YogAmRRitaM by R. Visvanatha Sastri - 1

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Namaste.

 

Note: For an Introduction, see

http://www.escribe.com/culture/advaitin/m25159.html

atha pa~nchamAshvAsaH

 

Now begins the fifth chapter.

yogAtmikA tu yA vidyA shAstrato dhii prachodanaM .

kRRiShNa-yogeshvareNoktaM yogashAstramitiiritaM .. 1..

 

The YogAtmikA Learning that arises from the scriptures and

prompts our intellects and that was taught by the great

yogeshvara Lord Krishna is known as the yogashAstra (of the

Gita).

_______________

 

apratyaxe shrutaM sAxAt sa~njayena mahAtmanA .

pratyakparacito-raikyayoga eva vivaxitaH .. 2..

 

It was heard indirectly by no less a person than the great

Sanjaya. It is known as the yoga of identity between the

Immanent Absolute and the spark of consciousness inside.

_________

 

shraddhA bhaktii tanmanastvaM shreShTa-yogasya laxaNaM .

shraddhA-bhakti-dhyAna-yogAt iti shrutyanuvAditaH .. 3 ..

 

Shraddha (Faith), Devotion-cum dedication (Bhakti) and

Oneness in mind with the Absolute constitute the

definition of the highest Yoga. The scriptures testify

“...By means of the yoga of shraddhA, bhakti and dhyAna”.

____

 

 

sAdhana-trayarUpeNa upeyaM sAdhya-muchyate .

upAyopeya-bhUtAtma niShTAdvaya-miheritaH .. 4 ..

 

By means of the three kinds (shraddhA, bhakti and dhyAna)

of SadhanAs, the goal is said to be reachable. The

interlocking of the goal and the means has been declared to

be constituted of two processes.

________________

 

tatropeyaM sA~Nkhyamiti upAyo yoga iShyate .

samyak khyAtaM yatra tattvaM tat sA~NkhyaM iti gamyate .. 5

...

 

The goal is called “sAnkhyaM” and the means is called

“yogaM”. That theory which is expounded to perfection is

known as “sAnkhyaM”.

_____________

 

buddhiyogo rAjayogaH dhiireNaiveSha sAdhyate .

yogaM vinA cha yat karma nikRRiShTatama-muchyate .. 6 ..

 

Only the brave ones achieve ‘buddhiyoga’ and ‘rajayoga’.

Action done without yoga is at the bottom of the scale.

______________

 

yogaM sA~NkhyaM chaikamiti brahmAtmaikatva-darshanaM .

shrutyA virudhyamAnaM yat na grAhyamiti tad-vidaH .. 7 ..

 

The vision of identity of brahman and Atman is to see

yogaM and sAnkhyaM as one. Those who know recommend the

rejection of what is contrary to scriptures.

__

 

nirguNaH puruShaH pUrNaH sA~Nkhyairabhyupagamyate .

pravrajyAdupadeshena yogabhAgo.api saMmataH .. 8 ..

 

The Fullness that is the Absolute Attributeless is obtained

by sAnkhyaM . And it is equally in the reach of yoga by the

teaching of renunciation.

_____

 

 

Atmaikya-j~nAna-pratipAdaka-taittiriiya-samhitA-chaturtha-kANDArambhe

samAdhi-prArthanAyAM vareNya-sarvAtma-jyotiShyeva yunjAnaH

prathamaM tattvAya ityArabhyate . j~nAnAgni-kANDa-mevaitat

.. agniriti abhito gamyamAnaM vastu ekaM j~nAnAkhyaM .

tadeva tattvaM . tatpada-tvaM-padayo-raikya-meva buddhau

samyag-AdhIyate iti samAdhi-ruchyate . agna AyAhi vItaye

RRita.N satyaM . bRRihaspate savitur-bodhayainaM . kasmai

devAya iti aShTau mantrAH . viShNoH kramosi . apAM tve

manthAdayAmi . rashmirasi xayAya . namaste rudra .

ashmannUrjaM . agnA viShNU . chaturtha-pa~nchamakANDayoreva

prashna-saptaka iti taddhetuH vichAraNIyaH .

puruSha-vaibhavaM vishva-rUpatayAvasthAnamiti rahasyaM ..

