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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