Aum Namah Shivaya Vedanta Darshanam Mar 10

AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA VEDANTA DARSHANAM Mar 10
Vedanta Darshanam
Salutations to all.
Yet another month has passed by and lots of things have happened in the past month – the
biggest being the two earth quakes that hit Chile and Turkey. The Chile earthquake was of a
larger magnitude than the Haiti one and hence triggered a tsunami which didn’t cause much
damage.
Since we are facing natural calamities one after the other in the world not to mention any of
the man-made calamities that are constantly there, we should pause from our day-to-day
life and analyze the true purpose of life. True purpose of life isn’t just living life enjoying all
sensual pleasures and repeating the same actions over and over again. Instead true
purpose of life is to go beyond the dual world and find the ultimate truth of Brahman. This
has to be undertaken because only then will we get any peace or bliss in the mind. Until
then we will be suffering in the world through one or the other means and finally end up our
life with sorrow and desires that we had many years ago. Thus going from birth to birth we
will circle in this vicious circle never to get any bliss.
Thus instead of suffering in this world, we should take a pause from our normal activities
and try to search for eternal bliss. This pause is very important as today we have one
reason for anything, “no time”. Whether it is learning Vedanta or chanting naamas or
singing bhajanas, we don’t have any time at all. At the same time we do find time to party
with our co-workers or friends – though such a party might not be needed at all still we will
party killing a lot of time, effort and money. All the money used for such futile activities
(which includes get-togethers in family, friends etc. as well – as these have no purpose in
them at all – they are just used as a way to kill time when no one is really benefitted by it)
can be used to help the suffering people in countries like Haiti. There are many people who
cannot even get one meal a day – thus if we just kill time partying, we are not only not
seeking Brahman but we are also doing great sin which will ensure us a worse birth next
than the one we are having one.
http://vedantatattva.org/vedantagroup/VedantaDarshanam Page 1 of 55
This doesn’t mean we should skip parties once and for all – we can go to parties once we
have realized the ultimate goal of life. Until then we should not waste time for all those
while giving the reason of “no time” for the goal of eternal bliss.
Unless we pause from our busy schedule, we will not be able to fix the mind unto going
behind the ultimate goal of Brahman. Until we go behind the goal of Brahman, we will never
realize Brahman. Until we realize Brahman, we will not get any bliss. Until we rejoice in
bliss, we will be experiencing sorrows and sufferings alone.
Hence it is very important that amidst our busy schedules we find some time to learn
Vedanta and thereby implement it in our lives so that we are able to realize our very nature
of blissful Brahman here and now itself. Implementation of Vedanta isn’t tough at all – it is
the easiest and simplest thing to do – it is as simple as remembering this entire world to be
filled in and out with Brahman even as all gold ornaments are filled in and out with gold;
even as the dream world is filled in and out with the dreamer.
If there is desire towards realizing Brahman, through keeping the goal of eternal bliss in
mind, then we will very easily be able to implement Vedanta. We will be able to keep the
goal of eternal bliss in mind if we understand that the one and only way to eternal bliss is to
realize the non-dual reality of Brahman as the Consciousness which pulsates inside us as “I-
exist, I-exist”.
May we rather than wasting yet another precious birth (we don’t even know when this birth
will end) take a resolution to realize Brahman in this very birth itself through learning and
implementation of Vedanta so that we will be able to ever rejoice in bliss.
AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA

Mar 10th
Anukramaanika
Vedanta Darshanam ..................................................................................................................................... 1

Guru Mahima ................................................................................................................................................ 4
Mukhya Vishayam ......................................................................................................................................... 9
Sankshiptha Vedanta .................................................................................................................................. 17
Gitaamritham .............................................................................................................................................. 21
Upanishad Prachaaram ............................................................................................................................... 25
Raga Varsha................................................................................................................................................. 29
Madhuraamritham...................................................................................................................................... 31
Praadeshikam.............................................................................................................................................. 33
Charitham ................................................................................................................................................... 37
Sanskritha shiksha ....................................................................................................................................... 41
Sanatana Dharma Sameeksha - snatn xmR smI]a ...................................................................................... 44
Vedanta Pariksha ........................................................................................................................................ 47

Ghatanaa ..................................................................................................................................................... 50
Mata Parichayam ........................................................................................................................................ 51
Anukramaanika Nirdesham ........................................................................................................................ 55
Guru Mahima
Let us continue with the slokas of Gita popularly known today as “Guru Slokas”.
Chaithanyam shaasvatham shaantham vyomaatheetham niranjanam

Naadabindukalaatheetham tasmai sreegurave namah
He who is Consciousness, eternal, peaceful, beyond space, taintless, beyond naada-kalaa-

bindu etc. to such a Guru my prostrations.
Eternal, peaceful and taintless

This entire world is just an illusion of names and forms in Brahman; Brahman was there
before creation, Brahman is there when the world is present and Brahman alone exists
when the world ceases to exist – this means Brahman is the substratum of the world and
Brahman exists at all times; thereby Brahman is eternal. Guru is one with Brahman as we
saw in the previous months and hence the Guru is eternal.
The advantage of having this knowledge that the Guru is eternal is that we will be able to
depend on such a Guru to help us from the ocean of samsaara and take us to that eternal
state which the Guru himself is experiencing. Only an eternal entity can be sure of helping
us at all times or giving us eternal bliss – thus the eternal Guru will be able to give us
eternal bliss.
When bliss is attained through realization of the eternal entity of Brahman, the end-result
will be peace – we can see this end-result in the Guru who is always peaceful. Irrespective
of whether there are shishyas or not; irrespective of whether there is food or not;
irrespective of all discriminations the Guru is always peaceful. Bliss and peace go hand in
hand. Today amidst all the problems that the world is going through including natural
calamities, peace is very essential. Even if we aren’t peaceful, it will always give us hope to
see peaceful masters (the Guru) in the world so that we know that peace isn’t just a figment
of the imagination of the mind or a falsification in the scriptures.
Peace is only possible when there isn’t any contact with other entities – lack of duality is
essentially peace. A country remains peaceful when not invaded by other countries – of
course in worldly terms a country makes pacts with other countries to ensure both don’t
invade each other and remain peaceful. The Guru is ever peaceful which means that the
Guru is taintless. A cloth gets tainted when another particle or entity invades the cloth (like
dirt). But the Guru can never be invaded by another entity as Guru is the non-dual reality of
Brahman. Brahman is taintless for two reasons – one is that there is no other real entity
existing so that it can taint Brahman and second is that Brahman is part-less (anything with
parts is subject to changes and thereby unreal like the body or tree). Therefore the Guru is
taintless.
A Guru isn’t like the various politicians or public speakers of today who go on length to
explain human values among other concepts but they themselves don’t implement it and
hence they cannot create a change in people. Such people themselves being in sorrow will
only be deluding people more and making them also suffer in sorrow. On the other hand the
Guru is one who is ever blissful and the Guru makes a Guru out of disciples. As AMMA says
this is like a lamp is lit by another lamp which is already lit. We cannot argue that there are
many disciples who haven’t become a Guru (meaning realized like the Guru) – the fault lies
not in the Guru but in the disciples. As AMMA says the Guru is like the Sun showering his
grace on the entire world but if disciples close the doors and windows of their heart and
complain that the sun light of grace isn’t falling upon them, who is to be blamed except the
disciples?
A true disciple isn’t one who just goes and stays with the Guru. A true disciple isn’t one who
just falls at the feet of the Guru or just stares at the Guru at all times or brings out tears in
contemplation of the Guru. A true disciple is one who has complete surrender to the Guru; a
true disciple is one who is of service to the Guru at all times and even without the Guru
asking for anything; a true disciple is one who approaches the Guru only for moksha and
nothing else (not even physical or mental proximity with the Guru).
Tad viddhi pranipaathena pariprashnena sevayaa

Upadeshyanthi te jnaanam jnaaninah tattvadarshinah
In order to know Brahman, fall at the feet of a Guru (surrender unto the Guru), be of
service to the Guru and ask the right questions about moksha; thus will a knower of
Brahman impart you knowledge so that you also may realize your very nature of Brahman.
Nirgunam nirmalam shaantham jangamam sthirameva cha

Vyaaptham yena jagatsarvam tasmai sree gurave namaha
Quality-less, pure, peaceful, moving and immoving objects and by whom this entire world is
pervaded, unto such a Guru my prostrations.
Nirguna Brahman
We very often hear about Brahman being attributed with Nirguna or quality-less. This has
become so common that any vedantic seeker will know that Brahman is Nirguna. But it is
better always to understand the reason for Brahman being attributed with Nirguna (here
attributed just means Brahman’s nature of being nirguna and isn’t a quality of Brahman).
Guna means quality or an attribute of an entity. The guna of a body is height, weight etc.
All these gunas or qualities limit the entity in one or the other way. Limitation means
temporary or non-eternal – that which is limited will always be subject to changes and
thereby to birth and death. But Brahman as we know is eternal. Since Brahman is eternal,
changes are impossible in Brahman. Since changes are impossible in Brahman, Brahman is
also unlimited (without any limitations). Since Brahman is unlimited therefore Brahman
cannot have any gunas. This very nature of Brahman being beyond gunas can only but be
expressed in the word of “nirguna” so that seekers who are always apprehending gunas can
get a grasp of the non-apprehendable Brahman.
Brahman being nirguna means Brahman is without any form. Brahman is all-pervasive
Consciousness and Existence. Consciousness never has any form – it is form-less “I” that
pulsates inside us. It has no form and it never gets tainted or attached to any form as well.
This again brings us back to the taintless nature of Brahman which clearly points out non-
duality of Brahman.
Thus the one word of nirguna points out Brahman as non-dual or the only entity existing
really. There are many people who misinterpret nirguna as not having bad gunas but having
good gunas. Qualities whether they are good or bad will limit an entity – a body might
possess good height or bad height but irrespective of good or bad, height limits the body
and thereby makes the body temporary.
Once we are able to get an idea about Brahman being nirguna and through the Guru we will
be able to intuitively experience the nirguna state as our very own Self. Until this intuitive
self-experience happens we will only be able to visualize vaguely the nirguna state (as
visualization itself assumes some qualities for the object which are trying to visualize).
Here there can be objections raised as to why we are talking about apprehension of nirguna
Brahman (which is impossible) – this is just for seekers benefit and advanced sadhakas
could very well ignore all these statements. Irrespective of whether we talk about
apprehension of nirguna Brahman or non-apprehension of nirguna Brahman, Brahman alone
exists as our very nature of Consciousness – unless we are able to realize and keep this
mind, contemplation of nirguna Brahman or saguna ishwara will only lead to sorrow and
sorrow alone.
Sa pithaa sa cha me maathaa sa bandhuh sa cha devathaa

