Kanchi Maha-Swamigal's Discourses on Advaita Saadhanaa (KDAS-21)

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

 

For a Table of Contents of these Discourses, see

advaitin/message/27766

 

For the previous post, see

advaitin/message/28176

 

 

SEC.16. VAIRAAGYA (DISPASSION) – (Continued)

 

In the Gita also Bhagavan has emphasized as important, only

the two things: “Practice and Dispassion” *abhyAsaM* and

*vairAgyaM*. To still the truant mind in one place

persistent efforts have to be made. Persistent effort is

what ‘practice’ means. For stilling the mind the other

important requisite is Dispassion (VairAgyaM), says He.

 

In the very beginning of Gitopadesha, when he talks about

the characteristics of a ‘sthita-prajna’, he mentions the

first characteristic: *prajahAti yadA kAmAn sarvAn pArtha

manogatAn*. This itself is nothing but VairAgyaM. In the

last chapter, when he talks about what should be done in

the jnAna path, after having attained success in the path

of karma, he says *nityaM vairAgyaM samupAshritaH* (XVIII –

52) – “Dispassion to be practised uninterruptedly”.

 

VairAgyaM is the distaste in everything that you see or

hear. This is Acharyal’s statement (in Vivekachudamani). Of

these, putting aside ‘the seen’, the Lord says in the Gita,

as I told you already, two things “what is heard, and what

is to be heard”. Now in the same Gita when the Acharyal is

doing the bhashya for *nityaM vairAgyaM samupAshritaH*, he

says “The absence of a thirst of desire in both the seen

and the unseen’ -- *dRRishhTA-dRRishTeshhu vishhayeshhu

vaitRRishhNyaM*. What does he mean by deisre in the unseen?

It is the desire for experience of heaven and in things

like the post of Indra, etc. If one goes through the

regimen of veda-ordained karmas as if they are an end in

themselves, one obtains such pleasures of the divine world.

But they are not visible to our perception now, so they are

called *adRRishhTaM*. *dRRishhTaM* means what is seen.

The unseen is *adRRishhTaM*.

 

Thus we see ViarAgyaM from three different angles. One:

The abandonment of the desires in everything that we see

or hear; two: the abandonment of the desires in what we

have heard or what we are going to hear; and three: the

abandonment of desires in the seen and the unseen.

 

[Note by Ra. Ganapathy: In Gita XIII – 8 the word

‘VairAgyam’ occurs. When the Acharyal is commenting on

this, he explains: “In the senses like sound etc. , a

desireless attitude towards the experiences seen and

unseen” . The etc. connotes all that can occupy the mind

through the senses – just as the Mahaswamigal would want us

to understand.]

 

Putting all this together we get the meaning for *sarvAn

pArtha manogatAn*, that is, any desire that can occupy the

mind has to be tabooed; that is what VairAgyaM is.

 

This is a very important part of SadhanA.

 

BhartRhari was a great man. He has composed a *shatakaM*,

that is, a piece of hundred verses, with great feeling and

majesty, about Sannyasa and Sannyasi. He could have as well

named it “Sannyasa shatakaM”. Instead he has named it

“VairAgya shatakaM*. If VairAgyam is there Sannyasa is not

far behind – seems to be the thought.

 

What else is ‘San-nyAsaM’? Is it not a total

‘renunciation’? Unless you renounce that which is called

desire, how can you renounce everything else? So it is not

surprising that Sannyasam, as well as Renunciation, are

both synonymous with VairAgyaM.

 

The great Tiruvalluvar has told us in Tamil about Dharma.

In the chapter on Renunciation, he says that renunciation

is when we attach ourselves only to the attachmentless

God, thus renouncing all other attachments. It is by

desire, by rAga, that one gets attachment. Alternatively,

when we have an association with something, that is when we

are attached to something, then there arises desire towards

that – just as the Lord has said *sangAt sanjAyate kAmaH*

(II – 62). Thus both desire and attachment are mutually

cause and effect for each other. Therefore when

Tiruvalluvar says *patru viDarkku* (abandonment of

attachment), he is actually referring to the rise of

VairAgyaM. He calls that renunciation and closes that

chapter with the words *patru viDarkku*. In the same

section of chapters there is another chapter called

“cutting off of desires” (*avA aruttal*), which is also

only VairAgyaM.

 

VairAgyam is the walking off from all wealth. That

VairAgyam itself is a great wealth, There is nothing

equivalent to that in the whole world, why, nothing in the

divine world either – says he very beautifully:

 

*VenDamai anna vizhuccelvam INDillai

ANDum akdu oppadu il*.

 

 

(To be Continued)

PraNAms to all students of advaita.

