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12 Jnana Sara-1
12 Jnana Sara-1
12 Jnana Sara-1
JNANA SARA
Reflections by
TEXT SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA
12
Sandeepany’s Vedanta Course
List of All the Course Texts in Chronological Sequence:
Text Text
TITLE OF TEXT TITLE OF TEXT
No. No.
1 Sadhana Panchakam 24 Hanuman Chalisa
2 Tattwa Bodha 25 Vakya Vritti
3 Atma Bodha 26 Advaita Makaranda
4 Bhaja Govindam 27 Kaivalya Upanishad
5 Manisha Panchakam 28 Bhagavad Geeta (Discourse -- )
6 Forgive Me 29 Mundaka Upanishad
7 Upadesha Sara 30 Amritabindu Upanishad
8 Prashna Upanishad 31 Mukunda Mala (Bhakti Text)
9 Dhanyashtakam 32 Tapovan Shatkam
10 Bodha Sara 33 The Mahavakyas, Panchadasi 5
11 Viveka Choodamani 34 Aitareya Upanishad
12 Jnana Sara 35 Narada Bhakti Sutras
13 Drig-Drishya Viveka 36 Taittiriya Upanishad
14 “Tat Twam Asi” – Chand Up 6 37 Jivan Sutrani (Tips for Happy Living)
15 Dhyana Swaroopam 38 Kena Upanishad
16 “Bhoomaiva Sukham” Chand Up 7 39 Aparoksha Anubhuti (Meditation)
17 Manah Shodhanam 40 108 Names of Pujya Gurudev
18 “Nataka Deepa” – Panchadasi 10 41 Mandukya Upanishad
19 Isavasya Upanishad 42 Dakshinamurty Ashtakam
20 Katha Upanishad 43 Shad Darshanaah
21 “Sara Sangrah” – Yoga Vasishtha 44 Brahma Sootras
22 Vedanta Sara 45 Jivanmuktananda Lahari
23 Mahabharata + Geeta Dhyanam 46 Chinmaya Pledge
– The Editor, 9th July 2017, the Holy Guru Purnima Day
Om Namah Shivaaya!
Text
12
¥ÉÉlÉxÉÉU
JNANA-SARA
“The Essence of Self-Kanowledge”
Composed by
Sri Swami Tejomayanandaji
Reflections
by SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA
on the 8 Lectures by Acharyaji, Sri Swami Advayanandaji
to the 15th Batch Vedanta Course
at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai
March 8th – March 12th, 2012
© 2017 All Rights Reserved. Copyright held by Chinmaya International Foundation, Kerala.
Declaration by the Author: The material in this series is under inspiration of the Sandeepany
Vedanta Course, but largely consists of the Author’s reflections on the Course. He is
deeply indebted to the Chinmaya Mission for its excellent presentation of the Course
by their renowned and dedicated Acharyas.
Personal Dedication
1. To my Parents, Smt Sharadaben & Sri Ratilalbhai Kapitan
who inspired me to study in life, to stick to the path of Dharma and pursue the
highest ideals; and swamped me with their abundant Love;
*****
¥ÉÉlÉxÉÉU
JNANA SARA
“The Essence of Self-Knowledge”
FOR SAMSKRIT TEXT WITH SANDHEES
Guide to Splitting Sandhees
Conventional Samskrit Format is used in the body of the book.
Split-Sandhee Samskrit Format is given at the end of the book, for the benefit of
beginners. Word-combinations (Sandhees) are highlighted in bold underline (as shown in
the table below) to help indicate the splitting of words. This is an original feature.
Purpose: To assist new students who are just finding their way in Samskrit to break
up the words (Pada Chheda). It is not intended for those already proficient in Samskrit.
How it Works: 1. Enables normal chanting. The bold underlined letters are Sandhees,
not words, and are needed only to join words for correct chanting.
2. Indicates splitting of words. To determine the words on either side of the
Sandhee, the following table may be used. [The table has been applied in the transliteration
within the body of the book, where individual words are used.]
*****
¥ÉÉlÉxÉÉU
JNANA SARA
“The Essence of Self-Knowledge”
CONTENTS:
Introduction 2
Verse 1: An Auspicious Invocation 3
*****
1
INTRODUCTION
GURUJI HAD WRITTEN this text in the year 1992, a little before the Mahasamadhi of
Pujya Gurudev, Swami Chinmayanandaji, in August 1993. It was written along the lines of
Viveka Choodamani, following the same structural pattern, but very greatly condensed.
