogs on Saddarsanam I wish to record my deep debt of gratitude to the speeches and writings on this subject, of:

1)    Swami Paramarthananda

2)    Swami Tejomayananda

3)    Sri Sadhu Om

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Saddarsanam – 8

(Verses 36 to 40)

Verse 36

Hrt-prapya-sad-dhama nija-svarupe svabhava-siddhe'nupalabhya nistham।
Maya-vilasah sad-asat-sarupa - virupa-nanaika-mukha-pravadaḥ ॥

Not having attained the abidance in one’s true nature, in the self-evident abode of Truth by reaching one’s heart, talks of  “real or unreal, with form or without form, many or one;” are all play of Maya.

The seeker having gained the knowledge from the guru should engage his time and effort in abiding in the knowledge.  Abidance in the knowledge is turning one’s attention to the mind, entertaining the thought “I am the Consciousness”, freeing ‘I am’ from all other attributes.  He should refrain from unproductive arguments, scholastic pursuits of the scriptures or erudite expositions of the Truth.  This may lead him away from the main purpose - abidance in Self.  Getting side-tracked into academic discussions on Self as to whether it is ‘real or unreal’, ‘with or without form’, many or one’ is a waste of energy and time, he should realize and concentrate on Self-abidance only without any distraction.  He should ignore all distractions as play of Maya and immerse himself in tasting the nectar of Self-abidance.

Verse 37

Siddhasya vittih sata eva siddhih svapnopamanah khalu siddhayo'nyah।
Svapnah prabuddhasya katham nu satyah sati sthitah kim punar-eti Mayam ॥

The Knowledge of the established Truth itself is an accomplishment. Comparable to a dream, indeed, are other accomplishments.   How can the dream of one who is awakened be true? Does one who abides in Truth again enter Maya?

All the miraculous powers belonging to anathma, the mithya-world, have nothing to do with Self-knowledge. No doubt siddhis are mentioned in sastras, but they have nothing to do with spirituality.  All these siddhis come under karma phalam or upasana phalam and so they fall within Maya or samsara.  There is also the danger of one getting distracted by these powers in one’s spiritual pursuit.  So Maharishi says that conventional siddhis must be ignored with the understanding that Self-knowledge is the greatest siddhi.  Siddhis may come to a man of realization as a result of his spiritual practices.  He uses them not for fame or for power over others but only for the benefit of others or to boost the faith of the devotees.   For the spiritually awakened man even so-called waking state, is truly nothing but a dream occurring in the long sleep of Self-forgetfulness.   As one who had got out of the clutches of Maya, he will treat incidental powers of siddhis as just dream incidents and he will not allow himself to be lured back into the hold of Maya by these siddhis.

Verse 38 

So'ham-vicaro vapur-athma-bhave sahayyakari para-marganasya।
Svatmaikya-siddhau sa punar-nirartho yatha naratva-pramitir-narasya ॥

The “He am I” inquiry, when in the “body is the Self” state, is helpful to the search for the Supreme.  Just as the correct notion of man-ness (manhood) of a man is purposeless similarly after the accomplishment of the oneness of one’s Self that (He am I) contemplation is without purpose..

In the case of Self-enquiry, the inquirer and the sought are separated through misunderstanding and not by time and space.  The thought ‘Supreme am I’ helps to clear the misunderstanding that one is the body-mind complex and should be practiced so long as the ‘I’ notion in body-mind complex remains.   This sadhana should be continued until ‘I am Brahman’ becomes a fact for one.  Once the seeker has discovered the Jivathma-Paramatmathma Ikyam, ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ enquiry is redundant for him. Maharishi gives here the example of a man who has forgotten his manhood and tries to establish himself in the knowledge through chanting ‘I am a man’. Having ascertained his manhood he need not continue the chanting.  So one established in his Brahmatvam is above the Self-inquiry.