 

Synopsis: The knowledge of Oneness with the Atman is

taught everywhere in the shruti. Several quotes justify

this.

_______

(To be Continued)

 

PraNAms to all advaitins on the list and to my father.

profvk

 

 

 

 

 

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

 

You are welcome to have a look at any of the following books on my website:

http://www.geocities.com/profvk

 

1. Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision & Practice

2. Live Happily, the Gita Way

3. Advaita Dialogue for beginners.

4. Discourses of the Paramacharya on Soundaryalahari.

[Guest guest]

Namaste

 

Ravi Mayavaram writes (in a personal note):

*Will you please post a detailed translation of the

paragraph in prose after shloka No.8? A detailed

explanation how the quotes given therein exactly fit in

the context, will be helpful. And the definition of samadhi

given therein is beautiful --

"tatpada-tvaM-padayo-raikya-meva buddhau samyag-AdhIyate

iti samAdhi-ruchyate" *

---------------------

Thank you Ravi for prompting me to go back to the text.

Yes, I did neglect to elaborate on that prose commentary

following the first 8 shlokas. But the neglect was more

because the passage was difficult. But after your prompting

I read through it carefully. The definition of Samadhi

given therein should at least have been translated . So

here is my attempt at an overall translation of the whole

paragraph. Even then it is only one step better than a

synopsis. It is not a complete translation. And after the

translation below you have my remarks expressing my

bafflement at the contents of the paragraph and its

significance. ‘Translation’ begins:

_______________________________

Right in the beginning of the fourth Kanda of Taittiriya

Samhita (of the Yajur Veda) the Veda text begins with the

words *yunjAnaH prathamaM tatvAya*. The purpose is to offer

a prayer in praise of samAdhi (samAdhi-prArthanA). SamAdhi

itself is nothing but the perfect fixation of the intellect

in the oneness of the word ‘tat’ ( ‘That’) and the word

‘tvaM’ (‘You’) . SamAdhi comes from ‘samyak AdhIyate’

(perfectly fixes). The fourth kANDa of Yajur veda has

seven chapters. The respective beginnings of the chapters

are:

*yunjAnaH prathamAM tatvAya* : First uniting the mind with

the tatva that is the absolute Effulgence.

*viShNoH kramo’si* : You are the step of Vishnu.

*apAM tv emaM sAdhayAmi* : I place thee in the waters

*rashmirasi kShayAya* : Thou art the ray, for kShaya (=?)

*namaste rudra* : Prostrations to Rudra

*ashmannUrjaM * : The strength resting on the stone

*agnA viShNU* : Oh Agni and Vishnu

 

It is significant that both the fourth and fifth Kandas are

the only ones wihich have seven chapters. The reason for

this should be researched. The glory of the Person within

is the establishment in the Infinite – that is the secret.

___________

 

Translation ends.

 

Note by VK: Thus goes the paragraph. Except for the

definition of the word samAdhi, all other things mentioned

above are perplexing. My father used to go through the

Vedas repeatedly. In his lectures he used to quote from the

Vedas and bring out their advaitic meaning. The book that

he used is still with me. It is full of marginal notes by

him. All in Sanskrit language in the grantha script. At the

beginning of the fourth kAnDa (which has been referred to

above) the margin has the words *samAdhi prArthanA* written

by him. This shows his mind has been working along these

lines long before he wrote this mss. Why he has quoted the

beginnings of the seven chapters of the fourth KANDa ,

beats me. And the reference to the number seven of the

total number of chapters in the 4th and 5th kANDa, and the

claim for its great significance is also more

perplexing. I am glad I was able to connect these seven

quotations with the beginnings of the seven chapters. But

the other quotations perhaps come from Rig Veda. I am only

guessing.

 

Well, here is enough food for scholarly research! Anyway

my thanks to Ravi for prompting me to go back to the mss.

and write this much.

 

PraNAms to all the advaitins on this list and to my father.

profvk

 

 

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

 

You are welcome to have a look at any of the following books on my website:

http://www.geocities.com/profvk

 

1. Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision & Practice

2. Live Happily, the Gita Way

3. Advaita Dialogue for beginners.

4. Discourses of the Paramacharya on Soundaryalahari.