Dhyana
shloka - 4
To the abode of all learning, to the healer of all who suffer the
disease of Samsara, to the teacher of the whole world, to That Sri
Dakshinamurti, do I offer my salutations!
A tribute is paid to the teacher of the knowledge which heals us from the disease of Samsara. The Teacher who imparts that knowledge is offered salutation:
Sarva Vidyaanaam: “all learning”. Indian culture places all learning on a very high pedestal, whether it is secular or scriptural. Any learned person is honored for his learning, quite apart from any other quality he may possess.
The treasure is not with reference to the material wealth such as Gold, Platinum or Diamonds. Rather, treasure among all forms of knowledge.
Is it possible for you to have a vast treasure of Gold or Diamonds and still be miserable in life? Many people are. Having material wealth is no guarantee for happiness in life.
In fact, it is not hard to make an argument that too much wealth will make you miserable. Obviously not enough wealth will make you suffer. But similarly, too much wealth also leads to suffering.
Since material wealth cannot guarantee peace, happiness, and contentment in life, what can guarantee is spiritual wisdom.
Swami: “Tell me what you understand about ‘Prajnanam Brahma’.”
Devotee: “Swami, ‘Knowledge is God’. Prajnanam means ‘knowledge’ and Brahma is God. So, it means, ‘Knowledge is God’.”
Swami: “There are four forms of knowledge. First is Jnana, second is Vijnana, third is Sujnana and fourth is Prajnana.
First, Jnana, what is Jnana? All information, all knowledge, all worldly information is Jnana. Everyone has this. Material knowledge, secular knowledge, education, humanities, science, technology -- that is all Jnana.”
Second, Vijnana. Vijnana is the knowledge based on investigation, cause and effect, experimentation, observation, and inference. So, Vijnana is science and technology. Jnana, Vijnana the third one is Sujnana. What is Sujnana? Sujnana is spiritual knowledge.”
“The fourth one is Prajnana. What is Prajnana? Prajnana is your very being. Prajnana is your very Self. Prajnana is awareness. Prajnana is ‘Constant Integrated Awareness’. That Supreme Self, knowledge of the Self, awareness of the Self, the very core of your life, the very being of your life, that is called Prajnana. That Prajnanam Brahma, that Prajnana is Divine. That’s the reason why Vedanta says, ‘You are the Children of Immortality. You are the Children of Eternity. You are the embodiments of Divine Atma.’”
Bhava Roginaam: “the disease of worldliness (literally of existence)”. The view of the world is that we are suffering it as a disease if we do not use our existence to progress towards God, towards Oneness with the Lord in everything.
Na hanyate hanyamane sarire (BG 2.20).
After the annihilation of this body the soul does not die. He accepts another body. This is our disease. This is called bhava-roga. Bhava-roga means material disease.
We exhaust or wear ourselves out or make ourselves sick, by seeking / chasing happiness, peace and contentment in all the wrong places. Typically, this wrong search takes place outside in the external world. The true source of happiness is found within oneself. Shri Dakshinamurti himself is the one who revels in one’s own self.
The moment the knowledge given by the Guru penetrates our heart, the world is no longer seen as a disease, but as a medicine that cures us of it.
There is no pessimism in this view. It is the view which always looks optimistically at the world to remind us of the highest. The knowledge of God is such that it compels us to view the world as the manifestation of God. The world remains as before, but our outlook is healed of worldliness. There can be nothing more positive than this.
That is why Shri Dakshinamurti is worshipped as the medicine for this illness. He cures the illness by removing the ignorance to reveal the knowledge.
Sarva Lokanaam: “Teacher of the whole world”. This clearly means something very symbolic. It is not referring to a person, but to a principle of learning that has taken a human embodiment and to whom we relate as a disciple. We need the attitude of discipleship towards the universal Teacher. This means keeping ourselves open to learn from all our encounters in the world. In other words, the teacher of the whole world, really means the whole world is our teacher.
Dakshinamurthaye namah: Salutations are offered to such a Guru again and again during meditation. It is the means, by which the meditator connects himself to the Lord within. An attitude of adoration and surrender to the inner Guru is conveyed in this last line of the verse.
“Satchitananda” is the common name for all of us and everything. Satchitananda is our own essential name. And that is the real Guru within. That essence is what you call Satchitananda. It is divided into three parts: Sat, Chit, Ananda. Sat is existence, Chit is knowledge; the Truth revealed. And then by knowing that, the outcome is Ananda or bliss.
For example, wood pulp exists. That is the Sat. Then it expresses as a piece of paper. The existence expresses, so you get the Chit, the knowledge of it. And then when you use it, you have the Ananda. So, existence‑knowledge‑bliss.
The Guru within you is Satchitananda. It directs you continuously. We call that the antar Atma, the inner Self which constantly guides you. It is your conscience. “Be true to your Self,” we say. That is the Self. Listen to that Self!
Love.