Verse 39

Dvaitam vicare paramartha-bodhe tvadvaitam-ityesa na sadhu-vadah।
Gavesanat-prag-dasame vinaste pascac-ca labdhe dasamatvam-ekam ॥

“Duality in inquiry, but in the Knowledge of the Supreme Truth, Nonduality,” is not the right doctrine.  The tenth man’s tenth-ness is one and the same,  prior to the search when the tenth man was lost  and later when he is found.

According to some schools of thought, duality is true during the time of ignorance and non-duality becomes true only after the attainment of Self-knowledge.   Maharishi  says that even this is not true, because non-duality (advaita) is always the truth and duality (dvaita) is always unreal.   That is, the one non-dual Self alone exists and is Real even when in the ignorant outlook of the individual it seems to appear as this unreal world of duality and diversity.    In order to emphasise that duality is unreal even during the time of its seeming existence, Maharishi cites the parable of the ‘lost’ tenth man.  Ten men crossed a river on foot, and on reaching the other side they wished to make sure that all had crossed safely. So all of them began to count the number of persons on the shore, but since each one forgot to count himself when doing the counting, they all counted only nine. Believing that one of their companions must have drowned, they all began to weep, until a passing wayfarer who understood the situation asked each one to count himself as well while counting, whereupon they realized that they were always ten men, both during the time of their seeming loss and after their ‘finding’ the missing man.  Similarly, when we attain Self-knowledge we will realize that non-duality (advaita) is always the sole truth, both during the time of our seeming ignorance (when nonduality appears to be lost and duality appears to prevail) and after our ‘attaining’ Self, the non-dual Reality.  It is to be noted here that, though non-duality is the truth even during the time of seeming ignorance, this does not mean that no spiritual practice (sadhana) is necessary.   So long as the tenth man appears to be lost, it is necessary for each one of the ten to enquire and find out ‘Who is lost?’,  for then only will the truth be realized that the so called ‘lost’ tenth man is only oneself, who has in fact never been lost.   Similarly, so long as the experience of non-duality appears to be lost, it is necessary for us to enquire and find out ‘Who am I, who has lost the experience of non-duality?’, for then only will the truth be realized that the seeming individual ‘I’ who does not experience non-duality is merely an unreal appearance, and that the real ‘I’ has in fact never lost the experience of non-duality.

Verse 40

Karomi karmeti naro vijanan badhyo bhavet-karma-phalaṃ ca bhoktum।

Vicara-dhuta hrdi kartrta cet karma-trayaṃ nasyati saiva muktih ॥

A man considering “I do karma ” becomes bound to enjoy the fruit of karma.  If, by inquiry in the heart, doership is removed the triple karma perishes. That alone is Liberation.

Actions by themselves do not bind.  It is the sense of doership that we assume in the action that binds. Every action is bound to give results.  The doer then becomes the enjoyer of the fruits of action.  Having enjoyed or suffered the results, one forms vasanas which induce desires that prompt actions and so on. This chain of doership-enjoyership-doership--- is bondage.  The inert body and mind function in the prescence of the Self which illumines actions.  Neither the body nor the Self have notion of doership or enjoyership. It is the ego that rises through the inexplicable combination of two that assumes these notions upon itself.  At the time of ignorance  one takes the Self to be the ego.  When ego is real; karthrtvam, bhoktrtvam, karma, karma phalam, sukham, dukham, samsara all become real.  Therefore ego must be made unreal by claiming Consciousness as one’s Self.  Then both the sense of doership (kartrtva) and the sense of experiencership (bhoktrtva) will necessarily cease to exist along with the karmas.   So falsification of ego through  Athma Jnanam is liberation.

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Saddarsanam – 7

(Verses 31 to 35)

Verse 31

Maunena majjan-manasa svamula - carcaiva satyatma-vicaranam syat।
Eso'ham-etanna mama svarupam - iti prama satya-vicaranangam ॥

Silent diving by the mind, inquiring about one’s true root alone is true Self-inquiry. “This I am’ and ‘This is not my true nature,” – these thoughts are a limb of  true inquiry.

