Who am I?

 (Based on Taittriya Upanishad)

            The first anuvaka of Brahmandavalli of Taittriya Upanishad opens with a cryptic statement, “Brahmavid apnoti param (The knower of Brahman attains Supreme)”. Supreme here denotes Brahman as we can see from Mundaka Upanishad (3-2-8) where there is a similar statement which states, “Sa yo ha vai tat paramam Brahma veda, Brahmaiva bhavathi (Whoever knows the Supreme Brahman, becomes the very Brahman)”. This gives rise to the questions, “1) Who or what is Brahman and 2) where can one find Brahman”.  The answers to both these questions are given in the latter part of the Mantra. Let us first take the first question which is answered through quoting the Rig Mantra which states “Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam Brahma (Brahman is Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam)”.   The nature of Brahman is defined through these words Satyam, Jnanam and Anantam.  We shall see each of them separately taking first “Anantam”

            Anantam means the limitless one or infinite. The limitation can be in three ways; spatial, time-wise and object-wise. Spatial limitation means an object cannot be in two places at the same time i.e. presence in one place means absence from other place.  So free of spatial limitation means It is all-pervading, sarva vyapakam.  Time-wise limitation means one is confined to a time-frame. Swami Chinmayananda calls our life a dash from womb to tomb. Brahman is present at all times; past, present and future i.e. eternal. Object-wise limitation arises from the presence of another object. Brahman is free from this limitation means it is non-dual. So Anantam means eternal, all-pervading and non-dual.  Jnanam means knowledge. Knowledge is of two kinds. 1) conditioned knowledge which is knowledge of things conditioned by things known and 2) unconditioned knowledge which is absolute knowledge illuminating the objects of experience in the outer and inner worlds, namely, the Consciousness principle.  Brahman being infinite without limitations is this Pure Consciousness which is called Chit.  Satyam, generally meaning Truth, also means an existent object. The existent object has three components, nama, rupa and existence. Brahman being infinite, the finite nama, rupa is discarded and the pure Existence principle which is called ‘Sat’ alone is taken as the meaning of Satyam.  As Brahman is free from attributes, the definition is called ‘Svabhava  lakshanam’ and it is “Sat, Chit, Anantam” i.e. “eternal, non-dual, all-pervading Existence, Consciousness” which we shall refer hereafter as “limitless Existence, Consciousness”, capital letters indicating that they are Pure Existence and Pure Consciousness.

        Now we come to the second question, “Where can one find this Sat, Chit Anantam Brahman?”. The Upanishad gives the answer along with the benefits flowing from the knowledge of Brahman, following the definition of Brahman as, “yah veda nihitam guhaayaam parame vyoman I sah ashnute sarvaan kaamaan, saha brahmanaa vipashchiteti II (He who knows It as existing in the cave (of the heart) in the inner Akasa, realises all his desires along with the Omniscient Brahman”).  So it has to be known in the space of the heart and mind pervades this space. Brahman is to be realised as the Consciousness in one’s mind as one’s Real Self. This true Self of one is hidden by Maya, the first level of Brahman’s Upadhis. Maya with its veiling power, avarana sakthi, covers Brahman and through its projecting power, vikshepa sakthi, projects the upadhis of body-mind complex as one’s self.  When through the process of Jnana Yoga under the guidance of a competent Guru, one realises the identity of one’s True Self as Brahman, the limitless Existence, Consciousness, one feels one with the Mahavakhya “Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman)”.  Now he, after realization of his essential identity with Brahman, declares like Asvalayana rishi in Kaivalya Upanishad (Mantra19);

Mayyeva sakalam jatam, mayi sarvam pratishthitam I

Mayi sarvam layam yati, tad brahmadvayamasmyaham II 19 II

Everything is born in me alone; everything is based on me alone; everything resolves into me alone. I am that non-dual Brahman.

With this knowledge he feels totally fulfilled and as he is everything, which amounts to his having everything and no wants or desires for anything.  This feeling of total fulfillment as Brahman is stated in the end part of the Mantra as realising all his desires along with the Omniscient Brahman. 

(adapted from a talk of Swami Sarvapriyananda)

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Advaita Vedanta in five parables

 

            First story relates to King Janaka.  One afternoon as he was sleeping in his chambers, he was awakened by a minister who told him that the neighboring king is invading the kingdom.  King Janaka jumped from the bed and dressed up with armor and shield and rushed to the battlefield leading his army.  Alas, he was defeated in the battle and was driven out of the kingdom. Without possessions and paraphernalia, he was wandering in another country begging for food. When he was sitting down under a tree starting to eat the food received in alms, a kite flew down, snatched the food and flew away. In hunger and shock Janaka fainted and fell down from his bed. As he got up, he saw his palace and possessions intact and he realised his unpleasant experience was a dream. But, being a philosopher-king he started wondering whether that was real or what he sees now is real.  He was so preoccupied with this thought that he started asking “Is that Real or is this Real”.  His queen and ministers were all puzzled as he uttered nothing else except this question ‘’Is that Real or Is this Real’. Even as he was sitting in throne, holding court he only spoke these words. Even the physicians were puzzled.  At that time sage Ashtavakra came to Janaka’s court and to him also he posed this question.  The sage could guess what had happened and told him “Neither that nor this is Real.  Only You are Real”.  Janaka requested him to explain and the sage replied that all his experiences, past and present are all changing and unreal and only He, the experiencer Self as unchanging Athma is Real” and explained to Janaka the core philosophy of Advaita Vedanta “Brahma Satyam; Jagan mithya; Jivo Brahmaiva na’para (Brahman alone is Real; the world is mithya; Jiva, the individual Self, is Brahman only, not different).