Guruji, Swami Tejomayanandaji, the Spiritual Head of Chinmaya Mission, had studied
Dasbodha of Samarth Ramdas in his early life, and that book had a great influence on him,
and it has certainly influenced him in writing this book.
Why did he write such a book? In his words, “It was Mananam or reflection for me.”
JNANA SARA means “the essence of Self-knowledge”. What is the knowledge that is
contained in this book? It throws a little more light on Self-knowledge. When we say we see
the world around us, what we mean is that the thought of the world appears at the surface
of our mind. The entire world is seen in our mind. This is not to deny external existence but
to reduce it to its essential relevance to us. It all boils down to how we deal with our mind.
Since we have reduced the world to a series of thoughts, the next step in the
knowledge is to know the essence of thought. The essence of thought is Consciousness.
Without Consciousness there can be no thought, just as without flour there can be no
bread. And what is beyond Consciousness? Nothing – It is the indestructible, unchanging
foundation of all existence, including thought.
Thus we come to understand Consciousness as the essence of Self-knowledge.
Chaitanya (Consciousness) is the real essence of all knowledge. This is the view that is
expounded in this text.
*****
2
JNANA SARA
18 Verses by Swami Tejomayananda
“Essence of Self-Knowledge”
INVOCATION
*****
3
PART A
Verses 2-8
WHEN WE ATTEMPT something – anything – obstacles tell us that “we have started
the journey”. If we don’t move we will be safe from encountering any obstacles!
Interestingly, the Urdu word khuda stands for God as well as “potholes”, which are
obstacles on our path. So when we say “God is everywhere,” it is literally like saying “There
are obstacles everywhere.”
Devotion precludes all attempt to force people onto this journey. Acharyaji gave an
example of mothers who would bring their children to meet Gurudev. On meeting they
would force their children to prostrate to him. Gurudev would try to stop the forcing. The
mothers always said, “He has to learn that it is a good practice.” Then Gurudev would tease
them, “Is this the training ground for that? Did you not get opportunities earlier to do that?”
The scriptures are our mirror to show us our weaknesses. We look into scriptures so
that we can learn to study ourselves, not to analyse other people. The scriptures are there
not for our information, but for our transformation!
If we therefore read this text as a scripture we should not be offended at any words
that may reflect ourselves in a bad light. It is not because the mirror is faulty but because we
have seen the truth about ourselves, a truth that may hurt. If that little hurt leads us to
become aware of a greater purpose in life, it is not a hurt anymore but an awakening that
could possibly bring an end to all sorrow in our life.
4
We said in the Introduction that we are making a train journey, from station to
station. There are 17 stations ahead of us. We begin at the Station No.1, named Baddha,
which means ‘Bondage’ and represents our spiritual state of being ‘Bound’ in this world.
Four symptoms identify the Bound state of life:
5
ii) Age for Religion: We argue that there is an age for spiritual life, usually old age!
iii) Wealth: We argue that if we have more wealth we do not need religion to obtain
it – as if the purpose of religion is to get more wealth! The rich use wealth as an argument to
escape the normal disciplines of a life of dispassion and austerity.
iv) Scapegoat: We try to find a scapegoat for our sorrows, to act as cover for our
ego, their real cause. For instance, people will quote Vastu Shastra to blame the position of
a window or a door in their home, or planetary positions for all their woes!
In short, we manufacture reasons so that we can conveniently avoid having to look
within for the real culprit of all sorrow. Only the brave few turn the searchlight on
themselves, and they become ready to progress further, to move on to the next Station…
1-2 Different ways are employed to get happiness from the world outside.
i) Prestige and Fame – Kirti, or Lokeshana:
ii) Sensual Pleasures – Kamini, or Putreshana:
iii) Wealth – Kanchana, or Vitteshana:
These are the well-known triple gates to spiritual downfall. All scriptures uniformly
ask us to steer clear of these three means of seeking happiness. All are doomed by failure.
3 At last, the sincere seeker has no alternative but to seek a solution within himself.
Having failed in his search for happiness outside, he realizes that the key to his happiness
lies within him, not on any external factor. Having tried his utmost to find happiness through
success in the world, and failing in the attempt, he is ripe to take up the search from the
spiritual perspective.
This is a crucial point in the journey. Unless this change takes place, one remains at
Station No 1, for ever, enjoying the passing show on the platform!