Self-enquiry involves two parts; 1) seeing what I am not and 2) seeing what I am. With subtle discrimination guided by Guru’s teaching of sastras we distinguish ‘that which we are’ from ‘that which we are not’.  “I am not the body, sense or mind. I am the witnessing Consciousness” is the conclusion we arrive at.  These thoughts should not be mere repetition of learned words but outcome of the realization of a fact.  Such an assertive flow of thoughts regarding my true nature, removes the wrong notion and habits of the mind.  With continuous contemplation in silence on ‘what I am’ and ‘what I am not’, these thoughts lead to the egoless state of being.

Verse 32

Gavesanat-prapya hrdantaram tat pated-ahanta paribhugna-sirsa।
Athaham-anyat-sphurati prakrstam nahankrtis-tat-parameva purnam ॥

Having reached within the Heart, by the search, the “I” notion whose head is broken falls. Then another “I” shines forth, which is the main one. It is not the ego but is the Supreme fullness alone.

From the ignorance of adhishtanam i.e.Athma, ego rises and with the knowledge of adhishtanam i.e. Athma, ego disappears. It is like the appearance of snake on the rope due to one’s ignorance.  Just as the rope seems to appear newly when the ignorant notion that it is a snake is removed, so the Athma, the Real ‘I am’, seems to emerge  newly when the ignorant notion ‘I am this body’ is removed.  Ego is temporarily resolved in many ways like meditation, religious pilgrimage or retreat in ashram etc.  But in successful Athma vichara ego is permanently resolved, which Maharishi describes graphically as ‘ego’s head is broken’.  Athma had been shining all along in all the three avasthas and only our vision was clouded by the play of ego.   With the fall of ego Athma emerges shining as if a new ‘I’ is born, bringing about a new perspective of oneself and a change in perception of the world and others. 

Verse 33

Ahankrtim yo lasati grasitva kim tasya karyam parisistam-asti।
Kincid-vijanati sa natmano'nyat tasya sthitim bhavayitum ksamah kah ॥

For him who shines, having swallowed the ego, what is left remaining to be done? He knows not anything other than the Self. Who is able to conceive of his state?

A jnani who has successfully conducted Self-enquiry and has resolved the ego permanently is described as one who has swallowed the ego.  Having gained the infinite, what more he needs to gain, for in the infinite all the finites are included.  Therefore he has nothing to do.  Further being not a kartha or bhoktha, there is no insistence on action or inaction.  He performs actions of choice for the benefit of others.  So he enjoys fully freedom of action and freedom in action.  In his vision everyone in front of him is no different from him as Athma and all anathmas are non-substantial nama-rupa super-imposed upon the only substance, Athma.  Such a state of peace and bliss without ego and samsara where one is, one was and one ever will be Brahman, the Supreme Reality is beyond the comprehension and understanding of an ordinary ignorant man.  

Verse 34

Aha sphutam tat-tvam-asiti vedas - tathapyasamprapya paratma-nishtam।
Bhuyo vicaro mati-durbalatvam tat-sarvada svatmataya hi bhati ॥

The Veda has clearly stated “That Thou are”. Even then not attaining abidance in the Supreme Self having more inquiry indicates weakness of the mind (weakness of conviction). That (supreme Self) always shines as one’s own Self.

Chandogya Upanishad  has clearly pointed out the identity of individual Self with the Supreme Self repeating nine times the words ‘That Thou are”, where ‘That’ stands for Supreme Self and ‘Thou’ for individual Self.  It did not say ‘Thou shall become That’ or ‘Thou are like That’ or any other similar statement that does not emphasise total identity as an established fact.  So irrespective of one’s belief, disbelief, doubt, ignorance, acceptance or rejection Veda concludes ”Thou are That”.   In spite of this clear teaching many do not remain totally convinced that they are not the ego and the body-mind –intellect it identifies with.  With study of scriptures and participation in satsangs they may become intellectually informed but cannot abide in the Supreme Self, giving up ego as they cannot digest the fact they are Brahman.  That is to be attributed to the weakness, grossness or impurity of mind that has not attained the subtlety and maturity to grasp this Vedic Truth and abide in it.  Remembering the Supreme Self, the only source of bliss and peace, as one’s inner Self, one should continue the enquiry until one gains the total conviction that one is not the impostor ‘ego’ but its adhishtanam, the Supreme Self. 

Verse 35

Na vedmyahaṃ mam-uta vedmyaham mam - iti pravado manujasya hasyah।
Drg-drsya-bhedat-kim-ayam dvidhatma svatmaikatayam hi dhiyam na bhedah ॥

“I know not me,” or “I know me,” - such expressions of man are to be laughed at. From the division of the seer and the seen, is this Self divided twofold? The Oneness of one’s true Self, indeed is the knowledge and  there are no differences.

Self-knowledge is a unique knowledge in which object of knowledge and subject of knowledge is the same, namely the Self ‘I’.  The Self is the knower always and never the known.  And knowledge of oneself is self-evident.  So one cannot say that “I do not know myself” or “I know myself’’.   But a confusion has arisen because the not-Self, the body-mind complex, is misunderstood to be the Self.  So the known is misconstrued as the knower.  The scriptures are studied and inquiry is made only to remove the false notion and not to create new knowledge. When the known is known as the known different from the knower, one is well on the way to Self-Realization. 

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Saddarsanam – 6

(Verses 26 to 30)

Verse 26

Deho na janati sato na janma deha-pramano'nya udeti madhye।
Ahankrti-granthi-vibandha-suksma -sarira-ceto-bhava-jiva-nama ॥

The body does not know. Truth (Existence), is not born.  Another of the size of body arises in the middle, which is named - ego, knot, bondage, subtle body, mind, the realm of becoming or jiva (the individual).

The body is inert, undergoes changes; birth,decay and death.  Athma is birthless and deathless.  The ego that has sentiency is not body.  It is not the Athma as well as it has birth and death.  However, though it is neither the body nor the Athma, it assumes the properties of both.  Like the body, it rises and subsides (or appears and disappears) and is limited by time and space; and like the real Self, it shines as ‘I’.  Since it has no independent existence it takes the support of both and assumes the size of the body and sentiency of Athma like the reflection of face in the mirror which is a false entity that has some features of both, the reflecting mirror and the original face.  The ego parades around in various names which are: 

1)    Ahamkara – (aham karoti iti) The notion of doership in every action is ego

2)    Granthi – knot, as it ties the inert body and sentient Athma together.

3)    Vibandha – bondage,  It binds one to the body and its limitations and to the objects of the world through its ‘myness’

4)    Sukshma sarira – subtle body,  It is not perceived by the senses like the gross body and it is perishable like the body.

5)    Cheta – mind.  It has the capacity to reflect Consciousness and know

6)    Bhava – realm of becoming.  Its existence depends on becoming something and so it prompts one to action always.

7)    Jiva – It always maintains its identity or individuality as ‘I’, enlivening the body and mind.

Verse 27

Rupodbhavo rupa-tati-pratistho rupasano dhuta-grhita-rupah।
Svayam virupah svavicara-kale dhavatyahankara-pisaca esah ॥

This ghost of the ego is born amidst forms; based on a group of forms, the eater of forms, who has given up and held forms, is by Itself formless and upon inquiry into itself, It runs away.

We had seen in the earlier verse that ego is not an independent entity but a concoction of some features of Athma and anathma.  Ego rises along with the attributes of anathma and the multitudes of attributes are the fields in which ego moves about.  It does not have its own features and is destroyed by enquiry.  Since it does not have a real existence but has only a ghostly existence Maharishi calls it a ghost as well in addition to the multitude of names he had listed in the previous verse.  The ego has borrowed from Athma “I am”, where ‘I’ stands for Consciousness and ‘am’ for Existence.  To these two features,  Sat, Chit aspect of Athma, is added the various attributes of anathma, like male, young, happy etc,  to form various ‘forms’.  So Maharishi states that that it is born amidst attributes and grows on attributes, as if feeding on attributes.  So long as no enquiry is made about its reality, it seems to exist and thrive.   But as soon as it is scrutinized to find out who it is, it will disappear, being found to be non-existent.

Verse 28

Bhave'hamah sarvam-idam vibhati laye'hamo naiva vibhati kincit।
Tasmad-aham-rupam-idam samastam tan-marganam sarva-jayaya margah ॥

In the being of the ego, all this shines.  On the dissolution of the ego nothing at all shines.  Therefore all this is the form of the ego. The search for that is the way for victory over all.

The world is experienced only with the existence of ego and seems to disappear when the ego disappears.  So the world is of the form of ego.  The body and the whole world of manifestation, consisting of so many dyads and triads, are nothing but an expansion of the ego, which is the embryo or seed-form of everything.  But ego is an illusory entity which borrows its existence from the pure Self.  Knowing the Self, the ego and its manifestations disappear.  The enquiry into the root of the ego will lead one to the pure Self, the abidance in which only ensures permanent victory over samsara.

Verse 29

Satya sthitir-naham-udeti yatra tac-codaya-sthana-gavesanena।
Vina na nasyed-yadi tanna nasyet svatmaikya-rupa kathamastu nistha ॥

The Real State is where “I” does not arise.  And that is not destroyed without the fervent search (inquiry) for the place of emergence.  If that is not destroyed how can there be abidance, of the nature of Oneness of the True (own) Self?

As long as ego exists it will prompt one to become something or other.   Wanting to become something is a sign of feeling unfulfilled.  Only when the ego is destroyed one can attain a state of fulfilment.  Athma ajjnanam is at the root of ego and only with Athma Jnanam the roots of ego can be permanently destroyed.  This egoless state of Athma Jnanam is of the nature of oneness with the Athma, which is a permanent state.  For in Athma Jnanam, the mithyatvam of ego is understood clearly.   This falsification of ego is destruction of ego.   Only in this state of egolessness, one can attain the state of abiding in one’s Athma.

Verse 30

Kupe yatha gadha-jale tathantah nimajjya buddhya sitaya nitantam।
Pranam ca vacam ca niyamya cinvan vinden-nijahankrti-mula-rupam ॥

Just as in a well of water into [which one] has dived deeply, just so, within one must dive (plunge) with intellect highly (extraordinarily) sharp, prana and speech to be controlled (lit., having controlled), inquiring (reflecting on);  one shall find the nature of the root of one’s own ego.

The self-shining jewel of the Self is lost in the deep waters of thoughts.  The individual who attempts to retrieve it must be well-qualified with a pure, subtle and single-pointed intellect, to enable him to dive deep within his personality.  The intellect must be rendered pure with the removal of all worldly desires through spiritual practices like japa etc,. and through selfless action.  Prana is to be disciplined through regular pranayama and control of the organ of speech to be achieved through vak-tapas as prescribed in Gita 17-15:

Anudvegakaram vaakyam satyam priyahitam cha yat;

Swaadhyaayaabhyasanam chaiva vaangmayam tapa uchyate.

Speech which causes no excitement and is truthful, pleasant and beneficial, the practice of the study of the Vedas, are called austerity of speech.

With such a mastery over organs, one engages oneself in Athma vichara with study of sastras under the guidance of a competent guru.  Through such enquiry into Self, one discovers the root of one’s ego, the Sathya adhishtanam, Athma.  This knowledge of Athma leads to the falsification of ego by revealing its mithyatvam.

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Saddarsanam -5

(Verses 21 to 25)

Verse21

Vidheh prayatnasya ca ko'pi vadah tayor-dvayor-mulam-ajanataṃ syat।
Vidheh prayatnasya ca mula-vastu sanjanatam naiva vidhir-na yatnah ॥

The talk of fate and of self-effort shall be for them who do not know the root of these two.  For those who know well the source of fate and effort, there is neither fate nor free will.

