Nididhyasan Told By Saint Jana Bai

[Guest guest]

Janabai's abhaMga : -

 

I wish to place my thoughts with the help of shlokas from Shri

dnyAneshvarI of sant dnyAneshvara mahArAja ,

 

shariira he jayaace, nashvara aaNi kaayece

mhaNaala jari tyaace kaaya kaaja (1)

This body comprising of body, mind, intellect is made up of pa~ncha-

mahabhutas, exists for limited period on time scale, and is

perishable. But one should put himself this question, "why am I

bestowed with this gift"

 

aambarase chokhilaa, bijasaale saanDilaa

puDhe teNe ubhaavilaa dujaa eka (2)

VRutti due to embedded vasanaas, has a strong hold on jIva - and its

result - let us see what Maharaja says in 17/58-60 of dnyAneshvarI -

vR^ittI{ai}seM mana dharitI | manA{ai}sI kriyA karitI | keliyA aisI

varItI | maroni deheM || 58 ||

bIja moDe jhADa hoye | jhADa moDe bIjIM sAmAye | aiseni kalpakoDI

jAye | parI jAti na nashe || 59 ||

tiyAparIM yiyeM apAreM | hota jAta janmAMtareM | parI triguNatva na

vyabhicareM | prANiyAMceM || 60 ||

" Just as a seed disappears to create a tree and tree gets

incorporated later in the seed and the species of the tree does not

disappear even after millions of aeons of this cycle, similarly even

when a creature is reborn countless number of times, there occurs no

change in the three attributes. " Now in my opinion Maharaja

indicated to us through these verses " and it would be so untill

there is a determined effort on the part of jIva to change the

course. "

 

samuuLa saala maayaa, shodhuniyaa dije

paari ahama bija jatana karaa (3)

[ some error appears here. In verse with me it is "sAMDUniya dIje"

and not shodhuniyaa dije ]

Here again I would like to quote from dnyAneshvarI - 14/285-293.

triguNa ApulAleni dharmeM | dehIMce mAghuta sA{u}meM | cALitAMhI na

khomeM | guNAtItatA || 285 ||

aisI mukti ase sahaja | te AtAM parisa{}UM tuja | je tUM dnyAnAMbuja-

| dvirephu kIM || 286 ||

ANi guNIM guNAjogeM | caitanya nohe mAgeM | boliloM teM khAgeM |

tevIMci heM || 287 ||

tarI pArthA jaiM aiseM | bodhaleni jIveM dise | svapna kAM jaiseM |

ce{i}lenI || 288 ||

nAtarI ApaNa jaLIM | biMbaloM tIronI nyAhaLI | caLaNa hotAM kalloLIM

| anekadhA || 289 ||

kAM naTaleni lAghaveM | naTu jaisA na jhakave | taiseM guNajAta

dekhAveM | na honiyAM || 290 ||

paiM R^itutraya AkAsheM | dharUniyAMhI jaiseM | nedijeci yevoM voseM

| vegaLepaNA || 291 ||

taiseM guNIM guNAparauteM | jeM ApaNapeM ase AyiteM | tiye ahaM

baise ahaMteM | mULakeciye || 292 ||

taiM tethUni maga pAhatAM | mhaNe sAxI mI akartA | he guNaci

kriyAjAtAM | niyojita || 293 ||

sattvarajatamAMcA | bhedIM pasaru karmAcA | hota ase to guNAMcA |

vikAru hA || 294 ||

yayAmAjIM mI aisA | vanIM kAM vasaMtu jaisA | vanalaxmIvilAsA |

hetubhUta || 295 ||

Bhagavan says, Arjuna ! These three attributes make up the body with

its mind and intellect. therefore they become the cause of the

binding. Arjuna, even such a complex intertwining of the attributes

and the body does not hinder the path of liberation. These three

attribute do make the body move progress or regress according to

their nature but that does not hinder anybody from going beyond

them. I shall now tell you how one can achieve the liberation.

