Atma Bodha - Post 77

Verse 67

हृदाकाशोदितो ह्यात्मा बोधभानुस्तमोऽपहृत् ।

सर्वव्यापी सर्वधारी भाति भासयतेऽखिलम् ॥ ६७॥

HRIDAAKAASHODITO HYAATMAA

BODHABHAANUSTAMO.APAHRIT

SARVAVYAAPII SARVADHAARI

BHAATI BHAASAYATE.AKHILAM

[The Atman, the Sun of Knowledge that rises in the sky of the heart, destroys the darkness of the ignorance, pervades and sustains all and shines and makes everything to shine.]

In this sloka, Acharya is next explaining about the rise of knowledge that removes all ignorance.

Space, or sky, is huge and limitless. There is another space which is considered equally limitless. This is our mind space (Hrith–akasa) which is equated more with the Buddhi (Intellect) rather than with the manas (emotional mind). The Buddhi can be equally expansive and limitless.

When Sun is not there, the limitless sky is enveloped in total darkness. This darkness of the sky is illumined by the rise of the SUN. 

Likewise, the hrith-akasa (mind space) is enveloped in the total darkness of ignorance or Maya. This darkness of ignorance in the Hrith-akasa (mind space or sky) can only be illumined by the rise of the SUN of Atma Bodha or self knowledge.

 

It is because of this Sun that one can see various objects and the world is known, such a sun is here compared to Atman which is verily Consciousness.

As we have learnt in the previous verses also, it is only due to Consciousness that all the other senses seem to perceive and function. It is Consciousness alone that illumines everything and hence sustains everything.

When such Consciousness is realized as the very nature of Self, when such sun rises in the sky of heart, all the ignorance, affections, aversions vanish just like the darkness that vanishes with the rise of sun.

As at the approach of dawn the darkness dissolves off and the light brings everything clearly to our cognition; so too at the dawn of wisdom, all the ignorance is destroyed and the Self is realized as the all pervading, sole illuminator and sustainer.

When, Atma Jnanam is complete in the intellect, when we actually identify totally with the Atma, we see our self in everything and everything within our self. 

In this way, we are all pervading and we are the underlying support for all actions and transactions occurring in the world. We, as Atma or Self, illumine the whole world.

What do we exactly mean by "Self illumining the world"? How does a sadhaka, not fully into the Knowledge of SELF, relate to this illumining the world?

It is simple.

We are not this body, mind and intellect, we are not these 17 instruments that drive us. That is not How God created us.

God created us as His own image, which means we are the same God, in His absolute splendor, beyond any name or form, Who / That created this universe and illumines the world.

Illumining here means providing the Chaitanya or Consciousness energy for the world to function.

When we attain / discover that we, as SELF or ATMAN, are the same as GOD or BRAHMAN, then what change is brought to our existence?

Like God's consciousness is providing strength to this world or, as we said, illumines this world, We, existing as Atman or pure consciousness, can no more see, identify, recognize and react to this world through our eyes / ears / senses, mind and intellect but,

We exist as Pure Consciousness or say, God.

So, like God has graced this universe by creating the same with and as Him the Pure Consciousness,

We also are now able to see / witness this world with all its diversities only with / as Pure Consciousness or in simple words to at least understand and relate to, as GOD.

This is what is meant in vedanta as "We the SELF, illumining this akhilam or Jagath or Universe".

Love.

Atma Bodha - Post 76

Verse 66

श्रवणादिभिरुद्दीप्तज्ञानाग्निपरितापितः ।

जीवः सर्वमलान्मुक्तः स्वर्णवद्द्योतते स्वयम् ॥ ६६॥

SHRAVANAADIBHIR UDDIIPTA

GYAANA AGNIPARI TAAPITAH

JIIVA SARVAMALAAN MUKTAH

SVARNAVAD HDYOTATE SVAYAM

[The ‘Jiva’ free from impurities, being heated in the fire of knowledge kindled by hearing and so on, shines of itself like gold.]