Samsaaramohanaashaaya tasmai sree gurave namaha
He who is father; he who is mother; he who is relative; he who is the God; he who destroys
the delusion of samsaara, unto such a Guru my prostrations.
Guru as the eternal support

Many people always worry about not having a shoulder to lean unto in the spiritual path and
hence they want to enter into marital life as after a particular age even parents, siblings and
friends cannot provide support at all times. But this is a common wrong notion. Eternal
support can only be had from two things – one is Ishwara or Brahman and second is Guru.
Since Brahman doesn’t have a form therefore it is Guru, who is Brahman personified into a
form, who provides us support at all times. The Guru is always willing and ready to help us
out whether we are friends or foes with the Guru at the empirical plane.
Even though Duryodhana had sought lot of ill for Krishna and even went to attack him when
Krishna went as a dootha, still when Duryodhana approached Krishna asking for his help for
the Mahabharatha Yuddha Krishna gladly agreed to give his entire army. This shows that
the Guru is ever willing to help people whether they are disciples or followers or non-
followers. It is a wrong notion to think that the Guru only helps us when we praise the Guru
or approach the Guru – the Guru is ever helping us like the ever present rays of the Sun but
only when we approach the Guru we become ready to apprehend the ever present help of
the Guru. Until then we have closed ourselves from everything except our own micro-world
which includes friends, relatives and important objects.
A seeker who has surrendered unto a true Guru, the Guru is the father. Fathers always
guide us using their intellect, vision and farsightedness. The Guru is like a father in that he
provides us with knowledge – not just knowledge of Brahman but also knowledge about how
to deal with all worldly situations. Mothers always are affectionate and show their love,
compassion and emotional support. The Guru is like a mother in that the Guru is ready
always to give us support, love and affection whether we are doing very good or we are
doing very bad in the spiritual path. Relatives are those who are close to us and will provide
us help whenever we need them – they not only provide external support (financial) but
also emotional support too. The Guru is a relative in that whenever we need somebody who
can give us some solace in the form of money or being there for us for a temporary period
of time the Guru is available. Friends are those with whom we share a lot of secrets and
non-secrets. The Guru is a friend in that we can share anything with the Guru – the Guru
will listen to our statements with full attention and appreciate those statements with
appropriate comments (not advises as a father might give). The Guru is Ishwara or any
other devathaa in that devathaas get rid of our worries which other people like father,
mother etc. cannot resolve (like natural calamities and all). The Guru can very easily nullify
natural calamities for us or the Guru can mitigate it or the Guru will guide us to a state
where we are able to remain unaffected by the external problems.
Thus the Guru is an all-in-one support for us – this is something worth pondering over and
getting into our mind over and over again. A true understanding of this will make us
dependent on the Guru and the Guru alone – all other dependencies will automatically drop-
off and we will be able to ever rejoice in bliss as the eternal blissful support surrounds us
like the womb of the mother surrounds a child giving it full care.
Until next month let us try to remember the Guru (or Ishwara if we don’t have a Guru) as
an eternal all-in-one support who will give us immense bliss at all times so that our life will
be fulfilled through ever rejoicing in bliss (even when the Guru’s physical form vanishes, we
will be able to feel the Guru’s presence near us).
Mukhya Vishayam
Karma
Last month we saw about devotion or bhakthi. This month we will see yet another very
confusing topic which is karma or action. A proper understanding of karma is very essential
for a sadhaka as this is a very confusing topic – an improper understanding will take us
downwards far away from Brahman and towards suffering in not just this birth but many
more births to come. Hence true and complete understanding of karma is very important for
a seeker.
Karma – inevitable
The Lord says in the 3rd chapter of Gita that not even for one second can a person remain
without doing any action. Action is inevitable and we are bound to do actions irrespective of
whether we are humans or any other species; irrespective of all differences like caste, creed
etc; irrespective of whether we are realized or ignorant; we are always bound to do actions.
There is no question or doubt in this aspect. Karma cannot be avoided through any means.
We may go and sit inside a cave or go to a mahatma and surrender or we may sit and do
dhyaana but karma is inevitable. We may be able to get rid of actions for a period of time
through dhyaana, samaadhi etc. but it is impossible to get rid of actions entirely. Karma is
always done. Even dhyaana and samaadhi involves a bit of mental activity where the mind
is either focusing or focused on an object (this is mental activity). The difference between
this focus and knowledge is that knowledge doesn’t have any option with whether we want
to do it now or not do it now or do it in a different way whereas actions have these options.
We can decide to do dhyaana; we can decide not to do dhyaana; we can decide to do
dhyaana in an entirely different way (alternative ways). These options aren’t there in
knowledge – knowledge of even worldly objects (this is called perception) doesn’t have any
options – either we perceive or not – if the equipments of perception (like the eyes, ears
etc.) come in contact with the object, we have no option but to experience it. This is not the
case with action as actions can be performed or not performed even though we may come
in contact with means to do the action.
The first thing thus a seeker should keep in mind is that action is inevitable and we can
never get rid of actions. Actions will be performed by one and all – we don’t have any choice
or control over this.
Three types of actions

Actions can basically be categorized into three – one is the physical activity (activity
performed through the body), second is activity through words and third is activity through
(or in) the mind. Thus a person might seem to be not doing any physical activity but still he
may be doing activity in the mind (mental brooding or mental thinking is an action – this
action becomes knowledge when we contemplate on the truth of Brahman or consider a
particular form as Brahman – since Brahman is eternal truth therefore anything related to
Brahman is knowledge and knowledge alone – moreover actions are performed to attain
that which we don’t already have whereas Brahman is already our nature and hence
anything to do with Brahman is realizing ourselves and not attaining anything).
When a person isn’t doing physical activity he or she would be doing mental activity or
verbal activity. Thus everyone is doing some or the other activity at all times. This world is
such that it is based on action – action is as inevitable as air or space in the world. Thus it is
futile to try to get rid of actions through one or the other way. We may be able to go to a
forest and sitting inside a cave meditate but still we will not be able to get rid of actions
completely.
Triputi
In order to overcome bondage of actions we have to understand the components in or
involved in an action. The components are three (though we can say following Gita that
there are 5 components of action) which are kartha or doer, karma or action and phala or
fruit – collectively termed as triputi of action (triputi involves subject, action and object or
goal).
Kartha is the one doing the action and phala is the goal seeking which action is performed.
Any activity (generic action or specific actions like walking etc.) all are composed of the
triputi and cannot be there without the triputi. The triputi thus defines an activity or action
in itself. In order for a seeker to overcome bondage of action, triputi has to be conquered
(or a person has to go beyond triputi).
Bondage of action
It doesn’t require too much learning to understand that action is a bondage that is limited
not to just one birth but to many births. Actions lead to fruits and fruits are enjoyed in order
to perform more actions (put in Vidyaranya’s words kurvathe karma bhogaaya, karma
karthum cha bhunjathe). Any vicious circle is always a cause of sorrow and action-chain
isn’t an exception to this. Moreover add to this that action always leads to temporary fruits
or temporary bliss and hence there will never be any contentment or satisfaction out of
actions. On the other hand, actions and their vigor will increase with each performance of
the action thus leading us from one birth to another birth – never ever getting out of this
bondage of action but always being limited to performing actions without ever getting the
ultimate goal of eternal bliss.
Thus karma is always a source of sorrow whether it is any worldly activity or social service
activity or any other type of activity. We can never get any eternal bliss out of action which
means actions don’t serve any purpose other than deluding us into believing that
performing the action will lead to some good (some bliss). And like a maze leading us inner
and inner while giving us the hope that we may be near to the end of the maze, action
deludes people over and over again.
Any bondage is worth getting over or getting rid of – the bondage of action isn’t an
exception to this and a seeker should always strive towards getting rid of the bondage of
action so that sorrow ends once and for all.
Overcoming the bondage of action

The bondage of action is to be got rid of by a seeker who seeks eternal bliss devoid of
sorrow and suffering. Though generally people consider that it is very tough to conquer the
bondage of action, it isn’t tough at all. It is very easy indeed to conquer the bondage of
action. This beautiful simple sloka of Ramana Maharshi’s Upadesa Saram explains how to
conquer bondage.
Ishwara arpitham na icchayaa kritham

Chittha shodhakam mukthi saadhakam
Actions performed as an offering to Ishwara and without craving for the fruit of the action
will purify the mind and thereby lead to liberation.
Overcoming the bondage of action can be split into two parts – first is when a person gets
rid of action and second is when a person merges inaction (after getting rid of action) in
knowledge. Though these two parts can be implemented at the same time, mostly we see
people implementing it one at a time. Majority of people are able to implement only the
former and not the latter. The former is purifying the mind through self-less action where
doership vanishes and there is craving for the fruit of the action. The latter is including the
non-dual reality of Lord as all-pervasive Consciousness and substratum of the illusory
names and forms of the world. The latter is called or termed knowledge whereas the former
is termed as nishkaama karma. It is very well possible to include knowledge in the former
which is what we will be discussing here as there are many people who get deluded into
thinking that they have overcome the bondage of action without the knowledge about the
ultimate reality of Lord – they get deluded into thinking that they aren’t deluded☺. Hence it
is important for us to avoid multiple steps as well as delusions to ensure that without much
delay we cross over action.
Karma or action is one f the triputis of Subject, action and object. Subject is the person
doing the karma or action and object is the goal or fruit to be achieved through the action.
All the three are closely-linked and hence in order to get rid of action we have to get rid of
the other two as well. As we learnt earlier, we cannot get rid of action at all as everyone is
bound to perform actions based on one’s tendencies therefore the way out of action is to
remain unaffected by the triputi (or unaffected or unattached to the subject or doer and
object or fruit).
Getting rid of attachment to the fruit of action is through considering everything as Ishwara
or Brahman’s grace. As AMMA says, if something good happens it is Ishwara’s grace and if
something bad happens it is Ishwara’s will (which is another way of terming the grace of
Ishwara). Thus considering all fruits as a blessing or prasaada from the Lord, we will be
very easily able to get rid of the attachment to the fruit of action. This in turn automatically
makes us unaffected to the fruit of action – not worrying about the results of actions. When
we aren’t worrying about the results of actions then we will be able to maintain equanimity
or balance of mind at all times – not getting affected by good or bad fruits (not getting
happy or sad based on the fruits).
Getting rid of the doer-ship can be performed in two ways – one is through considering
oneself as the witness or Saakshi of everything. This though might seem very easy isn’t that
easy as the Ego always poses itself as the Saakshi atman – thereby this way requires a lot
of focus, alertness as well as mental strength. The second way is the easier way where a
seeker offers the doer-ship to Ishwara considering Ishwara as the doer, considering oneself
as an instrument in Ishwara’s hand and performing the action as an offering to Ishwara.
When we do a pooja it isn’t for ourselves – there is no Ego there as we are performing it as
an offering to Ishwara. Anything offered to Ishwara will not have Ego in it – true offering;
we find many people offering actions to Ishwara but not in the true sense of the word and
thereby argue with others as to who offered better. All such egoistic notions are not at all
there in true offering as in true offering the seeker himself offers to Ishwara – everything
including the doer-ship as well as the action is offered to Ishwara.
Getting rid of both doer-ship and the fruit of action through performing actions as an
offering to Ishwara and not craving for the fruit by considering everything as Ishwara’s
grace will very soon take us beyond the bondage of action. The symptoms of bondage of
action are where a person is affected by what actions are performed and affected by the
fruits or types of fruits attained through the action. This is totally void in a seeker who offers
everything to Ishwara – any action is considered as an offering and the fruits are all
considered as Ishwara’s grace, therefore there is neither good nor bad fruit; neither
happiness nor sorrow but bliss and bliss alone.
Yat karoshi yat ashnaasi yat juhoshi dadaasi yat

Yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurushva madarpanam
Whatever you do; whatever you eat; whatever you offer unto sacred fire; whatever you
give to others; whatever austerities you perform, do all of those as an offering unto me.
Shubha ashubha phalairevam mokshyase karma bandhanaih

Sanyaasa yoga yukthaatma vimuktho maam upaishyasi
Thus getting rid of good and bad fruits, you will get liberated from the bondage of action;
established in the yoga of renunciation of action and liberated, you will very soon attain me.
Knowledge and its place in action

Whatever we saw till now is very simple and easy – then the big question of what does
knowledge have to do with action comes into picture. We see many scriptural statements
that proclaim that knowledge ends action. Knowledge is the light that destroys the darkness
of action (action and its source of desire and ignorance). Knowledge is considered a light as
it gives happiness even as light gives us happiness. Action is considered darkness as it gives
us fear, sorrow and suffering (similar to darkness). Darkness is very binding in that the
more and more it grows, the more sorrow it gives. In fact there is nothing called darkness –
lack of light is darkness. When knowledge isn’t there, actions are performed desiring
perfection with the ignorance of one’s very nature of perfection. Once knowledge dawns or
starts dawning in a person, the person will feel sorrow as vanishing and happiness slowly
pervading or invading one’s presence.
Thus in brief knowledge alone can get rid of sorrow which appears in the form of action and
ignorance.
Sarvam karma akhilam paartha jnaane parisamaapyathe

O Arjuna! All actions end in knowledge.
Knowledge in overcoming bondage of action

Ok, only knowledge can completely negate action. But then whatever we discussed earlier
about action performed as an offering to Ishwara and considering everything as Ishwara’s
grace – will that not negate the bondage of action? Yes it will – but it will be negated
temporarily if our definition or conception of Ishwara is one who has a particular form, name
and quality. Unless we consider Ishwara as all-pervasive Brahman (which is knowledge), we
will not be able to get rid of the bondage of action forever. This knowledge of Brahman as
everything, which means our own very Self or Consciousness that pulsates inside as “I-
exist, I-exist”, alone will get rid of action once and for all. Lack of this knowledge will keep
us aboard in the path to overcoming bondage of action but sooner or later we will get
deluded, distracted and will falter away from the path – the very simple reason would be
that even after many years of implementing we still aren’t able to rejoice in bliss – though
we aren’t affected by the fruits of actions nor do we have doership but still this doesn’t
mean that we have conquered duality. Actions and desires will find new ways – not having
proper knowledge will make us suffer when we aren’t able to perform actions as an offering
to Ishwara. This ignorance will make us perform more and more offering to Ishwara
externally – thus we will try to do better offering not knowing that Ishwara is all-pervasive
Brahman. Also we will not know that any contemplation or remembrance of Ishwara plus
offering anything mentally to Ishwara would be happily accepted by Ishwara; who will then
bestow upon us the blessing of eternal bliss. Thus going on doing actions, instead of
overcoming the bondage of action (going to a state where we are able to remain unaffected
by the action and fruit – performing whatever action our role has been given) we will be
more addicted to actions. Earlier the addiction was with respect to worldly action and now it
is with respect to spiritual actions – that is the only difference.
Thus remembrance of Ishwara or knowledge of Ishwara as the all-pervasive non-dual

Consciousness behind the illusory world is very essential. If we remember this Ishwara and
offer everything to Ishwara in our mind then Ishwara will definitely partake it with pleasure.
Patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhakthyaa prayacchathi

Tadaham bhakthi upahritham ashnaami prayathaatmanah
He who has surrendered unto me and thereby offers me anything – leaf, flower, fruit, water
– with devotion, that offering of devotion I will partake.
What about bad actions?

This is a question that lingers in the mind of seekers – will offering bad actions to Ishwara
purify us and take us beyond the bondage of action? Everyone generally considers certain
actions as good and certain as bad – this is based on one’s upbringing, one’s kula, one’s
gothra etc. We see that whatever is considered good in one country isn’t good for another
country. In ancient times, the act of killing was one of the greatest sin for a brahmana
whereas the same is considered a duty for kshatriya. Thus we cannot really define actions
as good and bad. Even if we try to define, such definitions are always limited as they are
based on some criteria which will not cater to anyone and everyone.
Therefore a seeker should always remember that there is no good or bad action. But there
is action which can purify us and action that can bind us. Purifying action is that which has
remembrance of non-dual reality of Ishwara whereas binding action is that which doesn’t
have remembrance of Ishwara. Any action which is done with contemplation of Ishwara and
as an offering to Ishwara will become a good, unbinding blissful action whereas even
spiritual activities if performed without the attitude of offering to Ishwara will become a
binding sorrowful action.
These aren’t “my” opinion but the Lord mentions these in the below two slokas of Gita.
Api chetsuduraachaaro bhajathe maam ananyabhaak

Saadhureva sa mantavyah samyak vyavasitho hi sah
He who does the worst possible action but while remembering and worshipping me, he is to
be considered a saint as he is focused on me.
Api chedasi paapebhyah sarvebhyah paapakrittamah

Sarvam jnaanaplavenaiva vrijinam santharishyasi
Even the worst possible sins if a person does, the person will be able to cross over all those
sins in the ocean through the log of knowledge (knowledge means remembrance of the non-
dual reality of Lord).
If remembering Ishwara, then why bad actions are performed?

Due to vasanas, a person might do bad actions but while remembering Ishwara. After
starting in the spiritual path (after many births of forgetfulness of Ishwara) a seeker might
still have latent tendencies as these cannot be removed all at once or suddenly. Hence such
a seeker might still do bad actions but while remembering Ishwara. This is fine as the
thought of Ishwara will purify all the bad results of the action.
Another reason why a person would do bad action is as we discussed earlier, depending on
one’s dharma (the activity ordained to a person) a person does actions. These actions might
be bad for one’s dharma whereas right for normal dharma. Thus the word of dharma is so
convoluted today – true meaning of dharma is that which upholds – that which upholds
cannot be anything other than the non-dual reality of Lord as the Lord alone upholds this
entire illusory world. Thus dharmavyaadha was a butcher and killing animals is considered a
sin – but he was considered a jnaani by the Lord.
Any action thus becomes good with contemplation of the Lord and the same action becomes
bad with forgetting the ultimate reality of Lord.
Remembrance of non-dual reality of Lord at all times – way out of action

Remembering the non-dual reality of Lord at all times is the way out of the bondage of
action. Thus externally performing actions like a worldly person while internally
remembering everything as a drama – everything as an illusion – everything as a dream –
everything as a play – a seeker will very easily conquer action and along with it desires,
ignorance, suffering and sorrow once and for all. Thereby will such a seeker ever rejoice in
bliss.
May this brief article on action guide us to go beyond action through contemplation of non-
dual reality of Lord here and now itself rather than again getting deluded in the ocean of
samsaara.
Sankshiptha Vedanta
It is one thing to write a work on Vedanta and it is another to write a voluminous work
which spans many verses yet having authentic and different concepts (concepts that aren’t
repeated without any purpose). Though there are many introductory works in Vedanta like
Vedanta Sara, Vedanta Paribhasha, Laghu Vaasudeva Mananam etc. still one work which
not only explains concepts but is very bold in its statements (not negotiating truth for good-
to-hear concepts) is Vivekachoodamani. The title of the work means it is a crest jewel of
discrimination – this is a very apt name for the work as in the very beginning of the work
itself, the emphasis of Vedanta and importance in realizing the Self through knowledge here
and now itself is brought out in beautiful slokas.
Though there are controversies regarding the authorship of this work, we can set aside all
such arguments and accept it as a work of Adi Sankaracharya (it isn’t our purpose to do a
critical analyze of the works of Sankara and figure out whether this is truly a work of
Sankara – only intellectual idiots will embark in such a journey – such people are those who
try to figure out from where a sugar cane has come instead of drinking the juice from the
sugar cane – such intellectuals argue over the authorship of works rather than drinking the
essence of Brahman from such works – still others like Swami Sacchidanandendra
Saraswathi will enter into long debates over who was true to Sankara and not rather than
accepting the core essence of all texts as Brahman and using what helps us in realizing
Brahman – it is worth remembering that whether we take a bus or walk or fly, it doesn’t
matter as long as we reach the goal – it is enough to know that the final goal is known as
one’s very nature of Consciousness and this is termed as knowledge or jnaana).
The work consists of 581 slokas categorized into different topics by Swami
Chinmayananda’s beautiful English translation/commentary. Chandrasekhara Bharathi
Swamigal of Sringeri has written a Sanskrit commentary on this work (which doesn’t have
commentary for last few slokas).
Vivekachoodamani rises above introductory works in that it explains concepts logically as

