Aum Namah Shivaya Vedanta Darshanam Feb 10

AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA VEDANTA DARSHANAM Feb 10
Vedanta Darshanam
Salutations to all.
We are currently in a world where nothing is in order. The entire world is running here and
there trying to solve one problem after the other. When we thought the economy recession
was the only problem, the winter storms are coming one after the other (in the west). And
not to mention the big earthquake in Haiti which has left many people in the country
suffering. It is not just the suffering that the people of Haiti faced that comes to mind but
the news about such people taking resort to even stealing and other ways to get some food
and other materials. When there are nations trying to help the country, the various nations
themselves are arguing amongst themselves as to who will help first etc. Not to mention
various religious people trying to convert the children of Haiti; thus the entire world is in a
chaotic situation.
This incident of calm people of Haiti taking resort to violence shows us as to what all can we
be lead to when we face dire situations in our lives. This should make us realize one as to
how temporary life is and we could become the next suffering people in the world with one
strike of nature (like the Tsunami few years back); and two is that there will no dearth for
desires and when we face situations where our desires cannot be fulfilled through the
righteous way, we will take resort to non-righteous way. This doesn’t mean that righteous
people will realize and rejoice in bliss but that they will be in a better state to at least have
a chance for realization in the future than non-righteous people.
Thus it is very important that we don’t waste this precious human birth given to us in order
to realize our very nature of non-dual reality of blissful Brahman. We don’t have to
renounce everything, shave our head and live on the streets in order to achieve this. We
just have to constantly remember this entire world of names and forms to be just an illusion
in the non-dual reality of Brahman as the pulsating Consciousness (pulsating inside us as “I-
exist, I-exist”). This doesn’t require money, lot of time, effort etc. It just requires a desire
for liberation from the sorrowful world and a resolution of implementing it in our lives
whatever it takes.
http://vedantatattva.org/vedantagroup/VedantaDarshanam Page 1 of 56
At least remembering the goal to be achieved through this implementation, we should strive
towards implementing it. If we start implementing Vedanta now, we will at least be
successful by the end of this birth or at least in a couple of births. If we don’t realize it now,
then it may be too late when we want to try to implement it. The older we grow, the lesser
our sense organs and intellect will perform; thus we will not be able to analyze and assert
this world to be an illusion in Brahman and will not be able to constantly remember
Brahman in our minds.
Let us thereby not waste any more time in implementing this simple sadhana of
remembering in our mind that this entire world is one non-dual reality of Brahman and
Brahman alone thereby making us rejoice in bliss soon in this very birth itself.
Let us also pray for the welfare and peace of the entire world – let us take the resolution to
keeping Haiti and its people in our prayers – let us also try to help in whatever way we can
the suffering people of Haiti remembering that they are also our very Self of Brahman.
AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA

Feb 7th
Anukramaanika
Vedanta Darshanam ..................................................................................................................................... 1

Guru Mahima ................................................................................................................................................ 4
Mukhya Vishayam ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Sankshiptha Vedanta .................................................................................................................................. 16
Gitaamritham .............................................................................................................................................. 20
Upanishad Prachaaram ............................................................................................................................... 23
Raga Varsha................................................................................................................................................. 27
Madhuraamritham...................................................................................................................................... 29
Praadeshikam.............................................................................................................................................. 32
Sthuthi ......................................................................................................................................................... 35
Charitham ................................................................................................................................................... 38
Sanskritha shiksha ....................................................................................................................................... 43
Sanatana Dharma Sameeksha - snatn xmR smI]a ...................................................................................... 46
Vedanta Pariksha ........................................................................................................................................ 48

Karuna ......................................................................................................................................................... 51
Ghatanaa ..................................................................................................................................................... 55
Anukramaanika Nirdesham ........................................................................................................................ 56
Guru Mahima
Let us continue with the slokas of Gita popularly known today as “Guru Slokas”.
Akhanda mandalaakaaram vyaaptham yena charaacharam

Tat padam darshitham yena tasmai sree gurave namaha
Brahman which is of the form of this entire world; Brahman that pervades the moving and
non-moving (objects of the world); he who shows us that goal of “TAT” or “Brahman”, to
such a Guru my prostrations.
Sarva vyaapi chit – all pervasive Consciousness

We often hear about Brahman or Ishwara as pervading the entire world. Many times in
discourses and other places, we hear this description of Ishwara as one who doesn’t just
abide in the idol that we see in the temple but as pervading the entire world that we
perceive (including the other world which we currently don’t perceive). Yama when
questioned by Nachiketha in Katha Upanishad as to what is there beyond this world
answered that whatever is there here is only present there (here means this world and
there means the other world or world-after) and vice versa.
Though many of us know this description of Brahman as pervading the entire world, rarely
will a person know as to why and how Brahman pervades the entire world. It requires some
understanding of Vedanta to grasp the reason behind Brahman being all-pervasive. The
reason is very simple and once we get a grasp of the same we will be able to remember it
at all times (never forgetting this ultimate truth). The added advantage of remembering the
reason behind Brahman being all-pervasive is that once we remember this truth, it is
implementation of Vedanta which will give us the goal of blissful Brahman very soon (sama
darshanam or equanimity is the way to realize Brahman as it is vision of truth – the truth
that the world we currently perceive is Brahman alone).
Without much delay let us see the reason for Brahman being all-pervasive. The world that
we perceive is constantly changing – each and every minute objects and people are
changing. This changing world thus is an effect of a cause – the cause has to be non-
changing as changes are possible only in a changeless entity. Thus the cause of the
changing world is a changeless entity. This changeless entity is termed in Vedanta as
Brahman or Lord – of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute. It doesn’t
require much analysis to understand that the world requires the light of Consciousness to
exist – without Consciousness, the entire world will cease to exist. Thus the source of this
insentient world is sentient Brahman. Taking an example to analyze this cause-effect
relationship, the cause of mud creates the effect of pot out of it. The cause of mud pervades
the effect of pot – pot has mud throughout. Or in other words mud pervades the pot – the
difference or that which differentiates pot from mud is the name of “pot” and the particular
“form”. Names and forms don’t create a new entity but they just make it appear as if a new
entity has been created. Thus mud alone exists throughout the pot. In a similar way,
Brahman alone exists through the world as Brahman is the cause of the changing name-
form world. Names and forms make it appear as if objects of the world are different from
one-another and as if the world is different from Brahman – in essence, the world is
Brahman and Brahman alone as without Conscious Brahman the world cannot even exist for
one moment.
Thus the real-cause-Brahman pervades the illusory-effect-world. The effect of world is just
an illusion of names and forms – not real at all. We saw in the previous issue that the Guru
is one with Brahman. Thus Guru is all-pervasive with respect to the world – all moving and
non-moving objects of the world are just illusions of names and forms in Brahman and
hence Brahman pervades them.
This means that the entire world is filled in and out with the Guru. This also means that
such a Guru thereby is a living embodiment of the truth of Brahman – that Brahman who is
indicated through the word of “TAT” or “THAT” in the mahavakya of TAT TVAM ASI or THAT
THOU ART. Therefore a shishya who is able to develop devotion and surrender to the Guru
would be able to see the Guru as pervading the entire world – such a shishya would be
thinking about the Guru, seeing the Guru in everything and remembering the Guru at all
times. This constant remembrance of the Guru is constant remembrance of Brahman and
such remembrance of Brahman as pervading this entire world is the direct sadhana for
realization (termed as anusandhaanam or nidhidhyaasanam in Vedanta).
Sthaavaram jangamam vyaaptham yat kinchitsacharaacharam

Tvampadam darshitham yena tasmai sree gurave namaha
The Self which pervades the living and non-living, moving and non-moving; he who shows
us that Self indicated through the word of “TVAM” or “YOU” in the mahavakya of TAT TVAM
ASI or THAT THOU ART, to such a Guru my prostrations.
TAT TVAM ASI – THAT THOU ART

This mahavakya of TAT TVAM ASI is well known to most of us. This is from the sama
vedeeya Chandogya Upanishad where the Guru-father of Uddhalaka instructs the Shishya-
son of Svethakethu not just once but nine times with different analogies in order for the son
to grasp it fully. This mahavakya is called upadesha vakya in that it is instruction given by
the Guru to the Shishya asserting that the shishya isn’t different from the Brahman
preached in the scriptures – that Brahman which alone exists here as the non-dual reality of
Consciousness. Put in other words, the Guru is instructing the shishya that the Chit or
Consciousness that pulsates inside you as “I-exist, I-exist” is Brahman alone and not
different from Brahman.
The TAT in the mahavakya denotes Brahman and TVAM denotes the Self that pulsates
inside as “I-exist, I-exist” – both are one and the same. This oneness is denoted through
the word of ASI. What this mahavakya means is that we think currently that we are
different from blissful Brahman as we are limited and suffering every moment of our lives.
But in essence or reality we are one with Brahman – it is just an illusion of ignorance that
makes us feel as if we are different from Brahman. Once we realize our very nature of
Consciousness different and distinct from the body-mind-intellect complex, we will be able
to rejoice in bliss (that bliss which is the very goal of life and seeking which we do all
worldly activities and thereby take many births over and over again).
In the previous sloka Siva said that Guru shows us the term of TAT and in this sloka Siva
says that Guru shows us the term of TVAM – this means that the Guru shows us the
oneness of the term of TAT and TVAM through making us realize our very nature of non-
dual Brahman (the state where the Guru already resides – only a person who is abiding as
Brahman can guide another to realize Brahman). It is now easy to figure out that the next
sloka would have the Guru defined as one who shows the term of ASI (meaning).
Chinmayam vyaapitham sarvam trailokyam sacharaacharam

Asitvam darshitham yena tasmai sree gurave namaha
That which is of the nature of Consciousness and pervades the three worlds of moving and
non-moving objects; he who shows us that Brahman denoted by the term of “ASI” or “ARE”,
to such a Guru my prostrations.
Three worlds
Scriptures speak about not three worlds but 14 worlds in total – seven of which are lower
than Earth or Bhoo loka (which we reside in currently) and six are higher than Bhoo. Here
Siva just speaks about three worlds alone – this means the bhoo loka where happiness and
sorrow both are experienced, svarga or suva loka where happiness alone is experienced
(temporary happiness and not eternal bliss) and pathaala loka (lower lokas) where sorrow
alone is experienced. These three lokas are representatives of the 14 worlds – these worlds
are attained by people due to the actions performed by them. The better actions a person
performs with respect to the rules of the scriptures, the better or higher world will be
attained. The bad the action is, the lower the world will be and thereby sorrow will be
experienced. Thus going from lower to higher, a person experiences sorrow alone
(temporary happiness is also a source of sorrow as it doesn’t stay for long). Thus
performing actions a person goes from one birth to another – but this bhoo loka is the best
of lokas as here we are experiencing both happiness and sorrow; it is like a neutral world.
Such a neutral world or state alone can make us think, analyze and assert that all the
pleasures of any world are temporary and thereby sorrowful. Thus analyzing we will be able
to strive to achieve the eternal bliss which is always available to us in the form of our very
nature of Consciousness and as the essence of the entire world of names-forms (TVAM as
Self and TAT as Brahman).
Thus though all the worlds are pervaded by Brahman, the world that we currently are in is
apt for realization and hence we often hear about the greatness of human life (bhoo loka).
This is thus a wake-up call to us to utilize this human life to realize our very nature of
eternal bliss thereby putting an end to these worlds and actions that take us to these
worlds; but making us ever rejoice in bliss. May us until the next issue try to perform the
sadhana towards realization of Brahman through seeing Brahman everywhere so that we
don’t waste this precious human birth.
Mukhya Vishayam
Devotion
This is one term which has been misunderstood by majority of people in the world, so much
that the original meaning is never understood; forget implementing it in our life. A proper
understanding of this term is very essential towards our goal of eternal bliss as the very
nature of Brahman (also termed in the puranas and other scriptures as Ishwara, Lord,
Paramaatman etc.). Unless we understand this term of bhakthi or devotion, though we may
learn a lot of scriptures and do many so-called spiritual or devotional activities we will not
get the result or effect of eternal bliss in our lives. Even after seemingly following spiritual
sadhanas we will end up with the same lack of peace in the mind along with many desires
lingering in the mind which will lead to many more births to come. Thus continuing from
birth to birth, we will end up in sorrows and sufferings never to experience the bliss that
pervades the entire world and pulsates inside us as “I-exist, I-exist”.
Devotion – unconditional love to Ishwara