        The second story concerns ten men who went on a walking picnic from their village. In the course of their walk they had to cross a running river.  They waddled across the water and reached the other bank. Then before resuming the walk they wanted to ensure that all of them had crossed safely.  So one of them started counting others. As he went on counting one, two, three etc., he could count upto nine only. As he told the others that one is missing, another took up the counting and in the same way counted the others only and arrived at the same figure nine. Then they felt sad that they had lost one member of the group and so consoling each other they halted without proceeding further. At that time a stranger walked by. Seeing them sitting sad, walked upto them and asked them the cause of their sorrow. One of them explained to him that they, as a group of ten, crossed the river and on reaching the shore they find there are only nine of them. The stranger surveyed the group and he could count ten of them. So he assured them that he will find the tenth man and they need not feel sorry. Then he asked one of them to check again. One person as before started counting others and arrived at nine.  Then the stranger took his hand and turned it towards the person himself and said “There you have the tenth man”. They felt very happy and thanked the stranger profusely and resumed their picnic. This story illustrates the seven stages in spiritual journey: -

1)    Ajjnanam – Ignorance of one’s Real Self. Here the ignorance of the methodology of counting.

2)    Adhyasa – Error of mistaking Body-mind-complex a one’s Real Self. Here  the assumption that one person has drowned.

3)    Samsara – sorrow over drowned (?) person

4)    Paroksha Jnanam – Indirect knowledge (from Guru). Here stranger’s declaration.

5)    Aparoksha Jnanam – Direct realization.

6)    Dukha Nivritti – Release from sorrow i.e. samsara.

7)    Ananda prapthi – Attainment of Bliss i.e. fulfillment.

The third story relates to a prince who as a child played the role of the princess of Kasi in a play staged in the palace. He looked very cute and beautiful in that role and the queen had a painting made of him as princess and named it 'princess of Kasi' and kept it in her collections. The prince, now grown-up, has no remembrance of the incident. One day he chanced to come upon mother’s collection of paintings and saw this painting with the date.  He imagined how this beautiful girl will look as a grown-up maiden and fell in love with that imagined maiden. Thinking of her always, he became pensive and worried. The minister noticing the restless prince, enquired about the cause of his agitation.  When the prince told him about his love for the unseen princess, the minister wanted to see the painting.  When the prince showed the painting, the minister recollected the incident and told him about the play and made him realise that he is that princess, he had been thinking about.  The prince hearing that was relieved of the obsession for her and became his normal cheerful self once again realising that the princess he has been longing for is only his own projection. Advaita Vedanta points out that the external world and its temptations and terrors are a projection of Brahman, that is one’s Real Self, and one keeps running after them or running away from them mistaking them as real.  When the Guru like the minister makes him realise the identity of his Self with Brahman through the teaching of Mahavakhya “Tat Tvam asi (Thou art That)” he becomes fulfilled and peaceful without being distracted by the external world.

The fourth one relates to the animal kingdom. A pregnant lion, while chasing a herd of sheep delivered a baby and fell dead.  The sheep took pity on the cub and brought it as one of them.  It also grew up imitating the ways of a sheep, eating grass and bleating.  One day another lion which was chasing this herd saw this little lion running with them.  It managed to separate this little lion from the herd and led it trembling, to a water hole. It stood beside and pointing to the reflections it told the little lion that it is one of them, a lion.  Then it gave a loud roar and asked it to roar like that and not bleat like a sheep. The little cub, seeing the identity in the reflection, let out a roar declaring “I am a lion” and became free from fear of other predatory animals.  Similarly, when the Guru teaches the disciple the identity of one’s Real Self with Brahman, the realised disciple confirms it with the Mahavakhya “Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman)”.

Fifth and final one relates to a washerman and his donkey. The washerman had a donkey and everyday he used to collect the clothes for washing from the houses in the village, take them to the river loading the clothes on the donkey and keeping the donkey tied to a tree on the shore, wash the clothes in the river and dry them on the sands and reload the dried clothes on the donkey, untying it and go back to the village with the washed clothes. One day as the washerman took the load of clothes to the river for washing, he realized that he has not brought the rope for tying it to the tree.  He could not leave it untied as it may wander away and it will be difficult to locate it to reload the dried clothes in the evening and he may even lose the donkey itself.  As he was standing worried, a village elder who came that way asked him the cause of his worry.  When he explained, that elder gave a solution. ‘Standing well before the donkey, go through the motions of tying it”.  The washerman acted accordingly and the donkey sat down as usual.   He went through the washing and drying routine keeping an eye on the donkey all the time.  It was sitting quietly.  When the time came to return home, he tried to make the donkey get up, but it didn’t. He became anxious and worried. Luckily the same elder was returning to the village that way. He saw the struggling washerman and again came to his rescue. “Standing well before the donkey go through the motions of untying it” he now said. The washerman acted accordingly and the donkey got up. Thanking the elder profusely, the washerman loaded the donkey with the dried clothes and returned to the village.  Like the donkey, Jiva in his ignorance thinks he is tied to the body and suffers samsara, while in reality he as the Self i.e. Athma is never bound.  The feeling of bondage is adhyaropa, the superimposition of the unreal on the real and the process of revealing the real, negating the unreal is apavada, de-superimposition.  Swami Vivekananda calls them as “hypnotization” and “de-hypnotization”.   “Adyaropa, apavada” is an important methodology in the teaching of Advaita Vedanta.

