The glory of Sanathana Dharma

(Based on Swami Paramarthananda’s New Year talk, 2018)

Sanatana Dharma is the original name of the ancient religion now popularly called Hinduism.  It has originated in the Indian subcontinent over 5000 years ago.  The people who lived beyond the Sindhu River were called Hindus by people of other countries and the term Hinduism later came into use to denote their religious system.  Sanathana Dharma is not a religious system like Christianity or Islam but is a value system embodying a code of conduct that has spiritual freedom as its core. The expression Sanathana Dharma is a combination of two expressions, Sanathana and Dharma, whose meaning we shall see first.

The word ‘Dharma’ can be defined in many ways. Three of them we shall see here.  The first definition of Dharma as given by Jaimini Mahaṛiṣhi in his purva mimaaṃsa sutras, is “codana laksanah  arthah Dharmah"  meaning ‘anything revealed by Veda is called Dharma‘, in short, Vedic teaching,   The second and third meaning denotes the benefit of adhering to Dharma, externally and internally.  The benefit at external level is, maintenance of harmony and peace at all levels, macro and micro.   The benefit at internal levels is the third meaning of dharma.   It is giving one peace and harmony within oneself.  A dharmic person can enjoy peace and joy in life at the material level while earning puṇyam at the spiritual level.   

Sanathana means eternal and everlasting i.e. valid for all times.  It is believed that these teachings have been given by the Lord Himself, through the medium of Rishis. Swethasvatara upanishad states (6-18):.

yo brahmaṇaṃ vidadhati purvaṃ yo vai vedaṃsca prahiṇoti tasmai I

taṃ hadevaṃ atmabuddhiprakasaṃ ṃummukshurvai saranamaham  prapadye II

(Seeking Liberation, I take refuge in the Lord, the revealer of Self-Knowledge, who in the beginning created Brahma and delivered the Vedas to Him.)

Therefore, it does not have a beginning.   The Lord is the maintainer as well of this Dharma.  In the Bhagavad Gita(11-18)  Arjuna tells Lord Krishna, "tvam avyayaḥ sasvata dharmagopta"  meaning ‘you are the protector of this eternal Dharma’. So it is eternal also, with Lord’s protection. So it is beginningless and also eternal and it is called Sanatanam.  The second meaning of the word Sanatanam is, that which is ever valid and therefore that which will never go out of date.  Therefore, the final meaning of Sanatana Dharma is eternal and ever valid Vedic teaching.  These teachings have been elaborated and clarified in several supportive scriptures like smṛti granthas, itihasas, puraṇas etc.

The main glory of Vedic teaching is that it helps us to appreciate that the world, in which we are born, is the most wonderful infrastructure that human mind can conceive of.   Not only it supports life; but also it supplies all the resources for physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual growth.  It is a well organised system with perfect physical and moral laws.  It has provision for the all-round growth of all; humans, animals, trees etc.  Taittriya Upanishad in its 7^th section of 1^st chapter describes how well the external world of objects and people and the internal world of individual body-mind complex are created and maintained.  Aadhi Sankaracharya in his Brahmasutra Bhashyam praises creation as a gift from the Lord endowed with inconceivable perfection and order.

The scriptures, while expecting one to appreciate the glory and value of this universe, they also prescribe some duties by the performance of which one acknowledges the contribution of the world and expresses one’s gratitude. The creation is not only a gift from the Lord’s but also His very manifestation.  So one should “appreciate, admire and be reverential to creation”.  Treating creation as divine itself is the foremost lesson of the scriptures.  Divinity has to be recognised as available within us and through our every perception. The first lesson Veda teaches is “Sarvam Brahmamayam”

The second lesson is to remember that the cosmic infrastructure itself has an inbuilt harmony and one should not disturb the harmony.  Threat arises only from the human beings and not from the rest like animals, plants etc.  So scriptural guidelines are meant for humans only. This basic guideline is twofold: 1) being helpful to others (paropakara) and 2) avoiding harming others.  In fact non-violence, ahimsa, at all levels, physical, mental and speech, is glorified as supreme value.  All other values are built on the above guideline.

The third lesson is one should take care to be a contributor to Nature and not remain a mere consumer.  The Vedas prescribe five avenues for offering this contribution, known as pancha maha yajnas.  The first is called Deva yajna, where ritual worship is offered daily to the Lord who has provided the wonderful infrastructure.  In worship one prays for the peace and joy for the entire creation with the words “Sarve janah sukhino bhavanthu” meaning ‘Let all be happy’.  The second is Pitru yajna. It is showing gratitude to parents, who brought one into the world and took care of that one in one’s growing period, by taking care of them in their old age and remembering them even after death through religious ceremonies.  The third is Manushya yajna wherein one acknowledges the contribution of other human beings through sharing one’s resources with others, which includes all types of social service and charity.  The fourth is Bhutha yajna wherein one takes care of the animals and plants. Fifth is Brahma yajna, wherein one expresses gratitude to the Rishis and Guru parampara who have brought this knowledge to the present generation, by doing one’s best to preserve this knowledge for future generations through study and propagation.

Understanding and assimilating the Vedic teaching and the principle relating to the cosmic infrastructure will help not only in leading a meaningful life while young but also in handling the emotional problems related to old age and death as one advances in age.  Scriptures and in particular Gita contain many passages highlighting the mortality of people and objects. Lord Krishna points out to Arjuna in Gita(2-27): “jatasya hi dhruvo mṛtyurdhruvamjanma mrtasya ca” meaning  ‘Death is certain indeed for one who is born; and (re)birth is certain for the dead’.   So death is certain but it is not the end and is only a transition from one body to another.  Just as birth is an event in time, death is also an inevitable event in time.  Lord Krishna compares change of body to change of clothes in Gita (2-22):

Vaasaamsi jeernaani yathaa vihaaya Navaani grihnaati naro’paraani;I
Tathaa shareeraani vihaaya jeernaani Anyaani samyaati navaani dehee.II

Just as a person casts off worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so also the embodied Self casts off worn-out bodies and enters others that are new.

So at death only a worn out or diseased body is replaced by a new body. These thoughts can help to console and avoid the emotional turmoil related to anxiety over old age and death.  The scriptures also provide another solution for the problem of anxiety in the form of offering prayers to Lord and deriving strength from the very Lord to go through all these mental turmoils with emotional strength.  By learning, assimilating and following the Vedic teachings one can partake of the glory of Sanathana Dharma.

------------------------

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’  

-------------------------------

Two types of Bhakthi

(Based on Swami Paramarthananda’s Sivarathri talk, 2018)

Bhakthi comes from the root Bhaj, which means to serve with attachment, here the attachment is to God, whom we shall refer to as Iswara. Those who follow the path of bhakthi are called bhakthas.  Bhakthas have reverential love for Iswara. Even though Iswara as Supreme Brahman is formless and non-dual, scriptures provide for worship, representative forms as deities such as Siva, Vishnu, Devi etc. A bhaktha displays devotion to a chosen deity called his Ishta Devata and his reverential attitude and various acts of worship of Ishta Devata are also called bhakthi. Bhaktha believes that his Ishta Devata is the Supreme God and is omnipotent, omniscient, all compassionate and Jagat Karanam.  Swami Tejomayananda has made the following classification of bhakthas in his facebook remark:

1.     Those who pray to God for material gains, looking upon Him as a wish-fulfiller

2.     Those who pray to God for material gains, looking upon Him as well-wisher

3.     Those who pray to god for spiritual gains, purification of mind, good qualities etc. i.e. in short for Moksha,

4.     Those who pray for the sheer joy of praying, seeking nothing

Type 1 and 2 are called sakama bhakthas and their bhakthi for material gains is called sakama bhakthi, as opposed to type 3 and 4 where the motive for bhakthi is Moksha or pure love of Iswara that is called nishkama bhakthi.  These are the two types of bhakthi .

