GREATNESS OF SHANKARA'S LIFE AND TEACHINGS (PART IV )

[Guest guest]

GREATNESS OF SHANKARA'S LIFE AND TEACHINGS (PART IV )

  

  VaasudevaH sarvamiti sa mahaatmaa sudurlabhaH

  (Rare is the great one, who knows, 'Vaasudeva is all.')

  

  The one who realises this Truth is transformed into a totally different person.  His actions are no longer motivated by considerations of his earlier ignorant state.  Performing Sandhya Vandanam is an injunction.  There is a person who sits in Samadhi on one evening.  Even after the lapse of three days, he does not regain outward consciousness.  Can he be said to incur sin for not performing Sandhya Vandanam?  No.  Had he been conscious of the Sandhya period, an objection might have been raised.  But he is totally unaware of it and is lost in bliss.  Later on, if anyone were to tell him that he was in deep meditation for three days, he would be surprised.

  

  On the other hand, it is common knowledge that ordinary persons cannot sit even for a minute in total concentration.  For them, Sandhya Vandanam is obligatory.  The knower has transcended all such injunctions and prohibitions.  In his case, the unreality of the world is obvious..  For him, the world does not appear as apart from himself.  Distinction asserts itself only when you and I are regarded as different.  It is only the One that appears as you and I.  Where then is diversity?  This, in a nutshell, is the teaching of Bhagavatpada.

  

  He did not propound any new theory.  What had been existing down the ages in the form of the Upanishadic teaching had been tainted by the ignorant.  Bhagavatpada cleansed this teaching of its impurities and restored it to its pristine purity.  He did not prescribe or impose any new deity for worship.  He only approved of the various deities being worshipped.  There are sects which don Vibhuti, sandal paste or the Namam on the forehead.  Each practitioner follows his prescribed mode of worship.  One can find several such systems in vogue in the North.  There are devotees of Sri Rama as well as those of Sri Krishna.  Both adorn their foreheads with sandal paste, but differently.  There is, nevertheless, no second opinion about the need to adorn the forehead and to not leave it blank.

  

  Bhagavatpada solved the difficulty inherent in a variety of sects opposing each other.  If the Supreme Lord is denoted as Shiva, the adherents of the Vaishnavite sect oppose this.  Likewise, if the Supreme Lord is Vishnu, Shaivaites are dissatisfied.  Actually, Shiva and Vishnu are not different; they are manifestations of the single Supreme Reality.

  

  To illustrate, using pure water, one can prepare 'Payasam' ( a sweet drink), 'Rasam' (diluted soup) or a beverage of coffee.  But these cannot be effectively made with the saline water of the sea.  If the Supreme actually had a name and form intrinsic to it, such as that of Shiva or Vishnu, then it cannot be everything.  In other words, if it were Shiva, it cannot be Vishnu and if it were Vishnu, it cannot be Shiva.  Such a Brahman would be like the saline water of the sea.  On the other hand, the Brahman established by the Upanishads is like pure water.  It does not have any attributes of Its own.  It is simply Truth and consciousness, it is infinite.

  

  It, however, appears, owing to Its power, as Shiva or Shakti or Vishnu.  Which of these manifestations can be said to be most real?  Each group has it that its own deity is the greatest.  The Supreme appears differently to different devotees, but in truth It is the Absolute.  Bhagavatpada accomplished his task of establishing the sameness by taking care to see that no devotee was displaced and that no devotee was set up against another.  The great master showed each adherent the way to the Absolute by making him tread his chosen path without conflict with the other paths.  In effect, he did this by dotting the i's and dashing the t's without radically upsetting the various systems.

  

  He emphasised the need for worshipping the Supreme with form, for without such a sincere worship,. the mind will continue to remain unsteady.  An unsteady mind cannot grasp the infinite attributeless Absolute.  The need for meditation on God with form was thus stressed.  Madhusudana Saraswati, the famous all-knowing author of Advaita Siddhi, has said:

  

  DhyAnAbhyaasavashIkRRitena manasA tannirguNam niShkriyam

  JyotiH kinchana yogino yadi param pashyanti pashyantu te  |

  

  'By means of the mind brought under control by the practice of meditation, Yogis behold the Supreme Light that is free from attributes and activity.  Let them do so.'

