Chapter 7, Sections16 to 20
Mantra 7-16-1
esha tu va ativadati yah satyenativadati so'ham bhagavah
satyenativadaniti satyam tveva vijijnasitavyamiti satyaṃ bhagavo vijijnasa iti || 7.16.1 || iti
shodasah khandah ||
(Sanathkumara said) ‘But the person who speaks with truth about the Truth is
really the Ativadi.’ (Narada said,) ‘Revered sir, I want to be an Ativadi
by knowing the Truth.’ (Sanathkumara replied,)
‘But one must earnestly desire to know the Truth.’ (Narada said,) ‘Revered sir, I earnestly want
to know the Truth.’ End of section
sixteen.
Hearing
Sanatkumara’s words about Prana,
Narada concluded that Prana is
everything, that it is the ultimate. Thinking he was now an Ativadi, he
kept quiet. He did not make any further enquiries. Finding Narada to be a
worthy disciple, Sanatkumara wanted to carry Narada beyond his imperfect
comprehension and so continued to describe the real Ativadi as one who knows
the ‘Truth’, which is the Absolute truth i.e. Brahman. Narada understood his mistake and with great
humility expressed his desire to know the ‘Truth.’ The section ends with Narada expressing
desire to know the Truth.
Mantra 7-17-1
yada vai vijanatyatha satyaṃ vadati navijanansatyam vadati
vijananneva satyam vadati vijnanam tveva vijijnasitavyamiti vijnanam bhagavo
vijijnasa iti
|| 7.17.1 || iti saptadasah khandah ||
(Sanatkumara said,) ‘Only when a person is Realised, he can
truly speak of the Truth. But without Realisation, he cannot speak of the
Truth. Only the Realised person can declare the Truth. But one must desire to
understand Realisation.’ (Narada said,)
‘Revered sir, I want to understand Realisation’. End of section seventeen.
One must have direct
experience of the Truth i.e. Brahman, not just some information one has picked
up from books or from other people. The knowledge must be aparoksha; that is, it must be direct and personal and not from
other sources. So only a Realised person can speak truthfully about Brahman
i.e. Absolute Truth, that is beyond the reach of sense organs and has no
attributes. So Sanathkumara says that
one must desire to understand Realisation and then act accordingly to become a
real Ativadi. With Narada
expressing his desire to understand Realisation, this section ends.
Mantra 7-18-1
yada vai manute'tha vijanati namatva vijanati matvaiva vijanati
matistveva vijijnasitavyeti matim bhagavo vijijnasa iti || 7.18.1 || iti
ashtadasah khandah ||
(Sanatkumara said) ‘When a person Reflects, then alone he can
Realise. Without Reflection, one does not Realise. Only he who Reflects,
Realises. But one must desire to understand Reflection.’ (Narada replied,) ‘Revered sir, I desire to understand
Reflection. End of section eighteen.
Reflection is
also called ‘mananam’. It is the
practice of intensely going on thinking in mind over and over again over what
one has learnt from the teacher, searching for the real meaning of words. As one churns the milk gradually the cream
rises, so as one churns the mind in Reflection the real meaning dawns in the
mind .and the knowledge also gets consolidated. As Sanathkumara emphasises the
need for Reflection to attain realisation, Narada seeks to know how to reflect.
This section ends with Narada’s request.
Mantra 7-19-1
yada vai sraddadhatyatha manute nasraddadhanmanute sraddadhadeva
manute sraddha tveva vijijnasitavyeti sraddham bhagavo vijijnasa iti || 7.19.1 || iti
ekonavimsah khandah ||
(Sanatkumara said,) ‘When a person has Sraddah (faith),
then alone does one reflect. Without Sraddah one does not reflect. Only
he who has Sraddah reflects. But
one must desire to understand Sraddah.’ (Narada replied,) ‘Revered sir, I want to understand Sraddah’.
End of section nineteen.
Sraddha is defined as “Faith in the words of the
Guru and Vedanta (scriptures)” in Tattva Bodhah. It is an intellectual conviction in the
ability of the Guru and the validity of the scriptures. Only when there is such
a conviction, the seeker can walk the path with determination and directly
experience what he has faith in.
Bhagavad Gita (4-39) states “Sraddavan labhate Jnanam (One with
faith attains knowledge)”. Only when
there is Sraddah one goes on thinking and reflecting. Narada wants to develop Sraddah and
the section ends with Narada’s request.
Mantra 7-20-1
yada vai nistishthatyatha sraddadhati nanistishthanchraddadhati
nistishthanneva sraddadhati nishtha tveva vijijnasitavyeti nishtham bhagavo
vijijnasa iti
|| 7.20.1 || iti vimsatitamah khandah ||
(Sanatkumara
said:) ‘When one has steadfastness (Nishtha),
then alone one has Sraddah. Without steadfastness, one cannot have Sraddah.
Only he who has steadfastness has Sraddah. But one must desire to
understand steadfastness. (Narada replied) ‘Revered
sir, I desire to understand the steadfastness.’ End of section twenty.
Sri Sankaracharya says Nishtha comes from serving the
Guru with devotion. When one devotedly serves one’s Guru, one’s love for the
subject of one’s enquiry grows stronger and stronger, and one’s conviction also
grows stronger and stronger. And he begins to see
the nobility of the Guru and his ability to guide him properly. Faith (Sraddah)
develops naturally thereafter. Narada wants to cultivate this steadfastness (Nishtha)
and the section ends with Narada’s request
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