YogAmRRitaM by R. Visvanatha Sastri - 17

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Namaste.

 

j~nAnajyotiH svarUpashca draShTavyo divya-cakShuShA .

samatva-bhAvanAyogaH priyo dveShyo yathA nahi .. 178 ..

 

The effulgence of the Absolute is to be seen by divine

sight. This sight is the yoga of the attitude of equanimous

view of friend or foe.

 

sarvatrAhamakarteti samataivAvashiShyate .

patra-puShpAdyarpaNena samA bhaktishca gRRihyate .. 179 ..

 

The attitude of ‘I am never the doer’ implies only this

equanimity. The offering of flower or leaf to the Almighty

is another expression of Equanimity.

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brahmArpaNam brahma-haviH ityevaM samatoditA .

ananyatvena bhajanaM samatvAdamRRitasya hi .. 180 ..

 

The Gita also mentions only this equanimity in its IV – 24

(*brahmArpaNaM brahma haviH ..*). The AbsoluteNectar has to

be propitiated with a one-pointed devotion because

everything is the same as that One.

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pa~ncAmRRitasya sevAyAM samatvaM gIyate.api ca .

dRRishyaM nAsti sadadvaite iti sAmyaM hi gIyate .. 181 ..

 

The puja ritual of the five amRRita’s, namely the five

deities, also has its authenticity from this Oneness.

Granted non-duality, what is seen does not exist; this only

sings the glory of the Oneness.

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duHkhAdiShvaprakaMpyatvaM santuShTiryena kenacit .

adveShTRRitvAdi dharmo.api samatvadyotako hi saH .. 182 ..

 

To be unperturbed by sorrows, to be satisfied with whatever

comes, to be devoid of all hatred – all these are only

different facets of Equanimity.

 

Note: Recall *duHkheshvanudvigna-manAH* (II – 56);

*santuShTo yena kena cit* (XII – 19); *adv eShTA

sarva-bhUtAnAM* (XII – 13).

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AtmA sarvatra nirlepaH iti sAmaiva gIyate .

AtmA ca sarva-bhUtasthaH iti sAmaiva gIyate .. 183 ..

 

The Atman is never contaminated by anything. It is resident

of every being. This is nothing but the song of Equanimity.

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sarva-bhUta-hRRidistho yaH sama Ishvara eva hi .

loShTAshma-kA~ncanAdInAM samatvaM gIyate dhiyA .. 184 ..

 

The One Absolute which resides in every heart is the same

always. That which regards a tile, a stone and a piece of

gold with equanimity is the Gita’s music of samatva

attitude.

 

Note: Recall *Ishvaras-sarva-bhUtAnAM hRRiddesherjuna

tiShTati* (XVIII – 61); *sama-loShTAshma-kAnchanaH* (XIV –

24, VI – 8).

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nindAstutyapamAnAdi samatvaM bhAvyatAmiti .

yaj~ne tapasi dAnAdau sadbhAvassamatApradaH .. 185 ..

 

Whether it is blame or praise or dishonour let all be

received equally. The expression of ‘sat’ as in yajna, or

tapas or giving is only an expression of Equality.

 

Note: Gita XVII-24, 25, 26:

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samatvArtho hyeka-bhAvaH sAtvika-j~nAna-lakShaNaM .

sarvAdhAraH svabhUmaiva yatra nAnyaditi shrutiH .. 186 ..

 

The meaning of equality is Oneness. That is the identifying

mark of satvika-jnAna. The substratum for everything is

one’s own Effulgence. There is nothing else – this is the

vedic declaration.

 

Note : ‘yatra nAnyat pashyati ...’ comes from Chandogya

Upanishad.(VII – 24 – 1)

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j~nAnenaiva hi buddhyante ato j~nAnamayA jaDAH .

j~nAnAkRRiti-jaDeShveva kathaM ca jaDa-bhAvanaM .. 187 ..

 

The Ignorant are woken up only by the (light of)

Knowledge; so they are themselves stores of Knowledge. When

they are thus full of Knowledge, where comes the feeling of

Ignorance?

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sarvasya j~nAna-pUrNatvAt na hi jADhyaM ca yoginaH .

jaDasya cittvaMbhAvena cidbhAvAtpUrNatAmiyAt .. 188 ..

 

For a Yogi there is no Ignorance (of perception), for he

sees everything as the Infinite. The Ignorant by a change

of attitude become the chit (Consciousness) and from that

the state of Fullness.

 

Note: This is not a good translation!

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nistraiguNyasya sAmyatvAt bhAvashuddhirapekShitA .

ceShTitAnyeva rUpANi yAni shabdAtmakAnyapi .. 189 ..

 

By the equanimous balance of the state of Guna-lessness,

attitudinal purification arises. Forms are associated with

whatever is given a name.

 

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sarvaM pratiShTitaM vAci bahirvAcAM ca nAstvaraM .

samatvadarshinAM naiva vyaktayo dRRiShTi-gocarAH .. 190 ..

 

Everything gets identified by words. Let not there be any

difference in external words. Those who see Equanimity

everywhere do not visualise objects as distinct.

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dRRiShTyA khalu jagatsarvaM bahudhA ca pratIyate .

dRRiShTyA dRRiShTAshca viShayAH nArhanti dhyAtumeva hi ..

191 ..

 

Only by our perception the universe appears to be

multifold. All objects are seen only as such by our

perception. They are not fit to be thought as such(in the

mind).

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dhyAyato viShayAn puMsaH buddhinAshashca gIyate .

AdhyAtmikAnAM mantrANAM dhyAnAcca mananAdapi .. 192 ..

niraha~NkAriNaH shAntAH vyoma-sAmyAdgata-vyathAH .

pa~ncamI bhUmikArUDhAH suShupta-pada-bhAginaH .. 193 ..

 

The moment you think about them, there follows the fall of

the intellect – so says the Gita. By thinking about and

meditating on the mantras pertaining to the Atman one

attains peace, rid of all ego. All sorrows vanish into

space. Thus one ascends the fifth bhUmikA and also the

sleep state.

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bhAvenaiva samatvaM khyAyate na tu sthUla-ghaTAdInAM .

varNAshramAdInAM ca . ete mAyA-kalpitAH . AtmA sadA

bodha-rUpaH eko vyApakashca . bheda-pratIteH dRRiShTireva

kAraNaM . sthUla-dRRiShTiM niyamya sUkShma-dRRiShTyA

stheyaM . bAlo.ayaM rAmaH sUkShma-dRRiShTyA vishvAmitrAdi

tapaH sthitaiH anubhUtaH pratyakShataH ..

 

Synopsis: The above constitutes one of the most

beautiful blocks of shlokas from the author of

GitAmRRita-mahodadhi. Shlokas 177 to 193 wax eloquent on

‘asamsakti’, the developed condition, without even a trace

of involvement, attained by means of the practice of the

four earlier stages. The author portrays this asamsakti as

the Equanimity (‘samatva’) that is the expression of this

developed condition. The equanimity is one of attitude not

to be taken literally in terms of physical objects or in

terms of people and their varNas and Ashramas. The Self is

always of the form of Consciousness – the one thing which

has pervaded everywhere. The appearance of difference is

due to our own perception. One has to discard the physical

vision and stay in the inner subtle vision. The boy Rama

was seen to be the absolute by the subtle vision of Sages

like Vishvamitra.

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PraNAms to all advaitins and to my father.

Profvk.