Guru-smaraNam - Part 2

[Guest guest]

Guru-smaraNam Part – 2

 

ShrIgurubhyo NamaH

 

In the earlier part an excerpt from the book `Edifying Parables' was reproduced.

The present excerpt is from the book `Yoga Enlightenment and Perfection'. The

Chapter 14 titled `The Divine Drama that Followed' recounts the events that

followed the culmination of Acharyal's sadhana.

 

[in an earlier conversation with the Author-disciple, Acharyal had revealed

about His vision of Lord Shiva; Shiva told Acharyal to focus on the formless

Absolute and blessed that Acharyal would soon become established in Brahman.]

 

Disciple: Did Acharyal inform Paramacharyal about the consummation of Acharyal's

sadhana as foretold by the Lord?

 

Acharyal: No. Being My Guru and an excellent shrotriya-brahmaniShTha (sage

versed in the scriptures and established in Brahman), He had the authority and

the competence to decide upon not only the initiation and form of My sadhana but

also its progress and culmination.

…..

Disciple: When and how did Paramacharyal react to Acharyal's establishment in

the Absolute?

 

Acharyal: As I was returning from the hill, I saw Acharyal (Paramacharyal)

standing outside Sacchidananda Vilas and looking in My direction. He beckoned

to Me and went inside. When I went to His presence, He was alone. Even before

I could prostrate before Him, He rushed to Me and embraced Me. Then holding Me

by My shoulders, He said, `I am so very happy.'

 

Bhidyate hRdaya-granthiH cchidyante sarva-samshayaaH |

kShIyante chAsya karmANi tasmin dRShTe paraavare || (Mundaka Up. II.2.8)

 

(When the Supreme Atman which is both high and low, is realized, the knot of the

heart (comprising the host of tendencies and impressions of ignorance in the

form of desires) is destroyed, all doubts come to an end and one's actions

become dissipated.)

 

atha martyo'mRto bhavati atra brahma samashnute (BrihadAraNyaka Up. IV.4.7)

 

(Then, he who was subject to death, becomes deathless and attains identity with

Brahman while living in this very body.)

 

yastvAtma-ratireva syAt Atma-tRptashcha maanavaH |

aatmanyeva cha santuShTastasya kAryam na vidyate || (Bhagavad Gita III.17)

 

(But that man who rejoices only in the Atman, is satisfied with just the Atman

and who is contented in just the Atman – for him, there is no duty to perform.)

 

(Parama)Acharyal cited these passages and said, `Such declarations of the Shruti

and SmRti are applicable to You who abide as the Supreme Brahman.' Altering the

words of GaudapAdAchaarya a little, He told Me:

 

tattvamAdhyAtmikam dRShTam tattvam dRShTam tu bAhyataH |

tattvIbhUtastadAraamaH tattvAdaprachyuto bhavAn ||

 

(The Reality has been seen (by You) in the context of the individual and in the

external world. You have become identified with the Reality. You rejoice in

the Reality. You are undeviating from the Reality.)

 

[The original verse of GaudapAdAchArya, which is in the form of a teaching is:

 

tattvamAdhyaamikam dRShTvA tattvam dRShTvA tu bAhyataH |

tattvIbhUtastadAramaH tattvAdaprachyuto bhavet || (GaudapAda kArikaa II. 38)

 

(Having examined the Reality in the context of the individual and in the

external world, one should become identified with the Reality, should have one's

delight in the Reality and should not deviate from the Reality.)

 

Acharyal: On My Guru's letting go of My shoulders, I prostrated before Him for

long, placing My hands and head on His feet. Such was Acharyal's greatness that

He highly appreciated anything positive in another. His instructions, blessings

and grace were responsible for My sadhana and whatever I achieved. Yet,

Acharyal did not take any credit. He was so thoroughly free from egoism. Where

can one now find the likes of Him?