  

  asmAkam tu tadeva lochanachamatkArAya  bhUyAcchiram

  kAlindIpulinodare kimapi yannIlam maho dhAvati ||

  

  'But I am quite contended with the vision of the luminous blue deity, Krisna, who wanders about the banks of the river, Kaalindi.'

  

  The purportoif the teaching is that one should steady the mind by resorting to the practice of meditation on God with form.  Sage Vidyaranya has mentioned in the Panchadashi that there is a practice of worshipping the Lord as dwelling even in the pipal and banyan trees.  He cites several such cases and concludes that even such a sincere worship is not unacceptable to those who regard the Supreme as the attributeless reality that appears as everything.

  

  What Bhagavatpada stressed was that while there can be no objection to worshipping the deities that have come down traditionally to each person, the worship of deities opposed to the Shastraic way has to be given up.

  

  Coming to the topic of liberation, who can get it?  Evidently, he who possesses the requisite qualifications such as an ardent desire for emancipation.  He who lacks the requisite qualifications will not get it. For a post that requires a candidate who has passed the IAS examination, a contender, even though he may be a genius, cannot apply if he has not passed the qualifying examination.  Likewise, even though one is capable of accomplishing several other things, one cannot hope to get liberation if one does not possess intense dispassion.

  

  Dispassion leads to mental control, control of the senses, withdrawal, forbearance, faith, one-pointed concentration and finally intense desire for liberation.  He who has a burning desire to be free quickly realizes the Truth and gets liberated.

  

  Bhagavatpada taught in His Upadesha Panchakam:

  

  Vedo nityamadhIyatAm taduditam karma svanuShThIyataam

  teneshasya vidhIyatAmapachitiH kaamye matistyajyataam  |

  PaapaughaH paridhUyataam bhavasukhe doSho'nusandhIyataam

  AtmecchA vyavasIyatAm nijagRRihAt tUrNam vinirgamyataam ||

  

  (Study the Veda everyday.  Perform well the acts enjoined therein.  Give up the thought of engaging in desire-prompted rites, Eradicate the host of sins.  Contemplate the faults in worldly enjoyments.  Establish the desire for the Self.  Quickly go away from home.)

  

  'If these are practised sincerely', said Bhagavatpada, 'You can become a Shaiva, a Shakta, a Vaishnava, etc., in the true sense of the terms'.  To the Kaapaalikas, he advised, 'Desist from scripturally-unacceptable conduct.  By all means, meditate on your chosen deity, Bhairava, but do so in a Saattvic way.'  He taught, 'One can attain the Highest by hearing about the Truth, by cogitating upon  what has been heard, and by focussing on what has been determined beyond doubt by hearing and cogitation.  However, it is essential that one give up practices contrary to the scriptures and follow the scriptural path with dispassion.  One can then realise the Upanishadic Brahman as one's own self.'

  

  The most compassionate Guru, Sir Shankara Bhagavatpada, rendered all of us indebted by his kind and profound teaching.  Smartas, the followers of Bhagavatpada, when questioned as to whether they are Shaivas or Vaishnavas, reply that they are neither.  They swear by the Shastra and say that they are followers of the Veda and the Smritis.  They do not follow any particular Agama.  On account of this, one should not hastily conclude that they do not belong to any category.   As they follow the Shastraic injunctions, they are certainly followers of the Upanishadic tradtion.  Those who fail to understand this, raise irrelevant objections against them.

  

  To illustrate, some boys showed a lot of enthusiasm for learning Sanskrit.  The teacher taught them the various shabdas like Rama,. Hari, Shambhu, etc.  He also taught them the Pitru shabda.  A certain student's father, upon questioning his boy about the Pitru shabda, got irritated even though the boy correctly recited the declensions (vibhakti –s).  As the Pitru shabda declensions did not follow the manner of the Rama shabda declensions, the father erroneously felt that the boy was wrong.  He scolded the boy as well as the teacher and put an end to the learning itself.  What is one to do with such persons?  How can they be corrected?