(adapted from a talk of Swami Sarvapriyananda)

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Aitareya Upanishad - 7

 

Chapter 3, Section 1

Mantra 1

Om. Ko’yam athmeti vayam upaasmahe? katarah sa athma? yena va pasyati, yena va srinoti, yena va gandhanaajighrati, yena va vacham vyakaroti, yena va svadu chasvadu cha vijaanaati? II1II

Om! Who is the one that we worship as the Self? Which of the two is the Self? Is it that by which one sees and by which one hears; also by which one smells fragrance and by which one utters speech and by which one tastes the sweet or the sour?

 

This Mantra wants to convey the role of Athma, the Pure Consciousness, as the real Self, the witness in whose presence one visualizes all objects through one’s eyes; hears sounds through the ears; smells through the nostrils; speaks through the speech organ; distinguishes the tasty from the non-tasty through the tongue as contrasted with the Jiva, the ego-self, who is associated with the reflection of Athma in the mind and is looked upon as the kartha and bhoktha in all one’s actions listed above.  So it starts with the question by the student as to which of the two, the Brahman and Purusha, who had been introduced in the earlier chapters and who are present in the human body as Consciousness and Prana is to be meditated upon in upasana to attain the Liberation that the sage Vamadeva attained. 

Mantra 2

Yadetad hridayam manas chaitat, samjnanamaajnanam vijnanam prajnanam medha drishtirdhrirtirmatirmanisha jutih smritih sankalpah kraturasuh kamo vasa iti. sarvanyevaitani prajnanasya namadheyani bhavanti. II2II

Is it the heart (intellect) and the mind? It is consciousness, lordship, knowledge, wisdom, retentive power of mind, sense knowledge, steadfastness, thought, thoughtfulness, sorrow, memory, concepts, purpose, life, desire, longing: all these are but various names of Consciousness (Prajnanam). 

The question raised was answered by the Acharya that Consciousness is that Athma which is to be meditated upon. This entity – Consciousness – has several names as stated in the Mantra.  The several names are nothing other than Consciousness in the sense that all different ornaments are  nothing but gold.  After the enumeration of inner world faculties in this Mantra, the various objects of the outside world are listed in the next Mantra.

Mantra 3

esha brahmaisha indra esha prajapatirete sarve deva imani cha, panchamahabhutani prithivi vayur akasa apo jyotimsi tyetanimani cha, kshudramisraniva bijanitarani chetarani chandajani cha, jarujani chasvedajani chodbhijjani cha, asva gavah purusha hastino yatki~nchedam prani ja~ngamam cha, patatri cha, yachcha sthavaram sarvam tatprajanetram prajnane pratishthitam, prajnanetro lokah prajna pratishtha, prajnanam brahma.II3II 

This is Brahma, This is Indra, This is Prajapati; This is all these gods; This is the five great elements—earth, air, akasa, water, fire; This is all these small creatures and the other seeds of creation; those born of an egg, of a womb, of sweat and of earth; This is the horses, cows, human beings, elephants and whatever breathes here, whether moving on legs or flying in the air or immovable. All these are guided by Consciousness and are supported by Consciousness. The Universe has Consciousness as its guide (eye).  Consciousness is the basis of all; verily the Consciousness is Brahman (Prajnanam Brahma). 

Having been so taught the student came to the conclusion that Consciousness itself is the creator of all and it is This that provided multifaceted powers to all. This alone is worthy of being worshipped by everybody. This Itself is Brahma, Indra and Prajapati. The gods such as Indra, the five elements and creatures born of egg, uterus, sweat, and erupting from the earth, horses, cattle, elephants, and humans- all collectively referred to as world of moving and non-moving creatures; all derive power from Consciousness that is the Knowledge itself.  Only due to Its power all are capable of functioning and they all are seated in It alone. The entire universe is sentient or animated only due to this Supreme Power who is their base.. That Consciousness is Brahman who is described in several ways by different thinkers as it is conceived in their minds. “Consciousness is Brahman (Prajnanam Brahma)” is the Mahavakya (Great Saying of Jiva-Brahma-Ikyam) propounded by this Upanishad.

Mantra 4

sa etena prajnenatmana smallokad utkramya amushminsvarge loke sarvan kaman aptva amritah samabhavat samabhavat. II4II

He, having realized oneness with Pure Consciousness, soared from this world and having obtained all desires in yonder heavenly world, became immortal; yes, became immortal. 

The Upanishad concludes with an assertion that the one who has this knowledge of one’s true Self, Athma, as Pure Consciousness, that is Brahman, transcends beyond this world in the sense that he could no more come back to the lower identifications with his body and mind. He lives in his own Infinite experience of Bliss Absolute in himself, desiring nothing, wanting nothing and expecting nothing.  After death he merges with the Supreme Absolute of everlasting bliss getting rid of the cycles of birth and death, which the Upanishad names as ‘becoming immortal’.  The words ‘becoming immortal’ is repeated to indicate the end of the chapter as well as of the Upanishad.

Acknowledgement

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

1)   Swami Chinmayananda

2)    Swami Paramarthananda  &

3)  Sri T.N.Sethumadhavan

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Role of Prayer

 

(Based on the lectures of Swami Paramarthananda)

Let me begin the blog with a story told by Swami Paramarthananda quoting Swami Chinmayananda. The story is about a kingdom with a unique rule that any citizen can become a king and rule for five years enjoying all the powers and privileges that goes with kingship.  But at the end of five years he will be banished to a big forest in the neighbourhood on the banks of a big, deep river.  The forest is the home of many wild animals and river is the home of crocodiles and sharks and so one left alone in the forest is trapped therein and has to spend his days in the big forest, infested with wild animals with death alone as the relief.   So whosoever became the king spent their last days in throne in agony and anxiety and cried and screamed when the boat-man left them in the forest.  And then an intelligent person ascended the throne as king and he showed no anxiety or agony on the last day on the throne and boarded the boat cheerfully to be taken to the forest on the other bank.  The surprised boat-man asked him how come he is least agitated while everyone he had been taking to the forest was worried and miserable.  The person replied that in the five years he had ruled he had taken care to develop another kingdom in the forest which he will take over now and so has no fear or anxiety on banishment. 