In the previous slokas we learnt that Atman though ever present is perceived only by the eye of wisdom and not by the ignorant ones. In the next two slokas Acharya is explaining that such an ignorant one when purified by the fire of knowledge, the Atman shines by itself just like Gold.

In obtaining knowledge, Vedanta recommends three courses, first is sravanam or listening to the truth from the scriptures, then mananam or reasoning of the truth heard and finally nidhidyasanam which is deep contemplation on what has been heard and reasoned out.

Such a systematic learning and contemplation is necessary to clean one from the impurities of thoughts and only when ignorance is removed thus, does the Self reveal itself in all glory.

“Swarnavat Dyotate Swayam” Gold Shines Forth

The beauty of these similes is again and again seen to be the right simile for the right situation. In nature, what do we see that needs to be heated in order to be extracted in pure form? The mining of gold is a brilliant example.

The gold ore contains the tiny gold nuggets in the midst of solid rock. The whole ore has to be heated to a very high temperature in furnaces. Then, with both in liquid form, the gold separates from the rock completely, and is siphoned off as it sinks below the molten rock. When cooled down to form gold bars, it has a beautiful golden shine.

In the same way, the Jiva is Consciousness (the gold) mixed with the impurities of Vasanas, as well as ignorance together with all its effects (the subtle and gross body).

This Jiva (the raw gold ore) has to be smelted down through the rigorous processes of Sadhana. After undergoing this “heating” process, the impurities are removed and the pure gold Consciousness shines forth in the realized sage who has discovered his true identity as Atman, by this process.

Dear All,

How Sai reminds us of the need for intense sadhana to shine as Gold, when He addresses us as “Bangaaru”??

Also, to remind us that even while undergoing the rigorous process of rock getting converted to Gold, the rock, in its essence, had the gold always (Even when a spiritual aspirant has to undergo intense Sravanam, Mananam and Nidhidhyasanam to get rid of all impurities in his mind, at the end, when he shines in and as the fire of Knowledge, the truth is that He is the Gold, He is that Atman ever), Swami writes in the very 1^st chapter in Jnana Vahini thus:-

I Quote Bhagawan,

“When gold is melted in the crucible, it shines with a strange yellow glory. Where did that light emanate from? From the gold or the fire? What happened was only the removal of the dross by the fire; the effulgence belonged to the gold itself; it is its very nature. The fire is only an instrument for the removal of the dross. Nothing has been added to the gold by the fire in the crucible! If fire could give the splendour, then why doesn’t a stick or blade or pebble placed in the fire become as shining as gold? One has to conclude that the splendour came not through fire but out of its own inner nature.

The inner presiding Atma (Pratyagatma) is separate from the five sheaths of the individual (the panchakosas). It shines with its own splendour; it is the witness of the activities and consequences of the three qualities (gunas); it is immovable; it is holy and pure; it is eternal; it is indivisible; it is self-manifested, it is peace; it has no end; it is wisdom itself. Such an Atma has to be cognized as Oneself.”

I Unquote Bhagawan.

Love.

Atma Bodha - Post 75

Verse 65:

सर्वगं सच्चिदात्मानं ज्ञानचक्षुर्निरीक्षते ।

अज्ञानचक्षुर्नेक्षेत भास्वन्तं भानुमन्धवत् ॥ ६५॥

SARVAGAM SAT CHIT AATMAANAM

GYAANA CHAKSHUR NIRIIKSHATE

AGYAANA CHAKSHUR NEKSHETA

BHAASVANTAM BHAANUM ANDHAVAT

[Though Atman is Pure Consciousness and ever present everywhere, yet It is perceived by the eye-of-wisdom alone: but one whose vision is obscured by ignorance he does not see It; as the blind do not see the resplendent Sun.]

In the previous few slokas we learnt about a realized one, here in this sloka, Acharya is explaining to us about an ignorant one also. The importance of spiritual disciplines is also highlighted by Acharya.

The absolute pure consciousness though all pervading is not perceived by everyone. Only those who have developed the inner eye of the wisdom and who are discriminative enough to reject the illusory world from the real, who are pure and are cleansed by the knowledge alone can apprehend the reality.