4 In such an individual is born the noble aspiration for a God-oriented life. He is now
called a Mumukshu, one who is desirous to bring God into his life, and establish a
6
relationship with Him. This is Station No 2. We have left the “Baddha” station. As we travel
henceforth, the “I” gets lesser and lesser, until it completely gets dissolved into the Self.
Happiness is indeed like a butterfly; the more we run after it the more it runs away
from us. When we settle peacefully within ourselves, it alights upon us and remains there.
A Life-Transforming “U-Turn”
A gradual but unmistakable transformation is seen to take place in his life. He begins
to go to sources that inspire in him a new vision of life. This may be termed Satsang –
seeking the company of those of noble values, the holy ones, the saints and sages. From
them he gets the inspiration to overhaul his entire concept of life.
As he learns he begins to put the new principles into practice. Among the first things
that he learns is to become a servant of the Lord, no longer a servant of his Ego. Where he
once thought that he was the doer of all actions, he now clearly understands that a higher
power, call it God, is seeing to every detail in this world. His life is placed ‘Under New
Management’ – the management of God!
Having failed with “Dhana” (wealth) he nows engages in “Sadhana”, or spiritual
practices aimed to align him to the laws of Nature or Dharma or divine life.
7
4 If only a glimpse of a higher Vision of Life has made such a change in him, what
would a whole life dedicated to Him do?
The example of Sri Hanuman was given at this point. Hanuman’s life is described by a
poet as an arrow shot by Sri Rama. An arrow has no choice as to where it goes. It only knows
that it must carry out the order of the one who sent it. The destination is not his, it has been
selected already by the archer who released it. This new vision enters the Sadhaka.
*****
8
Verse 5: iv) “Jignasu” – the Enquiring Stage
After a protracted period of such an elevated life of service, our Sadhaka is ready to
enter the next stage of his growth. As his mental equipment gets quietened and settles into
a deep inner peace and tranquility, he spontaneously begins to seek answers for some
searching question which never occurred to him before.
The Sadhaka in him makes way for the Jignasu in this new phase of growth. This is
Station No 4.
The gross mind which was pressed down to earthly concerns at one time, and which
rose to subtler planes to become the Mumukshu and the Sadhaka, now seems to take off
and begins spontaneously to rise to higher regions!
*****
9
Verse 6: v) “Shishya” – the Disciple Stage
iÉMåïühÉ lÉæwÉÉ qÉÌiÉUÉmÉlÉårÉÉ
¥ÉÉiuÉÉ ´ÉÑiÉåaÉïcNûÌiÉ xɪÒÂÇ rÉÈ |
ÌuÉuÉåMüuÉæUÉarÉzÉqÉÉÌSrÉÑ£üÉå
aÉÑÂÇ ÌWû xÉåuÉåiÉ xÉ ÍzÉwrÉuÉrÉïÈ ||6||
This verse tells us what happens to the Jignasu who has awakened to spiritual life.
He finds a spiritual Master and become his Shishya (disciple), which is Station No 5.
10
Verse 7: vi) “Guruh Uvaacha” – Listening to the Guru
´ÉÏ aÉÑÂÂuÉÉcÉ -
SØzrÉÇ rÉSåiÉŠ eÉQÇû ÌuÉMüÉËU
xÉuÉïÇ ½lÉÉiqÉæuÉ qÉ×wÉÉ ÌuÉlÉÉzÉÏ |
AÉiqÉÉ iÉÑ Sì¹æuÉ ÍcĘ́ÉxuÉpÉÉuÉÉå
lÉ SØzrÉiÉå lÉÉÌmÉ ÌlÉoÉkrÉiÉå uÉÉ ||7||
This is an example of what the student is instructed by his Guru in the beginning of
his spiritual journey. The Guru speaks to the disciple – ‘Guruh Uvaacha’, concisely covering
all that the student needs to know. The Vedantic term for this is Sravana.
1-2 Leaving out all the side issues, the verse goes straight to the essential point
about what is not the Self. Whatever is “seen” cannot be Self, because it means there is
something other than it which is ‘seeing’ it – and we learn that there is nothing other than
the Self.
If it is ‘seen’ then it also means that it is changing and inert, illusory and perishable.
In this way the student is made aware of how to deal with the world.
3-4 The Self has to be the ultimate ‘Seer’, and something that cannot itself be seen.
Because the Self is infinite, it cannot be bound by any limits.