  

  If one mistakes one thing for another and expresses his displeasure and anger, can it be the fault of the teacher, such as Bhagavatpada?  A person with a jaundiced eye will insist that a conch is yellow, however much he is told that it is white.  Bhagavatpada's teachings do not give rise to any kind of likes, dislikes, delusion, envy, egotism, etc.  He wants us to realize,

  

  tadeko'vashiShTaH ShivaH kevalo'ham

  

  (I am the non-dual, pure, absolute Truth that remains as the residue when the cosmos is sublated.)

  

  We, who are fortunate to be His followers, will be gravely erring if we do not reverentially pay our obeisance to him on such an occasion.  The twelfth birth centenary of Bhagavatpada is being celebrated in a fitting manner by numerous persons.  Several deserving persons are being honoured on this occasion.  I am glad that the event has proceeded so well.

  

  Hara namaH PaarvatI pataye Hara Hara MahAdeva |

  JAnakIkAntasmaraNam jaya jaya Rama Rama ||

  

  (Excerpted from the book 'Divine Discourses' published by Sri Vidyateertha Foundation, Chennai.)

  

  (Concluded)   

 

           

 

How low will we go? Check out Messenger’s low  PC-to-Phone call rates.

 

 

 

 

Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of Atman and Brahman.

Advaitin Homepage at: Terms of Service.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namaste

  Where can i get Shankara's life on video or DVD? Once i heard there is a film about it but it is in hindi, is it subtitled in english and or spanish?

  

  If possible can you also tell me if there is any film about other famous saints. Iam more concerned on Shankara's life. THanks n advance

  

  hari Aum

  

 

 

V Subrahmanian <subrahmanian_v > escribió:

  GREATNESS OF SHANKARA'S LIFE AND TEACHINGS (PART IV )

 

VaasudevaH sarvamiti sa mahaatmaa sudurlabhaH

(Rare is the great one, who knows, 'Vaasudeva is all.')

 

The one who realises this Truth is transformed into a totally different person. His actions are no longer motivated by considerations of his earlier ignorant state. Performing Sandhya Vandanam is an injunction. There is a person who sits in Samadhi on one evening. Even after the lapse of three days, he does not regain outward consciousness. Can he be said to incur sin for not performing Sandhya Vandanam? No. Had he been conscious of the Sandhya period, an objection might have been raised. But he is totally unaware of it and is lost in bliss. Later on, if anyone were to tell him that he was in deep meditation for three days, he would be surprised.

 

On the other hand, it is common knowledge that ordinary persons cannot sit even for a minute in total concentration. For them, Sandhya Vandanam is obligatory. The knower has transcended all such injunctions and prohibitions. In his case, the unreality of the world is obvious. For him, the world does not appear as apart from himself. Distinction asserts itself only when you and I are regarded as different. It is only the One that appears as you and I. Where then is diversity? This, in a nutshell, is the teaching of Bhagavatpada.

 

He did not propound any new theory. What had been existing down the ages in the form of the Upanishadic teaching had been tainted by the ignorant. Bhagavatpada cleansed this teaching of its impurities and restored it to its pristine purity. He did not prescribe or impose any new deity for worship. He only approved of the various deities being worshipped. There are sects which don Vibhuti, sandal paste or the Namam on the forehead. Each practitioner follows his prescribed mode of worship. One can find several such systems in vogue in the North. There are devotees of Sri Rama as well as those of Sri Krishna. Both adorn their foreheads with sandal paste, but differently.. There is, nevertheless, no second opinion about the need to adorn the forehead and to not leave it blank.

 

Bhagavatpada solved the difficulty inherent in a variety of sects opposing each other. If the Supreme Lord is denoted as Shiva, the adherents of the Vaishnavite sect oppose this. Likewise, if the Supreme Lord is Vishnu, Shaivaites are dissatisfied. Actually, Shiva and Vishnu are not different; they are manifestations of the single Supreme Reality.

 

To illustrate, using pure water, one can prepare 'Payasam' ( a sweet drink), 'Rasam' (diluted soup) or a beverage of coffee. But these cannot be effectively made with the saline water of the sea. If the Supreme actually had a name and form intrinsic to it, such as that of Shiva or Vishnu, then it cannot be everything. In other words, if it were Shiva, it cannot be Vishnu and if it were Vishnu, it cannot be Shiva. Such a Brahman would be like the saline water of the sea. On the other hand, the Brahman established by the Upanishads is like pure water. It does not have any attributes of Its own. It is simply Truth and consciousness, it is infinite.

