Vivekachudamani -Post 47

तथा वदन्तं शरणागतं स्वं

संसारदावानलतापतप्तम् ।

निरीक्ष्य कारुण्यरसार्द्रदृष्ट्या

दद्यादभीतिं सहसा महात्मा ॥ ४१ ॥

tathā vadantaṃ śaraṇāgataṃ svaṃ

saṃsāradāvānalatāpataptam |

nirīkṣya kāruṇyarasārdradṛṣṭyā

dadyādabhītiṃ sahasā mahātmā || 41 ||

As he speaks , afflicted by and seeking protection from the conflagration  of the fire of samsara , the Teacher looks at him in all pity and  kindness and spontaneously bestows upon him protection from fear. 

So with the previous slōka, the śiṣya's words are over, which is called paripraśnaḥ. The student has done everything he has to do. He has acquired intellectual qualifications; he has acquired spiritual qualifications, he has approached the teacher; he has surrendered and asked for the way out. 

So whatever he has to do; he has done. Now the ball is in the court of the Guru. Application has been made. Is he going to accept? What will be guru do and that is discussed from verse No.41 to 47. Guru's response. Guru's response, if the student has got all the preparations proper.

Here Sankara is assuming that the preparations are proper; if the preparations are not proper; he is not ready to receive the teaching

Niriksaya; he looks at him; and when he looks at him, what type of glance it is; karunya rasa ardha dr̥shtya; with a glance which is soaked in the essence  of compassion.

The scriptures always emphasise “kaṭaksah”. 

The guru looks at the eye of the disciple. And what type of disciple? He says: tatha vadantam; the teacher looks at the student who has addressed thus. 

Thatha refers to the previous five versus. The one who has spoken thus with humility, with reference, with appreciation, with clarity and also surrender.

Previous verses spoke about the attitude of surrender and devotion with which the student addressed his guru, with reverence.

For all those expressions, the preceptor answers with His one look. The one look expresses everything that the master has to convey to the student who has surrendered to him and is ready to be taken over by his guru to teach him Brahma vidya.

For those who have been following various talks given by the author, this Kataksha of Guru has been explained in the bhajan talk “Beda paar Karo mere Sai” in which one line “Reham Nazar Karo Sai Baba” comes. (Refer to his YouTube channel “satyamurthy viswanathan”.

The teacher looks at the student who has surrendered, taken refuge, Saraṇagatham, taken shelter in the teacher, tvam means the teacher himself, the one who has surrendered to the teacher and samsara  dhavanala tapa taptam. This word has occurred very often; the one who is scorched by the forest fire called samsara.

Mahatma abhitim dadyad. So that mahātma, that jnani , that generous minded wise person, that compassionate person; that saintly person will give abhitim, abhitim means fearlessness, that means confidence, courage.

Fear in any jiva is fear of change.

This fear of change finds its origin in the Jiva’s ego which makes him stick to a particular state, particular likes and dislikes, particular associations or relationships, particular position or power, particular status in society, particular stage even in his spiritual state.

When the Guru takes over his disciple completely, He instantly helps his disciple to let go of the root cause of fear, “ego” of his disciple.

When the disciple has entered the kutir of his guru, offered his prostration with surrender to his guru and has offered himself to be taken over by his guru, at that very instant, his Ego leaves him or atleast gets reduced considerably.

When the root cause is gone, the effect- Fear- is also gone.

Love

Vivekachudamani- Post 46

 

कथं तरेयं भवसिन्धुमेतं
का वा गतिर्मे कतमोऽस्त्युपायः ।
जाने न किञ्ज्चित्कृपयाव मां प्रभो
संसारदुःखक्षतिमातनुष्व ॥ ४0 ॥

kathaṃ tareyaṃ bhavasindhumetaṃ
kā vā gatirme katamo'styupāyaḥ |
jāne na kiñjcitkṛpayāva māṃ prabho
saṃsāraduḥkhakṣatimātanuṣva || 40 ||

How to cross this ocean of relative existence? What is to be my ultimate destination? Which of the many means should I adopt? I know  nothing of these. O Lord! Please save me and describe in all detail how  to end the misery of this life in the finite. 