Devotion is unconditional love to Ishwara – this is the very apt and right definition of
devotion as given by Narada in the bhakthi sutras (saa tu asmin parama prema rupa). If we
have to understand this definition we have to understand the term of Ishwara. Ishwara is
often considered as somebody living in sky or any other world like Vaikunta or Kailasa and
at times who appears in temples to bless his followers. All these are wrong notions about
Ishwara. The oldest of the Upanishads, Ishavasya Upanishad, defines Ishwara as one who
pervades the entire world that we currently perceive. Not just this world but all other worlds
are also pervaded by Ishwara. This makes Ishwara all-pervasive Consciousness. All-
pervasiveness is not like Ishwara is present everywhere as objects of the world but Ishwara
pervades the objects as their essence. Objects that we experience in the world are names
and forms of Ishwara. Even as gold pervades all gold ornaments which are names and
forms of gold, similarly Ishwara pervades the world which is name and form in Ishwara.
Unless this definition of Ishwara being the essence or reality behind names and forms of the
world is remembered, we will not be able to develop unconditional love. It is this definition
of Ishwara as all-pervasive reality which can give us eternal bliss while merely remembering
him. If we consider Ishwara as just a being sitting in Vaikunta or Kailasa, we will ask for
worldly objects rather than asking for the Lord himself – this would mean we will get all the
benefits out of worldly objects including the benefit of sorrow which is what comes out of
the objects in the long run.
Once we know the definition of Ishwara, next comes the aspect of unconditional love. Love
is something which is commonly seen in the world amongst people and even other beings
too. But those love that we witness in the world are out of some benefits or expectations
whereas true love has to be unconditional. Though we can claim that such unconditional
love does exist between true lovers or between a mother and her child, it is impossible to
have unconditional love other than with Ishwara. This is because Ishwara alone is beyond
all conditions (all-pervasive means beyond all limitations or conditions). If the object that
we love is limited, our love also will be conditional or limited (if the object itself vanishes
after some time, then how can we have unconditional love?). Thus unconditional means
always, at all times and without fail – such unconditional love thus can be had towards
Ishwara and Ishwara alone --- that Ishwara who pervades the entire world (Ishwara not
being one who has a particular form and only serves his devotees alone).
Devotion – fixing the mind unto Ishwara, steadfast in Ishwara and having Ishwara
as ultimate goal
Unconditional love is beautifully split into three parts by the Lord in the 12th chapter of Gita.
Fixing the mind unto Ishwara means our mind is thinking about Ishwara or our mind is
pervaded with thoughts of Ishwara (again Ishwara as pervading the entire world). Thinking
about Ishwara in mind will initially make us forget it after some time; hence it is important
to remain steadfast in Ishwara; this means that we have to constantly try to remember
Ishwara in our mind. Whenever we forget Ishwara, we have to pull the mind back to
Ishwara and take the resolution of never again forgetting Ishwara. Fixing the mind on
Ishwara at all times is only possible when we consider the Lord as the ultimate goal of our
life. A student whose ultimate goal is to get into IIM will be able to constantly focus on
studying towards getting into IIM – similarly only a person who considers Ishwara as the
ultimate goal of life will be able to remember the Lord at all times in the mind.
Ishwara – blissful nature being the ultimate goal of life

As to why we should remember Ishwara rather than anything else in the world is answered
by the Lord’s very nature of bliss (since the Lord is unlimited therefore the Lord is blissful –
that which is limited will only give us temporary bliss) and the goal that we all are seeking
constantly (being bliss). Irrespective of all distinctions we are seeking the goal of eternal
bliss and bliss alone. But we have been and are searching for bliss in the wrong place of
world rather than the substratum of the world – the substratum of Ishwara who alone is
eternal. If we are able to remember the two aspects of Vedanta as sorrowful nature of the
world and blissful nature of Brahman with Brahman or Ishwara being the substratum of the
illusory world, then we will be able to strive towards the goal of Ishwara through considering
Ishwara as the ultimate goal of life. Unless this ultimate goal of life being Ishwara is kept in
mind, we will not be able to seek Ishwara with all fervor and without full fervor we will not
achieve the goal.
AMMA narrates a beautiful story to illustrate this point that unconditional love or full fervor
is essential to realize our very nature of Ishwara. Once Yashodha was feeding Baala Krishna
who was very hungry. But she had kept milk on the stove and it was time for the milk to get
boiled. Hence in order to protect the milk from spilling she left hungry Krishna and went to
put off the stove. She was just in time to put the stove off and thus saved the milk from
spilling. She returned only to find all the ghee in the house spilled by Krishna who was very
hungry. Trying to save few glasses of milk, she lost a lot of ghee in the house – unless we
are fully focused on Ishwara, we will not be benefitted by bliss; instead we will lose quite a
lot rather than gaining anything.
We find this also in the episode of Mahabharatha where Draupadi’s dress was being pulled
away by Dusshasana. Draupadi calls out to Krishna with one hand while holding on to her
saree with the other hand. Krishna doesn’t come to protect her. But once she lets go of her
saree and calls out to Krishna with both hands, Krishna immediately comes to protect her
and he does protect her. Thus unless we consider Ishwara as the ultimate goal of life, we
will not be able to gain complete surrender or unconditional love towards Ishwara; and
unless we have unconditional love towards Ishwara, we will not get benefit of eternal bliss.
Devotion – not part-time

Today Devotion is generally considered as visiting the temple once in a week or once a day.
If we chant the Lord’s name once a day, it is considered as devotion. This is only part-time
devotion. Such part-time devotion will not work as we saw examples/stories earlier. We
have to blame ourselves to creating this wrong definition or impression about devotion
being part-time. If a person visits the temple often, we consider such a person as
devotional. If a person remembers Ishwara at some times, we consider such a person as
devotional even though such a person might be attached to the form of Vishnu and averted
to the form of Siva. All these are part-time or incomplete devotion and hence not true
devotion. True devotion is when we are able to remember the Lord beyond all limitations,
conditions and restrictions. Going to the temple, chanting Ishwara’s names, doing dhyaana
on Ishwara’s form etc. are all just means to gain true devotion to Ishwara. We cannot all of
a sudden remember Ishwara at all times. The change has to happen gradually – this gradual
change becomes very easy if we are able to remember Ishwara during certain times of the
day. Even as Vaamana grew from being a dwarf to pervading the world in Mahabali’s life-
story in Bhagavatham, similarly when we follow means to true devotion Ishwara will
pervade our mind by growing slowly. But growing of Ishwara is possible only if consider
Ishwara as the ultimate goal of life and only if we know Ishwara as the all-pervasive
substratum of the world.
Devotion – mental and not external

The external means to true devotion (like wearing sandal paste on our forehead etc.) are
just means to true devotion and aren’t true devotion. Yes, externally having all these
symbols will make us easily remember Ishwara. Rather than wearing a golden chain which
will only make us think worldly, wearing a rudraksha or a locket of Ishwara will make us
remember Ishwara whenever we see it; not only that, we will be able to help others
remember Ishwara when they see us. When others remember Ishwara when they see us,
they will discuss about Ishwara rather than as to what is the fashion of the gold ornament.
Thus following these external means are important but they are just means and not the
goal. The goal of devotion is to remember the Lord in our mind at all times – this doesn’t
necessarily mean we have to wear a sandal paste or a rudraksha.
There are even political parties who think they are devoted by wearing these symbols but
are no where nearer to the Lord because their very thoughts about getting their party to
win elections and as to how they can kill other religions in the world. True devotion will
never hate anyone as true devotion is when we see the essence of Ishwara in all – if we see
Ishwara in all, then how can we like or hate another person or being?
We have to repeat in our mind again and again that true devotion is a state of mind wherein
the mind abides in thoughts or contemplation of Ishwara while externally we do activities
like a worldly person. Devotion doesn’t stop us from doing our work whatever the work
maybe. Even worst actions become good if we remember Ishwara while doing them (the
Lord mentions this twice in Gita). Thus external actions don’t matter; what really matters is
whether our mind is contemplating on Ishwara.
Devotion – implementation in action

Vedanta says that action is born out of ignorance (ignorance that we are perfect causes us
to desire perfection and thereby we perform actions in order to attain perfection) and hence
actions cannot remove ignorance thereby giving us realization. Realization is thus possible
only through knowledge and knowledge alone (as to whether knowledge is same as
devotion, we will see a little later).
But this doesn’t mean that we cannot mix knowledge with action – this doesn’t mean that
we cannot implement knowledge while performing actions. Both aren’t contrary as
knowledge is in the mind whereas actions are external. When actions are performed
externally while internally remembering the Lord, such action not only leads to purification
of the mind (as we don’t have any likes or dislikes) but it also becomes an implementation
of devotion through constant contemplation of the Lord as pervading the world.
This implementation of devotion in actions has two aspects to it which are closely related to
the two aspects of action. Action requires a doer who does actions and has a fruit seeking
which the action is performed. With respect to the doer, when an action is performed as an
offering to Ishwara (as an yajna) the doer vanishes. Such offering action should always be
associated with non-seeking of any fruits thereof (we can do yajnas expecting some fruit
out of it) and this negates the craving for fruit. When doer is not there and fruit is not there,
such an action becomes inaction.
Thus implementation of devotion in action means performing actions as an offering to

Ishwara (that Ishwara who pervades the entire world) and without craving for the fruits
there-of. As we can see, this is very simple as it is mental and not external. Externally we
can perform actions even as an actor portrays his role in a movie but internally we
remember the Lord while performing actions. This has been beautifully explained in simple
words by Ramana Maharshi thus in Upadesa Saram (well worth by-hearting):
Ishwara arpitham na icchayaa kritham
Chittha shodhakam mukthi saadhakam
Actions performed as an offering to Ishwara and without craving for fruits will purify the
mind and thereby help in liberation.
The Lord mentions these in many places of Gita (including the famous slokas of
Ananyaaschinthayantho maam, Sarva dharmaan parityajya) but this one is very beautiful
with respect to the analogy provided:
Brahmani aadhaaya karmaani sangham tyakthvaa karothi yah

Lipyathe na sa paapena padma patram iva ambhasaa
Actions performed as an offering to Ishwara and without getting attached to the action (or
the fruit thereof) will not taint a person (the fruits will not affect the person) even as the
lotus leaf is not tainted by water (though it is in water, it is not tainted – similarly though
the person will perform actions still not be tainted by the fruits of the actions).
Put in AMMA’s beautiful words, when good happens it is Ishwara’s grace and when bad
happens it is Ishwara’s will – thus considering everything as filled with Ishwara, we will be
able to go beyond the dual world and ever rejoice in bliss by being a true devotee of the
Lord.
Devotion – means to true devotion

It would be unfair not to mention the normal means that a seeker can perform daily in order
to attain true devotion to the Lord. The below are a few of those (the list isn’t complete as
any action which helps in remembering the Lord more becomes a mean to true devotion):
• Chant the Lord’s name whenever possible (mantra japa – get mantra from a spiritual
master if you haven’t got one yet – if there is no mantra, then chant the generic
mantra of the deity like for Siva chant Aum namah shivaya and for Vishnu chant aum
namo naraayanaaya).
• Perform dhyaana at least twice a day.
• Whenever mingling with people, try to talk about Ishwara rather than worldly things.
Try to form a gang with such like-minded people who are interested in spiritual talk.
• When in the world, try to visualize all objects as the Lord’s various forms. Visualizing
is in the mind and possible with constant practice.
• Anything that happens, consider it as the prasaadam of the Lord irrespective of
whether good or bad.
• Never give up on the Lord. If we are angry with the Lord, try to argue with the Lord
and throw our anger on the Lord rather than trying to get away from the Lord. If we
are attached to someone, try to change that attachment and direct it towards
Ishwara.
• Try to maintain any attitude towards the Lord which will help us remember the Lord
at all times – attitude could be that of a devotee, lover, friend, mother, father etc.
(even enemy attitude is also fine☺).
• Try to start and end the day with a simple prayer to the Lord showing our gratitude
to whatever the Lord has given to us in the day (or going to give us in the day).
• Along with prayers to ourselves, try to pray for the entire world as the world is
pervaded with the Lord.
As mentioned earlier, these are just few points. We can add any action or attitude or
thought which will help us remember the all-pervasive Lord in our mind at all times.
Devotion – activities of a true devotee