 

It, however, appears, owing to Its power, as Shiva or Shakti or Vishnu. Which of these manifestations can be said to be most real? Each group has it that its own deity is the greatest. The Supreme appears differently to different devotees, but in truth It is the Absolute. Bhagavatpada accomplished his task of establishing the sameness by taking care to see that no devotee was displaced and that no devotee was set up against another. The great master showed each adherent the way to the Absolute by making him tread his chosen path without conflict with the other paths. In effect, he did this by dotting the i's and dashing the t's without radically upsetting the various systems.

 

He emphasised the need for worshipping the Supreme with form, for without such a sincere worship,. the mind will continue to remain unsteady. An unsteady mind cannot grasp the infinite attributeless Absolute. The need for meditation on God with form was thus stressed. Madhusudana Saraswati, the famous all-knowing author of Advaita Siddhi, has said:

 

DhyAnAbhyaasavashIkRRitena manasA tannirguNam niShkriyam

JyotiH kinchana yogino yadi param pashyanti pashyantu te |

 

'By means of the mind brought under control by the practice of meditation, Yogis behold the Supreme Light that is free from attributes and activity. Let them do so.'

 

asmAkam tu tadeva lochanachamatkArAya bhUyAcchiram

kAlindIpulinodare kimapi yannIlam maho dhAvati ||

 

'But I am quite contended with the vision of the luminous blue deity, Krisna, who wanders about the banks of the river, Kaalindi.'

 

The purportoif the teaching is that one should steady the mind by resorting to the practice of meditation on God with form. Sage Vidyaranya has mentioned in the Panchadashi that there is a practice of worshipping the Lord as dwelling even in the pipal and banyan trees. He cites several such cases and concludes that even such a sincere worship is not unacceptable to those who regard the Supreme as the attributeless reality that appears as everything.

 

What Bhagavatpada stressed was that while there can be no objection to worshipping the deities that have come down traditionally to each person, the worship of deities opposed to the Shastraic way has to be given up.

 

Coming to the topic of liberation, who can get it? Evidently, he who possesses the requisite qualifications such as an ardent desire for emancipation. He who lacks the requisite qualifications will not get it. For a post that requires a candidate who has passed the IAS examination, a contender, even though he may be a genius, cannot apply if he has not passed the qualifying examination. Likewise, even though one is capable of accomplishing several other things, one cannot hope to get liberation if one does not possess intense dispassion.

 

Dispassion leads to mental control, control of the senses, withdrawal, forbearance, faith, one-pointed concentration and finally intense desire for liberation. He who has a burning desire to be free quickly realizes the Truth and gets liberated.

 

Bhagavatpada taught in His Upadesha Panchakam:

 

Vedo nityamadhIyatAm taduditam karma svanuShThIyataam

teneshasya vidhIyatAmapachitiH kaamye matistyajyataam |

PaapaughaH paridhUyataam bhavasukhe doSho'nusandhIyataam

AtmecchA vyavasIyatAm nijagRRihAt tUrNam vinirgamyataam ||

 

(Study the Veda everyday. Perform well the acts enjoined therein. Give up the thought of engaging in desire-prompted rites, Eradicate the host of sins.. Contemplate the faults in worldly enjoyments. Establish the desire for the Self. Quickly go away from home.)

 

'If these are practised sincerely', said Bhagavatpada, 'You can become a Shaiva, a Shakta, a Vaishnava, etc., in the true sense of the terms'. To the Kaapaalikas, he advised, 'Desist from scripturally-unacceptable conduct. By all means, meditate on your chosen deity, Bhairava, but do so in a Saattvic way.' He taught, 'One can attain the Highest by hearing about the Truth, by cogitating upon what has been heard, and by focussing on what has been determined beyond doubt by hearing and cogitation. However, it is essential that one give up practices contrary to the scriptures and follow the scriptural path with dispassion. One can then realise the Upanishadic Brahman as one's own self.'