well as gives slokas for contemplation purposes. Thus through learning this work,
remembering the concepts of the work and contemplation on the slokas of the work a
seeker will be able to gain strong viveka or discrimination of real and unreal. When
discrimination is very strong, then a seeker will be able to remember the ultimate truth of
“Brahma Satyam, Jagan Mithyaa” (Brahman alone is real, the world is an illusion). Clarity or
lack of doubts with respect to this truth is essential to focus completely on Brahman – once
focus is there throughout then a seeker will very soon attain liberation from the bondages of
the illusory world never to ever suffer. Such a seeker whose mind ever resides in Brahman
will ever rejoice in bliss irrespective of external situations, surroundings and environment.
It is almost impossible to even give a summary of such a voluminous work not just
voluminous in length but also in concepts. Hence we will just be seeing a few slokas from
the beginning of the work which stress the importance of Vedanta itself – these are
important ones in that they can instigate us to learn the work so that we get a better idea of
Vedanta thereby implementing it in our life and taking us to the pinnacle of moksha or
eternal bliss.
The ultimate goal of life is eternal bliss through realizing our very nature of Brahman. In
order to do this we have to get over the bondage of action (action is based on ignorance
and duality). Action can be overcome only if we have any control over action. Most of the
species we see in the world are unable to gain any control over action. A dog barks, cat
meows, a lion roars and a deva enjoys etc. None of these species are able to get over action
– or in other words they cannot decide what to do and what not to do; when to do and
when not to do; how to do and how not to do. They are totally bound by actions that are set
for their types. The one exception to this is humans – humans have control over action
(only if they want it☺). No two humans do the same action – even two humans doing the
same action will not do it the same way. Thus humans have total control over actions – but
majority of humans or people don’t use this capability of controlling actions and instead live
life like animals just eating, drinking, mating and sleeping.
Thus one thing we have to understand clearly is that human birth is rare and sacred indeed
because this is where we can go beyond nature (world) to realize the ultimate reality of
Lord. The attitude of being able to control actions can be termed as viveka or discrimination
– true viveka will make us do actions in such a way that it will lead us towards the ultimate
reality of Lord rather than make us deluded more and more in the world of actions. It is now
clear that viveka isn’t just intellect – many people who get doctorates and post graduates
from reputed universities have intellect but they don’t use the intellect for its true purpose
of moksha. This is like a person using the computer to calculate what is 2 by 2 and other
mathematical calculations. Even as the computer here remains under-used similarly the
intellect is mostly under-used as it is only used for worldly matters and not at all used for its
true purpose of moksha through differentiating between real/eternal Brahman and
unreal/changing world.
Sankara starts the work in the 2nd sloka (first being a sloka praising ista devataa) with the
words “narajanma durlabham” or “this human birth is very rare indeed”. In order to achieve
this coveted human birth a seeker has to go through many births of other species and many
good deeds performed in those births. Thus though we think it is very easy to get a human
birth, it isn’t that easy – it requires many good deeds to get this precious human birth. Even
devas are bound to enjoy the pleasures they find in their world – but only humans are able
to use their intellect to discriminate between real and unreal thereby performing actions in
such a way that it will guide them towards the goal of eternal bliss or moksha.
Thus understanding the greatness of this human birth a seeker has to then develop good
qualities which will help in the progress towards the goal of eternal bliss rather than living a
servant to the passions of the external world. Such good qualities are termed as masculine
qualities or masculine temperament – this isn’t degrading or talking low about women. This
isn’t about external appearance or gender or the natural tendencies of a gender but
womanly qualities are mostly causing trouble to themselves and others – these qualities
include a fluctuating mind, being too emotional etc. There are also manly qualities which
cause trouble like a big Ego, anger etc. Thus masculine temperament should be defined as a
collection of good qualities (both masculine and feminine) and which will help in directing
the mind towards the goal of moksha rather than towards the passions of the world. These
include using our intellect, compassion, intelligence, thoughtfulness, braveness, boldness,
courage, patience etc. (we can very well see that few of these like compassion, patience are
feminine in nature generally as they are find in women more than in men). In order for us
to not get deluded by gender, Chinmaya beautifully says that “there are bearded ones
among men” (and men among women though today we cannot differentiate between men
and women – men grow long hairs and women grow short hairs – men wear short-pants
and so do women too☺).
Once a person has attained this human birth and developed masculine temperaments then
it is natural to desire moksha as such a person would use proper intellect to ascertain the
temporary sorrowful nature of the world and eternal blissful nature of Brahman. Once desire
for moksha or mumukshutvam has been developed, then a sadhaka will strive to find an apt
Guru in order to gain knowledge that can lead to moksha (as without Guru a person cannot
gain moksha – at least a mental Guru but it is easy to develop surrender to a physical Guru
than a mental Guru). Once a Guru has been found, willingness to surrender to the Guru so
that the Guru can lead the seeker towards the goal of moksha is essential.
It is these three that Sankara beautifully puts in the below sloka of the work:
Durlabham trayam eva etat daivaanugraha hethukam

Manushyatvam mumukshutvam mahaapurushasamshrayah
Three things are very tough to attain and are attained only through very good deeds in the
previous births. These are: masculine temperament (which includes a human birth), burning
desire for liberation and surrender to a man of wisdom.
A seeker who has developed proper viveka will slowly develop all the three qualities (all
these cannot be developed successively and completely within no time – it will take many
tries and constant practice to develop all three completely).
May this very brief info on the work of Vivekachoodamani help us in understanding the
greatness of human birth and use it to gain viveka or discrimination between real and
unreal so that we are able to realize Brahman in this very birth itself rather than wasting yet
another birth in normal activities which have been performed since ages.
Gitaamritham
13.27
Samam sarveshu bhootheshu thistantham parameshwaram
Vinashyatsu avinashyantham yah pashyathi sah pashyathi
Word meaning
Samam sarveshu bhootheshu – equal or same in all beings
Thistantham – remaining (abiding)
Parameshwaram – Ishwara
Yah pashyathi – he who sees
Vinashyatsu avinashyantham – and Ishwara as indescructible in destructible world
Sah pashyathi – he really sees (true vision)
Meaning of the sloka: He who sees indestructible Ishwara in the destructible world and as
equally present in all beings, he really sees.
True vision
This world is filled with dual objects which have a birth and death and hence are temporary
or destructible. This duality is just an illusion of names and forms even as various names
and forms of gold ornaments. Even as various gold ornaments are just illusions in gold,
similarly this world is also just an illusion in the reality of Ishwara or Brahman.
This entire world irrespective of what object or people or place is filled in and out with
Brahman as the substratum. This vision of equanimity where the world is seen as Brahman
is true vision. This vision can be split into two parts – one is jagat mithyaa or the world
being an illusion and second is where the illusory world is seen as the truth of Brahman.
This vision is true vision in that it is really viewing the world as the substratum of Brahman
even as viewing the water in desert as desert is true vision. The one advantage of true
vision is that it will give us only happiness. Lack of true vision (false vision) means we will
considering the world as real. If we consider the world as real, then such a world will cause
sorrows for us as it is constantly changing, temporary and non-eternal. A temporary world
will cease to exist any moment and hence it will give us sorrow and sorrow alone.
This sorrow from the temporary world is through expectations or dependency on the world.
Expectations or dependencies on a temporary object will make us either attached or averted
to it – both attachment and aversion will lead us to happiness and sorrow thus making our
lives miserable. Craving to maintain happiness and to get rid of sorrow, actions will be
performed. Actions will again lead to either happiness or sorrow depending on a lot of
factors (as actions are very tough to understand as it involves a lot of factors and that too
not just one birth but spanning many births) and these will again trigger more actions. Thus
the chain of action and result continues (put in Vidyaranya’s words kurvathe karma
bhogaaya, karma karthum cha bhunjathe – actions are performed for enjoyment and
enjoying is done in order to perform more actions) – when it is time for the physical body to
be thrown off (as it becomes old from actions and enjoyments) a new body has to be taken;
thus the action chain triggers off birth-death chain; from one birth to another birth, we will
progress without getting any contentment, satisfaction and eternal bliss.
Knowing this, wise people will thus never depend on sensual pleasures. Instead they start
seeking out eternal bliss in an eternal entity. This seeking will lead only to Brahman as
Brahman alone is real and everything else is just an illusion in Brahman. Thus figuring out
that Brahman is the source of eternal bliss, a wise person will figure out the way to attain
Brahman. Starting to learn about Brahman the wise person will realize that Brahman isn’t
different from himself or the world but Brahman is the Self pulsating inside him as “I-exist,
I-exist” and the world is an illusion of names and forms in Brahman (essentially one with
Brahman). But this Brahman isn’t currently experienced because of dual notions or vision of
difference – with true vision or vision of oneness (termed as sama bhaavana) a person will
be able to get rid of duality and depend only on Brahman as Brahman alone is perceived in
all ways in the mind. This doesn’t mean the external world isn’t perceived but the external
world is perceived as an illusion in Brahman mentally.
Samatvam Yogam – Vision of equanimity or oneness is Yoga

The word Yoga sends across lots of wrong notions today. It is related to just doing some
asanas or pranayamas and a means to either tame the body or control the mind. Such
Yogas aren’t true yoga or vedantic yoga – these yogas of controlling the body or the mind
are good only temporarily. There is no use of controlling either the mind or the body
because both of them aren’t real – it is like controlling the water seen in desert; if there is
no water at all, then what is the point of controlling such illusory water?
True yoga is when a person knows this body and mind to be an illusion in Brahman – along
with the knowledge about the entire world to be Brahman. The notion of body or the activity
of the mind are dependent on differences or duality. If differences or duality is negated as
just an illusion, both the body and the mind will exist temporarily without affecting us at all.
The body is something which we have and differentiates us from other people and objects of
the world. The mind is that which feeds on likes and dislikes which are based on differences
or duality in the world. Thus once we remember this entire world to be filled in and out with
Brahman even as gold ornaments are filled in and out by gold, we will be able to get rid of
the body and the mind as a source of sorrow or as a creator of problems.
This is achieved through sama bhaavanam. Though this means vision of equanimity, it isn’t
a mere vision – it is true vision or real vision as the entire world is Brahman and Brahman
alone essentially. But externally the names and forms may still exist – it doesn’t matter and
doesn’t harm us as we know it to be just an illusion. Even as an actor portrays a role in
movie without getting affected by the movie or the activities in the movie, similarly a jnaani
will be able to remain blissful in contemplation of non-dual Brahman all the while performing
external activities like any worldly person. A worldly person will be attached to the action
and the fruit thereof whereas a jnaani remains unaffected by both the action and fruits of
the action. Remaining in contemplation of Brahman and performing worldly activities in an
unaffected way, a jnaani will be ever rejoicing in bliss (bliss being the ultimate goal of life
for everyone).
Same in all beings