Any topic is incomplete without explaining the quality and activities of a person who has
perfected the topic. Interested seekers should read through the later half of the 12th chapter
of Gita (12.13 to 12.19) where the Lord explains in depth the qualities and activities of a
true devotee.
But in order to not extend this article too much that it leads to devotion towards nidra devi
(in other words, sleep☺), we will just content ourselves with this beautiful sutra of Narada.
Tat praapya tadeva avalokathi, tadeva srunothi, tadeva bhaashayathi, tadeva chinthayathi
After having attained true devotion, a devotee will always see the Lord (everywhere);
always listen to the Lord and his glories; talk about the Lord; think about the Lord.
As Harinaama keerthanam beautifully puts this:

Yaathonnu kaankilathu naaraayana prathima
Yaathonnu kelkilathu naaraayana sruthikal
Yaathonnu cheykilathu naaraayana archanakal
Yaathonnathaakil athu naaraayanaaya namaha
Whatever is seen is Narayana’s form; whatever is heard is Narayana’s praise; whatever
actions are performed are offerings to Narayana; whatever is there is Narayana alone.
Irrespective of whatever is the external activity, we will be able to experience the presence
of the Lord in a true devotee’s vicinity. Presence of the Lord means bliss and peace. When
we are in the presence of a true devotee, we will experience bliss and peace pervading our
mind. As the Lord says abhitho brahma nirvaanam varthathe vidhithaatmanaam, bliss will
be dancing around a true devotee.
Devotion – one with knowledge

This topic of devotion is incomplete without comparing it with knowledge and removing our
wrong notions that bhakthi and jnaana are two different things. This wrong notion has
become so much today that many people when asked to learn Vedanta will say that they
are suited to bhakthi and vice versa. True devotion is true knowledge – both are one and
the same. Narada says in bhakthi sutras that there is no lack of knowledge in a true
bhaktha. The Lord while categorizing various devotees says that a jnaani is the ultimate
devotee who is one with the Lord.
Knowledge means knowing this entire world to be one entity of Brahman. This is the same
as devotion except that in devotion we term Brahman as Ishwara. Both are exactly the
same and there is no difference at all between both. Yes, the external means to bhakthi and
jnaana might be different but the goal is the same. Only fools will fight over which is greater
or better; a wise person realizing that both are the same will follow whatever external
means are helpful for him (for his mental nature) and thereby attain the goal of Ishwara
very soon itself.
Even in just bhakthi or in just jnaana, there are many external means; some may suit few
people and other means may suit other people. Thus there are many means but the goal in
both bhakthi and jnaana (as well as the goal through any of the external mean in itself) is
the non-dual reality of Ishwara of the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss.
Let us rather than enter into arguments over what is greater try to implement true devotion
in our lives which is as simple as remembering all-pervasive Lord in our mind without any
fail so that we will conquer sorrows and sufferings once and for all thereby ever rejoicing in
bliss in contemplation of the Lord.
An old article on bhakthi in vedantatattva.org:

http://vedantatattva.org/vedanta/docs/BhakthiDarpanam.doc
Sankshiptha Vedanta
The greatness of spiritual masters is that they create spiritual masters out of normal
individuals in the world – this is compared to many lamps lit by one lamp, by AMMA. While
talking about Vedanta, the one name that comes to mind instantly is Adi Sankaracharya (of
course this may not be the case with many people – such people ought to learn Vedanta
more seriously and sincerely). It is not a surprise that Sankara, the great spiritual master,
had four wonderful disciples each one giving us treasures of knowledge through their works
and leading the way to humanity in the form of Sankara mutts in the four corners of India.
One of Sankara’s foremost disciple was Sureshwaracharya. There are definitely some
difference of opinion with respect to whether this Sureshwaracharya was the same as
Mandana Mishra who had a debate with Sankara – our goal is not to argue about historical
values of things which we can gladly leave it to historians and to those intellectuals who are
so engrossed in logic that they forget the Brahman which is to be proven through logic.
Sureshwaracharya is famous for his vartikas and hence he is also called Vartikakaara. Just
in brief, vartika is a type of commentary wherein the commentator can go against the actual
work (which is being commented) and mention concepts which might have been left out or
which might help lower seekers (seekers with lesser intellect) to understand properly. His
vartikas include vartikas on Sankara’s Upanishad bhashyas on Brihadaranyaka and Taittirya
Upanishad (the former being a very vast work so deep in concepts and volume), vartika on
Dakshinamurthy Astakam of Sankara and vartika on Panchikaranam of Sankara.
Amidst all these vartikas it is his individual work that stands out as a monument of Vedanta.
This individual work is Naishkarmya Siddhi. The greatness of this work isn’t because it is an
individual work (there have been many individual works) but because this handles one of
the very important concepts of Vedanta which is an analysis of karma or action and its place
in Vedanta (or the spiritual quest of a seeker). This analysis of karma is very important as
we find Sankara spending a lot of time explaining karma and jnaana in the fourth sutra of
Brahma Sutra and Krishna himself explaining this in many places of Gita.
Karma and Jnaana are two important words which if we don’t understand properly we will
end up in suffering and sorrow though it might appear as if we are in the spiritual path.
Today when Haiti hasn’t yet healed even little bit from the earthquake in Haiti and when
spiritual masters are doing a lot of social services through their charitable missions, it
becomes very important to understand the place of karma in our life. This is being dealt in
depth by Sureshwaracharya in Naishkarmya Siddhi. It is impossible to even give a brief of

this work in a short article so we are just going to analyze karma and jnaana aspect (with a
small paragraph on the work itself).
Sankara beautifully explains in atma bodha

Avirodhithayaa karma naavidyaam vinivarthayet
Vidyaavidyaam nihanthyeva tejasthimira sanghavat
Since action is not against ignorance therefore action cannot remove ignorance; only
knowledge can remove ignorance even as light alone can remove darkness.
Actions, any actions, stem from a particular fruit or goal to be achieved by the action. This
means that actions are propelled by desires. Desires in turn are that which instigate us to
achieve perfection in one or the other way. These desires arise because we are ignorant of
our very nature of perfection – “I” am perfect Brahman, this is not known and hence a
seeker desires to become perfect. All the desires whether it be petty ones or big ones like
getting a car or a job or a wife are impelled by our strive for perfection. This striving itself is
because we don’t know our very nature of Brahman. Thus ignorance or avidya or ajnaana is
the cause of desires (kaama). Desires in turn make us do actions so that we can become
perfect. Actions go on and on leading to many births and never letting us get any
perfection. This is because karma or actions are like the grand children of ajnaana (ajnaana
-> kaama -> karma) and thereby they can only add on to ajnaana and not remove ajnaana
even as darkness can only add on to more darkness. Darkness cannot remove itself – only
its opposite of light can remove darkness. In the same way only knowledge can remove
ignorance – actions cannot remove ignorance at all.
If actions cannot remove ignorance, it means that actions cannot give us moksha or
liberation. Then why do we do actions? We do actions for two reasons:
- One is because not even for one second can a person remain without doing actions
as we are in the action-work (karma loka).
- Actions can help us get out of actions itself (selfless action or nishkaama karma
purifies the mind – purification of the mind is essential for knowledge to become
effective)
As to whether we will be doing actions after realization, we don’t have to think about it now.
Let us first realize and then worry about it (those who cannot still stop thinking about it,
actions will automatically fall off after realization even as a ripe fruit automatically falls off a
tree – a realized person will never get affected by actions as he is not the doer but the
witness Self).
Since we cannot be without doing actions, therefore the only option we have is to do actions
that can help us get out of this chain of action. Can something itself help us out? Definitely
– even as a maze can help us get out of the maze (with some helping directions or a person
in the maze); even as a dream lion can wake us up (get us out of the dream world).
Sureshwaracharya gives this beautiful sloka as to why actions cannot give us moksha:
Utpaadyam aapyam samskaaryam vikaaryam cha kriyaa phalam
Naivam mukthiryathah tasmaat karma tasyaa na saadhanam
The four types of fruits of actions are creation (origination), attainment, purification and
modification; since moksha cannot be any of those fruits therefore action is a not means for
moksha.
The above sloka doesn’t mean that karma doesn’t help at all. Karma does help us indirectly
through purification of the mind (the purification type of action) but not directly as moksha
can be directly attained only through knowledge.
Ramana Maharshi also beautifully mentions this in Upadesha Saram thus

Ishwaraarpitham na icchayaa kritham
Chittha shodhakam mukthi saadhakam
Actions performed as an offering to Ishwara and without any craving for the fruits thereof
will purify the mind and thereby (indirectly) help is moksha.
Thus purification of mind happens through nishkaama karma or selfless actions. Many
people in the world think that selfless actions are those which are performed when we are
part of some or the other organizations doing some relief work or visiting orphanages. No –
any action can become a selfless action if it is performed as an offering to Ishwara (which
means there is no doership) and without craving for fruits. If there is no kartha or doer and
there is no phala or fruit, then action itself doesn’t exist. Such action which is in fact an
inaction will purify the mind (that mind which is focusing on duality – dual notions through
desiring a lot – desire itself means that we consider ourselves as different from objects of
the world). Once a person gains purity of mind, then knowledge will become fruitful – this is
like a mirror which has been cleaned will result in us seeing our own face in it. An impure
mind is like a dirty mirror in which our face cannot be seen (an impure mind will not be able
to experience bliss out of knowledge and knowledge will just become an intellectual
property which will only boost the ego).
When nishkaama karma is performed, it leads to the state where action ceases to exist
(actions continues externally but since the ego does actions and “I” am just a witness to it,
therefore is no doer or enjoyer – this is like an actor portraying his role in the drama where
actions are happening externally though really there is no action happening). This state is
termed as naishkarmyam or the state where karma ceases to exist. That state where karma
doesn’t exist is the state of jnaana or the state of Brahman. It is this state that is the main
subject matter of this beautiful work of Sureshwaracharya. This work is a huge work
spanning more than 400 slokas and split into four chapters. The first chapter is one where
Sureshwaracharya analyzes karma thoroughly to refute the various views that karma can
give us moksha and that only jnaana can give us moksha. The second chapter is devoted to
an analysis of the mahavakya of Tat Tvam Asi or That Thou Art. The third chapter analyzes
the atman and the anaatman (self and not Self). The fourth and final chapter is a summary
of the other three chapters through various Vedantic quotations. Each of these chapters are
vast and exhaustive in themselves. There are a few good commentaries on this work though
the standard one is the Chandrika of Jnaanottama; another good one is Bhaavaprakaashika
of Chitsukhacharya (though it bases itself on Jnaanottama’s Chandrika).
It is really a treasure for a seeker to even read through these chapters once. Let us hope
that this brief glimpse of this work of Sureshwaracharya (not exactly a glimpse of the work
but a glimpse into the subject-matter of the work) instigate us to learn this work so that it
can take us to the state of naishkarmyam or moksha or anandam.
Naishkarmya Siddhi with Chandrika work