The ignorant ones who are deluded by the dualities of the world, and who cannot discriminate the reality from the unreal can never realize the bliss of Self. Lord explains the same in Gita 15th chapter as:

UTKRAAMANTAM STHITAM VAAPI BHUNJAANAM VAA GUNAANVITAM.H.

VIMUUDHAA NAANUPASHYANTI PASHYANTI JNYAANACHAKSHUSHHAH

Him who departs, stays and enjoys, who is conjoined with gunas, the deluded perceive not; they see, who possess the eye of knowledge.

YATANTO YOGINASHCHAINAM PASHYANTYAATMANYAVASTHITAM

YATANTO.APYAKRITAATMAANO NAINAM PASHYANTYACHETASAH

Those who strive, endued with Yoga, perceive Him dwelling in the self; though striving, those of unrefined self, devoid of wisdom, perceive Him not.

Acharya gives an example of a blind man for this. The Sun is ever shining in the day and is so bright that normal people cannot see it with naked eyes, still for a blind man; there is neither light nor the sun i.e. he does not perceive the glowing Sun due to his blindness.

It is the blindness of the person that makes the sun dark to him even though the sun shines ever bright and brilliant. Similarly, the real nature of the all pervading Atman is not perceived by those who are blinded by ignorance.

Jnana Chakshu, or the eyes of wisdom, only is capable of knowing the Sath Chith Aananda Brahman everywhere in the universe.

In Mahabharath, Lord Krishna is known to have displayed his Viswaroopa twice. Once in the Kauravas’ royal Parliament – and a second time, at the start of Mahabharath war.

First time, no one in the Kaurava’s Court Hall could really see his Viswaroopa (which really means seeing him everywhere in the Universe).

Lord Krishna in Gita explains this as:

NAADATTE KASYACHITPAAPAM NA CHAIVA SUKR^ITAM VIBHUH

AGYAANENAAVR^ITAM GYAANAM TENA MUHYANTI JANTAVAH

The Lord takes neither the evil nor even the good deed of any; wisdom is enveloped by un-wisdom; thereby mortals are deluded.

Acharya is here explaining that an ordinary mind turned outward in perception and feeling which is agitated by the thoughts of the sense objects of the world cannot apprehend the reality whereas one who is disciplined and discriminate apprehends the reality.

Referring to the Viswaroopa, second time, Lord Krishna wanted his long time friend and disciple, Arjun to fight the Mahabharath War and annihilate the entire Kaurava Army, as his bounden duty. 

But, Arjun has a hundred doubts on whether it is good or bad, whether it is his duty or not and so on. Lord Krishna teaches him Atma Jnanam in the shape of Bhagavad Gita and also shows him his Viswaroopa. Arjun witnesses the Viswaroopa with Jnana Chakshus given to him by Lord Krishna and prepares for war.

Atma Jnani, as we can see, does not stop doing karma. He goes about it with a new light. Karma phalam does not touch him at all.

Viswaroopa is Bhagavad roopa and also Swaroopa for the Atma Jnani. He sees no difference any more.

Mundaka Upanishad explains this .

NA CHAKSHUSHHAA GRIHYATE NAAPI VAACHAA

NAANYAIRDEVAISTAPASAA KARMANA VAA

JNYAANAPRASAADENA VISHUDDHASATTVA-STATASTU TAM PASHYATE NISHHKALAM DHYAAYAMAANAH

It is not comprehended through the eye, nor through speech, nor through the other senses; nor is It attained through austerity or karma. Since one becomes purified in mind through the favorableness of the intellect, therefore can one see that indivisible Self through meditation.

Love.

Atma Bodha - Post 74

Verse 64

यद्यद्ब्रह्मणोऽन्यन्न तद्भवेत् ।

तत्त्वज्ञानाच्च तद्ब्रह्म सच्चिदानन्दमद्वयम् ॥ ६४॥

DRISHYATE SHRUUYATE YADYADH

BRAHMANO AYANNA TAD BHAVET.H.

