Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Vivekachudamani- Post 48

विद्वान् स तस्मा उपसत्तिमीयुषे
मुमुक्षवे साधु यथोक्तकारिणे ।
प्रशान्तचित्ताय शमान्विताय
तत्त्वोपदेशं कृपयैव कुर्यात् ॥ ४२ ॥

vidvān sa tasmā upasattimīyuṣe
mumukṣave sādhu yathoktakāriṇe |
praśāntacittāya śamānvitāya
tattvopadeśaṃ kṛpayaiva kuryāt || 42 


To him, who in his anxiety for Liberation, has sought the protection  of the Teacher , who abides by (scriptural) injunctions , who has a serene  mind and who is endowed with tranquility , the Master should pour out  his knowledge with utmost kindness. 


Vidvan- The guru has clearly estimated and judged the student properly and the guru has understood that the śiṣya is qualified for knowledge. Only if the śiṣya is qualified for knowledge, he can give. 


Mumukshu- Here, the teacher finds that the student is tīvraḥ mumukṣu. He is ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of mōkṣa. And that sacrifice alone is represented by sanyāsa āśrama; because a sanyāsi physically sacrifices everything that he can claim as his own. People as well as things. So that sanyāsi mind is required whether a person physically sacrifices or not; that sanyāsi mind is required. And that is there in this student; mumukṣu.


Yathoktakarine-  the one who leads his life in keeping with vēdic instructions. yathōktakāri means vēdōktakāri; the one who obeys the vēdic instructions; the one who is vaidikaḥ.

We require life of involvement to polish our personality and later gradually we should take to a life of withdrawal also,  and this is called yathoktakaari. 

Yatha uktam; uktam means instructed; instructed by what: by vedena; or even you can include guru; by guru. If guru or vēda, whatever has been instructed; he performs. This implicit obedience is also considered a qualification.


Prashantacittaya- the one who has got a tranquil mind; the one who does not get easily upset; the one who has got mental impunity to face ups and downs. In the sādhanā catuṣṭaya saṁpatti language, this is called Kshama.


samanvitaya; here the word śamaḥ should be translated as damaḥ; the word śama should be translated as damaḥ.

The word sama should be translated as damaḥ And what is damaḥ? indriya nigraḥ; sensory discipline. 


upasattimīyuṣē; the one who has approached the teacher properly. Proper approach. The one who has approached; derived from the root, e to go. yeti, yatchathi, to go. This is the fifth qualification, which means the one who has approached guru also.

Even if a man is well restrained and his mind does not get agitated with low thoughts of sensuousness, the philosophy being so subtle, it is not possible for a layman to understand it immediately, in all its deep significance. 

If the Teacher is impatient and has not the kindness to repeat even for the hundredth time, if need be, with equal love and consideration, the student will not be benefitted by the Teacher. 

So the Teacher should take up the job of initiating the student with extreme kindness. 

The word krpa has, unfortunately, no corresponding word in English. It is not merely 'kindness' nor is it a superficial sympathy.  At best, we can say that it is an attitude of sympathy cooked in  kindness, honeyed with love and served on golden platters of  understanding. 


Love