 

(End of the excerpt)

 

A concluding note:

 

The two excerpts reproduced in Parts 1 and 2 give an idea of the exalted state

of the Acharya. His sadhana and its culmination are a classic demonstration of

the method of the Upanishads.

 

Some readers/sAdhaka-s might do well to study a book `GeetA-shAstrArtha-vivekaH'

(Sanskrit) authored by Sri SacchidAnandendra Saraswati SwaminaH (SSS). The book

is published by AdhyAtma-prakAsha-kAryAlaya, HoLenarasipur (Karnataka). Chapter

22 titled `yOgadarshanOpasangrahaH' (p.178 onwards) meaning `the

inclusion/accommodating of the Yoga School' presents in somewhat detail the

admissibility, utility, compatibility and the limit of the Patanjali system in

Vedanta sadhana. The author has taken up the 6th Chapter of the Gita for

demonstrating the role of Patanjali's system in meditation. He has cited over a

dozen Yoga Sutras and also the bhAshya on the Yoga Sutras in some cases to drive

home his point.

 

His aim is to point out those practices of the Patanjali system that can be

admissible to Vedanta and refer to similarities between the two schools: Yoga

and Vedanta. He commences his essay with quoting the Yoga sutra:

Yogaschitta-vRtti-nirodhaH, tadA dRashTuH svarUpe avasthAnam I.2,3. (Yoga is

the restraint of the mental modes. When this is accomplished there results in

the (practitioner's) establishment in his native state.)

 

SSS proceeds with specifying the other Yoga sutras that teach the method of

restraining the vRtti-s. He lists, on p.183, the eight limbs of Yoga: yama,

niyama, Asana, prANAyAma, pratyAhAra, dhAraNa, dhyAna and samAdhi – and says

these are specified in the Gita chapters V and VI. He makes a very pertinent

remark on p.184:

 

//However, the last three limbs, dhAraNa, dhyAna and samAdhi, have a different

connotation in the Gita.//

 

In p.186 SSS says: This indeed is the final purport (of this chapter):

AtmAnAtma-vivekajA-prajnA Eva atra samAdhiprajnA uchyate. …(Here, in the

Gita-context, the knowledge (born of) samAdhi is decidedly the one born of the

discrimination between the Atman and anAtman (of the Vedanta). He goes on the

cite several other passages in the Vedanta literature where the word `samAdhi'

occurs and gives the Vedantic connotation of the term.

 

This chapter, in my humble opinion, would be an indispensable guide to someone

who is not exposed to the traditional Vedantic method of sadhana in

understanding and appreciating the material presented in the two parts of the

`GurusmaraNam'. SSS has left no doubt or ambiguity in conveying his position:

 

Vedanta accommodates the method of the Patanjali system in the sadhana stage.

The content of the culmination of the sadhana in the two schools, however, is

quite different from each other.

 

From the study of the above chapter of SSS's book, one who is not very familiar

with the systems of Vedanta sadhana would be able to appreciate that Acharyal's

sadhana and its culmination is in complete conformity with the position stated

therein. One who reads the other chapters of the book `Yoga Enlightenment and

Perfection' will be able to see readily that Vedanta is the foundation of

Acharyal's mananam and nididhyAsanam excercises. For example, the chapters

therein describe the pancha-kosha viveka, avasthA-traya viveka, Atma-anAtma

viveka, dRk-dRshya viveka, etc. that formed part of Acharyal's sadhana.

 

Here is a very important and useful excerpt, from the book 'Exalting

Elucidations' p.243:

 

Disciple: Can one attain Jnana without experiencing Nirvikalpa Samadhi?

 

Acharyal: Jnana is nothing but the knowledge of one's True nature. Technically,

it can be obtained even through just vichAra (enquiry). Nirvikalpa SamAdhi is a

wonderful means but it is improper to say that it is the only means.

 

Here ends the two-part `GurusmaraNam'.

 

SrIsadgurucharaNAravindArpaNamastu

 

Om Tat Sat