Tho Nirvanasatka or a Soxtot on God-consciousnoss

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Small introduction and noto: Tho vord Nirvana litorally donotos lloving out, lloving avay`. lt
is tho stato vhoroin tho ignoranco and tho illusion havo loon dispollod or oxtinguishod lorovor, it is
tho stato ol tho Supromo God-consciousnoss.
This Satka or soxtot is said to havo loon composod ly Sankaracarya, tho lamous Sago ol tho
Advaitavodanta. lt lorms a loautilul doscription ol tho consciousnoss ol a porson ostallishod in
God, i.o. tho consciousnoss ol God Himsoll, lor thoro is no dilloronco lotvoon ono vho has
roalizod God and God.
Noto: Wo havo usod tho torms God, tho Soll, Brahman, tman to donoto tho Supromo Roality.
8AHIA
Tho lirst vorso nogatos tho Puro tman or tho Supromo Divinity to lo tho illusory porcoiving
suljoct ttho lovor soll), tho instrumonts to porcoption ttho sonsos), and tho oljocts ol porcoption
tmattor, tho vorld):
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Vanoluddhyahankaracittani naham
na ca srotrajihvo na ca ghrananotro'
na ca vyoma lhumirna tojo na vayuh
cidanandarupah sivo`ham sivo`ham+ 1+
Soparation ol vords:
manas-luddhi-ahankara-cittani I~ n:uu, I~ :u~II~, I~ ~go auu I~ :nou::on:, na uo,
aham 1, na uo, ca auu, srotra-jihvo I~ ~a: auu I~ ougn~, na uo, ca auu, ghrana-notro
I~ o:gau oJ :n~II auu I~ ~,~, na uo, ca auu, vyoma ~I~:, :ja~, lhumih ~a:I, na uo,
tojah J::~, na uo, vayuh u:uu, cid-ananda-rupah :u I~ Jo:n oJ 1uJ:u:~ rou::on:u~:: auu
1uJ:u:~ 1I:::, sivah I: :+., aham 1, sivah I: :+., aham 1,
Translation:
l am noithor tho mind, tho intolloct, tho ogo, nor tho sulconscious, and l am noithor tho oar, tho
tonguo, tho organ ol smoll nor tho oyo, l am not spaco, oarth, liro or vind, l am Siva in tho lorm ol
1uJ:u:~ consciousnoss and 1uJ:u:~ lliss, l am Siva.
Ilucidation:
manoluddhyahankaracittani naham Human consciousnoss, philosophically tormod tho lovor
soll`, consists ol tho ontitios ol Vanas tmind), Buddhi tintolloct), Ahankara togo, soll-sonso) and
ii tta tsulconsci ous).
What is tho Vanas? lt is said that tho Vanas is tho laculty ol thinking in tho aspoct ol intontion and
indocision. Whon a thought is in its loginning stato ol dovolopmont, vhon somothing is lor instanco
moroly intondod lut thoro is no lixod dotormination rogarding it, thon tho Vanas-aspoct is lunction-
ing. Vanas may lo translatod as mind. Tho idoa is that tho God-roalizod Sago is not limitod ly a
mind.
What is tho Buddhi? lt is said that tho Buddhi is tho laculty ol thinking in tho aspoct ol dotormi-
nation, cortainty. Whon a thought is in a dovolopod stato, vhon lor instanco an action is cortain to
lo porlormod, thon tho Buddhi-aspoct, possossing tho laculty ol discrimination and thinking in
procossos, is lunctioning. Buddhi may lo translatod as intolloct. Vanas is tho mind and Buddhi is
tho intolloct supporting tho mind. Tho idoa is that tho God-roalizod Sago is not limitod ly an
intolloct, locauso God`s inlinito visdom oxprossos itsoll through him.
What is Ahankara? Pooplo mostly tako it to moan ogo. But tho vord ogo is usually takon to
donoto tho proud and arrogant looling ol l` in man. Though it naturally includos tho lattor moaning,
Ahankara is lactually dolinod as aham karta ahankarah`, i.o. tho thought that l am tho door is
dolinod as Ahankara, ogo or soll-sonso. ln this dolinition, l` indicatos tho Truo Soll. Tho Truo Soll is
knovn to lo Akarta or tho non-door. ln tho Gita, tho lord says: prakrtaih kriyamanani gunaih
karmani sarvasah' ahankaravimudatma kartahamiti manyato`, i.o. tho divisions ol Prakrti porlorm
all action. With tho undorstanding doludod ly ogoism, man thinks l am tho door`.` What is Prakrti?