The disciple continues addressing the teacher. etam bhavasindhum kathaṁ tareyam.

Saṁsara is often compared to ocean; because our problems are as vast as samsara; I am not able to see the shore at all. Human problems are as vast as samsara  and it is also as mysterious as the ocean.

Many problems we are not even able to diagnose or understand. Everywhere, not only the problems are many, vast, it is also incomprehensible. Like the ocean is full of waves, similarly the problems also come in waves. Physical problem, emotional problem, family problem, company problem , financial problem, they also come  in waves and also the direction is not known; unpredictability is also there. 

I am looking at one  direction, and the wave are hitting me from behind; and there are sharks and there are so many other things.

Here the student asks  katham tareyam. How can I cross this ocean of samsara?

This is the type of question the student should ask when he approaches the Master after having served him long enough and perfectly tuned up to him. These questions in themselves speak volumes of clear thinking and logical conclusions which the  student has reached of his own accord. He has lived intelligently  his life of varied experiences and has evaluated it correctly. He  is neither despaired because of the insurmountable difficulties  experienced by him nor is he ready to make any compromise  with Truth. 

He has analysed his experiences in life and has come  to the conclusion that finite objects cannot give him anything but  finite satisfaction. He has looked within himself and has estimated  correctly his own demands in life as nothing short of infinite  perfection, which alone can yield to him infinite happiness. 

He wants to know from the Master how he can come to experience the  Infinite and thereby gain a complete transcendence of the finite.  Hence he asks, 'How can I cross this ocean of relative existence?' 

ka va me gatir; what is the lot in my life; what will happen to me?

Unless one, somehow or the other, fulfills this self-evolution  and reaches the portals of the Infinite and experiences the Real,  one wonders as to what would be his 'ultimate destination'.  The question, therefore, does not necessarily mean that he is  ignorant of what the destination would be. 

In fact, it is a dreadful  premonition of the consequences of getting entangled in the  finite world of desires, excitements and endless responsibilities  of satisfying each nerve tickling, unless he experiences the  Transcendental. 

Though he has come to an independent conclusion about  the life he is living and though he knows the goal, yet he feels  unsure as to what exactly is the method by which he can end his  delusions and reach the goal. The student has already read a lot  of the science of life as expounded in the literature on religion and  he finds therein, different methods of self perfection prescribed. 

katamō:'styupāyaḥ asti; Is there a way out at all? upāyaḥ means a means to solve; a solution. Upāyaḥ means a solution. A way out. A sādhanam. And do not tell me to solve my problems myself. I have already tried. 

He wants to know from the Guru, what exactly should be the path  for him. Through a process of trial and error one can, for oneself,  find the right path but it is more convenient, and indeed, a sacred  blessing if one can have a true Teacher to show the correct path  of self-development. Therefore, the student asks, 'Which of the  means should I adopt?' 

Suppose everything is going fine for him; suppose everything is going fine for him, do you think, he will be ever happy, because when he sees everywhere else problem is there, he sees himself as an exception, then there is more fear

kinchit na jāne. I am utterly helpless. The student accepts his ignorance, which is a very very important qualification. To accept that I do not know is a great step in the learning process. 

The expression, 'I know nothing', is not the student's  dull-witted confession of ignorance but it is an expression of  modesty, and devotion and reverence for the Teacher.

Ahaṁ kinchit na jāne and therefore kripaya mam bhava; kindly may you protect me. bhava means protect. kindly you protect me, never reject me.

Samsara  dukha ksatim atanusva; dukha refers to problems at emotional, physical and intellectual plane; atanusva; bring out.