http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/texts/Naishkarmyasiddhi.pdf
Gitaamritham
15.3
na rupam asyeha tathopalabhyate nanto na cadir na ca sampratistha
asvattham enam su-virudha-mulam asanga-sastrena drdhena chittva
15.4
tatah padam tat parimargitavyam yasmin gata na nivartanti bhuyah
tam eva cadyam purusam prapadye yatah pravrttih prasrta purani
Word meaning
Na rupam – not from
Asya iha – in this tree, in this
Tathopalabhyathe – cannot be perceived (as such)
Na anthah na cha adih – neither the end nor the beginning
Na cha sampratistha – nor the foundation
Asvatham – the tree asvatha
Su virudha mulam – strongly rooted
Asanga sastrena – with the weapon of detachment
Drdhena chittva – with a strong determination, cut
Tatah padam – thereafter
Tat parimargitavyam – has to be searched out
Yasmin gata na nivarthanti bhuyah– after reaching which there is no return
Tam eva – unto him
Ca adyam –he is the beginning
Purusam – the supreme god head
Prapadye – surrendering
Yatah – from whom
Pravrittah – beginning
Prasrata – extended
Purani – from old times
Meaning of the sloka: This tree of the world cannot be perceived as a whole as such (from
inside the world). It’s end nor the beginning can be known. This tree of the world should be
cut down with strong determination with the weapon of detachment.
After that a person should seek that truth, reaching which there is no return. One has to
surrender to that truth from which everything has come and unto which everything merges
from time in memorial.
Explanation: We see many people in the world having the questions like what is this
world? Where has it come from? When does it end? The answers to these questions are
found in the above sloka when Lord Krishna says that the world cannot be understood. We
cannot say when it started and when it will end.
When something has no beginning and end but we experience it, we can just term that as
an illusion. Like the water in the desert. We see water in the desert. But we cannot say
where the water has come from and when it will vanish, but at the same time we see as if
water is present in the desert. We all know that water seen in the desert is just a mirage
and not true. Similarly the whole world is just an illusion and hence we cannot talk about
its beginning nor the end.
Each and every day we are experiencing the world as true and suffering in the world. So in
order to experience the truth of the world being unreal, one has to develop detachment to
the world. Only a person who has the strong vairagya can overcome the delusion of the
world. That’s what the Lord says that one should cut down the tree of the world with strong
detachment.
As AMMA says, when one is in the forest one cannot see the complete forest, only coming
out of the forest, one can apprehend what it is like. So with the understanding that the
world is an illusion, one should develop the strong detachment to the world and one should
pursue the truth attaining which there is no return.
Ishwara or the lord is alone the truth. He is the one from whom the whole world has come
from and unto which the whole world will merge. Lord Krishna says that by gaining
surrender unto the lord one would reach that state from which there is no return. By gaining
surrender unto lord alone one can see the world as an illusion.
Lord Krishna says in Gita 7.14

‘daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te”
Lord Krishna says here “It’s difficult to overcome the world of all three gunas. Only by
surrendering unto me a person can cross over the ocean of samsaara”.
Once a person understands that the desert is the truth and water is just an illusion, he is
never again deluded into believing that water exists in the desert. Likewise after a person
realizes the truth through intuitive experience that the world is an illusion, he no longer is
deluded by the world and ever remains blissful remembering Ishwara to be the ultimate
truth all the time.
Thus through the above sloka Lord explains the nature of the world and how to overcome it
and reach the abode of Ishwara. May through this learning, let us cut this tree of world and
rejoice in bliss in contemplation of Ishwara.
Upanishad Prachaaram
Sarvasaara Upanishad
This is an Upanishad from the Shukla Yajur Veda (as per the shanthi mantra of Sah
naavavathu). It is a very short Upanishad in prose form that raises few questions on
Vedanta and answers this in simple but beautiful words. There is no mention in this
Upanishad as to between whom all the dialogues are happening but the Upanishad starts
with questions and then answers all of them successively.
As the name of the Upanishad shows, it is an essence of all concepts essential for a seeker
to realize the ultimate goal of Brahman.
The Upanishad starts with these questions:
Katham bandhah Katham mokshah kaa vidhyaa kaa avidhya ithi

Jaagrat svapna sushupthi turiyam cha katham
What is bondage? What is liberation? What is knowledge? What is ignorance? What are the
four states of jagrat, svapna, sushupthi and turiya. What are the pancha koshas? Who is the
doer jeeva? Who is kshetrajna, saakshi, kutastha, antharyaami? Who is the pratyagaatman?
Who is the supreme atman? What is Maya?
As we can see from the above sloka (just few lines of the sloka rather than the entire sloka
which has all the questions), these questions are various terms which will be dealt in
Vedanta for a seeker to gradually understand everything essential in order to progress in
the spiritual path towards the goal of Adviteeya Brahman of the nature of Sat Chit Anandam
(Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute).
Bandha or bondage is when the Self (the pulsation inside as “I-exist” and termed as jeeva)
considers and associates itself with the not-Self of body etc. (sense organs, mind, objects
etc.). Moksha or liberation thus is getting rid of this wrong notion (superimposition).
When we try to analyze the entire experience spectrum that we have, we will end up with
just two entities alone (though science tries to enumerate the various objects or specimens
available in the world, it is something that the vaisheshika system had tried – but all these
are unnecessary as a further drill-down into just two entities is very much possible) – one is
the Seer or Subject of Self and second is the Seen or Objects which we collectively term as
jagat or world. The Subject of Self is changeless, eternal and non-dual whereas the Objects
of not-Self (that which isn’t the Self) is changing, unreal and dual. The not-Self is just an
illusion in the Self even as the dream world is just an illusion in the dreamer. If this much
we are able to understand, then everything is known – Vedanta becomes known and
through practice of contemplation will become an intuitive experience of immense bliss.
Sankara beautifully explains this thus:

Drigdrishyau dvau padaarthau sthah paraspara vilakshanau
Drik brahma drishyam maayethi sarva Vedanta dindimaa
There are only two entities here of Seer and Seen both of which are mutually contrary in
nature; Seer is Brahman whereas Seen world is an illusion – thus roars the lions of Vedanta.
Thus bondage is when we don’t remember this truth that everything is Self and Self alone
exists; liberation is when we are able to remember this truth and thereby ever rejoice in
bliss.
That which causes the identification or association of Self with not-Self is avidya or
ignorance; that which will remove this identification is knowledge.
The Self is that which is beyond the pancha koshas – the pancha koshas include the gross
body, vital forces along with sense organs of action, mind, intellect along with sense organs
of perception and the happiness (as experienced during sensual pleasures and during deep
sleep). The Self goes through the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep. An analysis
of these three states would make us realize the underlying substratum or the connecting
link between these diverse and mutually contradicting states as well as the experiences in
these states. The Self that which is link between these three states is termed as a saakshi
or witness – witness to all the activities that are happening in these three states. The Self is
witness to activities of these states even as the dreamer is a mere witness to the activities
in the dream world. This Self is also that which knows the body along with the instruments
of sense organs, mind, intellect and objects of the world as well (from this aspect, the Self
as an illuminator is termed as kshetrajna).
Once the Self is defined as distinct from the not-Self (vyaavritta lakshana) and is defined as
a witness or substratum of the not-Self (thatastha lakshana), then comes the very nature of
the Self in itself (without any relation with the not-Self or world). This svarupa lakshana is
very important for a seeker to constantly contemplate once dispassion towards the world is
cultivated through knowing the world to be not only sorrowful but as something which is an
illusion and veiling our very nature of distinct Self. The Upanishad in the end gives very
beautiful slokas to explain the svarupa lakshana of the Self.
Sthaanurnityah sadaanandah shuddho jnaanamayo amalah

Aatmaaham sarvabhoothaanam vibhuh saakshee na samshayah
Constant, eternal, always-blissful, pure, filled with knowledge and without impurities – such
an Atman I am – that Atman which is the all-pervasive witness of all the beings in the
world; there is no doubt regarding this.
I am the Self
This is the ultimate truth that “I am the Self” – not just a Self but Self of the nature of bliss.
This very nature of bliss should at least instigate us to strive towards realization rather than
running behind the illusory and sorrowful world. We have been running behind the world
and worldly goals for many births now without any progress towards the goal of bliss – we
only have become more and more sorrowful with each birth or each seeking of worldly
goals. A thorough analysis of this should make us strive towards realizing our very nature of
Self in this very birth itself rather than wasting yet another precious human birth. And to
think that we are searching for bliss when bliss is our very nature, we should be considered
as great fools or idiots if we don’t strive towards achieving this now itself.
Achieving this isn’t very tough at all as we generally think it to be. Realizing our very nature
of Self is as simple as knowing ourselves to be different from the world filled with names
and forms and asserting over and over again that “I am the all-pervasive, blissful and non-
dual Self”.
The Upanishad ends with these two beautiful contemplative slokas which are worth
repeating in our mind over and over again whenever we get time.
Brahmaivaaham sarvavedantavedhyam naaham vedhyam vyoomavaathaadirupam

Rupam naaham naama naaham na karma brahmaivaaham sacchidanandarupam
I am Brahman that which is to be known through Vedanta; I am not to be known like space
and other objects; I am not form; I am not name; I am not action; but I am Brahman of
the nature of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss.
Naaham deho janmamrithyu kutho me naaham praanah shutpipaase kutho me

Naaham chethah shokamohau kutho me naaham kartha bandhamokshau kutho me
I am not the body and hence how can there be birth and death for me? I am not the prana
so how can I have thirst and hunger? I am not the mind and so how can I have delusion
and sorrow? I am not the doer and hence how can there be any bondage and liberation?
The above two slokas are very beautiful and as mentioned before worth by-hearting and
repeating in our mind whenever possible. Constant contemplation along with remembering
their meaning will quickly elevate us to the state of Brahman wherein we will be able to ever
rejoice in bliss amidst the problems of the illusory world. May this brief summary of this
beautiful short Upanishad make us contemplate on our very nature of Brahman and thereby
make us rejoice in bliss in this very birth itself.
Text
http://sanskritdocuments.org/all_pdf/sarvasara.pdf
Meaning
http://sanskritdocuments.org/all_pdf/sarva-up.pdf
Raga Varsha
Brindavani Sarang
Brindavani Sarang also known as Sarang is a very beautiful raga. It is an audava jati raga
and has only the five swaras of shadja, rishabha, madhyama, panchama and nishaadha.
The speciality of Sarang is in its usage of both shuddha and komal nishadha. Komal
nishadha is used in avarohana whereas shuddha nishadha is used in arohana. This raga
gives a very beautiful soothing effect and a proper portrayal of the raga is as beautiful as
the flute playing of Lord Krishna.
AROHANA
NI SA RI MA PA NI SA
AVAROHANA
SA ni PA MA RI NI SA
LAKSHANA
NI SA RI, RI MA PA, ni PA (MA) RI SA
(NI is shuddha and ni is komal)
BHAJANS
Chaliye Kunjana from Swathi Tirunal (one of his compositions)
Makara Sankramathil
http://vedantatattva.org/vedanta/songs/song77.html
Nin ormakal maatram
http://vedantatattva.org/vedanta/songs/song68.html
COMPOSITIONS
http://vedantatattva.org/vedantagroup/Aparna/Compositions/Songs/lyrics.html#song53
Brindavana Saranga
Brindavana Saranga is the Janyam of Karaharapriya (22nd Melakartha raga).
AROHANAM:
S R2 M1 P N2 S
AVAROHANAM:
S N1 P M1 R2 G1 S
Kaakali nishadam is used in the arohanam and kaishika nishadam is used while in
avaroham. There are different versions of usage of G1 thus making different versions of
avarohanam for this raga. In one version R2 G1 R2 S is used and in some R2 G1 S is used
while in avarohanam. This might look little bit like Sri raga, but the vakra usage of G1
makes it sound different from Sri raga.
Classical songs:
Ranga pura vihara – Muthuswamy Dikshitar
Swaminaathena samraskhitoham – Muthuswamy Dikshitar
Kamalaapta kula – Thyagaraja Swami
Caliye kunjan – Swati thirunal
Film Songs:
Ponnondru kanden pen angu illai – padithaal mattum poduma
Madhuraamritham
Akhilaandeshwari – Krithi of Muthusaamy Dikshithar in the raga Dwijaavanthi
Akhilaandeshwari raksha maam aagama sampradaaya nipune shri

O Ruler of the entire world, protect me; one who knows all the traditions in the aagamas
(scriptures).
Nikhila loka nityaatmike vimale nirmale shyaamale sakala kale

One who is the eternal Self in all the worlds (all-pervasive nature); one who is without
impurities; one who is pure; one who is of dark complexion; one who knows all the arts.
Devi as the Lord of all