Prakrti constitutos tho impuro ontitios ol intolloct, mind, sonsos and mattor. Tho Truo Soll, though
doludod ly ignoranco and idontiliod vith thoso, is in roality tho non-door, an otornal vitnoss.
Actions aro porlormod ly Prakrti alono, not ly tho lnnormost Ivor-puro Soll or God. Tho alovo
Ahankara also comprisos tho sonso ol individuality, causing tho sonso ol divorsity. Tho idoa is that
tho God-roalizod Sago has no sonso ol individuality, locauso ho is idontiliod vith God, tho Soll ol
all. What is tho iitta? lt is said that tho iitta is tho producor ol thoughts. What is tho producor ol
thoughts? Tho sulconscious. Tho intolloct and mind doal vith thoughts. As soon as improssions
ontor tho intolloct and mind, thoy locomo thoughts, and tho sulconscious is that vhich loods tho
tvo vith such improssions. lmprossions aro oithor lrom tho prosont or lrom tho provious livos. All
gravo or improssivo sconos vhich tho individual porcoivos lorm somo typo ol improssion in tho
sulconscious. Thoso throo ontitios, tho sulconscious, tho intolloct and tho mind, supportod ly tho
notion ol individuality togo), lorm tho illusory lovor soll. Tho idoa is that tho God-roalizod sago is
not limitod ly a lovor soll. Tho truo l is tho Puro Soll or God alono. And this puro Soll is not tho
illusory lovor soll.
What alout tho oxtornal vorld? Pooplo alvays idontily thomsolvos vith tho oxtornal vorld. What
typo ol idontilication? Attachmont to tho vorld. lrom ignoranco arisos tho notion that tho vorld is
roal. lrom this notion arisos somo typo ol attachmont and this attachmont is liko an idontilication.
This oxtornal vorld vill lo nogatod in tho lourth quartor ol tho lirst vorso. But procoding this, tho
author assorts tho non-roalnoss ol tho sonsos, tho instrumonts connocting tho intornal lovor soll
vith tho oxtornal vorld:
na ca srotrajihvo na ca ghrananotro What is tho Srotra? lt is tho sonso ol hoaring. Not tho oar,
vhich is lut a physical alodo ol tho sonso ol hoaring. Tho sonso ol hoaring is tho instrumont lor tho
lovor soll to rocoivo inlormation in tho lorm ol sound. Tho Jihva is tho sonso ol tasto. Not tho
tonguo, vhich is lut a physical tool, lut tho sonso ol tasting itsoll. Tho sonso ol tasto is tho instru-
mont lor tho lovor soll to rocoivo inlormation in tho lorm ol tasto. Ghrana is tho sonso ol smolling.
Not tho noso, vhich is lut a physical alodo ol tho sonso ol smolling, lut tho sonso ol smolling itsoll.
Tho sonso ol smolling is tho instrumont lor tho lovor soll to rocoivo inlormation in tho lorm ol smoll,
i.o. good or lad lragranco. Notra is tho sonso ol porcoiving or sooing. Not tho oyolall as physically
porcoivod, lut tho onorgy vithin it vhich lunctions through it, namod tho sonso ol sooing. Tho
sonso ol sooing is tho instrumont lor tho lovor soll to rocoivo inlormation alout oxtornal lorms.
Though not montionod in tho vorso itsoll, Tvac is to lo includod horo. lt is tho sonso ol touch,
lunctioning through tho physical skin. lt is an instrumont lor tho lovor soll to rocoivo inlormation
alout tho touch tvarm, cold, solt, hard otc...) ol oxtornal oljocts.