This story is told to remind that all human beings enjoy at one time Yauvana Samrajayam, the kingdom of youth and after years of youth suffer banishment to Vardhakya vanam, forest of old age.  Youth is called Yauvan Samrajayam because in these years one has got all the powers and privileges with all faculties at command.  This along with the physical fitness and strength makes life enjoyable giving one the freedom to try and do whatever one wants to.  In contrast to this in old age with all powers and privileges lost and faculties not under control and degenerative diseases like wild animals attacking the limbs one feels lost as in a dark forest.  So old age is called Vardhakya vanam.  One can enter old age cheerfully and not with fear, if one like the intelligent king makes preparations to face the problems of old age while enjoying the pleasures of youth.  There is a Sloka in Bhartruhari’s Vairagya satakam which reads as follows:

Yavatsvasthamidam sariramarujam yavajjara durato

yavaccendriyasaktirapratihata yavatksayo nayusah |

Atmasreyasi tavadeva vidusa karyah prayatno mahan

samdipte bhavane tu kupakhananam pratyudyamah kidrsah || 75||

As long as this body is healthy and free of infirmity, as long as senility is distant, as long as the faculties have not lost their vigour, as long as life is not enfeebled, till then the wise ones should make great efforts to reach the supreme goal of life.  For what is the use of digging a well when the house is on fire?

The Sloka reinforces the message of the story with an indirect description of the problems of old age and the message can be read as – ‘If one wants to make his old age a success, he should start young'.  Success here stands for spiritual success for that alone can give a confident mind in old age that enjoys calmness and cheerfulness, free of depression, dejection and disillusionment. The first step for a start on the spiritual path is through prayer that connects one mentally to Bhagawan, the one having Bhaga the six-fold attributes of power, courage, fame, wealth and detachment in infinite measures as described in Vishnu Purana:

Aiswaryasya samagrasya Veeryasya Yasasya Sriyaha I

Vairagyasya Jnanasya shannaam Bhaga itheerana II (Vishnu purana 6.5.47).

Prayer can be through Kayika puja which is physical worship or through Vachika puja which is parayanam or recitation of sthuthis or through Manasa puja or silent mental prayer or through Japa which is repeating a chosen Mantra for a fixed no. of time.  Whatever be the method chosen one should do it sincerely with Shraddha and devotion.  Shraddha is very important as Lord Krishna points out in Gita (9-3): 

Asraddadhanah purusha dharmasyasya parantapa |

Aprapya mam nivartante mrtyusamsaravartmani || 9-3||

 Arjuna, people having no faith in this Dharma, failing to reach Me, revolve in the path of the world of death.

When one prays for Bhagawan’s Grace one should remember the following few things:

1)    One takes responsibility for oneself and does not abandon his responsibilities saying “Everything is in God’s grace.”

2)    One does not pray for rest and freedom from activities.  It is rather for the enjoyment of activities with a cheerful mind drawing inspiration from the activity.

3)    One does not pray to control the future but to contribute to the future with enthusiasm.

4)    One does not pray to change others but to influence others positively through his own life and language.

5) One does not pray for change in set-up but for the wisdom to find security and satisfaction within oneself whatever the set-up is. 

Regular, sincere prayer daily confers the following benefits as well:

1)    It helps to deflate one’s ego

2)    It makes the attachment to Lord stronger and consequently attachment to persons and possessions weaker.  In fact when attachment is less one’s expectations from them is less and this makes the love and care easier.

3) As prayer is the best shock absorber it helps one to develop the mental and emotional strength 

Gradually Shraddha in prayer should mature into Shraddha in scriptures and Iswara Jnanam.  As scriptures dealing with Iswara Jnanam are subtle one should take the guidance of a Guru to understand them and absorb the Jnanam.  Study of Upanishads under the guidance of a Guru reveals the important equation that establishes the identity of Bhagawan with Bhaktha through Mahavakhya.  With the wisdom born of the understanding and absorption of the meaning of Mahavakhya, he can enter the Vardhakya vanam calmly with confidence as a Jivan Muktha, without fear or depression.

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Dakshinamurthy Sthothram – 2

(slokas 1 – 3)

Sloka 1

Visvam darpaṇa dṛsyamana nagari tulyaṃ nijantargatam
Pasyannatmani mayaya bahirivodbhutam yathanidraya |
Yassakshatkurute prabhodhasamaye svatmanamevadvayaṃ
Tasmai Sri gurumurtaye nama idam Sri Dakshinamurtaye || 1 ||

The universe is like the reflection of a city seen in a mirror, and it is located within oneself.  It is similar to his seeing the dream-world, which is within him, during the state of sleep.  Due to Maya the one real fact appears as many different truths and one realizes (this) when one wakes up (spiritually) and perceives the Reality that he is the one and only one soul (Athma) really. Salutation to Sri Dakshinamurthy, the greatest teacher (whose grace is responsible for getting this illumination)

Of the four lines in this verse the fourth line is a sthuthi of Lord Dakshinamurthy, who  is the greatest teacher being the embodiment of Brahma Vidya, offering salutations to Him,  In the first three lines Tvam padam of the Mahavakhya “Tat Tvam Asi”, representing Jivathma and the Jiva jagat sambanda are discussed through two examples.  The two examples are: 1) The reflected image of a city in a big mirror, 2) Experience of the dream-world. Let us take the first example.  Imagine a big mirror strategically kept focussed on a busy city street. When we analyse the reflection of the street in the mirror four points arise.