TATTVA GYAANAACHCHA TAD BRAHMA SACHCHIDAANANDAMADVAYAM

[All that is perceived, or heard, is Brahman and nothing else. Attaining the knowledge of the Reality, one sees the Universe as the non-dual Brahman, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss-Absolute.]

In the last sloka we learnt that there is nothing apart from Brahman and all the dualities are just like a mirage in a desert. Acharya continues to explain the same in this sloka also.

When all that exists is but Brahman, whatever is heard, seen or perceived through sense organs cannot be anything other than Brahman. One who knows this sees oneness everywhere and the entire universe is known as Brahman alone.

Mahanaraayanopanishad verse 13.5 says this beautifully as:

YACHCHA KIJNCHIJJAGATYASMIN DRISHYATE SHRUUYATE.API VAANTARBAHISHCHA TATSARVA.N VYAAPYA NAARAAYANAH STHITAH

Whatsoever there is in this world known through perception (because of their proximity) or known through report (because of their distance), all that is pervaded by Narayana within and without.

Just as whatever one sees in dream state cannot be other than ones own waking state mind, all the objects cannot be different from the consciousness due to which all the activities of perception, thinking etc are illumined. 

Hence the objects of world which we sense cannot have any existence apart from the consciousness. When all that exists in the body or mind or intellect or in the outer created are realized to be manifestations of Brahman alone, nothing else is seen nor perceived and all the differences dissolve. All that exists is known as Existence-Consciousness-Bliss alone.

As Isha Upanishad explains,

YASMINSARVAANI BHUUTAANYAATMAIVAABHUUDVIJAANATAH .

TATRA KO MOHAH KAH SHOKA EKATVAMANUPASHYATAH

When a man realizes that all beings are but the Self, what delusion is there, what grief, to that perceiver of oneness?

“Brahman is everywhere”.

This is the mantra given by the preceptor, the spiritual doctor, to his disciple.

The First dosage of the above mantra: In verse 63, he tells us that if we do not see Him everywhere, that is a sickness in the disciple.

The Second dosage of the above mantra: Then in verse 64, he comes to check on us if we have taken his mantra. If we really have, that is, if we have gained the knowledge of the Reality, then our sickness should have left us.

We should be seeing everything as Brahman and nothing else. A confident spiritual preceptor knows that the signs of progress lie in how much we recognize God in all beings. He keeps checking that when he gives the dosage. When we can see the Lord in all, we are fully cured of our disease (of ignorance).

Our failure to experience the dictum of this verse “Brahman is everywhere” is brought about wonderfully by Swami Krishnananda ji in one of his talks, thus:-

“………..The existence of things is the highest value of things. The search of the soul for perfection outside is due to the fact that it makes a distinction between the existence of things and the value of things. 

Otherwise, where would be the need for anyone to move towards things that exist if existence itself would be a satisfaction?

We create a distinction between the value of the object and the existence of the object. We are never satisfied with the existence as such of anything. 

A flower may be in the garden. The flower exists in the garden, but we are never satisfied unless it becomes ours. It must be plucked from the plant and brought home, and perhaps it should adorn our head, etc.

The bare minimum of existence does not satisfy us. We are not satisfied even with our own existence, and we are not satisfied with the existence of anyone else. 

There is no satisfaction with the existence of anything. We always want to enhance that existence by adjuncts from an apparent external source, under the impression that the adjunct is something which is other than existence…….”

Thus, taking the flower example (where, the flower represents every possible thing existing in the creation, living and non living), Swami ji reveals wonderfully to us that IN ITS PURE EXISTENCE, EVERY THING IN THIS CREATION IS COMPLETE AND ULTIMATE, EVERYTHING IN THIS CREATION IS PURE KNOWLEDGE BY ITSELF, EVERYTHING IN ITS EXISTENCE IS INFINITE, REALIZING WHICH, A YOGI EXISTS IN AND PURE BLISS.

Love.

Atma Bodha - Post 73

Verse 63

जगद्विलक्षणं ब्रह्म ब्रह्मणोऽन्यन्न किंचन ।

ब्रह्मान्यद्भाति चेन्मिथ्या यथा मरुमरीचिका ॥ ६३॥

JAGAT VILAKSHANAM BRAHMA

BRAHMANA ANYAT NA KINCHANA.