All thoso lorm a link ol tho intornal lovor soll vith tho oxtornal vorld. By idontilication or
accoptanco ol thoir roalnoss and soparatonoss lrom God, thoy login to lunction. Tho idoa is that tho
God-roalizod Sago is not limitod ly tho sonsos. Having nogatod tho ontity vhich porcoivos ti.o. tho
mind otc...) as voll as thoir assisting instrumonts ti.o. tho sonsos), tho author lurthor nogatos tho
roalnoss ol tho oljocts ol porcoption, all in all tho oxtornal vorld:
na ca vyoma lhumirna tojo na vayuh Tho vorld as vo porcoivo it consists ol tho livo primal
olomonts. What is Vyoma? lt is tho spaco vhich supports tho oxistonco ol mattor. Vattor cannot
sulsist vithout spaco. ldontilication or accoptanco ol tho roalnoss and soparatonoss lrom God ol
spaco loads to tho limitation ol porcoiving divorsity. What is Bhumi? Horo it roprosonts physical and
tangillo mattor, mattor having a rolativo hard lorm, graspallo mattor. Tojas is liro or light. lt is tho
illuminating ontity in tho vorld. Bhumi or graspallo mattor cannot lo soon vithout light, thoroloro
light is said to lo tho illuminating principlo ol tho vorld. Tojas also roprosonts liro or chomical
gassos. Vayu is air. Air can only sulsist in a placo covorod ly an atmosphoro. As tho oarth, to
humans prosontly tho only placo ol humanliko lilo, is such a placo, tho olomont ol air vas mon-
tionod in tho nogation, though air such as ours is not nocossarily prosont ovoryvhoro in tho uni-
vorso. liko proviously tho sonso ol touch, tho olomont ol vator or liquidity is to lo includod horo. lt
is gonorally knovn to lo tho lilth among tho livo gross olomonts. Tho idoa is that tho God-roalizod
porson doosn`t idontily himsoll vith tho oxtornal vorld consisting ol tho livo olomonts. Ivorything
has ol courso an ossontial roalnoss, lut only in its truo naturo, God.
Thus has loon nogatod tho idontilication or accoptanco ol roalnoss and soparation lrom God ol
tho lovor soll, tho sonsos and tho oxtornal vorld. But is God only doscrilod through nogations? Tho
author procoods vith imparting vhat ho roally is, namoly tho Supromo Roality:
cidanandarupah sivo`ham sivo`ham Tho Supromo Roality is iit. What is iit? Tho ossonco ol all
consciousnoss, Puro or lnlinito onsciousnoss. Philosophically iit is dolinod as janasvarupah`, i.o.
tho naturo ol knovlodgo. An oxplanatory oxamplo to this is: vo havo spaco, othor. Thoro aro tvo
housos soparatoly covoring this spaco. Tho spaco in tho lirst houso is so lar dilloront lrom tho spaco
in tho socond houso, as tho housos aro prosont. Tho housos alono aro tho causos ol a divorsity in tho
spaco. Romoving tho tvo housos, ono spaco alono romains. ln a human undorstanding, knovlodgo
alvays moans tho knovlodgo ol oljocts. Van thinks that thoro is no knovlodgo vithout an oljoct
to knov. But it is not so. Taking avay all oljocts ol knovlodgo, knovlodgo itsoll romains in its truo
naturo. And this naturo ol knovlodgo, namoly lnlinito onsciousnoss, is dolinod as iit. Tho Su-
promo Roality is lnlinito onsciousnoss. And tho God-roalizod Sago is ono vith this lnlinito on-
sciousnoss. Tho Supromo Roality is nanda. What is nanda? lt is dolinod as sukhasvarupah`, i.o.
tho ossonco ol all joy, lliss. ln tho samo vay as iit vas knovlodgo or consciousnoss in its puro and
unlimitod naturo, so also nanda is joy or lliss, in its puro or unlimitod naturo, not limitod ly
oljocts ol joy. Romoving tho oljocts ol joy, lnlinito Joy or Bliss alono romains. Tho Supromo Roality
is lnlinito Joy or Bliss. And vhat is this Supromo Roality callod? Siva. Siva doos not nocossarily rolor
to tho God Siva, lut in this caso rolors to tho Ono Supromo Brahman, tman or God. Tho God-
roalizod Sago is himsoll tho Supromo Roality. A quintossontial moaning ol tho lirst vorso vould lo
Svami Omkarananda`s loautilul statomont: God vith mind is man, man vithout mind is God.`
God alono is roal and tho mind is illusory. So, vo all aro in roality God Himsoll. Vind alono, horo
