mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH

October 4, 2007

As desired by Shri R.S. Mani I propose to give the meanings of the vAkyas in

the booklet 'MahAvAkyaratnAvaliH. The first set of vAkyas under the heading

'vidhivAkyAni' are now taken up.

VidhivAkyAni--Statements conveying injunctions.

1. sarvam khalvidam brahma tajjalAn iti SAnta upAsIta—chAndogya up. 3.14.1-

All this is brahman. This universe is born from it (brahman ), dissolves in

it and has existence in it. One should meditate thus by being calm, that is,

self-controlled and free from attachment, aversion, etc. The substance of

these statements is that the universe is only an appearance of brahman and

does not have any reality of its own. By meditating on this statement one

will be able to realize that brahman is the only reality.

2. AtmAnamevAved aham brahmAsmIti—bRhad. up. 1.4.10.

Though this sentence has been put under vidhivAkyAni, there is no vidhi or

injunction in it. This is one of the four main mahAvAkyas which express the

identity of the jIvAtmA and paramAtmA. The meaning is:-- He (the jIva) knew

himself as " I am brahman " . The jIva is really brahman even when he thinks of

himself as other than brahman and as an individual limited to his body-mind

complex. When he realizes that he is brahman the wrong notion, which was due

to avidyA, ceases.

3. AtmA vA are drashTavyaH Srotvyo mantavyo nididhyAsitavyayaH- bRhad. up.

2.4.5- This is one of the most important sentences in the whole upanishadic

literature. The meaning is:-- The Self should be realized, it should be

heard about, reflected on, and meditated upon. The preceding sentences in

this paragraph say that the wife loves her husband not for the husband's

sake but for her own sake; the husband loves his wife not for the wife's

sake but for his own sake; love of all other persons and objects is not for

the sake of the person or object loved but for one's own sake. The idea is

that we love other persons and objects only because they give us happiness.

Sri Sankara therefore says that our love for other objects and persons is

only secondary and our love for our own self is primary. Swami Vidyaranya

explains this with an illustration. A father goes on kissing his baby. The

baby's tender skin is irritated by the man's moustache and beard rubbing

against it and the baby cries out in pain, but the man goes on kissing the

child because he gets pleasure from it. Sri Sankara says that the object of

the upanishad in stating this is to teach us the need for renunciation and

make us give up attachments. The sentence that follows the one quoted is

also very important. It is—Atmano vA are darSanena SravaNena matyA vijnAnena

idam sarvam viditam. The meaning is; " By the realization of the Self alone,

through hearing, reflection and meditation, all this becomes known " . All

that we experience in this world is in reality nothing but brahman. So by

knowing brahman everything is known, just as by knowing gold all ornaments

made of gold are known. Or, since brahman is the only reality, when it is

known nothing else remains to be known because there is nothing else that

exists.

This is the passage where SravaNam, mananam and nididhyAsanam are laid

down as the means to realization. SravaNam is not merely listening to the

teacher. It involves much more than that. The definitions of each of these

and the purpose served by each are given on my website

www.geocities.com/snsastri/vedarealization.html

under the heading 'The means to Self-realization'.

(To be continued)

S.N.Sastri

October 4, 2007

advaitin , " S.N. Sastri " <sn.sastri wrote:

>

> As desired by Shri R.S. Mani I propose to give the meanings of the

vAkyas in

> the booklet 'MahAvAkyaratnAvaliH. The first set of vAkyas under the

heading

> 'vidhivAkyAni' are now taken up.

>

Namaste, Sastri-ji

PraNAms to you. Congratulations on taking up this project of

translating the MahAvAkyaratnAvali for us. My father used to hug this

small booklet to himself all the time and be immersed in it,

particularly in the last year of his life! I have that booklet (in a

damaged condition, with all the stickers attached by my father) back

home in India. Now that you are translating it for us, at the

prompting of RS Mani-ji, I consider it a great boon for me and the

advaitin list. May God be with you and us in this endeavour. Thanks.

PraNAms to alll advaitins.

profvk

October 5, 2007

namaste

Thanks millions to sri Sastri ji and Mani ji for their compassion towards

students of Advaitha

I pray GOD to give you infinite strength and spirit, long life

jai gurudeva

Narendra

On 10/5/07, V. Krishnamurthy <profvk wrote:

>

> advaitin <advaitin%40>, " S.N.

> Sastri " <sn.sastri wrote:

> >

> > As desired by Shri R.S. Mani I propose to give the meanings of the

> vAkyas in

> > the booklet 'MahAvAkyaratnAvaliH. The first set of vAkyas under the

> heading

> > 'vidhivAkyAni' are now taken up.

> >

>

> Namaste, Sastri-ji

>

> PraNAms to you. Congratulations on taking up this project of

> translating the MahAvAkyaratnAvali for us. My father used to hug this

> small booklet to himself all the time and be immersed in it,

> particularly in the last year of his life! I have that booklet (in a

> damaged condition, with all the stickers attached by my father) back

> home in India. Now that you are translating it for us, at the

> prompting of RS Mani-ji, I consider it a great boon for me and the

> advaitin list. May God be with you and us in this endeavour. Thanks.

>

> PraNAms to alll advaitins.

> profvk

>

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October 5, 2007

Dear Prof,

Thanks for your mail and your good wishes.

S.N.Sastri

On 10/4/07, V. Krishnamurthy <profvk wrote: