Dakshinamurthy Stotram - Post 12

(He who directly experiences at the time of realization, His own Atman as being one with this Universe)

At this point, we are introduced to the realized person’s experience. The equation for realization is simple, the Maya element has to be removed:

JEEVA – MAYA = ATMAN.

From the viewpoint of realization, the world will certainly appear unreal, as just a reflection before us. And because there is no mirror anymore, whatever we see as the world will be seen as being in the Atman. In other words, the Atman and the Universe will be inseparable. That is the vision of realization.

There is a logical extension of this vision: All Jivas have essentially the same Atman; it is only their unique mirrors that make them appear different. Without that mirror, the realized person will see all Jivas as himself. In fact, he will see all inert objects, too, as himself. 

That is nothing short of being Iswara Himself, the totality of all creation. And the Atman that he realizes, not being connected any more to his individuality, is now no different from Brahman, the supreme, universal Reality. What a shift this is! The realized person transcends his individuality completely and lives in universality.

Upon realization, one gains knowledge of his true Self by recognizing the illusory mischief of Maya and eliminating it, then, for him, “I am Atman” at the individual level, and no different from Brahman at the universal level. So, in fact, I and Brahman are found to be the same Reality. 

Janaka roars in Ashtavakra Gita, thus: -

(Wonderful, Marvelous, In Me, the limitless ocean, the waves of individual selves, according to their nature, arise, jostle about (push / strike each other), play for some time and disappear)

Let us see this verse in depth from different perspective.

When the Jiva perceives this verse in his early stage in sadhana

When the waves are considered as Jivas, with even Janaka may be one of them, then, the whole session on the wave and ocean fits in this verse straight.

However, that is not what is given in this verse.

The absolute level which this verse echoes.

These were the bullet points noted by the author when he went into a very deep contemplation on this verse and he is giving it to the world of seekers as it is.

•       At transcendental level, Janaka cannot perceive anything apart from Him, the limitless ocean.

•       Therefore, all his expressions about all beings arising, jostling, playing and merging in Him, is not possible

•       At the substratum level (Pure Canvas), He cannot come up to the surface level (creation level) to see various beings arising..

•       Even if any being is there, for Him, that being, all beings are not apart from Him the Pure Canvas, substratum.

The way a Guru would teach this to mumukshu sadhakas.

•       Assuming the role of a preceptor, acting as Sadguru for all future mumukshus to come in 1000s of years, He comes down from that transcendental state 

•     And, He says, yes, you may say there is creation, there are various human beings with various vasana levels

•       For you, I must teach that “You, if at all you arise from me, the Pure Canvas and due to ignorance, say that you are different from me, you are Non SELF, then I have to teach you that you may arise, jostle against each other, play ….. but you have to ultimately come and merge in me.

•       Your assuming an identity as wave, apart from me the Pure Canvas, is your ignorance, your misapprehension.

•       But I, if I must see you all, must clearly express that I see you as what you were before arising (before identifying yourself as Jiva, wave, separate from me) or I can say, I see you all as that, after you have merged with me at your final moment of realization.

In both these states, before you were even born or you were just born in your first ever birth, without developing any ego 

Or

After going through all the roller coaster of life in few/many births, when you have discovered SELF and have merged in me the Pure consciousness. 

You (the sum total of “each you”, representing the whole creation) is always same as me, the Pure consciousness/ Atman.

Swami says,

Unity is not Combination, it is a Realization.

What does unity mean? It is not the combination of many; it is the realization of oneness. When you have mirrors all around you, you see your many forms. These are all truth.

The one who asks the question and the one who gives the reply, both are one and the same. All are one. The same person appears in many forms. To consider these forms as different from each other is a mistake.

(Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.42/Ch.19)

 

(To that “Realized One”, The Revered Form of the Guru, do I offer my salutation; He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurthy)

This Pada or the 4th line, common to all the verses, is the basic line of salutation to the Guru, who is addressed in the context of this verse as the “Realized One”, known as Sri Dakshinamurthy.

All the three references to the Lord (Tasmai and Moortaye (moortaye appearing twice)) are to indicate who is saluted. This indicates that they are terms to be regarded on an equal footing. 

This implies that the Guru and the Lord Himself are on equal footing. The Guru is being saluted as an embodiment of the Lord. This is the attitude of an ideal student.

Any realized Guru will never equate himself with God on his own. 

But in his perfection, in his utmost purity, in his absolute desire less ness, in his love, in his compassion, in his existence as  pure existence, awareness, bliss, the experience gained by few sincere disciple is exactly the same as that which they get when they are in divine presence of God. 

To such an ideal disciple, his realized master gives the assurance, “If  the guru has realized SELF, then the  disciple can also realize SELF. 

In fact, the disciple, irrespective of his shortcoming, his vasanas, his ego, is ever the pure SELF. This purity of the disciple is reflected in the mirror (SELF) which the Master exists as. 

Love.