rolorring to tho lovor soll, is tho ontity vhich makos tho oxtornal vorld roal. ln doop sloop tho mind
is slooping or not lunctioning, so no vorld, no prolloms aro oxporioncod. By supromo purity
hovovor, attainod through tho graco ol God, tho lovor soll losos its londago, and thon again
through tho graco ol God, ono`s ovn truo Soll, God Himsoll is roalizod. t1)
8AHIA
ln tho Vodantic tradition, thoro aro somo lurthor compononts ol tho lovor soll, physical onos as
voll as sultlo onos. Also thoy, lor tho clarilication ol tho aspirant, should lo nogatod:
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Na ca pranasamjo na vai pacavayuh
na va saptadhaturna va pacakosah'
na vakpanipadam na copasthapayu
cidanandarupah sivo`ham sivo`ham+ 2+
Soparation ol vords:
na uo, ca auu, pranasamjah ~:n~u 1:.n., na uo, vai ~njIa:, pacavayuh I~ J::~
::aI a:::, Jo:~:, na va uo:, saptadhatuh I~ :~:~u onjou~u:, na va uo:, pacakosah I~
J::~ :I~aI:, na uo, vakpanipadam I~ o:gau oJ :j~~I, I~ Iauu: auu J~~, na uo, ca auu,
upasthapayu I~ g~u~:a::~ o:gau auu I~ aun:, cid-ananda-rupah :u I~ Jo:n oJ 1uJ:u:~ rou-
::on:u~:: auu 1uJ:u:~ 1I:::, sivah I: :+., aham 1, sivah I: :+., aham 1,
Translation:
l am not tho livo vital lorcos tormod Prana, nor tho sovon compononts or tho livo shoaths. Noithor
tho organ ol spooch, tho hands or tho loot, nor tho gonorativo organ or tho anus, l am Siva in tho
lorm ol 1uJ:u:~ onsciousnoss and 1uJ:u:~ Bliss, l am Siva.
Ilucidation:
na ca pranasamjo na vai pacavayuh Prana is a torm donoting tho livo lorcos ol Prana, Apana,
Samana, Udana and Vyana. Prana is tho lorco producod through inhaling, Apana tho lorco through
oxhaling. Samana is tho lorco vhich rogulatos tho nutrition and digostion. Udana is tho lorco mov-
ing upvards around tho nock and tho hoad. Vyana is tho lorco causing tho circulation ol llood otc...
Through idontilication or accoptanco ol tho roalnoss ol thoso, lody-consciousnoss and dopondonco
on thom arisos. Thoroaltor thoir prosonco is constantly nocossary. Tho idoa is that tho God-roalizod
Sago is not limitod ly thoso.
na va saptadhaturna va pacakosah What aro tho sovon compononts? ln Vodantic liology tho
physical lody is considorod to consist ol sovon compononts, such as llood, llosh, lat, lono otc...
Though tho lody itsoll lools vory roal, it is not so in roality. Tho Soll is not tho lody, it transconds tho
lody, tho sonsos, tho mind, tho intolloct and ovon tho ignoranco. What aro tho livo shoaths? Thoy aro
shoaths vhich covor and concoal tho Truo Soll. Tho Annamaya or tho physical shoath is tho oxtornal
lody porcoivod, tho Pranamaya, or tho lody ol onorgy, constitutos tho livo lorcos ol lilo togothor
vith tho onorgios or organs ol action, oxplainod in tho third quartor ol tho vorso. Tho Vanomaya is
tho joining ol tho mind vith tho sonsos. Tho Vijanamaya is tho joining ol tho intolligonco vith tho
sonsos. Tho nandamaya is tho causal lody vhoroin joyous loolings aro oxporioncod, as lor in-
stanco, in doop-sloop. lt also constitutos tho ignoranco or Vaya ol ovory individual. By accoptanco
ol tho roalnoss ol thoso livo shoaths, tho individual logins to oxporionco tho vorld. Tho idoa is that
locauso tho God-roalizod Sago transconds all thoso, ho is not limitod ly thom.
na vakpanipadam na copasthapayu ln Vodantic tradition, man is said to havo livo organs ol
action, instrumonts or lacultios ly vhich actions aro accomplishod, namoly tho organ ol spooch,
tho hands, tho loot, tho gonorativo organ and tho anus. Through accoptanco ol thoir roalnoss or
idontity vith thoso livo, tho vorld takos hold ol man. Tho idoa is that tho God-roalizod Sago is not
limitod ly thoso livo.
Thon vhat is tho God-roalizod sago? What is his roal naturo? Ho says:
cidanandarupah sivo`ham sivo`ham l am Siva, l am that Supromo Divinity, transconding ovory-
thing, in tho lorm ol lnlinito onsciousnoss and Bliss, l am Siva, tman, Brahman, God.
Tho socond vorso has doalt vith othor compononts ol human lilo, as voll as sovoral vrong
idontilications. t2)
uan: !:u,aIa:Ia:auauua
(To be continued)