The disciple is put through the rudimentary concepts which he needs to grasp well
before he can understand the nature of the Self. The distinction between the seen (objects)
and the seer (the subject) is very basic in Vedanta philosophy. The student is taught the
details of how to discriminate between the two. “That which is seen” refers to all the
objects of all the organs of knowledge, not just the eyes. All that falls into the realm of the
not-Self.
The Self is thus clearly marked out or indicated in this negative way. In a positive way
the Self is described as of the “nature of pure Consciousness”.
The word ‘inert’ used in Vedanta is a technical word meaning that which does not
have the power to illuminate or to know. It is not, as we usually use the word, referring to
something gross, dull or lazy. The power to know is strictly the preserve of the Self or
Consciousness.
*****
11
Verse 8: vii) “Siddhah” – the Perfected Stage
AÉiqÉÉ ÌWû ÌlÉirÉÉåÅÎZÉsÉsÉÉåMüxÉɤÉÏ
xÉ LuÉ eÉaÉiÉÈ mÉUqÉÉ´ÉrÉÉåÅÌmÉ |
LuÉÇ ÌuÉeÉÉlÉlÉç xÉSxÉ̲uÉåMüÐ
pÉuÉiÉÏWû ÍxÉ®È mÉUqÉÉjÉïSzÉÏï ||8||
However interesting Sravana may be, i.e. listening to all this beautiful knowledge
from the Guru, the disciple still has to personally reflect upon it. He has to digest the
knowledge – this is called Manana. Thereafter, he meditates on these truths – this is called
Nididhyasana. When all three steps are mastered, the disciple becomes a Siddhah, which is
Station No 7. This is the end-point of the journey. (More explanations follow in Part B.)
1 By reflection on what the Guru has said, the answers to the disciples questions (see
verse 5) begin coming in. This Pada answers the first question, “Who am I?” The true nature
of the Self is discovered by the student.
Just as the term Atman is used for consciousness when speaking in terms of an
individual, so the term Brahman is used for the supreme consciousness when referring to
the whole world. The two are said to be essentially identical, for there can only be one
Truth. When the Jiva gives up its Jiva-hood, then it is no different from Brahman Himself.
2 The question “How is the world supported?” is now answered.
3 The essential part of Manana is to learn to distinguish between the Self and the
Not-Self, the Real and the unreal.
4 Darshee: Once this is mastered, with no doubts remaining, he “sees” the Absolute
Truth and becomes a Siddha, i.e. a perfected or accomplished one.
The practical side involves deep reflection of this Truth. The student does Self-
enquiry and steadies himself in the conviction that he is beyond the body. He does this to
such an extent that soon he actually identifies totally with the Seer only and not the seen.
The conviction gets so strong that even if the whole universe were to fold up and dissolve,
the seeker would still feel that nothing of ‘ME’ is affected. What then to speak of ordinary
ups and downs in life, joys and sorrows, likes and dislikes, etc.
*****
12
PART B
Verses 9-12
WE ARE NOW AT the same station, the Destination of Perfection, Siddhah. For the
next four verses we take a little tour of this destination, looking at it from different angles.
Each angle is given a different name. They are all different ways of looking at the same basic
state of Self-realisation. We have named them Stations No 7a-d.
When the seeker is stabilized in the Self, he is said to have come to the Nirvikalpa
Samadhi stage, which is here called Para-Ananda, the stage of reaching Supreme Bliss. This
is Station No 7a.
1-3 From this point onwards, the seeker’s ‘I’ refers not to his body or mind or
individual limited self, but to the Atman or Pure Consciousness which he is now identified
with. This is a huge shift, so much so that one’s entire vision of life explodes to include
everything. The expansion of consciousness is of cosmic proportions. The ordinary human
mind cannot conceive of such a state. Words also become an unstable medium to express
this state.
Nevertheless three aspects of this experience are given here:
1 Aashrayam: “the Substratum”. The sage sees that he is the support of the world.
2 Aabhaasa: “a mere appearance”. What we see as the world, the sage sees as just
an appearance having no reality. It is like cinema pictures on a white canvas. The pictures
are only appearances with no substance.
13
3 Bhayam: “fear”. Where is the state of fear? Fear is an important characteristic that
differentiates the relative experience from the Absolute experience. The unknown Truth can
only be explained in terms of our known experience. All we can say is that there is no fear in
the state of knowing the Absolute Truth.
