Sridakshinamurtistotram (Part XI )

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Sridakshinamurtistotram

(Part XI )

 

mUrtam cha amUrtamapi pratiShidhya hi neti neti-vAkyavashAt |

drakShyanti yam sukRRitanaH satatam praNamAmi dakShiNAmUrtim ||

 

[ Obeisance always to ShrIdakShiNAmUrti, the direct realization of

whom is secured by the righteous that are wise, by negating both the

gross and the suble superimpositions on the basis of the Shruti `Not

this, Not this', as is well known.]

 

(a verse from a hymn composed by Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati

SwaminaH )

 

 

CONCLUSION – RESUME – SARVAATMATVA

 

 

Having completed the study of the nine verses of the Hymn, we are in

the concluding verse, whose theme is SarvAtmatva; the experiencing

of the Selfhood-of-all. This has been the endeavour of the entire

hymn which is to secure for the seeker by heralding before him the

SavrUpa of what he has continuously and persistently been searching,

and also in delineating the method to be pursued for securing this

aim. This goal though termed variously in parlance – as Supreme

happiness without any tinge of sorrow, as Peace, as realization of

Truth, as knowledge of Reality having known which there would be no

uncertainties, doubts or unknownness regarding anything whatsoever,

as removal of all obsessions, as Transcendence, as securing once for

all the berth in which one is posed eternally without in any sense

being affected by anything else whatsoever – is Brahman-Atman, the

One Consciousness which alone is and with which as the Substratum,

appears the entire universe by delusion, and into which it lapses.

The apparent shine of all else which is seemingly existing is only

the Shine of this Substratum.

 

The primary concern of everyone, which obviously is about oneself,

is Brahman-Atman. One is concerned with anything else in so far as

it subserves one's own interest. Basically, however, the real

SvarUpa of oneself as also that of all else i.e., the universe in

which one feels concerned and entangled, is only Brahman-Atman.

 

Appropriate enquiry is the doorway for this realization. However,

enquiry in respect of the universe based on the formulations of the

so-called causal principles involving the notions of cause and

effect etc., analysis and synthesis involving arbitrarily postulated

notions of connections and differences etc., in the manner of what

is done in the case of the other so-called disciplines supposed to

be based on the so-called empirical pramaanas, classifications based

thereon, the so-called reasonings involving inferences and

postulates, in short, all discussions involving details pertaining

to parlance in respect of the world inclusive of space and time

based on concoction regarded as axiomatic etc., are all the

endeavour of the deluded who do not even know what they themselves

are amongst the body, the senses etc., which pass off as oneself in

various contexts. All this is a distant cry from the `experience'

that each one has in respect of himself or the universe. One's

attention must be drawn to this aspect of the situation and one must

be made to recognize and evaluate it properly i.e., place it

suitably.

 

All concoctions must be eschewed and all inspiration and teaching

must be obtained directly from the One which he seeks to be

eternally, and which in fact he has always been i.e., Brahman-

Atman. All illumination must stem only from this Entity. This

Brahman-Atman is the revered Guru, one's own SvarUpa, that

accomplishes this task eminently by showing the seeker-disciple as

to how the worldly experiences can be accounted for only in terms of

the Shine of this Inner Self, Brahman-Atman, and in no other way, by

drawing his attention to the experience of the triad of states, the

waking etc., enabling him to see that all parlance including

origination, sustenance and destruction of the world is but a dream,

as also by establishing him in the SAkShi-svarUpa which is SphuraNam

sadAtmakam (third verse of the hymn). The VedavAk (an expression of

the SphuraNam) is the Supreme PramANa in this respect. The Shruti

is only an attempt to put in words such subtle experiences and it

also prescribes the methods of securing them. Not only the saadhana

pertaining to the ultimate realization, but also the parlance

pertaining to creation, sustenance and dissolution of the so-called

triad of states, the regularity seen in common parlance such as

perception, etc., are understood only on the basis of the plenary

experience namely that of abiding in the `State' in which the tvam-

padArtha (`I') is clearly seen to be the Tat-padArtha (`That') as

well, i.e., based on the akhaNDAkAra-vRRitti experience, even though

not realized as such in ordinary parlance.

 

The concepts and reasonings that the Master employs are designed to

sublimate the ones that are used by the disciple in the mesh in

which he has been caught, apparently by accepting them. Aids – such

as illustrations of the dream, magic (first verse), seed and sprout

(second verse), eclipse (sixth verse), etc, etc., which though taken

from parlance do not bind him to parlance but serve to liberate him

from it and sublimate the faculties involved – are employed. Total

surrender on the part of the disciple is absolutely necessary for

this purpose.