Effect of Self-realisation I have already told you (bha.gI 13.24 )

that Consciousness though within the attributes does not become like

them. Now I am telling you the same once more. This is realised once

the individual gets the Self-realisation due to Knowledge. The

individual does not consider any more that he is full of the

attributes and only watches them. Thus the individual who is full of

the attributes but is also beyond them realises that "I am Brahman"

and with this attitude says that I am not the doer but only a

witness to the action and it is the attributes which control the

actions. All actions occur through the differences in the nature of

the three attributes Sattva, Raja and Tama therefore they are the

afflictions of the attributes. Among these three attributes I stand

like the spring which is the cause for the splendour of the woods.

I think Janabai is telling, this is how one should give up maya and

be aware of one's 'ahaM'

 

te bija bhaajoni, karaa ovaaLunii

santaa.nce caraNi samuuLa deha (4)

Here I would like to quote from 4/164-167 of Shri dnyAneshvarI -

teM dnyAna paiM gA barave | jarI manIM Athi ANAveM | tarI saMtAM yAM

bhajAveM | sarvasvesIM || 164 ||

je dnyAnAcA kuruThA | tetha sevA hA dAravaMThA | to svAdhIna karI

subhaTA | voLagonI || 165 ||

tarI tanumanujIveM | caraNAMsIM lAgAveM | ANi agarvatA karAveM |

dAsya sakaLa || 166 ||

maga apexita jeM ApuleM | teMhI sAMgatI pusileM | jeNeM aMtaHkaraNa

bodhaleM | saMkalpA naye || 167 ||

If you desire to gain this most superior knowledge then you should

serve saints in every way. They are the depository of knowledge and

service is the gate to it. Therefore capture it by serving them.

Then make your obeisance to them with all you have, and shedding

your ego, be their servant. Then ask them questions about whatever

you wish to know and they, not only will explain it to you, but will

tell you even those things beneficial for you of which you had least

idea. Once you understand it, desires will not enter your mind. You

will lose all your fears and be fit to attain Brahman and will see

everything including yourself as my form. Thus your delusion will

vanish once you get the favours of a true Guru.

 

puDhe tyaa biijaa.nci na karaavi durushaa

na dharaavi aashaa puDhiilaa.nci (5)

Following shlokas are from dnyAneshvari adhyAya 17 -

tarI eku priyottamu-/ | vAMconi vADhoM nedI kAmu | jaisA kA

manodharmu | pativratecA || 171 ||

For pativratA, nothing (including her own 'self') exists, except her

pati, and so for the seeker, his every kaama is HE.

nAnA siMdhUteM ThAkoni gaMgA | puDhArAM na karIci rigA | kA AtmA

dekhoni ugA | vedu ThelA || 172 ||

River has no more 'course' once she enters sea, and vedas do not

have any more 'prayojana' when AtmA is realised.

taiseM je ApulyA svahitIM | veMcUniyAM cittavR^ittI | nuravitIci

ahaMkR^itI | phaLAlAgIM || 173 ||

One who is keeps himself engrossed in 'svahita' only has no 'ahaM'

left for fruits through worldly objects.

pAtaleyA jhADAceM mULa | mAguteM saroM neNeMci jaLa | jirAleM gAM

kevaLa | tayAcyAci AMgIM || 174 ||

His every action is like journey of water upto tree-roots, where

from it cannot have any other course except to merge with the tree.

taiseM maneM dehIM | yajananishcayAcyA ThAyIM | hAraponi jeM kAMhIM

| vAMChitInA || 175 ||

One while performing karma through body-mind-intellect is so merged

with HIM has no other desire. Janabai is saying, do not breed AshA.

aahe naahi deha dhari aisaa bhaava

mhaNe jani deva sahaja hoshi (6)

If one can attain such a state, i.e. mind-body-intellect attached to

HIM, even when Bhagawan swears " nivasiShasi mayyeva ata UrdhvaM na

saMshayaH " (12.8) , no wonder Janabai says "effortlessly you will

be come God"

 

This is my first venture to enter "advaitins". DnyAniis should

excuse if found unruly.

[Guest guest]

Pranam,

 

Doctor Shir Yadujee, Shri Aniljee and Ms. Shri Padmajee have translated the poem

of Jana Bhai from Marathi language, but no body has revealed the process of

nididhyasan explained in the poem. Would somebody please explain the same ?

 

 

 

Dilip Sahani

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namste Dipli-Ji:

 

Here is my take on this and I sure others will also share their

thoughts to help me understand the deeper meaning associated with

this aba.nga:

 

The question answerers itself when we attempt to understand the

word "nididhyaasana" which is defined as follows:

 

vijaatiiyapratyayatiraskaareNa sajaatiyapratyayapravaahikaraNaM

nididhyaasanam ||

 

Meaning - Discarding the flow of vijaatiya vR^ittii and continue to

concentrate on the sajaatiiya vR^ittii.

 

Thus somethins that leads us away (as suggested by the visarga "vi")

from the normal & correct svabhaaba of an item is to be constantly

meditated upon. Not just as ad-hoc approach of conveniences.

 

Here, Jababai is making us realize the concept of re-birth and how

to break that cycle (punarapi jananam punarapi maraNam ...) through

roasting of seeds. This is a possible solution if saadhaka is

interested in adopting through j~naana maarga (path of knowledge).

It is said - aj~naana grathI naaso marxaaditi smR^itam.

 

If you are interested in breaking the cycle then "roast" the "seed"

in the fire of knowledge (from Guru and other Saints). It is the

core responsible unit for that specific "re-Cycling process".

 

She is not asking us to roast the "whole mango". She recognizes the

utility of the sweet pulp for enjoyment. Why would some have any

interest in that mango if it had no pulp? She also separates Skin

from the seed as well. By separating the skin she is directing our

attention to the primary protective layer of the important sweet

pulp. If not for skin's protection then the pulp will not have any

protection either. I would like to compare this skin of mango with

the father, who provides protection help his daughter mature.

 

Overall, it is up to us to recognize all the elements and determine

their utility and use the knowledge to gain the desired outcome.

 

Finally, nididhyaasana is nothing more than a tool for aatmaj~naana

and it is up to us to use it. Aatmaa vaare shrotavyaH mantavyaH

nididyaasitavyaH (bR^ihadaaraNyaka upa.)

 

Thank you Padma-Ji and Bhide-Ji for your enlightening thoughts.

Thanks are also due to Ramachandran-Ji for forcing us to think.

 

Warm regards and best wishes everyone for helping me to continue my

fishing expedition of truth.

 

hariH Om tat sat

 

Dr. Yadu

 

 

 

advaitin, Dilip Sahani <dilsahani> wrote:

>

> Pranam,

>

> Doctor Shir Yadujee, Shri Aniljee and Ms. Shri Padmajee have

translated the poem of Jana Bhai from Marathi language, but no body

has revealed the process of nididhyasan explained in the poem. Would

somebody please explain the same ?

>

>

>

> Dilip Sahani

>

>

> FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

advaitin, Dilip Sahani <dilsahani> wrote:

>

> Pranam,

>

> Doctor Shir Yadujee, Shri Aniljee and Ms. Shri Padmajee have

translated the poem of Jana Bhai from Marathi language, but no body

has revealed the process of nididhyasan explained in the poem. Would

somebody please explain the same ?

>

 

Namaste Dilip-ji,

 

I am sure the others will explain the Marathi part. But let me add a

few words on 'NididhyAsanA': (I am quoting below from my writing in

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/livehappily_4.html):

 

QUOTE

This is the trouble-shooting recipe. The Lord Himself has given this

recipe and has closed the topic there. By that He means there is no

other way. This is the way. Maybe the mind wanders. Wander it will.

But bring it back every time. Mind has always two weaknesses. One,

it will be inconsistent and so it may jump from one idea to a

contradictory idea. This is the chanchala aspect of the mind.

Secondly it will be fickle and so it never stays steady with one

thought. This is the asthira aspect of the mind. So every time

either of this happens, one has to bring it back to the same mantra

with which it started the japa.

 

`abhyAsena tu kaunteya vairAgyeNa ca gRhyate' says the Lord in

answer to a similar question by Arjuna on the fickleness of the

mind. Only by constant practice and determined dispassion can we

succeed, says the Lord. Dispassion is not something to be frowned

at. Dispassion is a determined effort made with a conviction born of

wisdom.. The wisdom consists in recognising that the truant mind has

to be dragged back to the source every time it plays truant. It

appears that almost the last words of Ramana Maharishi to his

disciples, when they asked him what they should do, were `Practise,

Practise, Practise!'.