The fruits of the actions done in the past come as fate when they mature.  Self-effort, freewill,  is what one does in the present with what one gets. When one removes the conditioning of time, one sees that both are actions only and all actions depend upon the doer of action ahamkara ‘I’.  Ahamkara ‘I’, the experiencer of fate and the wielder of freewill, is truly non-existent. Those who have known the non-existence of the ahamkara ‘I’, the base of fate and freewill, have discarded fate and free will along with their root and base, the ahamkara.  The debate of fate vs, freewill is only for those who are ignorant of ahamkara-mulam, the Athma because once the ahamkara-mulam is discovered ahamkara disappears, and there is no present ‘I’, no karta ‘I’ and no bhoktha ‘I’ and the ones who are wise to Athma, the ahamkara-mulam, also will not become entangled in the dispute about fate and freewill.

Verse 22

Yadisitur-viksanam-iksitaram -avikṣya tan-manasikeksanam syat।
Na drastur-anyah paramo hi tasya viksa svamule praviliya nistha ॥

That vision of the Lord which is without seeing the seer can only be a mental vision. The Supreme is not there other than the seer, indeed.    His vision is the absorption and abidance in one’s own source.

The Lord in His true nature is nameless, formless. attributeless, infinite, all-pervading etc.  So He cannot be seen as the seen is limited by time, space and objects. He is not different from the seer.   Hence the true vision of the Lord is to know Him as One’s Self.   Maharishi himself states in Upadesa-saar 25: “(Isa-darsanam svaatma-roopatah (One sees God as one’s own Self)).  So the one who sees the Self through the enquiry ’Who am I?’, alone is the one who has truly seen God, the source of the individual Self.   Because the real Self which shines forth after the ego self has perished is none other than God.   One seeing God without leaving one’s ego self is only seeing a mental vision (a manasika darsanam or imaginary appearance). The realized Jnani may keep this separate vision for the sake of worship and for singing and revelling in His glory, but that does not negate his true vision of identity and abidance in Self with the knowledge “I am Brahman”.

Verse 23

Atmanam-ikseta param prapasyed - ityagamokteh sulabho na bhavah।
Natmaiva drsyo yadi ka kathese svayaṃ tad-anni-bhavanam tadiksa ॥

The meaning of the sayings of the Vedas, ‘See the Self, see the Supreme’  is not easy.  If the Self itself is not seen, then how can there be talk of the Lord?  Oneself becoming His food is that vision of seeing Him.

Scriptures speak of Self-realization and God-realisation as the goals which are to be attained by a spiritual aspirant.  This is often misinterpreted to mean that one must first realize oneself, the individual soul, and then one must realize God, who is the substratum or underlying support of oneself.  The Self, being one with the seeker cannot be seen as an object either by senses or mind.  We all experience the Self within as ‘I’.  But due to ignorance one mistakes the ego as ‘I’ and misses the realization of Self and God. Here Maharishi advises that the devotee offers oneself i.e. the ego at His altar.  By surrendering the ego at His feet, the devotee loses his identity in Him.  By losing his identity in God, he sees God in him as Self, which is that vision of seeing Him.

Verse 24

Dhiye prakasam paramo vitirya svayam dhiyo'ntah pravibhati guptah।
Dhiyaṃ paravartya dhiyontare'tra samyojanan-nesvara-drstir-anya ॥

The Supreme having distributed light to the intellect, Himself shines hidden inside the intellect.  Having turned the intellect backwards, here within the intellect, by uniting, the vision of the Lord takes place and not by any other method. 

The mind through the senses finds fulfilment in enjoying the world of names and forms and so it prompts body into action.  The mind is a flow of thoughts and thoughts themselves are inert.  The Self, which is of the nature of pure Consciousness, is reflected in the thoughts lending them sentiency.  This sentient mind illuminates objects. If one wants to seek the Self, one must shift the attention of one’s mind from the object to the thought illumining the object, and from the illumined thought to the pure Consciousness that is illumining the mind as though hiding within thought.   So the only means by which one can know God, who is the real Self and who shines within the mind as the pure Consciousness ‘I am’ is to merge the mind in Him, by turning it inwards through the enquiry ‘Who am I?’