1)    The mirror is the adhishtanam for the image i.e the mirror and the street image have supporter – supported relationship, the mirror being supporter and street image, supported

2)    The mirror can exist without reflection; but reflection cannot exist without the mirror. So mirror is satyam; having independent existence, whereas reflection is mithya; having dependent existence.

3)    Whatever events happen in the reflected street, they will not affect the mirror. For example a fire in the reflected street will not burn the mirror.

4)    Irrespective of the number of images in the reflected street, the mirror is one only.  The reflected images cannot add to the count of the mirror and it is one and one only, non-dual.   

Here mirror stands for Athma and street for universe and we have from the example:

1)    Athma is the adhishtanam for the anathma, which includes the external universe and body and mind

2)    Athma is Sathyam while anathma is mithya

3)    Athma is asanghaha, unaffected by agitations in anathma

4)    Athma is one and non-dual, Advayam while anathma is multiple and manifold.

To drive home clearly the idea of Athma being adhishtanam for anathma, the second example of dream-world is given. The dream-world with all its players and events is supported by the sleeper as it arises from him during sleep and dissolves in the sleeper when he wakes up and so the sleeper is the adhishtanam for the dream-world.  The dream-world which has only dependant existence is mithya while the sleeper who has an independent existence is Satyam. The sleeper is asangha unaffected by the happenings in the dream.  Sleeper is one while dream can be manifold. Athma stands for the sleeper and the dream-world for anathma. During the sleep, the dream-world is real and external for the sleeper.  Same way for a person in ajjnana avidya nidra, the experiencing world appears Real, external, disturbing and manifold due to the play of Maya.  Only when he wakes to Athma Jnanam due to the teachings and blessings of Guru he realizes the truth about his Real Self, Athma. Lord Dakshinamurthy is the Guru of such gurus and so is the greatest teacher who due to his silent teaching dispels the doubts regarding Self of even profound Vedic scholars.

Sloka 2

Bijasyantati vankuro jagaditam prannarvikalpam punah
Mayakalpita desakalakalana vaichitryachitrikrtam |
Mayaviva vijrmbhayatyapi mahayogiva yah svechchaya
Tasmai Sri gurumurtaye nama idam Sri Dakshinamurtaye || 2 ||

He in whom this universe, prior to its projection was present like a tree in a seed (unmanifested), and by whose magic this was transformed(manifested) in various forms, by His own will similar to a great yogi's- to that Lord Dakshinamurti, who is the greatest teacher, I offer my profound salutations.

The fourth line in this verse is same as in the previous verse, a sthuthi of Lord Dakshinamurthy, offering salutations to Him.  The other three lines discuss the ‘Tat’ padam of Mahavakhya “Tat tvam AsI”, representing Paramatma or Brahman and Brahma Jagat sambanda using the example of seed and tree.  Sri Sankara talks of Brahman as the material cause of the universe when he describes Brahman as one in whom the universe prior to its projection was present as a tree in the seed. Sri Sankara describes Brahman as the intelligent cause when he states that universe was projected with Space and Time in varieties of forms due to the power of Maya of Brahman. So while Brahman the karanam is one and advayam and also Satyam, world the karyam is mithya and manifold.  Sri Sankara compares this act of projection of universe through the power of Maya by Brahman to that of magician who materialises many things through the play of magic and to that of Mahayogi who also materialises things through his Sankalpa.

Sloka 3

yasyaiva sphuranam sadatmakam asatkalparthakaṃ bhasate
sakshat tatvamasiti vedavachasa yo bodhayatyasritan |
yassakshatkaranad bhavenna puranavrttir bhavambhonidhau
Tasmai Sri gurumurtaye nama idam Sri Dakshinamurtaye || 3 ||

He, by whose light the (unreal) universe appears real, teaches the truth of Brahman to those who want to know the Athma through the vedic statement tattvamasi (thou art That) and He Who puts an end to the samsara cycle – to that Lord Dakshinamurti, who is the greatest teacher, I offer my profound salutations.

The fourth line in this verse also is the same as in the previous two verses, a sthuthi of Lord Dakshinamurthy, offering salutations to Him.  In the first three lines the ‘Asi’ padam of the Mahavakhyam “Tat Tvam Asi” which spells out the Jiva Brahma Ikyam is discussed. The world is experienced by us and it is experienced because it is existent.  Vednta says Pure Existence is an independent substance which pervades the world and makes the world existent. That Pure Existence is called Sat and Sat is an aspect of Paramathma and is itself called Paramathma, just as Chit, Pure Consciousness. Sri Sankara says in this verse that Brahman, the Paramathma, makes the projected world existent and throbbing with life through Sat and Chit, and an ignorant Jiva experiencing the existent world imagines it is Real while only Brahman is Real and the world is only apparently Real.  In the first two verses Sri Sankara has revealed separately that Jiva and Brahman are Real and Non dual and the world as mithya.  Now these two statements are reconciled by stating that Lord Dakshinamurthy as Brahma Vidya Guru teaches His disciples the Vedic truth of the identity of Jivathma and Paramathma through the teaching of Mahavakhya “tat tvam asi” (You are That), dispelling the doubt regarding the reality of the world.  When one understands and absorbs the truth of Mahavakhya, one becomes a Jeevanmuktha, a liberated person for the rest of one’s life i.e. until the exhaustion of the prarabhdha karma when one attains Videha Mukthi and sheds the body once for all. The one attaining Videha Mukthi frees oneself from the cycle of birth and death for ever. This Mahavakhya Lord Dakshinamurthy teaches in silence through Chinmudra as explained in the Dhyana sloka and to this Brahma Vidya guru salutations are offered.