Generally the term Lord means someone who owns people under him but the term of Lord
in Vedanta isn’t used in that sense (alone). The Lord in Vedanta is one who controls the
entire world and this controlling is not just mere external control but control through the
beings themselves; such a control is where the Lord is the essence of all beings and through
being all-pervasive, control comes automatically.
Vedanta isn’t against any particular form worship as we may sometimes think it to be.
Vedanta preaches that Nirguna Brahman or Brahman without any qualities is the ultimate
truth. But this ultimate truth is very tough to apprehend for those who are still under the
clutches of Maya, considering the world and their own body to be real. The Lord thus says in
Gita that Nirguna Upasana is tough for those who think they are the body (embodied
feeling). Hence in order to transition from the world that is perceived to the world-less,
quality-less, duality-less truth of Brahman, various forms are prescribed in various scriptural
texts. No form is greater than another – all forms are equal in that they serve as a bridge
from our ignorant state to the state of nirguna Brahman. Comparing one form to another is
like comparing the left eye to the right eye – both have its purposes.
So what are the purposes of various forms (from a form perspective rather than their real
purpose of guiding to Brahman)?
As is the inner tendency or vasana or guna of a person, so will he or she be attracted to a
particular form. Some might get attached to the form of beautiful Krishna or beautiful
Vishnu whereas others might get attached to the form of Siva; yet others might get
attached to Devi as Parvathi; yet others might get attached to the form of Kali. Depending
on one’s inner tendencies, the various forms have been prescribed in the scriptures. No
form will lead us to eternal bliss unless we are able to take the bridge towards form-less
Brahman – the bridge is through pervading the form to the entire world. This is what we see
Dikshitar explaining in the second paragraph about Devi as one who is all-pervasive and
eternal. Any form whether it is the form of Krishna or Vishnu or the form of a human being
cannot be eternal and will die after a period of time. A human form survives for 100 years
but Krishna’s form might survive more but no form can be eternal. The Lord himself
proclaims clearly in multiple places of Gita that those are fools who consider the Lord as
being a form – the Lord is all-pervasive form-less Consciousness. That which is all-pervasive
cannot be limited by a form (all-pervasive means in all spaces and form is that which is
limited to a form).
It doesn’t matter whether we worship Devi or Krishna or Vishnu, we have to pervade the
form in the entire world. This pervasion is through seeing the form in the entire world.
Whatever we see, we have to remember that it is Devi or the Ishta Devata alone. This is
mental perception and hence easy to implement too. We don’t have to externally prostrate
at the feet of our boss but internally we can prostrate through remembering our boss also
to be Devi and Devi alone. Thus with this vision of oneness, we will progress from our likes
and dislikes or dual notions to the non-dual truth of Brahman.
What is special about the forms of Devatas rather than let’s say celebrities form like Shah
Rukh Khan or Amitabh Bacchan or Aishwarya Rai?
The speciality about the form of devatas is that they are pure (as Dikshitar mentions). The
idea behind those forms or the meaning of those forms as in scriptures is different from the
form of worldly beings. Worldly beings are motivated by passions and desires. They are
subject to attachment, aversion, greed, pride, jealousy etc. whereas the forms of these
devatas aren’t subject to any of these. The devatas are content in themselves; they are
pure; they are blissful in nature; they are all-knowing; they are satisfied. Only a person who
is blissful can give bliss to another person. Since the various celebrities themselves aren’t
happy with whatever they have achieved till now and they crave to achieve more and more,
therefore they cannot give us fulfillment or peace or bliss.
Thus the various fans of these celebrities themselves fight with each other and none of
them are content with themselves. Only a seeker who is able to take up the form of various
devatas who are content in themselves will be able to gain contentment in life.
What easier way to contemplate on the ishta devata than through music or sangeetham.
Today music has become a source of livelihood where many of the singers and musicians
are busy trying to earn more money by selling records or performing on big stages. But the
music that we tradition has left us in the past isn’t the music that we see today. The trinities
of music themselves didn’t consider music as a source of money but as a source towards
the goal of Brahman (sangeetha jnaanamu bhakthi vinaa sanmaargamu galade o manasaa).
Today singers and others perform the songs of the trinities but with no devotion whatsoever
– the only thing we get out of their performances are just few hours of temporary happiness
which vanishes once we come out of the katcheri hall. Of course such unfortunate decline of
music is part of the illusory nature of the world and cannot be changed. But we as seekers
should remember to use music as a chariot for gaining more and more devotion. We should
use music as a way to remember our Ishta Devata thereby forgetting all duality and trying
to abide in the non-dual truth through making the Ishta Devata pervade our minds.
May this brief song of Dikshitar help us in gaining devotion towards Devi or our Ishta
Devata so that we are able to use it to build the bridge of one-pointedness towards Nirguna
Brahman – may this help us to attain the goal of eternal bliss in this very birth itself rather
than wasting yet another precious human birth.
Praadeshikam
Kandhar Anubhuthi
Kandhar anubhuthi is written by a tamil saint called Arunagirinadhar. Saint Arunagirinadhar

considered Lord Muruga as his beloved deity and has written many great works in the praise
of Lord Muruga and along with the Vedantic import. Saint Arunagirinadhar was most known
for his work called Thirupugazh which is written in praise of Lord Muruga along with
vedantic imports.
Kandhar Anubhuthi is a work of 51 verses. This work speaks about the state of realization of
Ultimate Reality of Brahman which is symbolized as Lord Muruga. The saint not only speaks
about that Ultimate Reality, he also presents the fundamental problem which is ignorance in
each suffering person and also gives the way to get to that state of realization. He
enumerates many problems that we face as if those were his problems and is seeking God’s
grace to get rid of those problems, but he is actually showing us the way to pray to the Lord
for his grace so that we can get rid of the problem. In the midst of such prayer verses, he
also gives his state of mind and thanks Lord for helping him to crossover all suffering by the
knowledge of the Truth. The contexts of certain verses may seem to contradict as in one
verse he would be seeking god’s grace to overcome some weakness that are binding and in
the very next verse he would thank the Lord for giving knowledge. But as mentioned before,
the Saint is actually established in Brahman, compassionately presents how one may have
to overcome it and the reason for presenting his current state is to show what the state of a
person is who is established in Brahman. So the state of being established in Brahman is
the Ultimate goal of spirituality and currently that state is not present in person who is
suffering in this world. So if a person suffering, he must understand that he has to get rid of
the suffering once and for all by understanding the real nature of Lord which is his own
nature as well.
In the final few verses the Saint speaks about the state of being established in Brahman.
Here is stanza 48.
aRivonRu aRaninRu aRivaar aRivil
piRivonRu aRaninRa piraan alaiyo
seRivonRu aRavandhu irule sidhaiya
veRivenRavarodu uRum velavane
Ceasing from every knowledge, those who know, O Lord,

Dost Thou not, in their intelligence, inseparably stand?
Their relations coming to the naught and darkness destroyed,
O Velava! Thou abideth in them who have conquered their delusions
In this stanza, Saint Arunagirinadhar is giving the mental state of that Jnaani who have
realized his own nature of Self.
The first line might seem to be contradicting as it says that the Lord is in the mind of the
people who knows and has ceased all other knowledge. Any knowledge, whether it is
worldly knowledge or spiritual knowledge, happens in the mind. We have the instruments,
the organs of knowledge, through which we get the worldly knowledge. But the knowledge
of the Self is contrary to this worldly knowledge in a way that it cannot be known like
worldly knowledge. Self cannot be known through any instrument because Self is the
knower. Even when we get the worldly knowledge, the Self stays behind as the illuminator
of both the mind and the object and thus making it possible to get the knowledge of the
object. But such a Self is never affected by these worldly experiences, it just stays as
illuminator. And such an illuminator is never illumined by anything else. It is Self-effulgent
and ever exists. Also, Self doesn’t have any intention to illumine things, as long as we
experience objects of the world, we can know that it is the Self that is illumining everything.
The very first sloka of Drig drishya viveka says

“roopam drishyam lochanam drik thath drishyam drikthu maanasam
Drishyaa dheevriththayah saakshi drigeva na thu drishyathe”
“Form is seen eyes are its seer, eyes are seen mind is the seer, mind is seen Sakshi is the
seer alone and sakshi is never seen”
So that Self which is the illuminator of everything, which is of the nature of Anandam is to
be realized as our own nature. Anandam always is our very nature but it is not known
because of the ignorance. Ignorance not only veils our nature of Anandam but also make us
see everything else as real and different from us. And once things are seen in the world as
real and different from us, we get different experiences from these objects. Thus, the root
cause of these problems we have in the world is ignorance of our nature.
A seeker of liberation would try to realize his own nature of the Self as directed by the Guru
and Shastra. When a seeker understands clearly that any amount of worldly knowledge or
experience cannot give contentment and peace, and also when he understands clearly the
nature of the Self through the study of scriptures from the Guru, the seeker’s mind
automatically gets withdrawn from the objects of the world and focuses on the Self. When
mind becomes free from binding thoughts, it automatically becomes calm and a calm mind
naturally experiences Anandam. A mind that is free from binding thoughts is the pure mind
and in that mind Self shines naturally. But until this withdrawal becomes natural, with the
strength of knowledge effort has to be put to withdraw the mind from the worldly objects
and should be focused on the Self. Thus in that mind which is withdrawn from the world,
can experience the Anandam. And this has to be practiced continuously until it becomes
very natural.
Thus in the 2nd and 3rd line, Saint Arunagirinadhar speaks about the Jnani for whom
withdrawing the mind from the objects of the world and focus on Self becomes natural.
Such a person is ever established in Self and hence Anandam is very natural for that person
and will remain inseparable from him forever. Such a person has nothing else left to be
known, he is ever free, ever free from all delusions, ever free from all bondages. That Self,
Saint Arunagirinadhar symbolizes as Lord Muruga. In the very next stanza, he says that the
anandam of Self cannot be expressed in words and hence one has to realize oneself to know
it.
From poetical perspective also, one can enjoy the usage of words and meter that is used in
Kandar Anubhuthi by Saint Arunagirinadhar. In many Muruga temples and homes, this work
is chanted during Kandar Shashti along with Kandar Sashti kavacham of Devaraya
Swamigal.
Sthuthi
Shiva Panchaakshara Stotram
Naagendra haaraaya trilochanaaya bhasmaangaraagaaya maheshwaraaya
Nityaaya shuddhaaya digambaraaya tasmai nakaaraaya namah shivaaya
My prostrations to Shiva who wears the king of serpents as a garland; who has three eyes;
whose body is smeared in ashes; who controls everything; eternal; pure; who is wearing
only directions (nothing); who is denoted by the letter of “na”.
Mandaakini salilachandana charchithaaya

Nandeeshwara pramathanaatha maheshwaraaya
Mandaarapushpa bahupushpa supujithaaya
Tasmai makaaraaya namah shivaaya
My prostrations to Shiva who is worshipped from ganges water and with sandal paste; the
Lord of Nandi; the Lord of ghosts and other beings; the controller of everything; worshipped
with various flowers; and denoted by the letter of “ma”.
Shivaaya gaurivadanaabja vrinda-

Suryaaya dakshaadhwaranaashakaaya
Sreeneelakantaaya vrishadhwajaaya
Tasmai shikaaraaya namah shivaaya
My prostrations to Shiva who is auspiciousness in nature; who is the Sun causing the lotus-
face of Parvathi to shine; destroyer of the yajna of daksha; whose throat is blue; whose flag
has the emblem of bull; and who is denoted by the letter of “shi”.
Vasista kumbhodbhava gauthamaaryamuneendra devaarchithashekharaaya

Chandraarka vaishwaanaralochanaaya tasmai vakaaraaya namah shivaaya
My prostrations to Shiva whose linga (Shiva linga) has been worshipped y many sages like
Vasistha, agastya, Gautama and gods like Indra and others; whose three eyes are the sun,
moon and fire; and who is denoted by the letter of “va”.
Yakshasvaroopaaya jataadharaaya pinaakahasthaaya sanaathanaaya

Divyaaya devaaya digambaraaya tasmai yakaaraay namah shivaaya
My prostrations to Shiva who has the form of a yaksha; who has matter hair; who has the
pinaka bow in his hand; the eternal Lord; the brilliant Lord; who is without any dresses; and
who is represented by the letter of “ya”.
Panchaaksharamidam punyam yah patetshivasannidhau

