YogAmRRitaM by R. Visvanatha Sastri - 10

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Namaste

 

vyomAtItamidaM sarvaM mano vai gaganAkRRiti .

j~nAnaM yathAkAsha-kalpaM tathA brahmAdi devatAH .. 111 ..

 

Space pervades everything. Mind is like space. All

knowledge is an effect on this mind-space – even Gods like

BrahmA. ( Can some one suggest a better translation

than this? – V.K.)

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manaH prashamanopAyo yoga ityabhidhIyate .

Atmaikya-j~nAnayogasya sApta-bhUmikamuchyate .. 112 ..

 

The process of stilling the mind is called yoga. For the

yoga of Atmaikya-jnAna, there are seven steps.

 

Note by VK: The several shlokas (a hundred or so) that

follow dwell on these seven steps. I think the author’s

source for these seven steps is the fifth chapter of

“Mahopanishad” which mentions these seven steps. I have

heard him say that of all the 108 Upanishads “Mahopanishad”

is his most favourite Upanishad.

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yoga-bhUmi-samArUDhAH brahmAtmaikatva-darshinaH .

AtmArAmA mahAtmAnaH daivIM prakRRitimAshritAH .. 113 ..

 

niyataM karma kurvantaH pUrvAchAra-kramAgataM .

svaprakAshA yogavidaH mahAnto bhAskarA iva .. 114 ..

 

The(se) great souls (who have ascended the seven steps)

are well established in yoga. They have the vision of the

Oneness of the Atman and brahman. They rejoice in the glory

of the Atman. They are endowed with the daivI prakRRiti

(of the Gita). They do the duties prescribed for them

according to the norms of tradition. They are a Light unto

themselves. They are the ones who know about yoga .

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ekabhAvaj~nAnasyaiva sAtvikatvAt tat-pratipAdakatvAcca

gItAyAH etatpratibandhakAtmaka-manasaH shAntiH yathA

sAdhyate tatsAdhanameva yoga ityuchyate . vastutaH manaH

gaganAkRRiti tathApi svasya gaganAkAratAM vihAya

tadAropita-vyApArAsaktaM yadA bhavati tadA

tatprashamanArthaM yatnaH Avashyako bhavati . gaganAkAraM

manaH cidambarajyotireva amanaskaM ..

 

In fact the space-like character of the mind is traded by

the mind for mundane attachments. It is to reverse this

behaviour of the mind that effort is necessary. The

knowledge of Oneness is so subtle that this character of

the mind is an obstacle to that knowledge. The effort made

to remove the obstacle nature of the mind is called yoga.

When the mind is stilled, the space-like mind becomes the

great effulgence of the space of Consciousness.

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dehAtpravrajanAkhyeti prathamA bhUmikochyate .

na tvevAhamiti shloke dehapravrajanaM smRRitaM ..115 ..

 

The exit from the body-thought is said to be the First step

(‘bhUmikA’). The shloka ‘na tvevAhaM’ (in the very

beginning of the 2nd ch. of the Gita) reminds us of this

First step.

 

Note: In mahopanishad, the first bhUmikA is mentioned as:

The right desire that arises on the basis of dispassion

(‘vairAgya-pUrvam-icchA’). The author’s paraphrase of this

as ‘The exit from the body-thought’ is characteristic of

the esoteric way in which he reads and understands all the

scriptures – including epics like the Ramayana and the

Mahabharata. Some of the the other bhUmikAs also are, in

a sense, differently worded from the ones listed in the

Upanishad.

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nAhaM dehendriyAdIti dehAdvyutthAnamiShyate .

cidAtmani sadAnande dehArUDhAmahaMdhiyaM .. 116 ..

 

The conviction that ‘I am neither the body nor the senses’

is considered as ‘exit’ from the body. The ‘I’-thought here

should be on the Consciousness-Bliss, that is the Atman,

instead of on the body.

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niveshya li~NgamutsRRijya kaivalyapadamAshritaH .

AkAsha-sadRRishe pUrNe yu~njetAtmAnamomiti .. 117 ..

 

Discarding even the subtle body, and ‘sitting’ in that

platform of kaivalya, one unifies himself with the Atman,

with the fullness like that of Space.

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divyadRRiShTyA pravrajitaH kuryAt pArAyaNAdikA .

saccidrUpasya nityatvaM anyeShAm cApyanityatA .. 118 ..

 

Having exited by this divine illumination, keep doing all

your karmas like pArAyaNa etc. that remind you of the

eternity of Consciousness and the ephemerality of all else.

 

Note by VK: I have observed my father was doing all his

ritualistic pUjas and pArAyaNas meticulously till the last

day of his life.

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saccidrUpA vayaM sarve deha-prANa vilakShaNAH .

saccidrUpe hyavasthAnaM dehapravrajanAt paraM .. 119 ..

 

Once having exited from the body-thought, we should remain

in the awareness of that Consciousness – which is our real

Nature. It is totally different from the body or the

accessory prANas.

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avinAshi ca tadrUpaM yena sarvamidaM tataM .

videhAshca vayaM sarve acchhedyatvAdilakShaNaH .. 120 ..

 

That real nature and form of ours is imperishable. It is

that which permeates everywhere. Our form has no body, it

has the characteristics like ‘uncuttable ..’ etc.

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dehAdyaiH sahasaM jAtaH dehAdiShvabhimAninaH .

mRRityugrastA ime sarve ato vyutthAnamiShyate .. 121 ..

 

We were born with the body and the senses; and we are

attached to them. But all of them are in the grip of death.

That is why we have to ‘exit’ from them.

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aprameyaM svasvarUpaM tanniShTo na hi muhyati .

ahaM mameti yo mohaH deha-bhrAntyA kRRito hi saH .. 122 ..