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The Vedic view of God

(Based on Swami Paramarthananda’s Gurupurnima talk, 2017)

Lord Krishna classifies Bhakthas into four groups, aartha, artharthi, jijnasu and jnani in Gita (7-16). Of these aartha bhaktha is one who turns to the Lord only when he is in stress and distress.  He is not interested in knowing about the nature of God; any God, any mode of worship will do and if this doesn’t yield results, there is always another God or a different mode of worship or both to turn to.  Artharthi bhaktha is a steady bhaktha whose prayers and worship are mostly for success in material and worldly pursuits. Some of the arthathi bhakthas become disenchanted with wealth and worldly success and turn to spirituality and start enquiring about the nature of God.  They have the basic idea of God as one residing up in the heaven, far away from the universe, is omnipotent, omniscient, compassionate and is the srishti, sthithi laya karanam for the universe.  He now turns a jijnasu bhaktha, who is not praying for worldly wealth but for spiritual knowledge. When his quest for knowledge takes him to a Guru who comes in Vedic tradition, Vaidhika parampara, he learns that knowledge of God can be gained only by the study of scriptures like Gita, Upanishads and Brahma sutras under the guidance of a Guru.  As a teevra Jijnasu bhaktha, he starts the study of Gita and upanishads sincerely under the Guru. When exposed to the scriptural teaching the jijnasu bhaktha learns about the Vedic view of God. With the new knowledge gained his view of the world changes initially and later the view of self as well undergoes a change as he blossoms into a Jnani bhaktha.

Isavasya Upanishad in its opening mantra states “Isavasyam idagam sarvam yatkincha jagatyam jagat “ meaning “All this whatsoever moves on the earth (and those that moves not)  should be covered by Iswara.”  Iswara is Supreme Brahman that is God, is the Creator of this Jagat, the constantly changing universe. So He has karanam status in respect of this Jagat and the universe is the karyam.  Karanam pervades the karyam and karyam is only karanam plus nama, rupa, i.e. name and form and nama, rupa have no substance.  So the real nature of the universe is only Iswara.  Purusha Suktham states “Purusa evedagam sarvam yadbhutam yacca bhavyam” meaning “All that is past, present and future is His manifestation”.  Further the sthuthi Vishnu sahasranamam starts the thousand names with ‘Viswam’ and ‘Viswam’ means ‘the universe’.  So whatever one sees as objects of the universe are all manifestations of Iswara only, in the vision of the Veda. So one need not go in for any mystic experience to have Iswara Darsanam but only have the attitudinal change training oneself to look at all things one encounters with Iswara bhavana discarding the prapancha bhavana. This Iswara dhrishti, vision of Iswara, is what is indicated in the Isavasya Upanishad mantra quoted earlier by the term ’covered with Iswara’.  Lord Krishna as Iswara also declares in Gita (6-30); “He who sees Me everywhere (and in everything) and sees everything (everywhere) in Me, he never becomes separated from Me, nor do I become separated from him".

The artharthi bhakthas’ idea of triangular format; Self, world and Iswara undergoes now a change to binary format; Self and Iswara only, world merging in Iswara. This change in view involves other changes as well as indicated in the latter part of the Isavasya mantra quoted which runs as “Tena tyaktena bhunjitha ma grdhah kasyasviddhanam” meaning “Enjoy that through renunciation.  Do not covet (anybody’s wealth), for whose is wealth?)”.  Tena tyakthena means with a sense of detachment.  When one enjoys the world with Iswara Dhrishti only, one enjoys the world treating whatever one partakes of the world as a blessing of Iswara and with a sense of gratitude to Iswara. As everything is of Iswara only, one doesn’t entertain any sense of possession with regard to persons and things.  In short one functions in this world without getting attached to objects or persons.  As a corollary one does not have a desire for other’s possessions as well, whatever that may be. Dhanam stands for all possessions.  The person may be involved in worldly karmas but then his attitude will be one of detachment and inner renunciation.

Seeing the world as manifestation of Iswara, leads one to Viswarupa Iswara bhakthi as seen in Dhyanaslokam of  Vishnusahasranamam which runs as:

bhuh padau yasya nabhir-viyada-suranila-candra suryau cha netre

karna-vasah siro-dyauh mukhamapi dahano yasya vasteyam abdhihi

antas-stham yasya visvam sura-nara-khaga-go-bhogi-gandharva-daityaih

chitram ramramyate tam tribhuvana-vapusham vishnum isam namami.

[I bow to Lord Vishnu who has the three worlds as His body. The earth is His feet, and the sky His navel.  Wind is His breath, and the sun and the moon are His eyes. Directions are His ears, and the Heaven is His head. Fire is His face and ocean His abdomen. In Him is situated the universe with diverse kinds of Gods, men, birds, cattle, serpents, gandharvas and daityas (demons), all sporting in a charming way.]

Appreciation of Iswara as totality and everything else as belonging to Iswara leads to renunciation of mamakara, the idea that I am the owner of certain things with the new-born understanding that everything belongs to Iswara and I am only the current user of what I regard as my possessions. I am only the present lease-holder using the possessions for a temporary period.   One’s view of ownership is replaced by usership and idea of controllership changes to contributorship.