 

The most compassionate Guru, Sir Shankara Bhagavatpada, rendered all of us indebted by his kind and profound teaching. Smartas, the followers of Bhagavatpada, when questioned as to whether they are Shaivas or Vaishnavas, reply that they are neither. They swear by the Shastra and say that they are followers of the Veda and the Smritis. They do not follow any particular Agama. On account of this, one should not hastily conclude that they do not belong to any category. As they follow the Shastraic injunctions, they are certainly followers of the Upanishadic tradtion. Those who fail to understand this, raise irrelevant objections against them.

 

To illustrate, some boys showed a lot of enthusiasm for learning Sanskrit. The teacher taught them the various shabdas like Rama,. Hari, Shambhu, etc. He also taught them the Pitru shabda. A certain student's father, upon questioning his boy about the Pitru shabda, got irritated even though the boy correctly recited the declensions (vibhakti –s). As the Pitru shabda declensions did not follow the manner of the Rama shabda declensions, the father erroneously felt that the boy was wrong. He scolded the boy as well as the teacher and put an end to the learning itself. What is one to do with such persons? How can they be corrected?

 

If one mistakes one thing for another and expresses his displeasure and anger, can it be the fault of the teacher, such as Bhagavatpada? A person with a jaundiced eye will insist that a conch is yellow, however much he is told that it is white. Bhagavatpada's teachings do not give rise to any kind of likes, dislikes, delusion, envy, egotism, etc. He wants us to realize,

 

tadeko'vashiShTaH ShivaH kevalo'ham

 

(I am the non-dual, pure, absolute Truth that remains as the residue when the cosmos is sublated.)

 

We, who are fortunate to be His followers, will be gravely erring if we do not reverentially pay our obeisance to him on such an occasion. The twelfth birth centenary of Bhagavatpada is being celebrated in a fitting manner by numerous persons. Several deserving persons are being honoured on this occasion. I am glad that the event has proceeded so well.

 

Hara namaH PaarvatI pataye Hara Hara MahAdeva |

JAnakIkAntasmaraNam jaya jaya Rama Rama ||

 

(Excerpted from the book 'Divine Discourses' published by Sri Vidyateertha Foundation, Chennai.)

 

(Concluded)

 

 

 

How low will we go? Check out Messenger’s low PC-to-Phone call rates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of Atman and Brahman.

Advaitin Homepage at: Terms of Service.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Shrivathsa,

  Pranams! Would you please find a copy for me too ?

                                              Regards,

                                           Jabalimuni

 

therothmaDom shrivathsa brahma <shrisamvada (AT) (DOT) co.in> wrote:

  hari OM.

 

   there is a film made on the life of shankara, it is subtitled in english, the film is in

sanskrit. i think it should be available through amazon. if not, pl get back to me. i shall try

and find a copy for you.

 

svasti,

              JAYA BHAARATII,

                                     shrivathsa.

 

 

--- HENRY ALZAMORA <aparokshdo .ar> wrote:

 

 

 

Namaste

  Where can i get Shankara's life on video or DVD? Once i heard there is a film about it but it is

in hindi, is it subtitled in english and or spanish?

  

  If possible can you also tell me if there is any film about other famous saints. Iam more

concerned on Shankara's life. THanks n advance

  

  hari Aum

  

 

 

V Subrahmanian <subrahmanian_v > escribi�:

  GREATNESS OF SHANKARA'S LIFE AND TEACHINGS (PART IV )

 

VaasudevaH sarvamiti sa mahaatmaa sudurlabhaH

(Rare is the great one, who knows, 'Vaasudeva is all.')

 

The one who realises this Truth is transformed into a totally different person. His actions are no

longer motivated by considerations of his earlier ignorant state. Performing Sandhya Vandanam is

an injunction. There is a person who sits in Samadhi on one evening. Even after the lapse of three

days, he does not regain outward consciousness. Can he be said to incur sin for not performing

Sandhya Vandanam? No. Had he been conscious of the Sandhya period, an objection might have been

raised. But he is totally unaware of it and is lost in bliss. Later on, if anyone were to tell him

that he was in deep meditation for three days, he would be surprised.

 

On the other hand, it is common knowledge that ordinary persons cannot sit even for a minute in

total concentration. For them, Sandhya Vandanam is obligatory. The knower has transcended all such

injunctions and prohibitions. In his case, the unreality of the world is obvious. For him, the

world does not appear as apart from himself. Distinction asserts itself only when you and I are

regarded as different. It is only the One that appears as you and I. Where then is diversity?

This, in a nutshell, is the teaching of Bhagavatpada.

 

He did not propound any new theory. What had been existing down the ages in the form of the

Upanishadic teaching had been tainted by the ignorant. Bhagavatpada cleansed this teaching of its

impurities and restored it to its pristine purity. He did not prescribe or impose any new deity

for worship. He only approved of the various deities being worshipped. There are sects which don

Vibhuti, sandal paste or the Namam on the forehead. Each practitioner follows his prescribed mode

of worship. One can find several such systems in vogue in the North. There are devotees of Sri

Rama as well as those of Sri Krishna. Both adorn their foreheads with sandal paste, but

differently. There is, nevertheless, no second opinion about the need to adorn the forehead and to

not leave it blank.

 

Bhagavatpada solved the difficulty inherent in a variety of sects opposing each other. If the

Supreme Lord is denoted as Shiva, the adherents of the Vaishnavite sect oppose this. Likewise, if

the Supreme Lord is Vishnu, Shaivaites are dissatisfied. Actually, Shiva and Vishnu are not

different; they are manifestations of the single Supreme Reality.

 

To illustrate, using pure water, one can prepare 'Payasam' ( a sweet drink), 'Rasam' (diluted

soup) or a beverage of coffee. But these cannot be effectively made with the saline water of the

sea. If the Supreme actually had a name and form intrinsic to it, such as that of Shiva or Vishnu,

then it cannot be everything. In other words, if it were Shiva, it cannot be Vishnu and if it were

Vishnu, it cannot be Shiva. Such a Brahman would be like the saline water of the sea. On the other

hand, the Brahman established by the Upanishads is like pure water. It does not have any

attributes of Its own. It is simply Truth and consciousness, it is infinite..

 

It, however, appears, owing to Its power, as Shiva or Shakti or Vishnu. Which of these

manifestations can be said to be most real? Each group has it that its own deity is the greatest.

The Supreme appears differently to different devotees, but in truth It is the Absolute.

Bhagavatpada accomplished his task of establishing the sameness by taking care to see that no

devotee was displaced and that no devotee was set up against another. The great master showed each

adherent the way to the Absolute by making him tread his chosen path without conflict with the

other paths. In effect, he did this by dotting the i's and dashing the t's without radically

upsetting the various systems.

 

He emphasised the need for worshipping the Supreme with form, for without such a sincere worship,.

the mind will continue to remain unsteady. An unsteady mind cannot grasp the infinite

attributeless Absolute. The need for meditation on God with form was thus stressed. Madhusudana

Saraswati, the famous all-knowing author of Advaita Siddhi, has said:

 

DhyAnAbhyaasavashIkRRitena manasA tannirguNam niShkriyam

JyotiH kinchana yogino yadi param pashyanti pashyantu te |

 

'By means of the mind brought under control by the practice of meditation, Yogis behold the

Supreme Light that is free from attributes and activity. Let them do so.'

 

asmAkam tu tadeva lochanachamatkArAya bhUyAcchiram

kAlindIpulinodare kimapi yannIlam maho dhAvati ||

 

'But I am quite contended with the vision of the luminous blue deity, Krisna, who wanders about

the banks of the river, Kaalindi.'

 

The purportoif the teaching is that one should steady the mind by resorting to the practice of

meditation on God with form. Sage Vidyaranya has mentioned in the Panchadashi that there is a

practice of worshipping the Lord as dwelling even in the pipal and banyan trees. He cites several

such cases and concludes that even such a sincere worship is not unacceptable to those who regard

the Supreme as the attributeless reality that appears as everything.

 

What Bhagavatpada stressed was that while there can be no objection to worshipping the deities

that have come down traditionally to each person, the worship of deities opposed to the Shastraic

way has to be given up.