 

What is it that we should practise? It is to recall his own words

in Ullathu Narpadu:

 

"jaDavuDal nAnennadu, saccid-udiyAdu,

 

uDalaLavA nAnendrudikkum iDaiyil idu;

 

cijjaDa-granthi-bandhan;

 

jIvan nutTpamey agantai iccamusAra manameN"

 

This inert body does not claim any proprietorship for the `I'-

feeling; The Atman-Consciousness does no function, so it does not

claim the `I'; In between the feeling of `I' is born in the whole

system consisting of the mind. It is actually a knot between

Consciousness and the Inert. This knot is the bondage, the

individual soul, the subtle body or sUkshhma-sharIra, egoism,

samsAra and the mind.

 

Think about this and other spiritual declarations instead of trying

not to think about anything. This process of going over in the mind

through all the spiritual declarations like the mahAvAkyas is called

nidhidhyAsana. Thus what starts as a mantra japa, probably

mechanically, becomes a mauna japa with the involvement of the total

personality, heart and soul. And gradually the mauna japa itself

becomes a nidhidhyAsana. At that stage there is no more japa, no

more counting. The mind is not now repeating anything.. When you

reach the stage of `Atma-samstham manaH kRtvA na kimcid-api

cintayet', it is not thinking of nothing; The nidhidhyAsana now is

being done without any effort so that the mind is now resting in the

Atman, on the Atman.

UNQUOTE

 

The above explains what is nididhyasana and how we are led to it by

starting with japa and then dhyana. My source for this is the

Kanchi Mahaswamigal's discourses.

 

PraNAms to all advaitins.

profvk

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

This ongoing Satsangh on "Nididhyasan Told By Saint Jana Bai" is

quite significant for the following reasons:

 

1. Though very few members know Marathi, by sharing this wonderful

poem of Jana Bai, we all could go beyond language skills to enjoy

the essence of the Vedantic Truth behind it.

 

2. Many positive responses from Satsanghis signify the importance of

sharing as the best means to get better insights and remove our

ignorance.

 

3. Most importantly, the better insights and noble thoughts became

possible only because Satsanghis enthusiastically participated in the

Satsangh with valuable inputs.

 

In final note, we should all recognize the fact that we should not

hesitate to share the very little that we know. With the help of this

Satsangh, we have demonstrated that we can exchange, revise and

correct the understanding of little what we know! Sankara's primary

focus is to remove ignorance and the Cyber Satsangh is one of the

good means to achieve knowledge!

 

Now let me revise my understanding of the vedantic message of this

beautiful poem (even though I do not understand Marathi, I love the

audio records of Geet Ramayan sung by Sudhir Phadke). Though Sri

yaduji, Anilji, Padmaji and ProfVKji have implicitly provided the

same interpretation, I have just put them more explicitly. Let me

thank them for providing me the insight.

 

It seems that Saint Jana Bai through the example of Mango provides

the guidance for life. If we consider ourself as the Mango, we have

three essential components:

 

First, Body, mind and intellect represented by the skin of Mango.

Second, the Atman or Consciousness identified as the pulp of Mango.

Third, the Ego or Vasanas compared to the seed of Mango.

 

The question is - How do we lead our life if our goal is liberation?

 

Jana Bai declares that the Body, mind and intellect (skin of mango)

is transient and we should first learn to discard them. At the same

time, we should recognize that the Ego (seed) is responsible for the

cycle of birth and death and we should roast it completely so that it

never germinates.

 

The result of these two sadhana (practice) will help us to recognize

our true identity (Atman) and free us from samsara (bondage!).

 

Harih Om!

 

Ram Chandran

 

advaitin, Dilip Sahani <dilsahani> wrote:

>

> Pranam,

>

> Doctor Shir Yadujee, Shri Aniljee and Ms. Shri Padmajee have

translated the poem of Jana Bhai from Marathi language, but no body

has revealed the process of nididhyasan explained in the poem. Would

somebody please explain the same ?