Anubhutiprakasha: Chapter 11: Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

Namaste.

I have downloaded Anubhutiprakasha from advaitin group. It was a nice

text. I try to furnish a free translation of Chapter 11 of the same.

It is the essence of Katha Upanishad, which I like the most. I shall

try to send the same to the group in parts. I would appreciate if any

of the members could point out the possible mistakes.

 

With regards,

Anupam.

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Anubhutiprakashika - I

 

 

1) I shall tell concisely that Knowledge, of Kathopanishad of Yajur

veda, which has been imparted by Yama to Nachiketas.

 

2) As a boy Nachiketas was sent to Yama by his father. Reaching Yama

and making his happy, Nachiketas asked for Atmajnanam.

 

3) Nachiketas said: After the death of a man, is there any thing

called Atma that exists or not? There still prevails this doubt

because of the difference between various schools of thought. Please

tell me decisively.

 

4) Yama said: Charvakas talk about the body only; those who are adept

in rituals talk about svarga; mumukshu or the aspirants after

liberation try for liberation.

 

5) Atman is very subtle like atom and hence it is difficult to

understand. Therefore, even gods have doubts about this. Therefore,

leave this question and ask for sons and wealth.

 

6) Nachiketas: Sons etc are perishables and the cause of suffering.

Therefore, they are not the things to be wanted. There is no one else

who can tell about Atman. Therefore, please tell me only about that

Atman.

 

7) Yama: Listen carefully. People ask for two types of things – that

are pleasurable and desirable. Sons etc come under the category of

pleasurable. That Atman, which is beyond all sorrows, is desirable.

 

8) There are two (different) courses; the one not endowed with

discrimination and the other endowed with discrimination. Those who

ask for pleasurable are not endowed with discriminative faculty. But

I think, you are not like that. You ask for Knowledge which is

desirable.

 

9) Endowed with sharp discriminative faculty, you are different from

gross and super-gross people. Gross people have a small amount of

discriminative faculty. Therefore, they opt for the enjoyment in the

other world and not this world.

 

10) Their preceptor also of that type only. These two (the gross

people and their preceptor) are like a blind man leading another

blind. Without knowing the Atman both of them are ignorant.

 

11) Super-gross people opt for wealth. They even kill others (for

their welfare). They are not at all aware of another world.

 

12) It is difficult to hear about Atman for Charvakas and ritualists.

Even amongst those who aspire after liberation, many do not know about

Atman, though they hear about Atman.

 

13) Devas who accept the oblations of the people do not like people to

get liberated. (what is the meaning of martyavedanam ?) People do not

know about Atman because of the hindrances created by the gods and

they (people) die.

 

14) The gods generate faults / fouls in the preceptor as well as in

the disciple. Because of either difficulty in expressing or

difficulty in his own understanding the preceptor could not teach

(properly) (I feel: shaknoti no guruH is a typo; It must be ‘shaknoti

na guruH)

 

15) Devoid of faith or because of illogical arguments, the disciple

could not understand. Due to the grace of God, gods free us from all

faults.

 

16) By chanting the Peace recital, “Sahanavavatu” etc, God is pleased

and because of his pleasing, all hindrances of the preceptor and the

disciple vanish. These are not of the common run indeed.

 

17) There are two types of preceptors. First type knows the meaning

of the words of the Upanisads. The second is who has ‘experienced’ the

Oneness of the Atman. The first type of preceptor is only a man, not

Brahman Itself, as the delusions natural to men are not yet

disappeared from him.

 

18) He talks so much. Therefore, when he teaches, doubts are not

cleared out. The Experienced is Brahman Itself. When he teaches,

Brahman is understood clearly.

 

19) Illogical arguments destroy knowledge. Argumentators are not

preceptors. When the experience comes to one, he becomes the efficient

preceptor.

 

20) Disciple must not be extrovert. Though undergoing difficult times,

he, practicing adhyatmayoga, looks for Atman only.

[Guest guest]

advaitin , anupam srivatsav <anupam.srivatsav wrote:

>

> Dear All,

> Namaste.

> I have downloaded Anubhutiprakasha from advaitin group. It was a nice

> text. I try to furnish a free translation of Chapter 11 of the same.

> It is the essence of Katha Upanishad, which I like the most. I shall

> try to send the same to the group in parts. I would appreciate if any

> of the members could point out the possible mistakes.

>

> With regards,

> Anupam.

 

Dear Anupam-ji,

Your translation is excellent. The following are my remarks.

shloka 9—mUDha is derived from the verb muh, to be deluded. So mUDha means those

who are under delusion and atimUDha are those who are intensely deluded.

Sl. 13- martyavedanam means mortals getting knowledge (of brahman). hatAH does

not mean they die. It means that they are frustrated in their efforts to know

because of the obstruction created by the gods.

 

sl 14- no is na u—u is for emphasis—not at all. This is common in many

upanishads.

sl 16- durlabhau refers to the guru and the disciple and not the troubles.

sl 19—Agame means `in the vedas'. One who is adept (kushala) in the vedas and

has realized should be the guru—

sl 20—The second line means—He sees (realizes) the Atman even though it is

difficult to know.

 

Best wishes,

S.N.Sastri