 

Coming to the topic of liberation, who can get it? Evidently, he who possesses the requisite

qualifications such as an ardent desire for emancipation. He who lacks the requisite

qualifications will not get it. For a post that requires a candidate who has passed the IAS

examination, a contender, even though he may be a genius, cannot apply if he has not passed the

qualifying examination. Likewise, even though one is capable of accomplishing several other

things, one cannot hope to get liberation if one does not possess intense dispassion.

 

Dispassion leads to mental control, control of the senses, withdrawal, forbearance, faith,

one-pointed concentration and finally intense desire for liberation. He who has a burning desire

to be free quickly realizes the Truth and gets liberated.

 

Bhagavatpada taught in His Upadesha Panchakam:

 

Vedo nityamadhIyatAm taduditam karma svanuShThIyataam

teneshasya vidhIyatAmapachitiH kaamye matistyajyataam |

PaapaughaH paridhUyataam bhavasukhe doSho'nusandhIyataam

AtmecchA vyavasIyatAm nijagRRihAt tUrNam vinirgamyataam ||

 

(Study the Veda everyday. Perform well the acts enjoined therein. Give up the thought of engaging

in desire-prompted rites, Eradicate the host of sins. Contemplate the faults in worldly

enjoyments. Establish the desire for the Self. Quickly go away from home.)

 

'If these are practised sincerely', said Bhagavatpada, 'You can become a Shaiva, a Shakta, a

Vaishnava, etc., in the true sense of the terms'. To the Kaapaalikas, he advised, 'Desist from

scripturally-unacceptable conduct. By all means, meditate on your chosen deity, Bhairava, but do

so in a Saattvic way.' He taught, 'One can attain the Highest by hearing about the Truth, by

cogitating upon what has been heard, and by focussing on what has been determined beyond doubt by

hearing and cogitation. However, it is essential that one give up practices contrary to the

scriptures and follow the scriptural path with dispassion. One can then realise the Upanishadic

Brahman as one's own self.'

 

The most compassionate Guru, Sir Shankara Bhagavatpada, rendered all of us indebted by his kind

and profound teaching. Smartas, the followers of Bhagavatpada, when questioned as to whether they

are Shaivas or Vaishnavas, reply that they are neither. They swear by the Shastra and say that

they are followers of the Veda and the Smritis. They do not follow any particular Agama. On

account of this, one should not hastily conclude that they do not belong to any category. As they

follow the Shastraic injunctions, they are certainly followers of the Upanishadic tradtion. Those

who fail to understand this, raise irrelevant objections against them.

 

To illustrate, some boys showed a lot of enthusiasm for learning Sanskrit. The teacher taught them

the various shabdas like Rama,. Hari, Shambhu, etc. He also taught them the Pitru shabda. A

certain student's father, upon questioning his boy about the Pitru shabda, got irritated even

though the boy correctly recited the declensions (vibhakti �s). As the Pitru shabda declensions

did not follow the manner of the Rama shabda declensions, the father erroneously felt that the boy

was wrong. He scolded the boy as well as the teacher and put an end to the learning itself. What

is one to do with such persons? How can they be corrected?

 

If one mistakes one thing for another and expresses his displeasure and anger, can it be the fault

of the teacher, such as Bhagavatpada? A person with a jaundiced eye will insist that a conch is

yellow, however much he is told that it is white. Bhagavatpada's teachings do not give rise to any

kind of likes, dislikes, delusion, envy, egotism, etc. He wants us to realize,

 

tadeko'vashiShTaH ShivaH kevalo'ham

 

(I am the non-dual, pure, absolute Truth that remains as the residue when the cosmos is sublated.)

 

We, who are fortunate to be His followers, will be gravely erring if we do not reverentially pay

our obeisance to him on such an occasion. The twelfth birth centenary of Bhagavatpada is being

celebrated in a fitting manner by numerous persons. Several deserving persons are being honoured

on this occasion. I am glad that the event has proceeded so well.

 

Hara namaH PaarvatI pataye Hara Hara MahAdeva |

JAnakIkAntasmaraNam jaya jaya Rama Rama ||

 

(Excerpted from the book 'Divine Discourses' published by Sri Vidyateertha Foundation, Chennai.)

 

(Concluded)

 

 

 

How low will we go? Check out Messenger�s low PC-to-Phone call rates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of Atman and Brahman.

Advaitin Homepage at: Terms of Service.