 

One who is established in the immeasurable Self has no

delusions. The delusion of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’ arises because of

the ‘I am-the-body’ thought.

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gacchhAmi tiShTAmIti dehe ahaMbhAvanA mama dehaH

indriyANIti mamatva-bhAvanA tatra tatra abhimAnaH sArvA

janInaH evaM dehArUDhAM dhiyaM dehAdibhyaH pratinivartya

cidambara-svarUpAtmA ahameva

sthUla-sUkShmakAraNadeha-vilakShaNo.ahaM mahAn vyApI

pratyakcidambarajyotirahaM iti bhAva-dArDhyameva dehAt

pravrajanaM . etadeva prathamataH saMpAdya anantaraM

gRRihAt pravrajanti prAcInAH vidvAmsaH AvashyakaM

bhavedyadi tadapi deho.ahamiti buddhireva

mahAsaMsAramityuktatvAt dehendriyAdiShu vairAgyaM yama iti

aShTA~Ngayogasya prathama-bhUtatvAt eShA buddhiH Adau

abhyasanIyA . etadarthameva karmAdi vihitaM .

dehabhrAnti-parityAgapUrvaM asmAt dRRishya-jAtAt samutthAya

parajyotiH prapattiH tattAdAtmyabhAvasthitireva

videha-muktiryA shAstreShu pratipAdyate saiva mAmekaM

akhaNDaM vyApakaM sharaNaM vrajeti

antimashlokokta-tanniShTatAkhya-yogamAroDhuM

prathama-sopAnaM upadeshArambha eva dvitIyAdhyAye gItaM ..

 

Synopsis: What does it mean to ‘exit’ from the body? The

thought ‘I am doing’, ‘I am going’, ‘I am standing’ etc.

is the ‘I-thought’. The thought ‘This is my body’, ‘These

are my senses’ etc. is the ‘Mine-thought’. All mortals

have these two thoughts. Rescinding them if one is

immersed in the conviction that ‘I am Conscious-Bliss’,

that will be ‘exit’ from the body-thought. This is the

first step to be achieved in the Atmaikya-j~nAna yoga. Even

in ashTAnga yoga, it is control of the senses (‘yama’) that

is given as the first step. It is for this ‘exit’ from

the body-thought that karmas have been ordained. It is

directly in tune with the final teaching of the Gita where

one is required to surrender everything of his to the

Absolute. And the first step is therefore enunciated as

‘deha-pravrajanaM’ (exit from the body thought) right in

the 2nd chapter of the Gita.

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Atmaikya-j~nAna-viduShAM na shoko moha eva vA .

akhaNDastvaM mahAn bhUmA kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 123 ..

 

asaddeho vinAshIti adehastvaM ca svAkRRitiH .

tejasvI cAprameyo.asi kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 124 ..

 

janigatyAdihIno.asi ShaDvikAra-vivarjitaH .

nityaH sarvagataH sthANuH kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 125 ..

 

jAtasya hi dhruvo mRRityuH tvaM na jAtaH kadAcana .

anAdikAla-siddho.asi kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 126 ..

 

mathyate.amRRitasAraM yat vyAvahArika-vaibhave .

amRRitodadhi-rUpasya kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 127 ..

 

na vadhyastvaM na hantAsi j~nAnAkArasvarUpataH .

tripuTyabhAnAtpUrNo.asi kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 128 ..

yadRRicchhayA pUrva-bhAgyAt upapannastavAhavaH .

labdha-yuddhAvakAshastvaM kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 129 ..

 

brAhmaNAnAM tu yo nityaH mahimA tava ceritaH .

bhakto.asi me sakhA ceti kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 130 ..

 

Synopsis: What do you lose by fighting? There is no sorrow

or delusion for one who has the Atmaikya-j~nAna. Your

reality is the vast expanse. You are the Immeasurable

Reality. It is the non-real body that perishes. You are

beyond birth and death and the six vikAras. He who is born

has to die; but You have been there from eternity. Even in

the midst of mundane happenings like the turbulences of the

wave only the ocean remains. You cannot be killed nor are

you the killer. Devoid of the trinity of Satva, Rajas and

Tamas, you are the Fullness. By your good fortune this

opportunity of war has emerged. The glory of those who

know brahman is also with you. You are my devotee and

friend. What do you lose by fighting?

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svadharma-bhUta-yuddha-karaNAt pApasaMbhavaH AgamiShyatIti

yA bhrAntiH sA dehAbhimAna-kRRitA .

anAdikAla-vAsanAja-bhrAntiH dhIreNa savyasAcinA

parihartavyA . sharIrendriyAdi-ceShTayA

cidAkAsha-bhUtastvaM kathaM spRRishyate .

vAcistha-agni-shabdAt dahyate kiM . sUrya-prabhA yathA

spraShTuM na shakyate tathaiva tava svarUpamapi . ataH

svasvarUpaM samyak vij~nAya anubhUyatAm yuddhAdi-kAryeShu .

tasmAdyuddhasveti punaruktirapi AtmanaH

sarvakAryAspRRiShTatvaM dRRiDhayati . vihitaananuShTAnAt

pAtityaM shrutavatA tvayA kathaM tatparityaktuM prayatyate

.. kutastvA kashmalamiti etAdRRishamahAviduSho

bhAgyashAlinaH tava mauDhyaM sarvathA na sama~njasaM ..

 

Synopsis: The War came up because of the need to protect

dharma. But your argument that sin will accrue to you is

based on your attachment to yourself as Arjuna. By saying

‘fire’ the tongue does not get burnt. By doing your war

with the clear conviction that you are not the body, mind,

etc., how can anything touch you?

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

profvk

 

 

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

New on my website, particularly for beginners in Hindu philosophy:

 

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