BRAHMA ANYAT BHAATI CENMITHYAA

YATHAA MARUMARIICHIKAA

[Brahman is other than this, the universe. There exists nothing that is not Brahman. If any object other than Brahman appears to exist, it is unreal like the mirage.]

In the previous slokas, Acharya explained that Brahman is the substratum of the entire creation, here in this verse, we learn that the Brahman is ever uncontaminated by the world as the world is illusory and Brahman is ever existent.

Acharya here is explaining that Brahman is that which is different from this word, but it is not to be taken that the world and Brahman exist differently, Difference is pointed out only w.r.t. their existence, i.e. world is unreal and Brahman is real, hence Brahman is different from the illusory world; it is its very substratum.

Hence Acharya immediately follows that whatever exists is but Brahman alone and there is nothing apart from Brahman. Thus the world that is perceived has to be illusory, like a mirage in desert.

The absoluteness of Brahman is explained in shruti is different ways. As Chandogya Upanishad explains this in 6th chapter as:

SADEVA SOMYEDAMAGRA AASIIDEKAMEVAADVITIIYAM.H

TADDHAIKA  AAHURASADEVEDAMAGRA AASIIDEKAMEVAADVITIIYAM

TASMAADASATAH SAJJAAYATA

‘In the beginning, dear boy, this was Being alone, one only, without a second. Some say that, in the beginning, this was Non-being alone, one only, without a second. From that Non-being arose Being.’

Brihadaranyaka Upaniahad also explains this in 4.3.23 as:

YAD VAI TAN NA PAŚYATI, PAŚYAN VAI TAN NA PAŚYATI  NA HI DRA..UR D...ER VIPARILOPO

VIDYATE, AVIN.ŚITV.T; NA TU TAD DVITIYAM ASTI, TATO’NYAD VIBHAKTAM YAT PAŚYET.

That it does not see in that state is because, though seeing then, it does not see; for the vision of the witness can never be lost, because it is imperishable. But there is not that second thing separate from it which it can see.

Marumrichika- The Mirage simile

In the mirage which appears while one walks in a desert on a hot day, actually only desert exists. The ignorant sees the water pools in a desert, known as the mirage.

Once a deluded mind has seen the mirage, it can multiply its mis apprehension and see the mirage having the waves and even the sun reflecting on the water surface and so on.

The mirage is different from the desert and yet, without the desert, the mirage cannot exist. And the mirage water cannot wet even an iota of the desert land.

Just as how the waters of mirage do not wet the sands of desert, similarly, the world of duality consisting of various names and forms can never affect or change the absolute consciousness.

It is only the ignorant who mistake the water and assume it to really exist while the wise ones know only the substratum as real and all the duality as only an illusion. A deluded mind alone sees the waters in a desert and apprehends them to be real, similarly it is only due to the ignorance that one sees the duality in the ever existent Self.

Let us recapitulate the simile once again.

Ø The desert is sand, and the mirage is water.

Ø We know that in a desert there is nothing but sand alone.

Ø If you see anything else in a desert besides sand, it has to be false, it simply cannot be true.

Now let us apply this lovely simile to the desert of the Vedantic world:

Ø The desert sands stand for Brahman. The world of objects is the mirage that appears as ‘water’.

Ø The preceptor tells us that Brahman alone is real. Nothing else is real. This is exactly the case with the desert sands.

  

Ø  If we see the ‘water’ of worldliness then that can only mean one thing. We have accepted as real something which is unreal, which only appears to be real.

 

Acharya Sankara has chosen this simile and explained in a way that this revelation can never be argued / can never be unaccepted by any school of thought. Glory to Sankara!

This is what Vedanta says about this world of names and forms. It does not say that they do not exist, but it says that their existence is temporary, until knowledge dawns and then it is seen clearly that Brahman alone exists.