There is often a wrong notion about adhikaaris in knowledge or Vedanta. People think that
only Brahmins and that too men are eligible to learn Vedanta. This isn’t true – there are no
real proofs from the shastras. The proofs are only from smrithis which are words of people
and unlike the Lord’s words these are words dependent on their personal perspective and
based on the prevailing practices at that period of time.
The Lord doesn’t differentiate between anyone and since the Lord resides in everything
equally therefore it is each person’s right to realize the Lord as the Lord is his or her very
own nature. The Lord himself mentions this in the 9th chapter that even women among
other low-born will also realize the Lord if they have true devotion. Thus with true devotion
any person can realize the ultimate reality of Brahman or Lord. Since Brahman can be
realized only through knowledge and knowledge is attained only through the scriptures,
therefore it goes without saying that everyone is eligible to learn the shastras.
The so-called differentiations with respect to learning the shastras, taking sanyaasa etc. are
because of dharma or rules in the world. These rules are lower rules and don’t stand a
chance against the higher dharma of moksha. For gaining moksha, a seeker need not take
sanyaasa as true sanyaasa is mental and not external. Thus instead of arguing for or
against these topics, a wise seeker will and should focus on the ultimate reality of Brahman
through vision of equanimity so that not another birth is wasted in futile like the many past
births.
True vision -> eternal bliss

As mentioned earlier, true vision will lead us to experience eternal bliss. Eternal bliss is the
ultimate goal of life and everyone irrespective of all discriminations are seeking bliss either
knowingly or unknowingly. Therefore this is our ultimate dharma to gain eternal bliss
through true vision which is vision of oneness. This vision of oneness will lead us to
experience immense bliss each and every moment of our life all the while being in the world
and performing activities like any worldly person. This state of moksha wherein a seeker
rejoices in immense bliss cannot be explained in words but has to be intuitively
experienced. A glimpse of this bliss can easily be had when we try to implement this vision
of oneness even for a few minutes in a day – we will then find that it is more addictive than
any worldly passions and the more we implement it, the more we are able to remain
blissful. And finally we will find that it never leaves from our mind so that we are always
able to rejoice in bliss.
May we through the understanding of this beautiful sloka of Gita implement vision of
oneness so that we can ever rejoice in bliss.
Upanishad Prachaaram
Ishavasya Upanishad
This month we will see a brief summary of one of the 10 Upanishads commented by
Sankaracharya. This is one of the oldest Upanishad and part of vaajasaneyi samhitha.
Hence it is called samhitopanishad. Since the first sloka starts with Ishavasya therefore it is
also called Ishopanishad or Ishavasya Upanishad.
This is one of the shortest Upanishad – short next only to Mandukya Upanishad (which has
just 12 slokas) – consisting of just 18 slokas. The slokas are beautiful with respect to words
used as well as deep with respect to the concepts preached. There are a lot of
interpretations of few later slokas of this Upanishad – many acharyas interpret it variously
and different from Sankara. Sankara’s interpretation also appears to be based on the time
when he was there on earth. It doesn’t really matter whether we interpret the Upanishad
based on Sankara or give an entirely different interpretation; what really matters is the very
first half of the first sloka of Upanishad which is the essence of not just this Upanishad but
entire Vedanta itself.
Keeping the first half sloka will quickly elevate a seeker to the state of moksha where
everything appears very blissful irrespective of external situation and surroundings. Such an
elevation is very imminent today when we see lot of big earthquakes pouncing upon people
causing a lot of calamities and financial trouble which will take many future years to balance
out, let alone remove completely.
As explained earlier, this Upanishad consists of just 18 slokas. Since it is a samhitopanishad

we find prayer-slokas at the end of the Upanishad. Though these are prayer-slokas yet they
are very full of vedantic concepts that we cannot just ignore them for other deeper slokas.
Often we can see that the longer something is, the greater the chance of concepts getting
diluted and missed out. This cannot happen in a shorter Upanishad (Upanishad with shorter
slokas). In this way, this Upanishad provides an advantage to a seeker in that the chances
of a seeker getting distracted or deluded is less.
Without further delay let us see the first half of the first sloka of the Upanishad (the core or
motto of the Upanishad):
Ishavasyam idam sarvam yat kincha jagatyaam jagat

Ishwara pervades everything present here – whatever is there as changing and temporary.
Sarva vyaaptha Chaitanyam

Ishwara is another synonym for Brahman – that Brahman from whom this world is created,
in whom this world resides and unto whom the world merges at the time of destruction. The
very nature of Ishwara is Sat chit ananda or Existence Consciousness Bliss. Since the world
that we perceive has come and resides in Ishwara, therefore it is apt that Ishwara pervades
the world. This pervasion is similar to mud pervading a pot (mud is the cause and pot is the
effect – similarly Ishwara is the cause and the world is the effect). Thus whatever we see is
in fact filled in and out with Ishwara.
If Ishwara pervades everything, then what defines the duality or differences we see in the
world?
Duality or differences is because of names and forms – this is what is called Maya or
Mithyaa. Maya mean that which deludes – that which doesn’t exist but makes non-existent
things existent – that which makes real unreal and unreal real (due to Maya, we fail to
apprehend the ever-present Ishwara who becomes unreal whereas the world which is unreal
becomes real). Mithyaa is a word for that which doesn’t really exist but just appears to exist
(even as water appears in desert, similarly). Even as various objects made of mud are just
names and forms in mud, even as various gold ornaments are just names and forms of gold
similarly this entire world is just names and forms of Brahman.
It is this ultimate truth that non-duality alone exists here that the Upanishad proclaims in
the very beginning itself. It is always rare to see the ultimate truth being propounded in the
very beginning itself rather than setting the stage for truth to be revealed and then reveal
it. This truth that everything is Ishwara alone as the substratum or essence should never be
forgotten by a seeker – constant remembrance of this truth is moksha and the Lord calls it
ananya bhajanam in many places of Gita.
If everything is Ishwara, then how should we implement this truth in our day-to-day lives?
Remembrance or constant contemplation is the implementation of this truth in our lives.

The Upanishad elucidates as to how to contemplate in the second half of the first sloka as
“tena tyakthena bhunjeethaah” or “keeping this truth in mind, enjoy through renunciation”
Enjoy through renunciation

A very similar statement is made by the Lord in the final chapter of Gita where he says
“renounce all activities and seek refuge in me alone”. Here renunciation is not of external
actions as then the Lord’s various statements of “yudhyasva bharatha” or “do fight Arjuna”
would become wrong.
The world that we see is the cause of problem. The problem is not because of the world but
because of forgetting the names-forms nature of the world as well as the underlying reality
of Brahman or Lord. When the Lord or essence is forgotten and name-form is considered
real, we will end up in sorrow due to expectations from the unreal name-form. Thus
renouncing the name-form, a seeker should see the underlying reality of Lord. Through
renouncing the unreal and enjoying the real everywhere a seeker would very easily be able
to rejoice in bliss as then there is no duality at all but the non-dual reality of Lord alone
exists, one without a second. This alone is true enjoyment as here there is no tint of sorrow,
not even little bit. As the Lord says in Gita, around such a seeker who is able to enjoy the
Lord beyond the temporary names and forms of the world, bliss will be dancing.
Bliss, bliss and bliss alone will be the experience of such a seeker who is always merged on
Ishwara and thereby a realized person. This is true renunciation – renouncing the unreal
and apprehending the real – external renunciation is just a means to this real inner
renunciation. Without this inner renunciation a seeker will never be able to experience
eternal bliss but the external renunciation itself will become a source of sorrow and as
Sankara mentions in many places of Bhaja Govindam, such an external renunciate will be
wearing the ochre robe as a way to fulfilling his tummy (rather than for realization of
Ishwara).
Jneyah sa ntyasanyaasi yo na dveshthi na shochathi

Nirdvando hi mahaabaaho sukham bandaat pramuchyathe
Know him to be an eternal renunciate who doesn’t get angry or sad; always remaining
beyond dual notions, such a person will very easily and soon overcome bondages.
Do actions remembering Ishwara

Even if we aren’t renunciates externally we can very well perform activities remembering
Ishwara and performing inner renunciation. Actions can never be avoided. Everyone is
forced to act through one or the other way. Grihasthas do certain activities and sanyaasis
do certain other activities. As the Lord says, not even for one moment can a person remain
without performing action. Action is inevitable. Hence we should never strive to get away
from action – instead we should try to have the right attitude behind action so that we are
able to rejoice in bliss at all times.
Thus it is wrong to think that only external renunciation will give us moksha or that without
external renunciation alone we will get moksha – external renunciation is just a means to
help us towards the goal of moksha. The direct help is through inner renunciation as
constant inner renunciation is moksha.
Sorrow – experience of a person who doesn’t remember Ishwara

The Upanishad after saying that we have to remember Ishwara while enjoying worldly
activities and that we should always do actions with this remembrance of Ishwara says that
a person will end up in sorrow and sorrow alone if Ishwara isn’t remembered. There is no
other end result for such a person who forgets Ishwara knowingly or unknowingly. Such a
person will go from death to death (sorrow to sorrow) in the form of taking many births all
of which will be futile like the current one.
Through such statements the Upanishad emphasizes the need to remember Ishwara at all
times and not setting this remembrance for a later time. If we don’t remember Ishwara at
all times, then we will end up in sorrow and sorrow alone.
There are more beautiful slokas in the Upanishads all of which can be read from a detailed
commentary (link provided below). Due to fear of explaining too much and boring seekers,
we will stop here. May us remember Ishwara at all times, performing activities like it is
happening today and thereby ever rejoicing in bliss here and now itself.
Text and English commentary

http://vedantatattva.org/vedanta/docs/IshavasyaUpanishad.doc
Raga Varsha
Gurjari Todi
Todi is one of the Thaats in Hindustani music. The scale of Todi Thaat corresponds to
Shubhapantuvarali raga of Carnatic music. In Gurjari Todi Panchamam is complete
eliminated. The swaras used are Shatjam, Komal Rishabam, Komal gandharam, teevra
madhyamam, komal daivatam, tivra nishadam.
AROHANA
SrgmdNS
AVAROHANA
SNdmgrS
(r, g, d – Komal swaras, m – Theevra madhyamam & N – Teevra nishadam)
The main ragAnga of Todi resides in the way S r g are sung. While ascending the movement
of Rishabam touches the gandharam and while descending the gandharam lingers with
rishabham. This usage of S r g r S with the gamakam in the r and g while ascending and
decending respectively gives the feel of this Todi thaat. Panchamam in other ragAnangas of
Todi is generally used as nyasa swara or the stopping point while rendering Todi Thaat, and
in Gurjari Thodi Panchamam is eliminated but still the usage of other swaras corresponds to
the Todi Thaat.
BHAJANS
Amutham pozhiyum (Amma’s bhajan)
Raga Shubhapantuvarali
Raga Shubhapantuvarali is the 45th Melakartha raga.
Arohanam:
S R1 G1 M2 P D1 N2 S
Avarohanam:
S N2 D1 P M2 G1 R1 S
(N2 refers to Kakali nishadam)
Some of the common sancharas are N S R G M G-R S, M P D P M G-R S, P D N D P M G-R S.