 

An important step in this endeavour is to realize that one is the

Witness, the Sakshi, of all that is and is happening. This

realization enables one to dissociate oneself from all the idam-

aspects of the universe and leaves him in the state of idam-free

aham. He is no longer involved in anything. Not only that; he is

the very Shine, SphuraNa, which illuminates everything else. This

SvarUpa is Its own testimony requiring no other evidence in respect

of It. It is also seen thereby that `he' is not the body, the vital

airs, the mind, the intellect or the void, but the Principle which

transcends these and illumines all these which are also among the

idam-aspects of the universe. It is also directly seen that the

witnessed, the entire universe involving all these, appears and

disappears on the `anvil' that is one's SvarUpa, the SphuraNa, the

Substratum. This shows that he is IshwarasvarUpa, sarvajna, and

sarvashakti, the TatpadArtha, from the standpoint of the world,

though always transcendent and remaining in oneself, Brahman-Atman,

without any concern for the universe. The inspiratioin as also the

plenary experience arises from the silent teaching from this SvarUpa

alone. This shows that this SvarUpa is really what is meant by

the `Veda', the Shruti, which has been accepted as the only pramANa

in this respect. This is verily the Master, the Guru, who by

revealing Himself as the abiding Atman which was apparently latent,

now renders it `patent' (verse seven).

 

The so-called universe (inclusive of the mind etc.), appearing

variously, is only a stream of changing `states' of the underlying

Substratum in which one has been abiding always during the interval

between any two of them as also while appearing to be in any of

them. This realization as also the conviction that all these states

etc., are only superposed and are illusory, aided by contemplation

(if necessary) on the aShTamUrti-svarUpa (ninth verse) of the

Substratum, enables one to be stablished in the situation envisaged

in the first stanza, the apavaada-dRRiShTi, namely that the universe

in its myriad aspects does not exist. All the so-called objects are

mere concoctions, and words supposed to denote them are mere

vikalpas (that is, there are no real `objects' substantially

existing that are denoted by the words). One's real svarUpa,

Brahmanhood, that is native to oneself indicated by `aham BrahmAsmi'

stands out. Thus one is established in sarvAtmatva, the svarUpa –

(1) of oneself (Atman), (2) the Master (the Guru) and (3) Ishvara –

the One Consciousness. Thereafter there is no return to the humdrum

mundane world.

 

Ishwaro Gururaatmeti mUrtibheda-vibhaagine |

Vyomavad vyaapta-dehaaya DakShiNaamUrtaye NamaH ||

 

Hearing, shravaNa, the silent teaching offered by the Master, the

One Consciousness, the svarUpa, cogitation, manana, in the manner

pointed out, and steadfast contemplation, dhyaana, on the svarUpa as

such, and also reveling in It, giving expression always to It with

adoration, sankIrtana, would crown the disciple with the glory,

ShrIH, of sarvAtmatva which is the svarUpa of Ishwara with His

powers, the venerable Master and oneself. That the means for being

established in this svarUpa is what is just pointed out, in respect

of this very hymn itself is emphatically declared by the Acharya

Himself in this tenth and final stanza of the Hymn:

 

sarvAtmatvamiti sphuTIkRRitamidam yasmAdamuShmin-stave

tEnAsya shravaNAt tadartha-mananAt dhyAnAccha sankIrtanAt |

sarvAtmatva-mahA-vibhUti-sahitam syAdIshvaratvam svataH

siddhyEt tat punaraShTadhA pariNatam chaishvaryam-avyAhatam ||

 

[As in this Hymn, has been clearly brought out the universality of

the Self, (that thou art the All-Self) so, by listening to,

reflecting and meditating on, and devoutly reciting it, the state of

being Ishwara attended by the mighty grandeur of universal Self-hood

results of its own accord as also that unimpeded Divine Power in its

eight-fold aspect.]

 

The above is reminiscent of the BrihadAranyaka Upanishad: AtmA VA

arey draShTavyaH, shrotavyo mantavyo nidhidhyAsitavyaH. Also, the

earlier verse, ninth, reminds us of the Shrutis: sarvam khalvidam

brahma, neti, neti, neha nAnAsti kinchana, tadAtmAnamevAvet aham

brahmAsmi it tasmAt tat sarvamabhavat, etc. [All these Shrutis are

the ones declaring the Advaitic Absolute Truth.]