Next change comes when one absorbs Lord Krishna’s words in Gita (7-5&6):

bhumirapo analo vayuḥ kam mano buddhir eva cha
ahankara itiyaṁ me bhinna prakṛitir aṣhṭadha (7.4)

(Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and egoism thus is My nature divided eightfold.)

apareyam itas tvanyam prakṛitim viddhi me param)
jiva-bhutam mahabaho yayedam dharyate jagat (7.5)

(This is the inferior prakriti(nature), O Arjuna; know thou as different from it My higher prakriti, the very life-element, by which this world is upheld.)

Iswara has two fold nature, Para prakrithi, the higher nature, and apara prakrithi, the lower nature. The pancha bhuthas; earth, water, fire, air, ether, and mind, intellect, ego in short the world that is matter including one’s sthula, sukshma sareera, constitutes apara prakriithi.  Para Prakrithi is the Chaitanyam or pure Consciousness that makes the matter sentient by its blessing.  Iswara is Para prakrithi plus apara prakrithi i.e. Brahman plus maya.  Vedas through Mahavakhya teach one that the Para prakṛthi, the higher nature of Iswara, called Brahman, the Consciousness, is present in all beings in the form of  'I', the very Self, the witness-experiencer of everything.

Thus, the vedic view is: The whole material universe, including the body and mind, is apara prakṛti, the maya part of Iswara; and 'I', the Consciousness principle, which is not an object of experience, that 'I', the sakṣi chaitanyam is, Para prakṛti.  Para prakrithi plus apara prakrithi is Iswara, the God.  And whatever one experiences, is the lower nature of Iswara; material, changing and mortal.  Whereas, 'I', the experiencer, is the higher nature of Iswara, sentient, unchanging and eternal.  In other words  ‘I' am Brahman, the Para prakṛti;  what I experience is maya, the apara prakṛti.  Both the 'experiencer' and 'experienced'  put together is the 'total' Iswara, God.  In brief, the experiencer 'I' is sentient Consciousness Iswara, the experienced world is insentient matter Iswara and as everything is Iswara you can put it any way; Sarvam Vishnumayam Jagat or Sarvam Sivamayam Jagat, Sarvam Devimayam Jagat etc.  Swami Dayananda saraswathy puts it as:  ‘இருப்பதெல்லாம் இறைவனே (Iruppadellam Iraivane)’  meaning ‘whatever is, is only Iswara’  

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Manisha Panchakam

‘Manisha’ means conviction and ‘Panchakam’ means a collection of five.  Manisha Panchakam is a work of five verses by Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada, whom we shall refer to as Sri Sankara, in which all the five verses end with the phrase ”Manisha mama” meaning ‘My conviction”.  This work that gives out concisely the essence of Advaita Vedanta, starts with two preliminary verses that contain the question, the response to which are these five verses.  The incident that gave rise to this work is stated thus in “Sankara Vijayam”, Vidyaranya’s biography of Sri Sankara.  One day during his stay in Kasi, Sri Sankara was going to the temple with his disciples after the morning bath in the river Ganges. On the way to the temple in a narrow lane they encountered a sweeper with his wife, the sweeper holding dogs on leash. The hunter and his wife were coming from the opposite direction towards them.  One of the disciples told the hunter harshly to go away as he feared the contact with the hunter, an outcaste, will pollute them, so strong was their belief in untouchability. The hunter did not move away but posed a question in two verses. The hunter’s question and Sri Sankara’s reply forms the work ‘Manisha Panchakam’. The hunter was no other than Lord Siva and the encounter was apparently a ploy staged to expose and explain the incompatibility of the practice of untouchability with the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, to the disciples and others.

Swami Chinmayananda describes the incident of the outcast questioning Sri Sankara as “The Divine Sweeper tickles the Super-Acharya with piercing satire”.  In the first verse the hunter asks as follows:  “O great Brahmin, When you say “Go, Go (Gachcha, Gachcha)”, what do you want to move away, one body from another body or one Consciousness from another Consciousness?”   For if the reference is to body, body being matter and impure in all cases, there can be no difference between one body and another in the matter of purity and so there is no need to move away.   If the reference is to Consciousness, it is not possible as one and the same Consciousness is permeating all bodies and so one cannot move away from another.  In the second verse the hunter quotes the examples of sun and space to illustrate that Consciousness cannot be polluted by the impurities of the matter.  He points out that there is no difference between the reflection of sun in the pure waters of Ganges and its reflection in the putrid water of the gutter in the slum inhabited by outcasts and also that the space in mud pot is no different from the space in a golden pot.  In the same way in the Chaitanyam that is the Real Self of all individuals and is of Satchithananda svarupam, there is no differentiation as brahmana Chaitanyam or chandala Chaitanyam. 

Sri Sankara replies to hunter’s question in five verses, that forms the work “Manisha Pachakam”.  In the first of the verses which is illustrative of the Mahavakhya “Prajnanam Brahma” meaning ‘Consciousness is Brahman” that occurs in Aitareya Upanishad of Rig Veda, Sri Sankara states:  “If a person has attained the firm knowledge that he is not an object of perception, but is that pure Consciousness which shines clearly in the states of waking, dream and deep sleep, and which, as the witness of the whole universe, dwells in all bodies from that of the creator Brahma to that of the ant, then he is my Guru, irrespective of whether he is an outcaste or a brahmana. This is my conviction.”