Notably gamakam in gandharam while decending down by touching the rishabham will truly
produce that sad tone. Also, the usage of daivatam with gamakam touching Panchamam
and then descending down to Madhyamam also one of the characteristic phrase of rendering
but most of these phrases that are lingering around Madhyamam and daivatam quickly
ascends to higher shadjam and rishabam or descends down to the midrange gandharam
rishabham and shatjam which gives the complete sara of this wonderful raga.
Classical Songs:
EnnAllu UrakE – Thyagaraja Swami
Manonmani mandahasini – H.N.Muttayyah Bhaagavathar.
Film Songs:
Guruve Sharanam – Guru Ragavendra
Kandupidichen kandupidichen – Guru Shishyan
Nilave mukham kaatu – Yejamaan
Amma songs:
Mayyaji meine tu chaahidi – 2009 World Tour Vol 4.
Kaivalya Navaneetam:
http://vedantatattva.org/vedantagroup/Kaivalya_Navaneetham/12_shubhapanthuvarali.mp
3
Madhuraamritham
Mokshamu galada -- Tyagaraja Krithi
mōkṣamu galadā bhuvilō jīvan muktulu kāni vāraluku

mokshamu galada – is there liberation
bhuvilo – on earth
jivan muktulu – jeevan mukta’s
kaani vaaralakalu – who are not
Meaning: Is there liberation in this world apart for people who are jivan mukta’s?
sākṣātkāra nī sad-bhakti sangīta jnāna vihīnulaku

saksatkara -- One who is the witness of all
ni – yours
sad –bhakti – true devotion
sangita jnaana – knowledge of music
vihinulaku – who don’t have
Meaning: Is true devotion to you who is the witness of everything possible without the
knowledge of music?
prāṇānala sam-yōgamu valla praṇava nādamu sapta svaramulai paraga

prananala – prana and anala
sam yogamu–union of
valla – because of
pranava nadamu – Omkara nadam
sapta svaramulai – become seven swara’s
paraga – flow
Meaning: The prana and anala forces in a person when combined creates the omkara
nadam which flows as the sapta swara’s.
vīṇā vādana lōludau 5śiva manō vidhamerugaru tyāgarāja vinuta

vina vadana– the play of veena
loludau – one who can be pleased by
siva mano vidham—his state of mind
merugaru – they don’t know
Meaning: People cannot understand the state of mind of Shiva , who is pleased by the play
of veena.
In this song Tyagaraja Swami talks about Moksha or state of liberation and how it can be
attained. He says that moksha or state of liberation is not possible for anyone except for
jivan mukta’s. Only such people actually are in a state of moksha. There are 5 stages of
mukti mentioned generally like sadyo mukti, videha mukti etc. Here the author says only for
jivan mukta’s the state of liberation is possible. That is the state when a person is beyond
all duality while living in the world (this means we have to become a jeevan mukta in order
to get liberatin).
He mentions in the 2nd verse of the song that true devotion towards the lord who is the
witness to all activities happening, cannot be attained without the knowledge of music. He
explains the reason for why music knowledge is needed in the last verse.
In the last verse author mentions about the seven swara’s origination which is the basis of
music. He says the prana and anala forces in a person combine and create the omkara
sound. This omkara is the basis for all the seven swara’s in music. Omkara also represents
Brahman. Thus through this music alone one can understand the mind of lord Shiva. Here
Lord Shiva represents Brahman or consciousness. Lord Shiva is ever in blissful state. This
state of mind cannot be understood by people who do not have the knowledge of music.
Shiva can be pleased only by music. Thus music is the only way to understand or attain
that blissful state of Shiva. Attaining the blissful state of Shiva means attaining moskha.
Thus the author explains how the state of moskha can be attained and who the person who
actually experiences such a state is.
Praadeshikam
Chit Jada Chinthanam
Chit Jada Chinthanam is one of the Malayalam works written by Sree Naarayana Guru
Devan. As the title says, it is an analysis of Chit or Consciousness or sentience and Jada or
insentient. This analysis is the foundation of Vedanta as a thorough analysis and
understanding would instantly bestow upon us the bliss of Brahman or moksha.
The below is a sloka that Sankara gives in Brahmajnaanaavaleemaala with the same
concept:
Drigdrishyau dvau padaarthau stah parasparavilakshanau
Drig brahma drishyam maayeti sarva Vedanta dindimaa
There are two entities alone existing here – one is Drik or Seer or Subject and other is
Drishyam or Seen or Object; both are contrary in nature; Drik is Brahman and Drishyam is
Maaya (Jagat) – thus roars the lion of Vedanta.
When we try to analyze the experience spectrum of world, we will end up with only two
entities which are chit and jada – various terms for chit are sat, Brahman, atman,
chaithanyam, drik etc. whereas jada is also known as asat/mithyaa, jagat, prapancham,
jadam, drishyam etc. If we are able to understand these two terms in depth and with
clarity, then everything becomes known. Thus a proper understanding of chit and jada will
make us know everything (Upanishads begin with the question of “tell me that by knowing
which everything becomes known”). When everything is known, there remains nothing else
to know. When nothing else remains to be known, then a person becomes complete,
perfect, blissful, content, satisfied and peaceful.
Chit or chaithanyam is real whereas jada is mithyaa or just an illusion in chit. Chit is real
because chit never changes (that which is changeless is eternal as well). Jada is mithyaa
because it constantly changes. That which constantly changes is subject to birth and death
thus making it temporarily existing and eternally unreal (or non-existing). Chit is real and
hence non-dual or one alone whereas jada is mithyaa and hence many even as the dreamer
who is real is one alone whereas the dreamer world is unreal and many (dual). Chit is that
which pulsates inside us as “I-exist, I-exist” and is the basis of all objects (objects are
jada). Objects which are illumined thereby making them as-if-existing and experienced. This
concept is beautifully explained by Sree Naarayana Guru Devan in this 10-sloka work. We
will see the first sloka of the work here.
Oru kodi divaakararotthuyarum

Padi paaroduneeranalaadikalum
Kedumaaru kilarnnuvarunnoru nin
Vadivonnuminnumirunnu vilanganam
Oru kodi divaakarar otthu uyarum padi – like thousands of suns rising together
Paaroduneeranalaadikalum – all pancha bhoothas including earth, water, fire etc.
Kedumaaru – vanishing
Kilarnnuvarunna – clearly appearing
Ninvadivu – your pure Conscious Ishwara-form
Ennum – always
Irunnu vilanganam – should exist as intuitive experience without any fail (without
vanishing)
Clearly appearing (shining) like thousands of suns rising together and the pancha bhoothas
vanishing, your pure Conscious Ishwara-form (all-pervasive form) should always exist as
intuitive experience and never ceasing to exist.
Shining like thousand suns

Chit or Brahman shines like thousand suns. Even one sun is very bright to give light to an
entire solar system so what to speak about the glow or brightness of Brahman? Brightness
here doesn’t just mean literal brightness like a 100 watt bulb but with brightness, darkness
is dispelled completely. Chit when revealed is so strong and as bright as thousand suns that
it dispels darkness of ignorance completely. This is what Guru Devan says that pancha
bhoothas will vanish. The strength of Chit is that when Chit reveals itself, ignorance of the
entire world instantly vanishes.
Gaudapada acharya says in Mandukya Karika thus:

Prapancho yadi varthetha nivarthetha na samshayah
Maayaamatramidam dvaitham advaitham paramaarthathah
If the world exists, it will definitely vanish; there is no doubt in this; this is because duality
is just an illusion and non-duality is real.
The darkness of ignorance causes a person to suffer. Sorrow is the only result or effect out
of ignorance. When the thousand-sun like Chit rises or is revealed (through jnaana
sadhana) then ignorance and sorrow completely vanishes. When ignorance and sorrow
vanishes, a seeker will be able to ever rejoice in bliss.
Ever shining Chit

It isn’t enough to just experience Chit or abide as Chit for one moment, it is essential to
ever abide in Chit if a seeker wishes to ever rejoice in bliss rather than experience
momentary bliss once in a while. This is what Vedanta calls as jnaana nista or being
established in knowledge. Moksha isn’t just gaining knowledge but ensuring that one always
abides in knowledge. Thus we find Guru Devan praying for knowledge of Chit to ever shine
rather than just giving its glimpse for some time and vanishing (or as something which
gives frequent visits and vanishes in between visits). Unless Chit ever shines, we will find
the happiness derived out of getting a glimpse of happiness as temporary as the happiness
out of worldly objects (sensual pleasures). The only difference between temporary
happiness from Chit and temporary happiness from the world is that temporary happiness
from Chit will instigate us to try to ever abide in that happiness whereas the happiness from
the world will only lead us to more and more sorrow (seeking more and more from the
world which will again lead us to more sorrow – thus the chain of enjoyment and sorrow will
continue as a vicious circle).
Chit is Ishwara
Ishwara is one who controls the entire world and is the source of the world. Such an
Ishwara isn’t different from Brahman or Chit but one with Brahman and Chit. Chit controls
the entire world as the source-substratum of the world as the world depends on Chit for its
very existence. Chit is the independent substratum for the dependent world. Thus once we
realize Chit then we will be able to control the world as the substratum – here control of the
world isn’t control like Osama Bin Laden is expecting or like Alexander tried. But control of
the world is knowing the world to be an illusion so that there is no control required – instead
the effect of controlling the world is achieved without even controlling or trying to control
the world. The effect is bliss and contentment at all times irrespective of whatever happens
externally. This bliss and contentment is the very nature of Ishwara who is ever content
irrespective of whatever avatara or role he is portraying in this world. All the avataras of the
Lord can be found to be totally content irrespective of the good or bad situations that they
enter into. Whether it is Rama or Krishna or Siva or Vishnu or any other deity, all the forms
of Ishwara show us as to how to remain ever blissful in the external world – performing
activities in the world while remaining blissful at all times.
Ishwara’s grace
Though a seeker might try to implement Vedanta by remembering that Chit alone exists
here dispelling the unreal world completely, it still requires grace of God to implement it at
all times. Even gaining knowledge requires grace of Ishwara as without that we will be living
life amidst all the pleasures that the world offers to us rather than realizing the futility of
worldly pleasures and seeking the ultimate reality of Brahman. AMMA always gives the
example of two people attending an interview for a job. One person has all the proper
qualifications whereas the other person doesn’t have as much qualification or talent as the
first person. The first person does very good in interview whereas the second person doesn’t
do that good. Yet the first person loses out on the job whereas the second person gets the
job. This is due to Ishwara’s grace working for the second person rather than the first
person. Though ishwara’s grace is like the sun always showering its rays on people, still we
have to open the doors and windows of our heart in order to feel the presence of the grace
of the Lord. Thus grace of Lord can be attained through our good deeds and thoughts of
love and compassion towards other beings in the world remembering them to be one with
Chit. Whatever we give to the world, we will get it back. Thus living life remembering the
entire world to be filled with the Lord will make us feel the ever-present grace of the Lord
which will in turn give us knowledge and strength to remain ever established in knowledge
thereby making us ever rejoice in bliss.
Let this one sloka analysis of the beautiful work of Guru Devan inspire us to learn more
works of Guru Devan thereby making us ever abide in Chit and rejoice in bliss devoid of
sorrow in this very birth itself.
Charitham
Sree Narayana Guru