4 Para-Ananda: “Supreme Bliss”. The above three aspects would confirm that the
sage has attained the state in which he experiences only Bliss, his own essential nature.
The Non-Dual state of experience is being described. This is the highest Vedantic
realisation. There is no more any Duality. The individual being melts into the Supreme Being.
From the point of view of the sage’s response to sensual pleasures, the sage
becomes the very perfection of Vairagya or dispassion. This is the most significant aspect of
a sage when compared to ordinary humans. The state is known as Tattva-Vettaa, and we
may call it Station No 7b.
14
4 Here we are told of the highest level of dispassion one can reach, that of a Tattva-
Vetta, the Super-Vairagi of all Vairagis. When dispassion is perfected, even the need for
dispassion does not exist. The Tattva-Vetta has outgrown dispassion. When in his vision
there is no ‘other’, of what is he to be dispassionate? Having gone beyond likes and dislikes,
there is no craving in him, and so there is no need for a practice called dispassion!
This is such an elevated state that it is more clearly explained in the next verse.
This is another aspect of Truth. We call it Station No 7c, Para-Brahman, or the Non-
Dual Reality. It elaborates on the supreme dispassion explained in the previous verse.
1 In Duality, differences must exist, by definition. This is why it is called Duality. The
sense of difference is essentially that of “I” against “others”.
2 In such an atmosphere of difference, likes and dislikes are bound to exist. In
addition to the attractiveness or repulsiveness of the objects, there are the thoughts of ‘I’
and ‘mine’ to contend with. They come into the equation in order to differentiate between
“they” and “theirs”.
3 However, when all duality is erased and the non-dual Reality is established in the
sage’s consciousness, there are no such differences. When one has dived deep into the
ocean, the waves are not a disturbance to him any longer.
Acharyaji gave a practical example of such a situation. Just imagine you are on the
top floor of a tall building, and there is a fire lower down, and the lift is not functioning.
What do you do to get out of the trouble? Answer: Just stop imagining!
4 What occurs on the mental level does not affect the person who has transcended
the mind. We have crossed over into another level of awareness, known as the Paramarthic
Truth. We can no longer compare it to the previous level, which is the transactional level
called Vyavaharic Truth. Hence the difficulty in using words to explain the difference. From
the Absolute standpoint, there are no actions. So how can one pursue them or withdraw
from them?
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Verse 12: vii.d) “Buddha” – the Enlightened Stage
MüÉrÉÉïMüÉrÉïpÉrÉÉlqÉÑ£üÉå sÉÉpÉÉsÉÉpÉåwÉÑ rÉÈ xÉqÉÈ |
eÉÏuɳÉæuÉ xÉ qÉÑ£üÉå uÉæ ÌlÉirÉoÉÑ®Éå lÉ xÉÇzÉrÉÈ ||12||
Here we have the 4th aspect of realisation, the Buddhah, or “enlightened one”. It is
Station No 7d. In this verse two new aspects of the Non-dual state are described – i)
freedom from duties, and ii) equipoise and balance.
16
The spiritual aspirant uses all situations, good or bad, to remind him of God. He sees
those who curse him or who hurt him, as blessings in disguise, and blesses them in return!
He is not averse to sorrow. Those who do not have this raised vision, get flustered in the
face of opposition. At times they may even lose faith and become angry with God.
3-4 The above six qualities (including the 4 from the previous verse), are certain
indications that a person is in the state of Non-Duality, which is the same as God-realisation.
Here such a person is called a Jivanmukta or a Buddha, an enlightened one.
The determining factor is that the sage has access to something deep within himself,
a spiritual resource, by which he is able to transcend all worldly sorrows. His state is
independent of how he engages himself in the world. It is from the spiritual level that he
gets the balance and equipoise to handle all situations calmly.
*****
17
PART C
Verses 13-18
UP TO NOW, IT was the Teacher who was taking us through the spiritual journey.
From her to the end of the text (verses 13-18), we listen to what the disciple has to say after
following the instructions of the Teacher. The disciple gives his side of the experience.
The disciple begins as a typical disciple of the Indian tradition would – with intense
gratitude to his Guru for bringing him to this state, which appeared impossible when he
started on the journey at Station No 1, in ‘Bondage’. The step is called ‘Guru-Namaami’.
What changed in him? Nothing outward really – just a major shift in attitude.
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placed on changing one’s attitude, one’s vision. That is crucial to one’s spiritual growth. This
is also the central message of the Geeta.