Thus all duality perceived has to be known as an illusion alone. This sloka can be beautifully summarized by Acharya Gaudapada’s Mandukaya Karaika’s sloka 1.17 as:

PRAPAJNCHO YADI VIDYETA NIVARTETA NA SA.NSHAYAH

MAAYAAMAATRAMIDAM DVAITAMADVAITAM PARAMAARTHATAH

If a phenomenal world were to exist, it should, no doubt, cease to be. This duality is but an illusion; in reality it is non-dual.

Love.

Atma Bodha - Post 72

Verse 62

स्वयमन्तर्बहिर्व्याप्य भासयन्नखिलं जगत् ।

ब्रह्म प्रकाशते वह्निप्रतप्तायसपिण्डवत् ॥ ६२॥

SVAYAM ANTARBAHIRVYAAPYA

BHAASAYANN AKHILAM JAGATH

BRAHMA PRAKAASHATE VANHI

PRA TAPTAA YASA PINDAVAT

[Pervading the entire universe outwardly and inwardly the Supreme Brahman shines of Itself like the fire that permeates a red-hot iron-ball and glows by itself.]

In the previous sloka, Acharya explained Brahman as devoid of all qualities, such nirvishesha Brahman is described here as Self illumining. It is that because of which even the sun and moon are illumined. That is to be known as Brahman.

Brahman is Consciousness absolute, and it is only because of

this Consciousness that all objects of the world are known. All the creations including the celestial bodies are illumined only because of the consciousness. Thus even the Sun and moon that illumine the different worlds would not exist apart and independent of this all pervading consciousness.

Hence Acharya is here explaining that everything derives their power from Brahman while Brahman is independent of everything and needs no external illumination.

That which illumines all others cannot be illuminated by anything other than itself. Brahman is ever the illuminator and illumines itself. As we learnt from the examples in previous slokas, unattached and unaffected like the street lamp, Brahman is the light of all lights and the illuminator of all illuminations.

The famous sloka of Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.10 proclaims this as:

NA TATRA SUURYO BHAATI NA CHANDRATAARAKAM

NEMAA VIDYUTO BHAANTI KUTO.AYAMAGNIH

TAMEVA BHAANTAMANUBHAATI SARVAM

TASYA BHAASAA SARVAMIDAM VIBHAATI

There the sun does not shine, nor the moon or the stars; nor do these flashes of lightning shine there. How can this fire do so? Everything shines according as He does so; by His light all this shines diversely.

The same is also explained by Lord in many places in Gita such as in 15.6:

NA TADBHAASAYATE SUURYO NA SHASHAAN^KO NA PAAVAKAH .

YADGATVAA NA NIVARTANTE TADDHAAMA PARAMAM MAMA ..

That the sun illumines not, nor the moon, nor fire; That is My Supreme Abode, to which having gone none return.

Thus Brahman is that truth which shines of itself and penetrates the entire world of creation. It is not something other than the world of creation, for it exists in and through all as the Consciousness. Acharya gives the example of a fire ball to state this.

Brahman is infinite, all pervading and self illumining while the objects of the world are insentient, dependent and illusory, thus opposite in nature.

Gita says the same in 15.12 as:

YADAADITYAGATAM TEJO JAGADBHAASAYATE.AKHILAM.H .

YACHCHANDRAMASI YACHCHAAGNAU TATTEJO VIDDHI MAAMAKAM.H

That light which residing in the sun illumines the whole world, that which is in the moon and in the fire, that light do thou know to be Mine.

How then can one perceive existence - consciousness which is verily Brahman in these?

Answer is given with the simile - “Vanhi Prataptayah Pindavat”, The Red-hot Iron Ball.

A cold iron ball is a dull, unattractive object. However, in the presence of great heat, it cannot help but glow. We cannot see heat but we see its effect on a ball of iron.

An iron ball when in contact with fire for a long time comes to glow as fire itself, similarly, even though the insentient objects seem to exist only due to Brahman.

Iron though black in color and cold to touch, acquire the redness and heat due to fire. So too the inert and insentient matter like the sun and moon also acquire their illuminating power only due to Brahman.

The iron ball represents creation, and the heat represents the Self. It is the Self that imparts vibrancy and a glow in all creation.

Love.