There are two types of jnaanis or realized people who tread this world. Though the presence
of both will always be beneficial to the world yet their external activities and the way they
implement knowledge in action is entirely different. One set of people are those who stick to
traditional values and dharmas as propounded in the dharma shastras – these people will be
established in knowledge and will set the stage for pious people to not just lead a pious life
but also achieve the ultimate goal of moksha. The second set of people are those who shed
aside all the rules set in dharma shastras and will be helping out suffering people in the
world in all ways possible. Even if it means the various laws set in dharma shastras or
during a particular period of time are violated still such masters will be willingly to help out
people.
It should be mentioned here that dharma shastras are different from Vedanta in that here
focus isn’t on Brahman but on leading a very pious or religious (though this word has been
corrupted quite a lot in recent times) life so that mind gets purified and sadhanas are
performed to tame or control or focus the mind – leading such a pious life will ultimately
help is apprehending knowledge when we get it from the Guru. But the problem here is with
respect to the various rules set during a particular time and no longer valid in today’s world
– this includes the varna ashram (based on birth) as well as gender bias. It is not our goal
here to either support or attack this – neither varna ashrama nor gender bias for knowledge
is mentioned anywhere in Vedanta and these are found only in dharma shastras like manu
smrithis, apasthamba sutras etc.
Thus the reach of such masters who base themselves on dharma shastras are very limited
(generally these are limited only to the sect of Brahmins). Today’s times call for realized
masters to help not just Brahmins or any sect of people but others as well without any
distinctions. We see this happening even in the various sankara mutts (who are staunch
dharma shastra followers) – acharyas like Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal of Kanchi are
striving to reach out to everyone irrespective of caste, creed etc.
One of the pioneer in eliminating discrimination differences based on birth is a master who
falls under the second type of realized masters – he is no other than Sree Narayana Guru
Devan. Many people know him only through the SNDP (Sree Narayana Dharma Paripaalana)
Yogam. People often forget that Sree Narayana was a staunch advaitin who was not just a
social service master but also an interpreter and author of Vedanta. Prof. G Balakrishnan
Nair’s two-volume set of the complete works of Sree Narayana Guru Devan is very popular
and the very fact that Prof. Balakrishnan Nair is writing adds great credibility to the works.
Sree Narayana Guru’s life history can be very easily found in many sites in the internet. Our
goal thus is not to analyze his life history at all but his message, the message of oneness –
the message of unity – the message of Advaita. A human obviously is known for his theories
or concepts that his very life – we don’t get anything by learning about the life of a master
(as the activities of a master might sound illogical to us and we may not be able to emulate
or imitate them in actions) but we can learn quite a lot by the concepts preached by the
master as we will be able to implement those concepts in our life.
One Caste, One Religion, One God

The words of caste, religion and god are so convoluted today that the “one” which qualifies
these three is forgotten while remembering Sree Narayana Guru Devan’s message. This
message isn’t based on caste, religion or god but the “one” eliminates all differences
thereby removing caste, religion and God thereby making oneness alone remain behind.
This oneness obviously negates duality completely – that which negates duality thereby has
to pervade duality (that is the way the perceived duality can be negated as just an illusion
in that oneness).
This oneness is preached in the very first words of the oldest Upanishad of Ishavasya
Upanishad thus:
Ishaavasyam idam sarvam yat kincha jagatyaam jagat

Tena tyakthena bhunjeethaah maa gridha kasyasviddhanam
Ishwara pervades this entire world, whatever is there as changing in this world; therefore
renounce differences and enjoy Ishwara as the substratum or reality of the differences;
therefore never covet anyone’s wealth (through seeing everything as Ishwara).
This vision of oneness or vision of truth where everything is seen as Ishwara is the ultimate
caste, it is the ultimate religion and it is the ultimate God too. Caste and religion are just
ways to attain God. God is one who is blissful and can give us that bliss. Of what use is a
blissful God who cannot give that bliss to us? Of what use is following a religion when we
cannot get bliss (the ultimate goal) from the religion?
Finding that religions and castes are fighting amongst each other in the name of God and
claiming themselves to be doing the activities or carrying out the orders of their God, Sree
Narayana Guru Devan not just followed and spread Vedanta but he showed to people
Vedanta in practical life and how Vedanta should be lived (not just kept in the mind). Many
people just learn Vedanta and keep repeating that “everything is Brahman” but when it
comes to meeting and interacting with diverse people of the world, Vedanta just vanishes.
And the lame reason given for this attitude is that dharma is there and we have to follow
dharma – didn’t Krishna himself say dharma should be followed? ☺What such “idiots” forget
is that Krishna’s first statement to Arjuna is that he isn’t the physical body (dharmas are for
the body and not for the Self – the Self has just one dharma which is to reveal itself through
sadhana and jnaana) and last statement is to renounce all dharmas and seek one Ishwara
alone.
Sree Narayana Guru Devan thus tried to remove all the wrong notions that the society had
at that time (and are still present today) through establishing Vedanta of oneness through
his words and his own life. Unfortunately many people grasp only the concept in their
intellect and don’t try to live it in their lives even as Vedantins learn Vedanta but don’t try to
live it in their lives.
Sree Narayana Guru Devan became a wanderer later in his life (he got married earlier due
to forcing from parents and thereby leaving his wife later). Wanderer or Parivraajakas are
those who don’t stay in one place but they roam around the entire world. These aren’t like
the various tourists who may tour around the entire world. Parivraajakas are those who
spread knowledge, bliss and good thoughts through their words, actions and very presence.
Sree Narayana Guru Devan was one such parivraajaka.
Many of his works are master pieces in Vedanta. Many are in Sanskrit and are vast works.
There are others which are short works spanning just few slokas. His works also are in
Malayalam where also he brings in concepts of Vedanta in its pure form rather than diluting
it to suit people of the world. This is where we find that a true master will not twist the truth
to fit his followers or the people he wants to help; instead such a true master will give truth
in its purest form through love so that even normal people will be able to not just appreciate
it but implement it in their lives very easily.
Sree Narayana Guru Devan once came to Tiruvannamalai and had interactions with Ramana
Maharshi. After this, he wrote the work of Nirvrithi Panchakam (five verses denoting
inactivity in its true sense). This itself speaks about his state of bliss and egoless-ness that
he was not just about to meet and spend time with another spiritual master but write words
speaking about the concepts followed by the other master.
Sree Narayana Guru Devan though not in physical presence yet exists even today in the
form of his concepts generated out of compassion which if implemented in our lives will not
only make us live very peacefully in the world (problems in the world will just vanish with
peaceful co-existence) but will make us ever rejoice in bliss in contemplation of the non-
dual reality of Brahman as the underlying reality of the illusory world of names and forms.
May this brief article serve as a way for us to learn his works and try to implement it in its
true sense in our actions so that we are able to create a peaceful world while ever rejoicing
in bliss.
Sanskritha shiksha
In this world, all places have an address. Unless a post-letter specifies the address
clearly with pincode and other details, it will not reach its destination.
Similarly, in Samskritam, a noun is known by its address which has many aspects. If we
know all the aspects, then we get to its destination of understanding the meaning of the
noun clearly. Some of them are:
• Gender ( il¼m! )
• Person ( pué;> )
• Number ( vcnm! )
• Ending letter of the noun ( ANt> )
• Case ( ivÉi´ )
• Verb root from which the noun is derived ( xatu )

• Type of noun
We have touched upon the first aspect in the last section. In this section, let us dive
deeper into the second and the third aspects.
PERSON ( pué;> )
In Samskritam, there are three persons.

1. First person: Known as uttama purusha. Refers to I, We two and We all. In
Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna calls the Consciousness within us as uttama
purusha which is experienced in everyone as 'I'. Hence grammar also adds to
this.
2. Second person: Known as madhyama purusha. Refers to You, You two and
You all.
3. Third person: Known as prathama purusha. Refers to all others (anyone or
anything other than the above two).
Please refer to the table given in the last section for the Samskritam words for the above.
NUMBER ( vcnm! )
Unlike in English, we have 3 numbers in Samskritam.