Thus, the verse ends with the line “Please save me and describe in all detail how  to end the misery of this life in the finite.”

This kind of surrender, this kind  of total submission by a disciple to his preceptor, this kind of an unconditional faith and trust in one's preceptor- these are rare/ indeed very rare in present day world.

In those times of yore, the disciple would have taken tremendous efforts and sacrifice to set out in search of his Guru and having found a realized master as his guru, he would surrender his mind, his heart, his very existence at the feet of his Guru. In today's world, the preceptor is in search of disciple, a sadhaka easily gets a Guru and therefore, the importance / significance of Guru Tattwam is lost somewhere in the journey.

Love

Vivekachudamani-Post 45

 O Lord / Thy nectarine speech, honeyed by the elixir bliss of Brahman, pure, cooling, issuing in streams from thy lips as from a water jug, and pleasing to the ear; do thou shower upon me who am tormented by earthly afflictions as by the tongues of a forest fire. Blessed are those who have received even a passing glance from thy eyes, accepting them under thy protection. 

He Prabho vakyamr̥ taiḥ secaya; He prabho, he guro, secaya; bathe me, rinse me with what? vakya amr̥taiḥ, the waters which are int he form of your teaching; your words, your sentences; and here, the word amr̥taiḥ water the remedy is water and here the water is called amr̥taiḥ; the philosophical significance is, water will only quench or remove the pain; the heat temporary, but by using the word amrutham, not only it will remove the pain temporarily, but it will give immortality or moksha also. To indicate that duḥkha nivr̥tti, amr̥tatva prapti, and what is the glory of these words?

Brahma anandah rasa anubhuti kalitaiḥ; so endowed with the experience of the taste of Brahmanandaḥ. kalitam means endowed with the experience of the taste of brahmanandaḥ; that means what; when the guru uses the word he does not repeat like a parrot. Upanishad says Tattvamasi; and therefore I say Tattvamasi. 

Upaṇiṣad says that you are nitya suddha buddha muktaḥ; and therefore I also say. It is not parrot-like repetition of the words but it should be coming from the guru's own heart; when he says that you are Anandaḥ

So therefore when he says: You are anandaḥ; the guru must be anandaḥ svarupa. When he says you are secure, the guru's heart must enjoy security. When he says he is asangaḥ; guru's heart must be asangaḥ; in fact what he teaches, he must be.

That is why in Kathopanișad, guru is defined as ananyaḥ; a beautiful definition of guru; ananyaḥ means he is what he is teaching; he is what he is speaking; there is no difference between what he is and what he preaches. 

This is called teaching from heart; and when the words come from heart, not from lip, those words alone are live-words; like a live-wire, those words alone are called live-words. And therefore, he adds this adjective He Guro, you have those words which are endowed with the taste of brahmanandah; that means you are enjoying pūrṇatvam. And similarly, here also the waters are taste, pure, and clear waters. This is adjective No.1.

And the second adjective is putaiḥ; pavithram or śuddham; pūtham means pavithram or śuddham. 

Therefore puthaihi; sudhaaihi; seethaihi; the third adjective of word water; what is it; it is cool, with a cooling effect. And that is also applicable to both; it has got a cooling effect on a person who is scorched with heat; and also it has got the words have got a cooling effect that a student who has come with a disturbed mind, restless mind; he goes with a cool mind; he is santaḥ; samaḥ; therefore the teaching makes the student cool; santaḥ and samaḥ. The water also makes a person cool. Therefore sītaiḥ. More I will take in the next class.

And therefore Oh Teacher, with puthai, with such proper words, and suśītai, the words which are cold, which are with calmness, with śānti. So here the words cool has to be extended to both water as well as the words. Because somebody's body is scorched, you should rinse with what water. 

So suśītair; means the water is also cold and when you extend it to words, their cold means what; it has got śānthi. So when you say, a person is cool in disposition, it means he is never provoked. He enjoys śamatvam.

Love