Shivalokamavaapnothi shivena saha modathe
These five letters, together making the five-letter mantra, is pure and he who chants it
continuously; such a person attains the abode of Shiva and in Shiva’s presence rejoices in
bliss.
Importance of mantra
This is a very short work of Sankara where he explains each of the five letters of the mantra
om namah shivaya. AUM isn’t generally considered as part of any mantra as it is the one
syllable that is always added to a mantra. Thus the siva mantra has five syllables of na, ma,
shi, va and ya.
Mantra means that which uplifts a person by chanting (mananaat traayathe ithi mantrah).
The more and more a person chants a mantra; it gives more power or effect to the seeker.
Mantras help in gaining focus on the ishta devata or favorite deity and keeping us
remember the favorite deity. Mantras also help in generating a positive current or vibration
around us so that whenever we chant the mantra it gives us immense peace – mantras in
themselves are sacred syllables that have inherent power but they gain more power
depending on the input of the seeker (through constant chanting). Once a seeker puts a lot
of effort into a mantra by chanting it while remembering the deity behind the mantra and
with devotion and love; then whenever the seeker is in distress mere chanting of the
mantra will be enough to get him/her out of the distress instantly.
Though we may argue as to whether mantras have power in themselves (and that mantras
only gain power by us putting effort into it), it is but a fact that words have a natural
meaning to them and obviously they also have a meaning depending on our mental
interpretation of the same. The word of “car” has an inherent meaning but it can also have
a different meaning based on the interpretation of the person hearing or saying the word.
Thus we cannot deny the inherent importance of mantras even as the word of “help” may
mean nothing to us but the general meaning of the word is what people around us will see
when they hear the word.
AMMA gives this beautiful story to illustrate the importance of mantras. Once a Guru was
teaching his disciples the importance of mantra in his Gurukula. The King who was passing
by decided to visit the Gurukula. He came into the Gurukula; he was told that the Guru was
busy and hence was asked to wait. The King waited for some time; after some time the
Guru came and met the King. The King asked the Guru as to what he was teaching and the
Guru replied that he was teaching the importance of mantras. The King asked the Guru
whether the mantra was more important than even the King to which the Guru instead of
giving reply went inside. The Guru called the smallest disciple he had (a boy who was
merely 2 years old) and told the boy to treat the King very well (in a sarcastic way). The
boy came out and he saw the King – the King had to look down a lot to see the boy. The
boy looking at the King said “poda” (this is a Malayalam word meaning “get out” or “get
lost”) and then went back inside. The King was enraged. He started shouting saying he
would burn the entire ashram into ashes. The rage of King was unbound when the Guru
came back calm as usual. The Guru told the King to remain calm and let him explain. The
Guru then said to the King “if the two letters of poda can have such a great effect on you,
then what would be the effect of mantras?” Thus the King came to know of the importance
of mantras.
Though mantras have inherent effect yet in order to reveal their full power we have to chant
them constantly remembering the deity behind the mantra and with faith, love and
devotion. A mantra which is not chanted is as useless as a car that is unused. May this
small work of Sankara guide us to get a mantra as per our deity and chant it at least 1008
times a day (and if possible, chanting whenever we can) so that our minds will not only be
purified but will become calm so that Vedantic knowledge about non-dual reality of Brahman
will be easily apprehended and we will be able to ever rejoice in bliss remembering
everything to be Brahman.
Text plus meaning

http://sanskritdocuments.org/all_pdf/panch.pdf
Charitham
Swami Vivekananda
Many things have already been spoken and written about Swami Vivekananda in various
web sites and even books. Hence this article would not focus much on swamiji’s life but
rather on what we have to learn from this great saint so as to achieve the goal of moksha in
this very birth itself. Through an analysis of Swamiji’s life with respect to the Vedanta we
will be able to learn a lot in order to help us attain the blissful state of Brahman. Else we will
end up like any other orator who just goes on speaking the greatness of Swamiji without
being able to apprehend even one small aspect of Swamiji thereby making him no different
from the many people of the world who fail to apprehend the underlying reality of blissful
Brahman.
Swamiji’s poorva ashrama name (name prior to sanyaassa) was Narendra. It wouldn’t be
wrong to say that Narendra was the pet of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. There are
numerous references in the gospel of Sri Ramakishna Paramahamsa that indicate clearly
that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa liked Narendra and his presence. Probably anticipating the
reason for this, he says in one place that these youngsters have a lot of options in the world
(to get deluded) but they still seek Ishwara and hence he likes them a lot. Of course this
isn’t that common these days. Narendra when he met Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, was just
in his late teens. And he had learned all the scriptures very well and had the strong
conviction to seek realization (experience of Ishwara or Brahman). Today hardly do we find
people striving to realize the Self or tread the spiritual path – most of the youngsters are
running here and there in search of worldly pleasures. As the world is progressing in
technology and other fields, the options of sense enjoyment has also increased quite a lot.
Today in order to enjoy a good pizza, one just needs to surf the net and order it – within
minutes, the pizza will be at one’s home.
Rarely do we find young people wanting to realize and when we find such people, their
parents, relatives and friends ensure that they are convincingly distracted from the spiritual
path. This goes to such an extent that one of my cousin’s father used to stay behind him
when he used to talk to my father – still my father’s words to seek Ishwara didn’t stop and
hence his father ensured that the cousin never visits the house. And last but not the least,
the so-called learned yet totally ignorant parents will somehow twist scriptural statements
to suit their own needs. Hence it isn’t a surprise that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was
attracted to many of the youngsters like Narendra.
Today when we learn that there is a term called Vedanta, we are almost half-way through
this life – if not half-way then at least one-third. Having accumulated so many vasanas, it
therefore is very tough to do some sadhana or listen to a discourse with full attention. This
doesn’t mean we should get discouraged – there is still lot of time left in this birth. If we
were to focus on Ishwara from this moment onwards, then we will definitely achieve
Ishwara in this very birth itself. Thus through Narendra, we find as to how strong the desire
for moksha should be for a sadhaka. Once a devotee asked Ramakrishna Paramahamsa as
to when he will realize Ishwara, instead of answering Ramakrishna pushed him into the
water and kept him immersed. The person couldn’t breathe and wanted just one gulp of air.
Then Ramakrishna let him come out of water and answered to him “when your desire to
realize Ishwara is like your desire to get out of water, then you will realize”. Swami
Vivekananda shows us that such strong desire for moksha isn’t just in theory but can be
found in the world (even if it is very rare).
Narendra once he found Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, could sense the power of God
completely. Hence he never strayed from Sri Ramakrishna. This resolve to not stray away
from whatever gives us a glimpse of Ishwara through removal of sorrow and experience of
bliss is something we ought to keep in mind. This is what is known as the two aspects of
prathikoola varjanam and anukoola sevanam – removal of that which obstructs our goal and
following that which will lead us to the goal. In Narendra’s case, it was company or
association with Ramakrishna that would lead him towards the goal of moksha. For us
seekers, it is learning, reflecting and contemplating on the Vedantic truth of Brahman that
will help us towards the goal of moksha. We should therefore always keep Brahman in our
thoughts, words and actions – this is as simple as constantly remembering that this entire
world is Brahman and Brahman alone.
Many people also think that Swamiji was responsible for giving the four distinct ways to
moksha as jnaana yoga, karma yoga, bhakthi yoga and raja yoga. In fact these ways are
just ways – the goal is always one non-dual reality of Brahman as the substratum of the
illusory world that we are currently experiencing. Swamiji himself explains this in many
places of his discourses. At the end of his life, he calls his own disciple and tells him that
“glad I did big blunders” and to assert that there is no world at all existing. This is the truth
that Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa experienced intuitively through his advaita guru of
Totapuri.
Once when Swamiji was giving a discourse in the west saying that we are currently under
the illusion of Maya and this world is just an illusion thereby making our very nature that of
Brahman, then a girl stood up and proclaimed “Swamiji, you are hypnotizing us” to which
Swamiji smilingly replied “No, you are already hypnotized by Maya and I am just de-
hypnotizing you”.
If we start reading about Swamiji’s life and his words, then we will understand as to how
important it is to stick to our goal whatever might happen – the goal being eternal bliss in
the form of realizing our very nature of Brahman. The words from Katha Upanishad which
said that we should strive to achieve the goal and rest not until the goal is achieved was one
of Swamiji’s favorites. Swamiji never gave up the thirst for knowledge, dispassion and
realization even when his family was struggling in poverty. We find this beautiful incident in
his life. Once when his family was very much struggling, Sri Ramakrishna asked him to go
and pray to Devi at the Kali temple to give his family wealth. Narendra started towards the
temple and after some time returned very happy. Seeing him, Ramakrishna asked as to
whether he asked and got the promise from Devi. To this, Narendra replied that he didn’t
ask for wealth. When questioned as to what happened, Narendra replied that when he went
to the temple he saw Devi there and he prayed to Devi that Devi might give him jnaanam
and vairagyam (knowledge and dispassion) and then came back. Ramakrishna scolds him
and sends him back again. This time too the result was the same. Ramakrishna sends him
another time (the third time) and still the result was the same. Finally giving up,
Ramakrishna says to Narendra that you cannot ask Devi. Therefore I will ask Devi to give
your family the wealth they need to survive in the world. This incident truly speaks about
Swamiji’s steadfastness towards the goal of moksha.
Just because a person is a sanyaasin doesn’t mean we should let others disrespect us. When
Swamiji landed in America and an American pushed him down, Swamiji boldly stands up to
him and asks “why did you push me”. It is a common wrong notion that renunciates and
spiritual people shouldn’t have any worldly desires or sensual enjoyments. Vedanta never
speaks anything about no sensual pleasures but speaks about remembering Brahman
amidst all sensual pleasures too. There are many people in the world who don’t have any
sense enjoyment but still aren’t nowhere in the spiritual quest towards Brahman. Thus
having sensual pleasures or not isn’t the main point – the main point is whether we are able
to remember Brahman in our mind while doing activities whether they are worldly or
spiritual.
But this attitude of remembering Brahman as the underlying reality behind the illusory
world of names and forms doesn’t mean that we just negate the world and ignore it.
Swamiji addressed the world parliaments with the opening remarks of “Sisters and
Brothers” – a real seeker who sees Brahman as pervading the world will consider everyone
as oneself. If at least this attitude of seeing everything as our own Self is not possible (it
may not be possible at the worldly plane as we can only see people as the Self in our mind,
not externally), we should see everybody as our brothers and sisters. Most of us Indians
would be familiar with the Indian prayer of “all Indians are my brothers and sisters” but how
many of us truly understand the meaning; and how many of us are able to remember it;
and still how many of us are able to implement it in our lives; very few indeed. Today states
and people from different parts of India are fighting amongst each other. This is the reason
why countries are also fighting amongst each other with no peace at all in the world – every
nation behaves as if it is like an air-filled balloon ready to explode when pricked by another
person. Swamiji’s remarks about everyone being our brothers and sisters should be
memorized and we should strive to live it – if we are able to at least live it for a few
moments in a day, the dual notions of likes and dislikes will vanish. When likes and dislikes
vanish, then we will be able to lead a very blissful life remembering this entire world to be
filled with one reality of Brahman.
There are many people in the world who consider others are their brothers and sisters – the
most common being social-service workers. Social service is very good but not at the cost
of remembering the world to be pervaded in and out by Brahman. The moment we forget
Brahman, it doesn’t matter whether we are doing social service or not, we will end up in
sorrow and sorrow alone. We cannot argue that the scriptures say that we should do social
service – the scriptures ask us to do social service because social service is service to
Ishwara because the world is Ishwara (because of the vision of seeing everything as
Ishwara). If we forget the reason why social service is done, then we will end up in sorrow
only at the end of this life because we will find many more people needing social service in
the world (as the temporary and sorrowful world will always have sorrows in one or the
other way). Thereby worrying about the suffering people of the world, we will either be born
as a suffering person or be born to do more social service. This chain will continue over and
over again – there will not be any contentment even after many births. Hence we should
forget the underlying reality of Brahman irrespective of whether we are doing worldly
activities, social service activities or spiritual activities.
Brahmani aadhaaya karmaani sangham tyaktvaa karothi yah

