YogAmRRitaM by R. Visvanatha Sastri - 13

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Before I proceed further, let me make some

corrections, in the last portion of the previous post

(#12) http://www.escribe.com/culture/advaitin/m25466.html

(Delete shloka 144 and whatever follows thereafter in the

previous post. Replace it by the following. The original

text is the same. Only my translation is different. My

corrections have been triggered by Sunderji’s welcome post

http://www.escribe.com/culture/advaitin/m25491.html My

thanks to Sunder-ji) :

 

eShA brAhmIsthitiriti dvitIyAmArurukShati .

ekabhAvasyAsya dArDhyaM vicArAdibhirIhate .. 144 ..

 

Revised Tr.: This is the BrAhmI-sthiti (mentioned at the

end of the second chapter B.G. #II - 72).Thus one takes

the second BhUmikA ( second step out of the seven steps).

The confirmation of the ‘eka-bhAva’ – oneness of everything

-- comes by Persistent Enquiry (VichAra).

 

NOTE: VichAra is the second step, as given in

Mahopanishat. The first step was ‘shubecchA’ (the

auspicious desire that arises from dispassion) as given in

the Upanishat. (See the note under shloka 115 in

YogAmRRitaM -10:

http://www.escribe.com/culture/advaitin/m25386.html )

It was however described as ‘deha-pravrajanaM’ (‘attitude

of exit from the body) by the author. For the benefit of

the reader the other steps as given in the Upanishat are:

3. tanumAnasI – the condition of mind where the attachment

to sense-objects is reduced by means of auspicious desire

and reflection.

4. satvApatti - the mind in the pure sattva, by the

practice of the earlier three stages

5. asamsakti - the developed condition, without even a

trace of involvement, by means of the practice of the four

stages.

6. padArtha-abhAvanA – Resulting from the five stages ,

this stage delights in the spirit firmly by the

non-contemplation of objects internal or external. In other

words the attitude is one of no cognition of anything that

is non-self

7. turyagA – this is the turiiyA

 

Note that here we have a slow motion analysis of what lies

between our three normal states of awareness and the

turIyA.

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__

 

nityavastvetat . anityametat . iti vivekaH kAryaH .

iShTAniShTe, AnukUlya-pratikUle, priyApriye,

preyaHshreyasI , sadasat , eteShAM tattvaM vicAraNIyaM .

sthitvAsyAmantakAle.api ityantya-bhUmikApi sUcyate .

saptasu bhUmikAsvapi akhaNDapUrNa eka-bhAva eva bhAvabhedAH

sopAnatayA ucyante . evaM vedAnta-vicArasya

adhikAri-nirUpaNaM viShayasya sthUlatayA saMkShepena

pratipAdanaM brahmApti tatsaMbandhashca ityanubandhaM

catuShTayamapi samagreNa uktaM adhyAyadvaye.api

shAstrarItyA arghyAntadhyAnavat ..

 

Revised Tr. : Discrimination between what is eternal and

what is ephemeral is to be done. Enquiry is to be pursued

into the

fundamentals that govern likes and dislikes, favourable

and unfavourable, good and bad, real and unreal.

‘Established therein,, even at the end of one’s life’ (B.G.

2nd ch. #72), -- this is indicative also of the last step

(in the sequence of seven steps). In all the seven steps

what is reiterated is the same attitude of Oneness of the

Unfragmented Fullness Absolute. It is described in terms

of seven steps that are only different shades in the bHAva

(attitude). Demarcation of prerequisites for enquiry the

Vedanta way; Concrete delineation in brief of the Subject

of enquiry; object of ‘obtaining’ of brahman; and the

relationship between the Subject and Object. All the four

have been well declared in the two chapters (of the Gita)

like the winding up dhyAna after ‘arghya’.

______________

Now we continue:

 

 

tatkiM karmaNi ghore mAM ityevaM hi vicAryate .

shreyo hetuH pRRicchhyate.atra tRRitIye bhagavanmataM ..

145 ..

 

‘Why me, in this ghastly action ? What will lead to good?

– thus the enquiry goes on, in the third discourse of the

Lord.

___________________

pApaM kathaM ca carati kAmanAheturucyate .

tadvayo mukha eveti rahasyaM cAvatArayoH .. 146 ..

 

We are told about how one commits sin and how one generates

desires and how it has two faces. We are also told (in the

next discourse) the secret of His avatar.

_________________________

aj~nAtvA svasya bhUmAnaM kavayo.apyatra mohitAH .

karmaNAM marma-vij~nAnaM shrIkRRiShNena tathoditaM .. 147

...

 

And Krishna goes on : Without knowing one’s own greatness,

even scholars get confused. And He gives us the secret

science of karma.

_________________________

dehArUDhasyaiva karma vihitaM ninditaM tathA .

deho jaDastvaciddRRishyaM dehI kShetraj~na ucyate .. 148 ..

 

Karma is prescribed or tabooed only for those who are one

with their body. The body is inert, non-intelligent and

belongs to the visible world. The resident of the body

however is called the One who is cognisant of all this.

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jaDasyApi na kartRRitvaM citashcApi na hi kvacit .

jaDe citashca hyAropaH kRRito yena samUDhadhIH .. 149 ..

 

There is no agency of action for an inert body, nor there

is for the Consciousness. On the inert, the conscious has

been superimposed by the ignorant.

____________________________

kartA tvaM kuru karmeti lokabuddhyanuvAdi yat .

tathaiva bhAShayA coktiH shrImadbhagavataH kila .. 150 ..

 

You are the doer; do action – all this is only a statement

in the worldly sense. Krishna uses the language of the

worldly.

______________________________\

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dharmashAstreShu vihitAni karmANi. dehAtma-matInAM kAmataH

pravRRittiH . tadrItyaiva kuru karma ityuktvA kartustava

svAtantryAbhAvAt shAstra-coditamavashyaM kartavyaM ityeva

kuru . tvaM tu vastutaH niShkAmaH niShkrodhaH nirmAnamoha

iti AtmanaH nityashuddha-buddhatvaM vij~nAya

akartRRitva-bhAvanayA yaH karoti saH karteva

dRRishyamAno.api vastutaH akarteva ..

 

Synopsis: The shastras prescribe various karmas. People who

identify themselves with their body involve themselves in

action. ‘Do works’ has been stated only for them. The

‘doer’ who is addressed like this has no freedom of action.

Do only those actions which are sanctioned by the shastras.

In reality, you are desireless, angerless, and without the

bewilderment of mAyA. Thus remaining aware of the

eternality, purity and conscious nature of the Atman,

whoever does action without the I-am-the-doer attitude, he

is actually a non-doer even though he appears to be doing

works.

 

PraNAms to all advaitins and to my father.

profvk

 

 

 

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

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

 

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Free will and Divine will - a dialogue:

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