Sri Ramana's Introduction to Sankara's Drik Drisya Viveka

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This is the introductory verse and the introduction written by Sri Ramana

Maharshi

to His translation in Tamil of Sri Shankara's Drik Drisya Viveka:

 

Oh thou divine Shankara,

Thou art the Subject,

That has knowledge

of subject and object.

Let the subject in me be destroyed

As subject and object.

For thus in my mind arises

The light as the single Siva.

 

"Brahman is only one and non-dual" declare the Srutis.

Since Brahman is the sole reality, according to advaita, how is it

that Brahman is not apparent to us, whereas the prapancha (world,

i.e. non-Brahman) is so vivid? Thus questions the advanced sadhaka.

 

In one's own Self, which is no other than Brahman, there is a mysterious

power known as avidya (ignorance) which is beginningless and not separate

from the Self. Its characteristics are veiling, and presentation of diversity.

Just as the pictures in a cinema, though not visible either in sunlight or

in darkness, become visible in a spot of light in the midst of darkness,

so in the darkness of ignorance there appears the reflected light of the

Self, illusory and scattered, taking the form of thought.

This is the primal thought known as the ego, Jiva or karta (doer),

having the mind as the medium of its perceptions.

 

The mind has a store of latent tendencies which it projects as the object

of a shadow-show in the waking and dream state. This show, however, is

mistaken for real by the jiva. The veiling aspect of the mind first hides the

real nature of the Self and then presents the objective world to view.

 

Just as the waters of the ocean do not seem different from the waves,

so also for the duration of objective phenomena, the Self, though itself the

sole being, is made to appear not different from them.

 

Turn away from the delusion caused by latent tendencies and false notions

of interior and exterior. By such constant practice of sahaja samadhi,

the veiling power vanishes and the non-dual Self is left over to shine forth

as Brahman itself. This is the whole secret of the advaita doctrine as taught

by the master to the advanced sadhaka.

 

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in: The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi

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