Verse 25

Na vakti deho'ham-iti prasuptau na kopi nābhūvam-iti pravakti।
Yatrodite sarvam-udeti tasya dhiyā'hamaḥ śodhaya janmadeśam ॥

The body does not say “I am”.  In deep sleep, no one says, “I was not”.  Upon the rise of that 'I' all arise.  Investigate the birth place of that “I,” with the intellect.

In this verse Maharishi speaks about three distinct things, namely (1) the body, which, being insentient, has no ‘I’ – Consciousness, (2) the Consciousness ‘I’ (the real Self) which exists even in sleep, where the body and all else do not exist, and (3) another ‘I’ (ego ‘I’, (ahamkara)) after whose rising all else rises. Since this rising ‘I’, in whose wake all the transactions, worries, complexes, limitations, in short samsara arises. is clearly distinct from the body and from the real ‘I’ which exists even in sleep, Maharishi instructs one to scrutinize where this ego ‘I’ rises, for when one scrutinizes, it will be found to be nonexistent and one discovers the one Truth, the real Self,

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Saddarsanam -4

(Verses 16 to 20)

Verse 16

Tad-yusmador-asmadi sampratistha tasmin vinaste'smadi mula-bodhat।
Tad-yusmad-asman-mati-varjitaika sthitir-jvalanti sahajatmanah syat ॥

“That” and “you” have “I” for a firm basis. Upon the destruction of that “I” from the knowledge of their source, the one state without the “that,” “you,” and “I” notion, the natural state of oneself will emerge shining.

In grammar we study about the first person as ‘I’, second person as ‘You’ and the third person as ‘He, She, That’.  The first person ‘I’ is the basis of ‘You, He, She, That’.  The concept of ‘You, He, She, That’ are only in reference to ‘I’. The first person ‘I’ is the mind or ego, the feeling ‘I am this body’, the knowing subject and the second and third persons are the many objects known by this first person, ‘I’.  These second and third persons, the known objects seemingly exist only if the first person, the knowing subject seemingly exists.  When one enquires into the origin of ‘I’ (‘Who am I’ enquiry) the first person will be found to be truly nonexistent, and hence the second and third persons known by it will cease to exist. The state which remains after all the three persons have thus ceased to exist, alone is the true state of Self, one’s own real nature, which shines as one undivided Whole, devoid of both the knowing subject and the known objects.  When the unreal first person is found to be non-existent as a first person or individual, the ever-existing Self, which is the sole Reality underlying the first person, alone will remain shining.

Verse 17

Bhutaṃ bhavisyac-ca bhavat-svakale tad-vartamanasya vihaya tattvam।
Hasya na kim syad gata-bhavi-carca vinaika-samkhyam gananeva loke ॥

The past and the future are the present in their own time. Relinquishing the Truth of the present, will not discussion on the past and future be laughable, like counting without the number one in the world?

Time is known to one as past, present and future.  It is only with reference to the present other times are called either past or future.  So past and future can seemingly exist only if the present seemingly exists.  If one closely scrutinizes the present moment in order to know ‘What exactly is it that is called the present?’, the present as such will be found to be truly non-existent.  For If we try to attend to the exact present moment, even one millionth of this so-called present moment will be found to be either past or future.  If we do not attend even to such subtlest past and future moments, and if we try to know what exists between those subtle past and future moments, we will find that there exists no such thing as the present moment.  And hence the past and future will also cease to exist.  When the unreal snake is found to be non-existent as a snake, the ever-existing rope, which is the sole reality underlying that snake, alone will remain shining.  Similarly, when the unreal present time is found to be non-existent as a time, the ever-existing Self, which is the sole reality underlying the present time, alone will remain shining.   So the present has both a real aspect and an unreal aspect.  If the present is experienced as one’s mere being, ‘I am’, devoid of all thoughts, it is real; but if the same present is experienced as one of the three times in which thoughts of the other two times (past and future) occur, it is unreal.  So the truth about the present is it is the timeless Consciousness localized as finite ‘present’ because of ahamkara which is caused by dehabhimana.   When dehabhimana is gone, there is no present, and past and future are gone,   Athma appers as kala triam through the body.  Leaving aside Athma jnanam, discussion on future and past will be a joke like trying to count things without knowing number ‘one’, declares Maharishi.