That same world now, after undergoing the Sadhana of self-transformation, appears
as Pure Bliss. What a change! It can hardly be believed. This is the disciple’s first response.
Acharyaji gave us a point to ponder when he said that after the 2 year Course, our
real treasure to go back with would be a positive change in our attitude in life. Without that
all the Vedanta would have been in vain. Those who have been serious and have allowed
the Vedanta to sink deeply within them will have benefited from the Course.
“Even when taught, many do not realize the Truth; then how
difficult is it to realize the Truth when not taught!”
This verse is reminiscent of the wondrous Cosmic Vision that Lord Krishna bestowed
upon Arjuna in the Bhagavad Geeta. It is called ‘Maha-Adbhutah’, “the most awesome”.
1 Guruji describes the seeker’s exclamation of wonder when he has just arrived at
the station of Buddhah. Like Arjuna, he is filled with breathless wonder as he tries to
describe his wondrous state of seeing God in everything and in everyone.
2 Physically, the sage see the same world as others, but what he sees is not coloured
by his mind, as the mind is absolutely pure. There is no discolouration of his experience.
Thus he is able to behold God alone in everything due to his purity.
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3 As there is no individuality, we as students cannot imagine what it must like in the
shoes of a saint. If nothing is different from me, everything is me!
4 Whilst the state of Buddhahood brings a sense of wonder, Acharyaji told us that
when Guruji himself commented on this verse he added another type of wonder he felt: it
was the wonder that people, even after going on listening and listening to Vedantic
discourses, still do not understand anything – what a wonder that is! Guruji makes a
wonderful comment: “Everything about the Truth is a wonder – the Truth itself, its speaker,
listener, realisation and non-realisation.”
The disciple here pays a well-deserved tribute to the practice of Karma Yoga, which
was his starting point on the spiritual journey. Karma Yoga, the Yoga of Action, is strongly
recommended by teachers of the spiritual path to begin the long purification process
needed to become eligible for further Sadhana such as meditation.
The heart of Karma Yoga is the feeling the devotee holds in his heart, “I am only a
servant of the Lord, ‘Daasah’, an instrument in His hands. He is the Doer.”
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‘starved’ when actions are done only to please God. The sense of doership at once starts
breaking up.
4 The feeling of ‘servant-ship’ is diametrically opposite to that of ‘doership’. The
more we bring the Lord into our lives, the lesser the play of the Ego. On this theory rests the
whole citadel of Karma Yoga. It always works wonders for the beginner on the path.
Lord Krishna prescribed it for Arjuna time and again throughout the Geeta. Even
though the Lord always tried to inspire Arjuna by taking him to lofty levels of thought, He
always advocated Arjuna to start with Karma Yoga.
“Prasad” refers generally to what the Lord gives to the devotee. In this verse, the
word is taken to mean Grace. There are three Graces that the disciple has been blessed
with. They are:
i) The Grace of My Intellect: 3 The intellect that has been sharpened and purified is
the fittest instrument to enquire into the Truth. This power of enquiry is a Grace of the
intellect.
ii) The Grace of My Guru: 4a The Guru’s painstaking patience to nurture the disciple
as a father nurtures his son is the Guru’s Grace.
iii) The Grace of Mother Sruti: 4b The accurate, precise and truthful statements of
the scriptures which provide the disciple with clear direction as to how to proceed, is the
Grace of the Sruti.
Who Am I?
1 By negative means, the disciple describes what he is NOT.
The body, mind and intellect are grouped under the term Upadhis. The Upadhis are a
curtain that stands between us and the Supreme. ‘Doer’ refers to the body, which we use to
21
act; ‘enjoyer’ refers to the mind, which is where we feel the emotion of enjoyment or
pleasure; and ‘servant-ship’ refers to the intellect which in ignorance is a servant of the
senses, but which in enlightenment becomes a servant of the higher Self.
2 By positive means, the disciple asserts what he IS.
He is the Supreme Self, that is ever-free, ever un-bound.
The three Graces have successfully shifted his awareness from the Not-Self to the
Self. That is the blessing they have bestowed upon the disciple. And he is mighty thankful.
The disciple in this verse focuses his attention on how blessed he has been. Dhanyah
is the term denoting “a blessed person”. This is the fifth comment presented by the disciple.
