Vivekachudamani - Post 19

 Verse 13   

 

अर्थस्य निश्चयो दृष्टो विचारेण हितोक्तितः ।
न स्नानेन न दानेन प्राणायमशतेन वा ॥ १३ ॥

 

arthasya niścayo dṛṣṭo vicāreṇa hitoktitaḥ |
na snānena na dānena prāṇāyamaśatena vā || 13 ||

 

(Neither sacred baths nor any amount of charity nor even hundreds of pranayamas can give us the knowledge about our own Self but a firm experience of the nature of the Self can be gained when we send our thoughts along the rails of arguments laid down in the salutory advices of the wise.) 

 

In the previous verse, Sankara said enquiry alone can give knowledge. Here he emphasises nothing else can give knowledge. 

 

When you say enquiry alone can give knowledge it is a positive statement called anvaya; nothing else can give knowledge is stressing that negative.

 

Here again we find the superficial methods of easy religious practices condemned. Since the student is a Vedantin, Sankara's efforts are to show him the right and direct path. In thus indicating to the student the correct path, every Master has to be very severe in his criticism of the by-lanes of religion. No doubt, they too can help in the progress of the individual, but they are all primary lessons. 

 

External methods of self-purification such as baths at the sacred confluences of rivers, visits to various temples and other sacred places, desire prompted or even unselfish charities, exercises such as breath control and  asanas are wholly condemned as they would not take one to Moksha. 

 

The hasty convert to Vedanta suddenly finds it very convenient to give up every religious practice and call himself an accomplished Vedantin. This attitude also has no sanction in the Master's advice. 

 

Here it is said, snanena would not give mokṣa; It is never said that snanena will not give anything; It not only purifies the body; as it is done with Ishvara samaraṇam; it purifies the mind also. Similarly we never condemn praṇayama; praṇayama is extremely wonderful practice; to tone up the annamaya kosa; to tone up the praṇamaya kosa; to tone up the mano maya kosa; 

 

Vedanta does not question the validity and role of praṇayama; But after integrating through praṇayama; come to sastra. That is to be done. 

 

While condemning these preliminaries, he is, at the same time, very strict and severe in prescribing the more subtle and intense practices of Vedanta. For a Vedantin, he prescribes correct thinking and continuous self-analysis. Merely giving up the usual methods of religious discipline is not the Vedanta prescribed by the Acharya. 

 

If at all they are to be given up, it is only after greater abhyasa called 'vichara'. This atma-vichara is not to be done in any manner that pleases the individual. There is an exact method of correct and intense thinking and this method is advised in the scriptures. Therefore, vichara, undertaken as taught by the rishis (hitoktitah), alone can take us ultimately to our redemption.

 

In the previous verse, we said, Sastras / scriptures are like a torchlight which throws light on reality.

 

Here also what is the extra torch light; hitoktitah; hitaḥ means guru; a well-wisher; a guide; a support is called hitaḥ; literally one who is a well-wisher, Hitoktitah means guru vakyeṇa; and what is the guru vakyam? the extra torchlight.

So in the previous sloka, we said sastram vakyam is the extra light; here we say guru vakyam is extra light; we do not make any difference between sastra vakyam and guru vakyam; because guru is by definition one who teaches based on sastra.

 

Love.