Verse 18

Kva bhati dik-kala-katha vina'sman dik-kala-lileha vapur-vayam cet।
Na kvapi bhamo na kadapi bhamo vayam tu sarvatra sada ca bhamah ॥

Where shines talk of space and time without us? If we are the body, then there will be the play of space and time.   Nowhere do we shine.  At no time do we appear. But  everywhere and always do we shine.

The conception of place exists only with reference to the first person, ‘I’, whom one always feels to be ‘here’, while the conception of time exists only with reference to the present moment, which one always feels to be ‘now’. But by scrutinizing either the truth of the first person or the truth of the present moment, both the first person and the present moment (which are twin conceptions that always exist side by side) will be found to be non-existent as such, and hence the conceptions of time and place will cease to exist. Thus one will realize that one is not the body, which is bound by time and place, but is only the real Self, which is devoid of time and place, and which is the sole reality underlying the different times ‘now’, ‘then’ and always’, and the different places such as 'here’, ‘there’ and ‘everywhere’. The original ‘I’ is called Athma and One as Athma exists everywhere, at all times,    There is no time at which it doesn’t exist and there is no place where it doesn’t exist. 

Verse 19 

Dehatma-bhave jna-jadau samanau ekasya dehe hrdi dipta athma।
Akramya deham ca jagac-ca purnah parasya meyam tanu-matram-athma ॥

In the state of oneself being the body the wise and the ignorant are the same. For one, in the body, in the heart, the Self illumines, encompassing the body and the universe, in perfect fullness.  For the other, the Self is discernible only as the body.

In this verse an ignorant person refers to one who does not know his true nature, an ajjnani.  An ajjnani feels ‘the body alone is ‘I’; whereas the Jnani (one who knows and abides as Self) feels ‘the body is also I’.  That is, since the Jnani clearly knows that Self alone exists, and that it shines without any limit, he knows that if at all there is any such thing as the body, it cannot be other than ‘I’, the real Self for if the body were to exist as other than Self, that would set a limitation upon the limitless nature of Self.  So in terms of having physical limitation due to body the experience of both Jnani and ajjnani is the same.  But Jnani does not attribute the limitation to himself because he knows that belongs to the objective body and not to his subjective Self.  As Swami Paramarthananda observes “ ‘I am limited’ experience is common to both Jnani and ajjnani; but ‘I am limited’ is a fact (sathyam) for ajjnani, while ‘I am limited’ is a fiction (mithya) for Jnani. 

Verse 20

Ajnasya vijnasya ca visvam-asti purvasya drsyam jagad-eva satyam।
Parasya drsyasraya-bhutam-ekam satyam prapurnam pravibhaty-arupam ॥

For the ignorant and for the wise, the universe is (exists).  For the former, the seen universe alone is real.   For the other, the One that has become the substratum of the seen, the full, the formless Truth, shines.

An ajjnani perceives the universe in front of him. So does a jnani.  For the ajjnani, the perceived world of names and forms itself is Sathyam.  For the Jnani, the non-dual Consciousness, which is the adhishtanam for the objective inert Universe seen, alone is Sathyam.  The Consciousness, which is all-pervading, formless and adhishtanam for all that is seen and experienced is the Real Truth.  Maharishi has stated the same idea differently in verse 6 where he said “The way one looks at the world is basically dependant on the way one looks at oneself.”  

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