The concluding verse brings out the richness of the Guru-disciple tradition as
conceived by the Vedic seers. It is truly sacred and time-honoured. Advaita is ultimately an
attitude and nowhere is it more clearly seen in practice than in the relationship of love and
reverence between the disciple and the Guru. This is stage of the Bhaktyaa.
23
life, not out of obligation but out of LOVE. The Self-realised disciple continues to serve the
world as his Guru did – i.e. by training and helping other disciples to establish them on the
spiritual path.
3 This line shows us how important it is in the Indian tradition to keep the Guru-
disciple lineage continuing. The disciple benefited from the Guru. He in turn has to help
future disciples by serving as a Guru to them.
He feels keenly the sufferings of others and tries to help them to be truly liberated
from it. He does not become isolated from the world.
Vedanta does not make people other-worldly. Whilst they are in this world, they still
put their socks over their feet and their cap on the head – not the other way round!
4 Finally, the statement is made that whatever a saint-disciple does in this world, is
done purely in the spirit of service to his Master who raised him to that level. There is no
egoistic sense of doership. It is all pure service only, and is dedicated at the feet of the
beloved Guru as an offering of worship.
This raises the disciple to the status of a Bhaktyaah, one who is ever devoted to his
Master.
CONCLUSION
At such a touching point which demonstrates the loftiness of the Indian spiritual
tradition, ends this simple yet very profound text.
The text has taken us on a spiritual ‘train’ journey which took us from Bondage to
Siddha-hood, through seven different stations including these two. Once we got to the
station of perfection, we did some sight-seeing there and explored 4 aspects of this
wondrous state of spiritual realisation.
Finally, the disciple whom we followed through his journey to perfection, gives us his
own impression of the trip. He does this through the last six verses, wherein he highlights all
the inspiring landmarks which he past along the route, notably, the gratitude he felt all
along to his Guru, the wonder of the whole experience, the purification of Karma Yoga, the
Grace he received, the blessings he obtained, and at last the devotional service to which he
has given himself for the rest of his life.
Om Tat Sat!
*****
24
JNANA SARA
“The Essence of Knowledge”
by Sri Swami Tejomayananda
¥ÉÉlÉxÉÉUÈ
A. THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
25
AÉiqÉÉ iÉÑ Sعè-Lå-uÉ ÍcÉÌ¨É xuÉpÉÉuÉç-AÉå
lÉ SØzrÉiÉå lÉç-AÉ-ÌmÉ ÌlÉoÉkrÉiÉå uÉÉ ||7||
B. AT THE DESTINATION
AWûqÉç LuÉ iɨuÉÇ eÉaÉSè AÉ´ÉrÉÇ rÉSè
ÍpɳÉÇ rÉiÉÈ xÉuÉïqÉç AÉpÉÉxÉ qÉɧÉqÉç |
MÑüiÉç-AÉå pÉrÉÇ qÉå mÉUqÉÉjÉï SÍzÉïlÉç-AÉå
Wèû-rÉç AWÇû mÉUç-AÉ"-lÉlS xuÉÃmÉ LuÉ ||9||
26
oÉÉåkÉålÉ SÉxÉç-AÉå ÅWûqÉç CiÉç-D"-µÉUxrÉ ||15||
|| Á iÉiÉç xÉiÉç ||
*****
JNANA SARA
“The Essence of Knowledge”
by Sri Swami Tejomayananda
j²¡nas¡ra¦
A. THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
¡r¡dhya¯ parama¯ r¡ma¯ , natv¡ bhakty¡ ca sadgurum |
j²¡nas¡ra¯ pravak½y¡mi , sv¡tmani½¿h-ai-ka siddhay£ ||1||
27
labdha¯ sukha¯ n-ai-va may¡ kad¡pi
mukti¯ hi v¡²ch¡m-y adhun¡ mumuk½u¦ ||3||
B. AT THE DESTINATION
aham £va tattva¯ jagad ¡¾raya¯ yad
bhinna¯ yata¦ sarvam ¡bh¡sa m¡tram |
kut-µ bhaya¯ m£ param¡rtha dar¾in-µ
h-y aha¯ par-¡"-nanda svarÀpa £va ||9||
28
k¡ry-¡-k¡rya bhay¡n mukt-µ , l¡bh-¡-l¡bh£½u ya¦ sama¦ |
j§van n-£-va sa mukt-µ vai nitya buddh-µ na sa¯¾aya¦ ||12||
|| µ° tat sat ||
Om Tat Sat!
*****
29