Lipyathe na sa paapena padma patram iva ambhasaa
Offering actions unto Brahman (Ishwara) without getting attached to the action or the fruits
there-of, a person will get rid of all the sins accrued due to the action and the fruit; such a
seeker will not be tainted by sin or sorrow even as a lotus leaf which is in water is not wet
by water.
There are many slokas from Gita that can be quoted to show that actions need to be
performed with a sense of surrender and as an offering; offering and surrender means as
simple as remembering the world to be pervaded by Brahman. If the world is pervaded by
Brahman, then actions are offered to Brahman (because actions performed in the world are
performed in Brahman). Such actions are surrendering to Brahman too because everything
is Brahman. This type of action is termed by the Lord in Gita as a Brahma Yajna where the
doer is Brahman, the fruit is Brahman, the instruments are Brahman and it is done with the
attitude of “everything is Brahman”.
This is the very basis of Swamiji’s life irrespective of whether he was living in India with Sri
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa or whether he was establishing the order of monks in
Ramakrishna Mission (or many other organizations that he helped created) or whether he
was giving lectures in the States or any other country.
Let us through this very brief analysis of Swamiji’s life strive to live the truth preached and
lived by Swamiji which is that everything is one Brahman so that our life will be fulfilled with
this human birth itself making us ever rejoice in bliss even when Yama comes to us to take
away the body.
Sanskritha shiksha
Persons and Numbers
In samskritam, there are 3 persons and 3 numbers. Observe and study the table given
below.
Singular Dual Plural

Number Number Number @kvcn< iÖvcn< b÷vcn<
Two
Third Person A boy boys Boys àwm pué; bal> balaE bala>
Second
Person You You two You all mXym pué; Tvm! yuvam! yUym!
First Person I We two We all %Äm pué; Ahm! Aavam! vym!
Gender
There are 3 genders for nouns - masculine (pui‘¼), feminine (ôIil¼) and neuter
(npus
< kil¼). It is not based on the meaning of the word or noun. For example, the word
(klÇm!) which means wife belongs to neuter gender. We will some examples. Just
observe the table below for any pattern.
pui‘¼ meaning ôIil¼ meaning npus

< kil¼ meaning
Anl> fire kNya girl k…sm

u m! flower
$ñr> god kwa story jIivtm! life
dev> god ]ma patience zôm! weapon
nr> man devta deity Aakazm! space
iz:y> disciple inza night zrIrm! body
naqkm! drama
gué> teacher ndI river tu{fm! face
izzu> child jnnI mother Éaejnm! food
Éanu> sun dasI servant neÇm! eye
àÉu> master rajxanI capital Öarm! door
sUn>u son vapI lake raò+m! country
miNdrm! temple
daughter-in-
kiv> poet vxU law
Ai¶> fire cmU army
Aitiw> guest ñïU mother-in-law
\i;> sage
riv> sun
Just notice the ending samskritam letter in the above words. The ending letters in the
above words are (A), (#), (%), (Aa), ($), (^) and (m!). Generally, the words ending in (A),
(#), (%) are masculine, those ending in (Aa), ($) are feminine and those ending in (m!) are
neuter.
àheilka)
PUZZLE (àhe lka
Apd> ËrgamI c sa]rae n c pi{ft>, Amuo S)…q v´a c y> janait s pi{ft>.
without foot, travels far and educated (literate or with letters), not scholar.
mouthless, good speaker, one who knows it, he is a scholar.
Answer - postletter.
suÉai;tm!
igirmRhan! meraeriBxmRhanBxenÉ
R aemht!, nÉsae=ip mhdœ äü ttae=Pyaza grIysI.
Prose order
igir> mhan!, merae> AiBx> mhan!, ABxe> nÉ> mht!, nÉs> Aip mht! äü, tt> Aip Aaza grIysI,
Mount Meru (or mountain) is huge. Bigger than mountain is the ocean. Still larger is
space. Bigger than space is Brahman. But desires are larger in number than the
(limitless) Brahman.
, nmSte,
Sanatana Dharma Sameeksha - snatn xmR smI]a

In Sanaatana Dharma, we generally worship Lord Vinayaka before performing any
auspicious activity. In this section, let us understand the subtle beauty of the form of
Lord Ganesha.
• Vinayaka means Supreme Leader (one who shows the path). Ganesha or Ganapati -
the Lord of Ganas (the attendants of Lord Siva or His devotees). Gajanana - one
having elephant's face. Vighneshwara - the Lord of obstacles (one who removes
subjective and objective obstacles) (master of circumstances).
• Married to Riddhi (Goddess of wealth) and Siddhi (Goddess of Knowledge).
• Ganapati is the son of Lord Siva and Goddess Parvathy. He is the brother of Lord
Subramanya or muruka.
• Elephant face - large face indicates subtle, logical and discriminative thinking
capability (to understand the depths of spirituality).
• Large ears - Good intelligent listening skill (sravana).
• Trunk - Flows down from the forehead. Denotes the intellectual ability to deeply
think (manana) and discriminate over whatever is heard (subjective and objective
matters). The trunk is more efficient than even the most scientific equipments. It can
uproot huge trees as well as pluck a blade of grass or a needle.
• Discrimination is possible only between two things. The trunk flows in between the
two tusks.
• Lord Ganesha is indicating a Man of Perfection. He is beyond the pair of opposites;
shown by one tusk (the other one is broken).
• Large belly - Is the dwelling place for the whole world.
• The story of Lord Ganesha being called for lunch by Kubera is well known. A
sincere seeker of Knowledge seeks the highest truth in and through all experiences
(good and bad). So he is never satisfied (of eating or experiencing) until he is given
puffed rice (denotes baking or roasting of vasanas in the fire of knowledge) by Lord
Siva (Spiritual Guru).
• Huge stomach indicates the readiness to accept both auspicious and inauspicious
experiences.
• Lord sits with one feet hanging down. Normally we experience this world through
the subtle equipment of mind and intellect, our two feet. Lord is an integrated
personality whose mind and intellect are not divorced from each other, but are in
perfect harmony. Hence the significance of only one leg hanging down or resting on
the ground.
• Vehicle mouse - mouse is sitting looking at its master. It dares not to eat the
abundant amount of food kept in front of the Lord. The Lord allows it to eat a little
now and then. A little creature by itself, the mouse can eat up huge barns of grain
and cause great loss. Similarly the mouse of desire in us can eat up the huge barns or
mountains of merit in us and cause downfall. A Realized master keeps His desire
under control and now and then allows it to eat (desire to serve the world).
• The moon laughed at Ganesha riding on His little mouse. People of gross intellect
(denoting the moon) laugh at Saints or Realized Masters when they ride on their
vehicle (mouse of 'desire to serve').
• Four hands - represent the four inner instruments (antahkarana chatushtaya).
• Ganesha holds axe, rope, modaka in three hands and one hand is in vara mudra.
With the axe, He cuts all our attachments (to the world of objects, emotions and
thoughts) and pulls us towards Him (or ties us to the supreme Truth) with the rope.
For such a surrendering seeker, He provides more and more subtle joy of the Truth.
The Lord also bestows everything that is needed for the seeker in his growth (vara
or boon) and removes his obstacles.
• Lord's physical form represents the Truth. If we observe carefully, we will see His
form resembling the Primordial sacred word OM in samskritam (`) (represents the
supreme Truth). His form is brilliant and equals the brilliance of hundreds of rising
suns. Lord is Knowledge (Brahman) incarnate. Hence His brilliance and shine is
unsurpassing.
Enjoy the following names understanding their subtle meanings:
@kdNt mhakay v³tu{f gjann mUi;kvahn maedkhSt iv¹ivnayk paza»‚zxr
papivnazk à[vSvêp g[naw mat¼vdn l<baedr vràdayk kaeiqsUys

R màÉ.
Vedanta Pariksha
This month all questions are on Sankara’s works. Few questions can have multiple
correct answers.
1) Which Upanishad has been commented twice by Sankara?

a) Katha
b) Kena
c) Prashna
d) Brihadaranyaka
2) Sankara has commented on this Sahasranama:
a) Lalitha Sahasranama
b) Siva Sahasranama
c) Vishnu Sahasranama
d) Ganesha Sahasranama
3) Name the devi chant that has been commented upon by Sankara
a) Lalitha Sahasranama
b) Lalitha Trishathi
c) Soundarya Lahari
d) Devi Maahaatmyam
4) Which of the smaller parts or works from Mahabharatha has been commented upon
by Sankara?
a) Bhagavad Gita
b) Sanat Sujaatheeyam
c) Vidura Nithi
d) Vishnu Sahasranama
5) Name the work of Sankara that has been commented upon by Swami
Chandrasekhara Bharathi Swamigal of Sringeri
a) Soundarya Lahari
b) Atma Bodha
c) Viveka choodamani
d) Panchikaranam
6) Name the work of Sankara which was written upon seeing his Guru Govinda Pada for
the first time.
a) Tattva Bodha
b) Dasha Sloki
c) Nirvana Shatkam
d) Prabodha Sudhakaram
7) Name which of the below isn’t a work of Sankara
a) Upadesha Saahasri
b) Nirvaana Manjari
c) Chitsukhi
d) Praudaanubhoothi
8) Name the work of Sankara’s own disciple which has been commented upon by
Sankara
a) Naishkarmya Siddhi
b) Hastaamalakeeya
c) Panchadashi
d) Panchapaadika
9) Name the work of Sankara which spans more than thousand slokas
a) Viveka Choodamani
b) Aparokshaanubhoothi
c) Vaakya Vritthi
d) Sarva Vedanta siddhanta saara sangraham
10) Name the work of Sankara with the least number of slokas
a) Eka sloki
b) Maya Panchakam
c) Laghu Vaakya Vritti
d) Maneesha Panchakam
Watch out the next magazine for answers to this quiz. Email your responses to
admin@vedantatattva.org and find out how good your scores really are.
Answers to previous quiz
1) Answer is none – answer is 1180 as per Skanda Purana. But whoever answered 108
are correct because that is the number given in Muktikopanishad
2) None – Katha Upanishad is the right answer
3) A – Aitareya Upanishad
4) B (Mundaka) and D (Aitareya)
5) C – 9 times
6) B (Mandukya)
7) C (12 slokas)
8) C (Brihadaranyaka)
9) C (Brihadaranyaka)
10) A (Brihadaranyaka) and D (Taittiriya)
Scores
Aparna – 7.5
Sunanda – 8
Kudos to those who answered this quiz which had few answers that were “none of the
options”.
Karuna
If we look at the state the world is currently in, we can very easily understand that it is in
total chaos. Hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, earth quakes, terrorist attacks etc. are growing
day by day. The latest in the list being the earth quake in Haiti. This earth quake is
something that has helped the entire world in a better way. Every country is trying to do
their best for the sufferings of people in Haiti. Individuals as well as struggling to provide
help in whatever way possible for the sufferings. This attitude of helping others out when
they really need help and irrespective of any relations with the people we are helping out is
termed in Sanskrit as Karuna or compassion. Kaarunyam is the quality of showing
compassion to other people in the world. This is a quality that has been mentioned in the
scriptures as something that will help the seeker to progress towards the goal of Brahman.
We will try to see a very brief about this quality, how to implement it and how it will help us
in realizing Brahman.
Karuna – true feeling of love towards other beings