All human beings undergo the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep. Consciousness is present in all the three states illumining them.  Waking state experience, dream experience and the remembrance on waking, of knowing nothing in deep sleep, are all made possible by the Consciousness only.  Consciousness with the subtle body constitutes the life force which is present in all living things from creator Brahma to creatures like ant. Consciousness is ever the subject and never the object.  This Consciousness is the ultimate Reality, Brahman.   Sri Sankara states that one who has realized that one’s true Self is this Consciousness that is Brahman and not the body-mind complex is an enlightened Jnani and that he will revere this Jnani as his Guru irrespective of that person’s caste and creed. 

In the second verse illustrating another Mahavakhya “ Aham Brahmasmi”  meaning ‘I am Brahman” occurring in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad of Yajur Veda, Sri Sankara says:  “He who has attained the firm Jnanam ‘I am Pure Consciouness (Brahman) and this entire universe is only an expansion of  the Pure Consciouness which is bliss itself, eternal, supreme and pure and all this is only something conjured up by me because of avidya (Maya) which is composed of the three gunas (satvam, rajas and tamas)’  is my Guru, irrespective of whether he is an outcaste or a brahmana. This is my conviction”

In the third verse illustrating the Advaita Mahavakkhya “Brahma Satyam; Jagan mithya; Jivo Brahmaiva na para.” meaning ‘Brahman only is Satyam, World is only apparently real (mithya) and Jiva is Brahman only, not different’ Sri Sankara states: “He who has come to the definite conclusion, under the instruction of his Guru, that the entire universe is always perishable and only Brahman is eternal, and has burnt the past and future karmas in the fire of knowledge through constant meditation on Brahman with a calm and pure mind and has submitted the present body to the operation of prarabdha karma (is my Guru, irrespective of whether he is an outcaste or a brahmana).   This is my conviction.

Sri Sankara is talking here of a jivan muktha, awaiting videha mukthi.  On his attaining Athma Jnanam, sanchita and present agami karmas were burnt away and as he has no karthruthva bhava, he does not incur agami karma in future.  Only the prarabhdha karma remains and on its exhaustion he attains videha mukthi.  Swami Paramarthananda states that this verse is indicative of the Mahavakhya “Tat Tvam Asi” meaning ‘That thou art” occurring in Chandogya Upanishad of Sama Veda, as Guru’s instruction is through revealing to student that he is that Brahman, the eternal only and not the perishable body-mind complex.

Sri Sankara states in the fourth verse, which illustrates the Mahavakhya “Ayam Athma Brahma” meaning ‘This Athma is Brahman’ that occurs in Mandukya Upanishad of Atharvana Veda: “The pure Consciousness that is experienced clearly within by animals, men, and Devas as ‘I’, and by whose light the mind, senses and body, which are all insentient, appear to be sentient is also clearly evident within me as the witness, in and through every experience. The illuminator, pure Consciousness, is concealed by the illumined organs, mind, senses and body, just as the sun is covered ‘as though’ by the illumined clouds.  The yogi who, with a calm mind, always meditates on this Consciousness and is ever-contended is my Guru, (irrespective of whether he is an outcaste or a brahmana).   This is my conviction.

Pure consciousness is that which enlivens the mind, sense, etc., which are insentient, and making the animals, men and Devas sentient, enabling them to function. They all experience it as ‘I’. Though that Consciousness is evident in all, in and through every experience as witness of presence or absence of thoughts, it is not recognised because it is obscured by the pancha kosas. When the sun is covered ‘as though’ by the clouds, the solar disc is not visible but the objects illuminated by sunlight can still be seen by us.  Similarly even though the illuminator, pure Consciousness, is apparently concealed by the illumined organs, all the worldly experiences take place with the blessings of pure Consciousness.

The fifth verse of Sri Sankara reads as the Mahavakhya phala sthuthi and it states:  “The Self, which is Brahman, is the eternal ocean of supreme bliss.  Even the Gods like Indra enjoy only a small fraction of this Brahmananda (as Bimbananda).  By meditating on the Self with a perfectly calm mind the sage experiences fulfiiment (immersed in this bliss).  Such a sage who is immersed in Brahmananda is no longer a Brahma Jnani but Brahman Himself.  Such a person, whoever he may be, is one whose feet are fit to be worshipped by Indra himself.  This is my definite conviction.”

The Upanishads say that the happiness experienced by all living beings, including the Devas, is only a minute fraction of the supreme, infinite bliss of Brahman (Brihadaranyaka, 4.3.32, Taittiriya, 2.8).   Knowing that one’s real Self is Brahman only and not the body-mind complex is called knowing Brahman. Knowing Brahman one becomes Brahman Himself, says Mundaka upanishad (3.2.9). Thus attaining the knowledge that one is not the body-mind complex but Brahman only, one becomes Brahman Himself.  In fact this is not attainment of a new state as everyone is in reality Brahman only, even when he looks upon himself as a limited human being in bondage.  Liberation is nothing but the removal of the wrong identification with the body-mind complex by the realization of one’s real nature as the infinite, eternal Brahman.  When a rope is mistaken for a snake in dim light and on examination with a light it is found out that it is only a rope, no one would say that there was a snake previously and that it had gone away. Similar is the case, when a person realizes that his true Self is not the body-mind complex, but Brahman only, and his ignorance only is removed as a result of sravanam, mananam, and nididhysanam..

Thus comes to an end a powerful message from Sri Sankara that exposes the incompatibility of the practice of untouchability with the Hindu philosophy. But unfortunately it is a matter of regret that in spite of such powerful messages from Sri Sankara and others like Swami Vivekananda, this blot on Hinduism is still practised in pockets even today and is not totally eradicated.

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