Sakama bhakthas have the false notion that Iswara in the form of their Ishta Devatha being omnipotent and compassionate will respond to their prayers positively and help them get their wants fulfilled and also get rid of their unwanted things. This arises from a limited study of scriptures and from stories they hear from pauranikas and others. Swami Paramarthananda calls this type of bhakthi as apply-supply bhakthi, because of their belief that they need only apply and Iswara will supply.  This sort of understanding is not correct as scriptures do not talk of sakama bhakthi but only talk of sakama karmasahita bhakthi which means that relevant karma or actions as prescribed by scriptures, must accompany their bhakthi.  Even then they should bear in mind that Iswara being karma phala dhata grants only in conformity with the laws of karma which takes into account all karmas, past and present.   If one does not have this understanding then one is likely to get emotionally upset when his prayers and worship do not yield the desired fruits. This may make one do deity-hopping or doubt the scriptures and in the extreme cases turn a nasthika. Further in sakama bhakthi, scriptures prescribe elaborate regulations as to the nature of worship depending on the deity chosen for worship, the detailed procedure to follow in rituals down to the minute detail of naivedyam to be offered, that one has to follow to achieve his desires. Even then getting the desired results is subject to limitations discussed earlier and so the uncertainty about the results; may get, may not get or partially get, is always there.  In sakama bhakthi worship is offered in many cases out of fear rather than out of love and so they are emotionally disturbed and lose peace of mind when their expectations are not fulfilled.

Nishkama bhakthi does not suffer from these drawbacks. Love is the motive and there is no element of fear and as no material gains are sought there are no expectations and so there is no tension and no disappointment.  Nishkama bhakthi helps the bhakthas to gain a strong mind free from emotional disturbances both from inside and outside, assure the scriptures.  Further no rigid procedure is prescribed as can be seen from Lord Krishna’s words in Gita (9-26); “Whoever offers Me with love a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, I accept that (gift) of the pure-hearted person which has been devotionally presented.”   Lord Krishna also says in Gita (2-40):” In this path of (disinterested action) there is no loss of effort nor is there fear of contrary result, even a little practice of this discipline protects one from great fear.”   In Nishkama bhakthi the baktha offers worship and prays for a strong mind that can accept choiceless situations without resistance and can stand the strain of adverse situations caused by prarabhdha karma. Yogabhyasa involving karmayoga, upasana yoga and jnana yoga is also a form of nishkama bhakthi that helps to purify the mind and keep it strong.  Keeping the mind pure and strong is important as mind alone is responsible for bondage as well as liberation.

Most of the bhakthas start as sakama bhakthas.  Swami Paramarthananda says that in view of its drawbacks scriptures strongly recommend to all spiritual seekers who are sakama bhakthas that they adopt nishkama bhakthi, gradually giving up sakama bhakthi.  Initially a sakama bhaktha can practice nishkma bhakthi along with sakama bhakthi,  as sakama pradhana bhakthi.  As a first step in this process a sakama bhaktha can change to sakama pradhana bhakthi by adding a strong mind to his list of demands in prayers and changing his perception of Iswara from apply-supply dhata to karma phala dhatha.  The strong mind he prays for must be one that can accept willingly whatever comes his way in answer to his prayers, be it favourable, unfavourable or mixed, depending upon his prarabhdha and present karma.  He should also take to scriptural study (at least Gita) under the guidance of a competent acharya for a length of time in a systematic manner. This prayer and scriptural study will add maturity to his bhakthi, increasing his love for Iswara, reducing the fear and changing his apply-supply perception of Iswara. Gradually his bhathi also will change from sakama pradhana to nishkama pradhana.  This nishkama pradhana bhakthi when supported by scriptural study and Yogabhyasa, starting from karma yoga, will help one to grow to be a jijnasu bhaktha when the change to nishkama bhakthi is complete.  As jijnasu bhaktha, one is well on the way to Liberation, pursuing with sustained sadhanas his quest to gain Athma Jnanam.

----------------------------------

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.

------------------------------------