PraNAms to the Maha-Swamigal.

profvk

 

 

 

 

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

 

Latest on my website: Shrimad Bhagavatam and advaita bhakti. Introduction.

Chatushloki Bhagavatam. Vidura and Maitreya. Kapila Gita.

Dhruva charitam. JaDabharata, Ajamila Stories. Prahlada Charitram.

 

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/VK2/Bhagavatam_Introduction.html

 

and succeeding pages.

[Guest guest]

Thank You PROFESSOR-JI for further elboration on the real meaning

of 'VAIRAGYAM' ...

 

Whenever some one quotes Tiruvalluvar and uses words used in Tamizhh

Language, i really become ecstatic,

 

For can one really give up (cultivate 'Vairagyam' dispassion)

TOWARDS - "tHAI"? ( MOTHER)

 

 

'Thai Paasam' ( love for one's womb Mother)

 

'Thai Mozhi Patru' ( attachment towrds one's mother Tongue)

 

and Finally

 

'Thai naadu Patru' ( love for one's motherland? )

 

It is said: 'Janani, Janmabhoomicha Swargatapi Gariyasi! ' Even Lord

Rama said , Mother and Motherland are dearer than Heaven! i Would add

one more - Matru-bhasha - love for mother tongue.

 

Giving up desires is difficult;( AAsai ) Even more difficult is

giving up 'attachments' (Paasam and Patru)!

 

I can give up Mangoes( my favorite fruit) I can give up watching

films; I can give up listening to film music;Give up wearing

expensive clothes and jewellery etc etc .....

 

BUT CAN I GIVE UP MY LOVE FOR MY MOTHER, MOTHER-TONGUE AND

MOTHERLAND ? AND gIVE UP BEING A LOVING GRAND-MA ?

 

HARD, is not it?

 

when Professor-ji mentioned Poet-philosopher Bhatruhari in the

context of 'Vairagyam' and equated with 'Sanyasa' - i was delighted - [Note

added by Moderators: It is not ProfVK's contribution. He is only translating in

summary what the Kanchi Mahaswamigal said. Every statement in the post goes

back to the Swamigal!]

 

These beautiful lines came to mind From Vairagya Shatakam :

 

Bhoga na bhuktaha

Vyameva Bhuktaha

Tapo na taptam

Vyameva Taptaha

Kalo na Yamaha

Vyameva Yataha

Trishna na Jirna

vyameva Jirnah

 

The pleasures of life are not consumed by us;

it is we that are consumed by the pleasures.

 

A penance is not performed by us;

we merely suffer the pain of the penance.

 

Time has not gone by ;

We have been carried away by time

(without our consent and away from our goals).

 

Our longings have not been fulfilled or exhausted;

we have been wasted by our longings

 

And in the Baja Govindam Stotra ( started by ADI SHANKARA LATER

COMPLETED BY his disciples)

 

yogarato vaabhogaratovaa

saNgarato vaa saNgaviihinaH .

yasya brahmaNi ramate chittaM

nandati nandati nandatyeva

 

 

One may take delight in yoga or bhoga, may have attachment or

detachment. But only he whose mind steadily delights in Brahman

enjoys bliss, no one else. (Stanza attributed to Anandagiri. )

 

So, that is why , it is recommended to seek the company of Sadhu

sangati!

 

Jagadguru Adi Shankara in the same Baja Govindam stotra SINGS

 

satsaNgatve nissNgatvaM

nissaNgatve nirmohatvam.h .

nirmohatve nishchalatattvaM

nishcalatattve jiivanmuktiH

 

 

>From Satsangh comes non-attachment, from non-attachment comes freedom

from delusion, which leads to self-settledness. From self-settledness

comes Jeevan Mukti.

 

( Thank you ADWAITINS for this beautiful cyber satsangh!)

!

and Of Course, the best definition of 'sanyasa' or Renunciation comes

from NONE OTHER THAN , Sri Ramana Maharishi!

 

'RENUNCIATION IS THE GIVING OF THE NON-SELF'

 

can anyone top 'that' which is 'I am That '!

 

ko HAM?

 

NAHAM DdEHAM !

 

Soham!! !

 

AUM SRI Gurave Namaha!

 

ON this beautiful DAY dedicated to Guru , Pranaams to Jagadguru

Shankara Bhagvadapada and ATMA-GURU SHRI Ramana Maharishi!

 

 

 

 

advaitin, "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk>

wrote:

>

> Namaste.

>

> For a Table of Contents of these Discourses, see

> advaitin/message/27766

>

> For the previous post, see

> advaitin/message/28176

>

>

> SEC.16. VAIRAAGYA (DISPASSION) – (Continued)

>

>