 

The manner of the teaching of the Hymn is reminiscent of the

Samanvaya, avirodha, sAdhana and Phala, the four chapters of the

Brahma Sutras. The perfume of Supreme devotion that pervades the

hymn and the manner of offering the teaching in the conversational

style with love and compassion is as what is evidenced in the Gita

and the BhAshya thereon. Says the Acharya Himself in the

VivekachUDaamaNi:

 

575. I have today repeatedly revealed to thee, as to one's own son,

this excellent and profound secret, which is the inmost purport of

all Vedanta, the crest of the Vedas – considering thee an aspirant

after Liberation, purged of the taints of this Dark Age, and of a

mind free from desires.

 

579. May those Sannyasins who are seekers after Liberation, who have

purged themselves of all taints of the mind by the observance of the

prescribed methods, who are averse to worldly pleasures, and who are

of serene minds, and take a delight in the Shruti – appreciate this

salutary teaching!

 

However, in spite of the simplicity of exposition and its inviting

nature, the depth of the thought involved is unfathomable, prasanna

and gambhIra, as is well known in respet of the Acharya's works.

Nevertheless this does not, in the least, detract from the use of

the hymn for the intended purpose, as it makes clear the method of

search, where to search and what to search, by directly pointing to

one's own experience. This makes it easy for everyone, including

those who are not fortunate enough to have access to Shruti, to

proceed with sAdhana using the hymn itself for the purpose, as

declared by the hymn itself in the tenth verse. The method provided

and the assurance with which the end result is pointed out are

astounding:

 

//I adore that Lord SrIdakShiNAmUrti who is verily the

Consciousness-Bliss and who is easily pleased even by meager

worship, by worshipping whom with Supreme devotion, Shuka and

others, the foremost among muni-s of the highest order of

renunciation, secured BrahmavidyA.// (A verse composed by Sringer

Jagadguru Sri Narasimha BhArati SwaminaH, the 33rd pontiff.)

 

//I bow down to my Teacher, a knower of Brahman, who collected for

us the nectar of knowledge from the Vedantas like a bee collecting

the best honey from flowers.//(UpadeshasAhasrI 18.233)

 

prakAshaatmikayA shaktyA prakAshAnAm prabhAkaraH |

prakAshayati yo vishvam prakAsho'yam prakAshataam ||

 

(He who, by His power of light, affords light to all light, who

lights the whole universe, may that Light shine full in His Light!!)

MAnasollAsa X.24

 

VivekachUDaamaNi:

 

580. For those who are afflicted, in the way of the world, by the

burning pain due to the (scorching) sunshine of threefold misery,

and who through delusion wander about in a desert in search of

water – for them here is the triumphant message of Shankara pointing

out, within easy reach, the soothing ocean of nectar, Brahman, the

One without a second – to lead them on to Liberation.

 

Thus ShrI AchAryapAdaaH, verily SrIdakShiNAmUrti Himself, has gifted

this succinct hymn to accomplish what Shruti has been endeavouring

to do. Such is the abounding Grace of the Master, the Supreme

Consciousness, who confers His own SvarUpa. Obeisance to Him in

reverential identification:

tasmai shrIguru-mUrtaye nama idam shrIdakShiNaa-mUrtaye ||

 

ShrI-sadguru-charaNAravindArpaNamastu

Om Tat Sat

 

A note of thanks: I express my heartfelt thanks to the Moderators

of the List for having permitted me to post the summary of the

Acharya's monumental work: ShrIdakShiNAmUrtistotram. The entire

exercise turned out to be an excellent study of the original book,

in two volumes, published by the Sringeri Mutt. The revered author,

Ved.Br.Sri.(Late) D.S.Subbaramaiya, a venerable Jnani, had, in His

infinite compassion, permitted me, a most undeserving one, to be

involved in the production of the volumes. It was this involvement

that gave me an opportunity to get exposed to the ocean of Vedantic

works, in their original. The association also had a by-product:

becoming familiar with the Sanskrit language. Above all, there was

the opportunity to be in His benign company, tutelage and loving

care. Countless are the incidents that He would narrate pertaining

to His own association with the Jagadgurus Sri Chandrashekhara

Bharati SwaminaH, Sri Abhinava VidyAteertha SwaminaH and Sri Bharati

Teertha SwaminaH, the 34th, 35th and the 36th pontiffs of the

Sringeri Sharada Peetham. My humble pranams to the Guruparamparaa:

 

Vivekinam Mahaaprajnam Dhairya-audaarya-kshamaa-nidhim |

Sadaa Abhinava-puurvam Tam Vidyatiirthagurum bhaje ||

 

Chandrasekhara-yogindra-sishyasya-asmadguroH padau ||

Sritaanaam mokshadau yasya Subbaraamaaryasya-aasrayaamyaham||

 

Shruti-smrti-puraanaanaam Aalayam Karunaalayam |

Namaami Bhagavatpada-Shankaram Lokashankaram ||

 

Om Tat Sat