Though we generally know karuna as feeling sad or helping out other people in the world,
karuna really can be shown only when we love other people and thereby cannot bear them
suffering. It is only when a person sees others sufferings as one’s own suffering that a
person can show such compassion; compassion to such an extent as to forget one’s own
worries and help out the other person. It is for this reason that Karuna is something very
rarely found today. Even the so-called social service organizations aren’t really doing much
of compassion because their emphasis is on the suffering of people. When we see somebody
suffering, it is good human nature to help them out. But it is truly godly nature to help
others out not just because they are suffering but because we consider them as ourselves –
if not ourselves, then at least we consider them as our family. Vasudhaiva kutumbakam or
the entire world being one family is one of the forgotten mottos of sanathana dharma which
today has become just a means of religious riots, political favors etc.
Though the difference between helping out suffering people because they are suffering and
helping out suffering people because we love them as “ours” isn’t huge but this minor
change makes this activity of social service a jnaana saadhana (a sadhana towards the goal
of Brahman). More on this a little later but it is very true that unless we love a person
dearly we will not be able to provide full compassion but only partial compassion towards
the person. Partial compassion is as good as giving a hungry person just one piece of bread
– the hunger will only be partly appeased which is worse than not getting appeased. We all
know that partially appeased hunger is more dangerous than not at all appeased hunger☺.
Similarly if we don’t see people as “ours”, the compassion that we show is partial and will
not last for long – it last as long as we don’t have anybody close to us suffering. The
moment anybody close to us is suffering, we will stop caring about the truly needy people of
the world. The person close to us might have means of getting rid of the suffering all by
himself but because of all love to the person, we might end helping the person instead of
helping other people in the world who truly need our help.
Thus the one aspect of compassion we ought to remember is “neediness” – compassion is

that which is directed to the neediest person in the world and not based on our likes and
dislikes. If we go by our likes and dislikes, then the very basic effect of purification of the
mind (getting rid of dual notions from the mind) will not happen through compassion
instead compassion will only boost our likes and dislikes thereby making us again and again
get immersed in the ocean of samsaara.
Karuna – shown to the needy and devoid of dual notions

Compassion is thus shown to the neediest person in the world irrespective of our likes and
dislikes. Therefore implementation of compassion is when we are truly helping out those
who really need it – the best way to start with this is to not help any person that we like
(this is fine at a later stage but initially it is good to stay away from this lest our likes affect
our judgement). Thus once we start helping out those who need help in the best way
possible, we will be able to get rid of our dual notions slowly and get proper judgement
about who needs help.
Another important aspect to remember while showering compassion is that compassion is

based on loving this entire world as one – this is truly possible only when we see Brahman
or Ishwara as pervading this entire world. As long as we don’t see this, we will be running
here and there to help out needy people. Our help will never become complete as this world
is based on different factors like the actions of others (not just ours) – moreover ultimately
this world is just an illusion or a dream and hence complete help or upliftment of the world
is impossible. If we don’t remember this truth about Brahman pervading this world and the
world being just an illusion in the Lord, we will get carried away into helping others that we
will never be contend with any help that we do. Our life itself is limited and hence we will
never be able to help each and every suffering individual in the world. Thus when we give
up our lives, we will be thinking and worrying about how many people are still suffering –
going by the rule given by the Lord in Gita, since we are thinking about suffering people at
the end of our life we will be born as one in the next birth. So much for compassion helping
us attain Brahman.
Therefore it is important to remember the goal of Brahman to be achieved through

compassion and never to forget that compassion is just a means to the goal (not the goal or
the end itself). A very easy way to never forget this is to offer all actions unto Brahman or
Ishwara – even the compassion that we shower on others should be offered to Ishwara in
order to ensure that we never lose sight of Ishwara. This offering attitude will also ensure
that we never get egoistic about the help that we are providing to the world (ego can very
easily rise in such situations).
If we are not interested in offering the activities to Ishwara, we should remember that we
are just portraying our role in this huge drama of waking world. Thus remaining a witness to
the actions and the results of the actions, we will be able to easily remain blissful
irrespective of the activities that we perform. This doesn’t mean we cease to do good
activities (as we are a mere witness to both good and bad activities) but just that we are
not affected by the good or the bad activity. A person might donate huge amount to the
suffering people in Haiti but it may take some time to fully fructify – during that time we
should just remember that we did our part and not get affected by the fruit of “good” or
“bad” or “no fruit”.
Karuna – a way to realization

Currently our minds are impure. When we hear in Vedanta about impurity of the mind, it is
the likes and dislikes of the mind. Likes and dislikes stem out of considering each and every
person or object of the world as different from ourselves and different from one another.
These likes and dislikes in turn lead to attachment and aversion which will ultimately lead to
our own destruction (destruction in the form of sorrows, sufferings and the chain of birth-
death). These likes and dislikes can be completely removed only through knowledge.
The attitude of compassion when associated with considering the entire world as being one
entity of Brahman will very soon get us rid of likes and dislikes. If we consider the entire
world as one, then where is liking and disliking? Thus remaining without any likes and
dislikes, we will not only be performing activities but jnaana sadhana or sama bhaavana or
vision of oneness. The Lord says in Gita that this world is a world of actions and not even for
one second can a person remain without performing actions. Actions when performed based
on our tastes with craving for fruits will lead to more and more actions (kurvathe karma
bhogaaya, karma karthum cha bhunjathe – man does actions for enjoyment and enjoys to
do more actions). These actions in turn lead to more births when the instrument of the
physical body isn’t capable of performing any more actions (birth means taking up a new
body).
But when we perform actions remembering this entire world to be filled with Brahman, then
we don’t crave for fruits and neither are we attached to the action in itself. Thus the fruits of
such actions will be only purification of the mind – no other sins or tainting will happen to
us. And since we remember the ultimate truth of Brahman pervading this entire world, we
will be implementing knowledge. This knowledge and implementation is the direct way to
moksha or ever rejoicing in bliss. Thus very soon we will be able to achieve the goal of
moksha in this very birth itself by performing actions through an attitude of compassion.
To sum up this very brief article on compassion, compassion or karuna is a very essential
quality required for a seeker to be able to implement knowledge and at the same time
perform activities with no attachment to the activity or the fruits there-of. This would in turn
help the seeker to achieve the goal of eternal bliss amidst his/her own sufferings in this
world. We are constantly suffering in the pangs of samsaara by not getting whatever we
want – which is eternal bliss. Through this attitude of compassion, we will not only be
helping ourselves but helping others as well. This attitude of compassion is safer than
knowledge in that there will no ego generated out of it (of course please remember that
true knowledge means seeing oneness everywhere and hence there is no scope for ego but
little knowledge is often associated with ego).
May the ultimate reality of Brahman help us in cultivating this attitude of karuna (which is
one of the pivotal qualities of the sanaathana dharma) in order to help us achieve the goal
of eternal bliss in this very birth itself.
Ghatanaa
Shiva rathri – 12th Feb

Shiva rathri is celebrated as a night where we remain awake in contemplation of Lord Shiva
and through sacred chants and bhajans. There are many stories behind this festival but the
most common one is it being celebrated as the night when Parvathi kept Shiva awake after
he drank the poison that came out of the churning of the milk ocean by Devas and Asuras.
Parvathi stopped the poison at the throat of Shiva but in order for the poison to not give its
effect, Shiva had to remain awake the whole night.
This festival symbolizes the spiritual path of a seeker where the seeker has to always
remain awake in contemplation of the Lord so that the poisons of worldly passions don’t
affect him. Worldly pleasures are more dangerous than poison in that one look can delude
and kill us instead of poisons which we have to intake for it to take effect. Thus Shiva Rathri
is not just to be celebrated on one day but each moment of our life should be spent as
Shiva Rathri where we are awake in contemplation of Shiva and don’t sleep off the pangs of
the poison of ignorance in the form of the external world.
Anukramaanika Nirdesham
1. Editorial – a general message

2. Guru Mahima – Guru Gita explained in parts from the beginning
3. Mukhya Vishayam – main topic with a detailed explanation of a Vedantic concept
4. Sankshiptha Vedanta – brief summary of a Vedanta grantha
5. Gitaamritham – one sloka of Gita explained
6. Upanishad Prachaaram – summary of a minor Upanishad
7. Raga Varsha – analysis of a raga (both Hindustani and carnatic equivalents)
8. Madhuraamritham – one devotional/spiritual classical krithi.
9. Praadeshikam – one sloka of a work from regional languages
10. Sthuthi – a devotional work explained
11. Charitham – brief life-history of a Mahatma
12. Sanskritha Shiksha – few simple and useful lessons of Sanskrit (useful to learn
Vedanta)
13. Sanaathana Dharma Sameeksha – a look at concepts of Saanathana Dharma
14. Vedanta Pariksha – Q & A
15. Karuna – a brief article on compassion
16. Ghatanaa – days of spiritual significance in the month
1. Comments
2. Suggestions
3. Corrections (word, sloka, content etc.)
4. Would like to see specific content
5. Would like to contribute (through research from websites, don’t need to write up the
content yourself)
Mail admin@vedantatattva.org.
Feel free to forward this to anyone who might be interested.

Online download of the magazine can be found at
http://vedantatattva.org/vedantagroup/VedantaDarshanam
Subscribing and unsubscribing can be done by mailing admin@vedantatattva.org for now.
Watch out http://vedantatattva.org for news about the magazine.

Aum Namah Shivaya Vedanta Darshanam Feb 10

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AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA VEDANTA DARSHANAM Feb 10

AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA

Vedanta Darshanam ..................................................................................................................................... 1

Sanatana Dharma Sameeksha - snatn xmR smI]a ...................................................................................... 46

Vedanta Pariksha ........................................................................................................................................ 48

Akhanda mandalaakaaram vyaaptham yena charaacharam

Sarva vyaapi chit – all pervasive Consciousness

Sthaavaram jangamam vyaaptham yat kinchitsacharaacharam

TAT TVAM ASI – THAT THOU ART

Chinmayam vyaapitham sarvam trailokyam sacharaacharam

Devotion – unconditional love to Ishwara

Ishwara – blissful nature being the ultimate goal of life

Devotion – not part-time

Devotion – mental and not external

Devotion – implementation in action

Thus implementation of devotion in action means performing actions as an offering to

Brahmani aadhaaya karmaani sangham tyakthvaa karothi yah

Devotion – means to true devotion

Devotion – activities of a true devotee

As Harinaama keerthanam beautifully puts this:

Devotion – one with knowledge

An old article on bhakthi in vedantatattva.org:

depth by Sureshwaracharya in Naishkarmya Siddhi. It is impossible to even give a brief of

Sankara beautifully explains in atma bodha

Ramana Maharshi also beautifully mentions this in Upadesha Saram thus

Naishkarmya Siddhi with Chandrika work

Lord Krishna says in Gita 7.14

The Upanishad starts with these questions:

Katham bandhah Katham mokshah kaa vidhyaa kaa avidhya ithi

Sankara beautifully explains this thus:

Sthaanurnityah sadaanandah shuddho jnaanamayo amalah

Brahmaivaaham sarvavedantavedhyam naaham vedhyam vyoomavaathaadirupam

Naaham deho janmamrithyu kutho me naaham praanah shutpipaase kutho me

Brindavana Saranga is the Janyam of Karaharapriya (22nd Melakartha raga).

Akhilaandeshwari – Krithi of Muthusaamy Dikshithar in the raga Dwijaavanthi

Akhilaandeshwari raksha maam aagama sampradaaya nipune shri

Nikhila loka nityaatmike vimale nirmale shyaamale sakala kale

Devi as the Lord of all

Kandhar anubhuthi is written by a tamil saint called Arunagirinadhar. Saint Arunagirinadhar

Ceasing from every knowledge, those who know, O Lord,

The very first sloka of Drig drishya viveka says

Mandaakini salilachandana charchithaaya

Shivaaya gaurivadanaabja vrinda-

Vasista kumbhodbhava gauthamaaryamuneendra devaarchithashekharaaya

Yakshasvaroopaaya jataadharaaya pinaakahasthaaya sanaathanaaya

Panchaaksharamidam punyam yah patetshivasannidhau

Text plus meaning

Brahmani aadhaaya karmaani sangham tyaktvaa karothi yah

Persons and Numbers

Singular Dual Plural

First Person I We two We all %Äm pué; Ahm! Aavam! vym!

pui‘¼ meaning ôIil¼ meaning npus

Anl> fire kNya girl k…sm

$ñr> god kwa story jIivtm! life

dev> god ]ma patience zôm! weapon

nr> man devta deity Aakazm! space

iz:y> disciple inza night zrIrm! body

gué> teacher ndI river tu{fm! face

izzu> child jnnI mother Éaejnm! food

Éanu> sun dasI servant neÇm! eye

àÉu> master rajxanI capital Öarm! door

sUn>u son vapI lake raò+m! country