Meaning of Tyaja Dharmam, etc.

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May i be allowed to post this, third today, as i was 'absent' for two days:

Pl..!!

 

Namaste Friends:

 

Spl reference to Sri Sankararaman's question.

 

This is regarding the 'Truth and False' referred to in the verse Tyaja dharmam

adharmam cha.. In the Taittiriya Upanishad Aanandavalli Anuvaaka 6, the eighth

mantram speaks of 'satyam cha anrtam cha Satyam abhavat'. The meaning and

explanation as found in the Samata Books publication of Alladi Mahadeva Sastry's

translation for this Upanishad, on page 577 is reproduced below:

 

The real and the false: The real here means the realities commonly so-called

– on account of the context: it does not mean the Absolute Reality, for Brahman,

the Absolute Reality, is one alone. As to the real here referred to, it is only

relatively so, what we commonly speak of as real. Water, for instance, is said

to be real as compared with the mirage, which is illusory. 'The false' means

the so-called unreal.

 

That which never fails in our ordinary experience is real, and what in our

ordinary experience is erroneously ascribed is false. For example, the

mother-of-pearl, a rope, a pillar, etc. are real; and when they are mistaken for

silver, a serpent, a thief, etc., these latter are said to be false.

 

The categories of things here mentioned stand for the whole universe,

including these and other categories of being such as heat and cold, pleasure

and pain, honour and dishonour, etc. (over)

 

To take 'satyaanrte', truth and false, to mean the entire group of duality as

explained above seems to be correct, especially in the context of a saadhaka

aiming to realise the One Absolute Transcendental Truth.

 

It appears that in the prayer of Sri Ramakrishna, his not surrendering

'truth' is because, this element, satyam, is a vital requirement in the life of

a sadhaka, as being part of the yama: ahimsa, satyam, asteyam, brahmacharyam and

aprigraham.= Non-injury, Adherence to truth, Non-stealing, Continence and

Non-acceptance of what is not necessary. To a serious sadhaka, giving up of any

of these is indicative of laxity in sadhana. This could have been in the

background when He prayed thus.

 

As to how a sadhaka is to live practically observing satyam in this world is

answered in an episode in Sri Ramakrishna's life itself: Once while Thakur was

sitting on his cot, he espied a man approaching his room. As that man was a

thoroughly worldly man Thakur wanted to avoid his company. So he immediately

hid himself under the cot telling those nearby to say that he was away.

Could this be non-observance of satyam? For other sadhakas the actions of the

Great Ones is a lesson. Similarly in the case of ahimsa also there is a story

from his life. I shall just hint. Let someone expand if necessary. Thakur was

found killing mosquitoes inside his net during night.

 

Will some member, take the discussion forward with respect to the portion:

'yena tyajasi tat tyaja' That by which you renounce (the entire group of

duality) also is to be renounced' ?

 

Regards

subbu

Om Tat Sat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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