1. One
2. Two or Dual
3. Many
Refer to the table in the last section for the technical terms.
We will see some examples for the above, of words ending in the letter A which are
known in Samskritam as AkaraNt zBda> and which are prathama purusha. kar means
letter and ANt means end.
@kvcnm! iÖvcnm! b÷vcnm!
bal> balaE bala>
boy two boys many boys
$ñr> #ñraE #ñra>
god two gods many gods
Ët> ËtaE Ëta>

two many
messenger messengers messengers
pad> padaE pada>
leg two legs many legs
kIq> kIqaE kIqa>
worm two worms many worms
jIv> jIvaE jIva>
a jiva two jivas many jivas
EXERCISE
Just go through few words from Samskritam-English dictionary and read their
meanings. This is good since we will be able to learn new vocabulary.
PUZZLE - àheilka
%iCDò< izvinmaRLy< vmn< zvkpRqm!, kakivóasmuTpÚ> pÂEt=

e it pivÇka>.
This puzzle has two meanings, one is the literal meaning and the other refers to
something deeper.
Splitting
%iCDòm! izvinmaRLym! vmnm! zvkpRqm!, kakivóasmuTpÚ> pÂ @te Ait pivÇka>.
Literal Meaning (in the order of the words given in the verse)
left over; Lord Siva's nirmalyam or something used by Lord Siva or something given up
by Lord Siva; vomitted thing; cloth over dead body; that formed from the droppings of
a crow; five; these; very; pure or purifiers.
(All these seem to be highly impure, but they are said to be pure or purifiers. How?)
Inner Meaning
left over is milk (used by calf); Ganga (given up by Lord Siva); honey (vomitted by
honey bees); silk (is got from removing the dead silk worm which has woven silk
around itself and died); peepal tree (formed where droppings of crow are found). These
five are indeed considered very sacred and also found to purify others.
, nmSte,
Sanatana Dharma Sameeksha - snatn xmR smI]a

If we know the meaning of our name, each time our name is being called, we enjoy the
meaning and also unconsciously imbibe the qualities denoted by the name. In the
ancient times and now also, naming ceremony is very important and people think a lot
in selecting a name for their children.
Let us understand the meanings behind names of some Gods and Goddesses so that the
next time we hear their name, the meaning comes to our mind and we can enjoy more.
(Also we can choose good names for our children).
` or à[v
• AUM is the primordial sacred word that denotes nirguna Brahman.
• It is considered sacred because it represents God and since it is the first word that
came from Brahmaji's mouth.
• It consists of three syllables - A % m! . (when we pronounce any letter or word) The
first letter that comes from the mouth is A . All the other letters are produced by
twisting the tongue and mouth after opening the mouth (this is represented by the
letter %). All sounds or letters end with the closing of the mouth when the letter m! is
produced. Thus all letters (or words) are present in AUM. Or in other words, this
whole universe is present in AUM (all things have names and name is a combination
of letters and letters are present in AUM).
• Pranava is that through which the Supreme Truth or God is praised or worshipped.
Also pranava means that which is ever new (God or Consciousness). àk;e[
R nvm!
à[v>,
• Scientific explanation - all the stars, planets, galaxies etc are moving away from each
other at great speeds. The sound that comes from their movement is AUM and this
was seen in meditation by Sage Vishwamitra.
dev
• God or deity
• Divine
• One who is effulgent or shining or illumines others (in whose presence we come to
know of other things). *aetnat! dev>,
• Refers to Consciousness in whose awareness alone, the whole world gets existence
(in whose presence the whole world is known).
• Even mind, sense organs etc are devas because they illumine their respective
objects.
• One who has a shining glow or aura of spirituality around him or her (person of
good personality always attracts others due to his or her goodness).
maxv
• The Lord (xv) of Mahalakshmy Devi (ma) or Maya (ma) or Knowledge (ma).
(r)maya> xv> maxv>,

• One who was born in the Madhu clan (sub clan of the Yadhu clan).
kezv
• One having beautiful hair.
• One who killed the demon named keshi.
• One who manifested Brahmaji (ka) and Shivaji (isha).
• Hidden meaning - One who used to decorate the hairs of gopis.
gaepal
• gae means cow, earth, sense organs and the vedas. Gopala is the one who
protects these. As the cowherd boy, Krishna protected the cows and calves.
• The Lord is the master and caretaker of mother earth (since He is her husband).
• As Consciousness, the Lord lends sentiency to the sense organs.
• The Lord protected the Vedas which came out from Brahmaji's mouth and which
was taken away by the demon hayagriva. ga< palyit #it gaepal>,
mukN… d
• One who gives liberation from sorrow (and gives happiness). mui´< ddait #it
mukN… d>,
naray[
• Naara means water and ayana means resting place. Narayana is the one who rests
in water (ocean). nar> Ayn< ySy s> naray[>,
• Naara also means jiva. Hence Narayana is the resting place for all the jivas. nra[am!
Ayn< naray[>,
• Nara means human and ayana means goal. Narayana is the final goal or
destination of all human beings (everyone knowingly or unknowingly is
searching for God alone in and through all activities).
• Narayana is the Supreme Man who is the foundation for all human beings.
pavRtI
• The daughter of the King of mountains (parvata or himavan). pvRtSy ApTy< ôI pavRtI,
• Parvati is the consort of Lord Shiva and is strong in her devotion and strength
like the mountain. Parvati is naturally beautiful like the himavan or himalaya.
gayÇI
• One who protects (frees from sorrow once and for ever) those who chant or take her
name. gayNt< Çayte #it gayÇI,
Hope the journey through the various names was joy giving. We will continue this in
the next session. Till then KEEP SMILING.
Vedanta Pariksha
This month all questions are on Vedantic concepts. Choose the most appropriate answer
among the choices (as multiple answers might seem to be right yet not right).
1) What is defined as “unattached and unaffected”?

a) Karthaa
b) Saakshi
c) Indriya
d) Jeeva
2) Ishwara as the creator of the world is termed as
a) Praajna
b) Brahman
c) Hiranyagarbha
d) Naarayana
3) Choose the thatastha lakshanam of Brahman from below
a) Brahman is Sat Chit Anandam
b) Brahman is Adviteeya Satyam
c) Brahman is the adhistaanam (substratum) of the world
d) Brahman is One without a second
4) Avaccheda Vaadam (adjunct theory) means
a) Jeeva is reflection of Brahman
b) Jeeva is appearance of Brahman
c) Jeeva is Brahman alone
d) Jeeva is a seeming limitation of Brahman
5) When we perform the same action over and over again, we end up with
a) Kaama or Desire
b) Vaasana or latent tendency
c) Sukham or Happiness
d) Jnaanam or knowledge
6) Complete this – aartha, arthaarthi, jijnaasu, ---------
a) Bhaktha
b) Jnaani
c) Yogi
d) Prabhu
7) Brahman is known through knowledge alone.

a) True
b) False
8) Complete this scriptural statement – A person will be able to gain happiness without
knowing Deva (Brahman),
a) when the Self is realized
b) when surrendered unto Ishwara
c) when the person is able to fold space like a mat
d) never ever
9) Gita has most quotations (in a way copy or inspirational slokas) from
a) Brahma Sutra
b) Ishavasya Upanishad
c) Katha Upanishad
d) Kena Upanishad
10) Seeing milk and tasting milk – is similar to
a) Bhakthi and Ishwara
b) Jnaanam and Vijnaanam
c) Bandham and Moksha
d) Mumukshu and Jnaani
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) B (Kena Upanishad which has pada and vakya bhashyas)

2) C (Vishnu Sahasranama)
3) B (Lalitha Trishathi)
4) A, B and D
5) C (Vivekachoodamani)
6) B (Dasha Sloki)
7) C (Chitsukhi)
8) B (Hastaamalakeeya)
9) D (Sarva Vedanta siddhanta saara sangraha)
10) A (Ekasloki)
Scores
Aparna – 7.5
Sunanda – 8.5
Rajesh – 9.5
Ghatanaa
Holi
Holi is a festival which is celebrated in the northern parts of India. This is a festival where
people come together getting rid of all differences (even differences or man and woman)
and rejoice in bliss. This festival brings us to mind the plays of the Lord with his gopis. The
very visualization in our mind will give us immense bliss. In Holi, we don’t have the Lord per
se but we can see the Lord everywhere as anything that is blissful or gives happiness is but
an amsa of the Lord (or the Lord is present in that).
The world is filled with different kinds of people, places etc. The world is filled with duality or
differences. These differences are connected by the one entity of Brahman who is the
substratum of all of these. In a similar way, Holi is celebrated with many colors all of which
are connected by love and caring for one another. Here we don’t differentiate between our
friends or our enemies but we celebrate with everyone and the same way with everyone.
If we are able to see this Vedantic perspective of Holi and implement it in our day-to-day
life through showing our love and caring for everyone remembering them to be Brahman,
our life will be very colorful – colorful means it isn’t boring; it doesn’t give sorrow; it is
blissful; it is joyous; it always has new meanings and aspects; it has energy in it; it has
enthusiasm in it; it makes us go ahead with our lives in a blissful way.
Kumbha Mela
Kumbha Mela generally happens every 12 years in four places of Prayaag, Haridwar, Ujjain
and Nashik. This year Kumbha Mela is being celebrated in Haridwar. This is a festival where
many saints and devotees get together. Just two devotees of the Lord getting together itself
will give immense bliss to each other – the law of synergy applies with spiritual energy – the
more people, the more a seeker will be able to easily remember Ishwara. Thus such
festivals or fairs where many spiritual minds get together will in fact help not just the place
but the nearby place and even the entire country. Such fairs will uplift the spiritual strength
of the entire world and balance out all the evil-doings that are happening in the world.
Mata Parichayam
Dakshinamnaya Sri Sarada Peetham, Sringeri
Of the four Amnaya peethams established by Adi Shankaracharya, the peetham in the south
at Sringeri is the first of the four. A great sage Rishyashringa stayed and performed tapas
for long time in this place called Sringeri and through the presence of many such great
saints, this place is very holy and a divine place.
Adi Shankaracharya, after removing the non-vedic traditions from the country travelled
around the country in order to establish centers to spread the traditional Vedic knowledge.
When the acharya came to Sringeri he witnessed a wonderful and unusual scene. Near the
banks of the Tunga, he saw a Cobra spreading out its hood during a mid-day in order to
provide shadow to a pregnant frog which was in labor pain. On seeing this unusual sight,
Acharya realized the sanctity and holiness of this place and decided to establish the first
Peetham at this place of Sringeri.
Acharya established the peetham and invoked Goddess Sharada, the Goddess of
Knowledge, and consecrated an icon for the Goddess. He made Sri Sureshwaracharya as the
first Acharya of the Peetham. He also taught the traditional vedic knowledge to the virtuous
people of Sringeri and thus from then on this Peetham became one of the prime centers for
the knowledge of the Vedas. This peetham came to be known as the Dakshinmaya Sri
Sharada Peetham.
After Sri Sureshwaracharya there is unbroken continuity of great acharyas, who were the
torch bearers of the tradition of Adi Shankaracharya. These great acharyas continued the
tradition of learning the Vedas in the right way not only just learning the scriptures from
their Guru, but also lived an austere life, performed all the religious activities they are
supposed to do thus being a role model for the entire world. The Peetham also became one
of the great places to learn the Shastra by the clear and lucid communication based on the
Adi Shankaracharya’s tradition by the great acharyas of the Peetham. Many acharyas wrote
commentaries to the Shastras, commentaries to Shankara bhashyas and Shankaracharya’s
independent works, many independent advaitic works like Drig-Drishya-Viveka, Panchadasi
etc and also many devotional hymns like Guru paduka stotram etc. This peetham also came
to be known as Vyakhyana Simhasana, The Throne of Transcendental Wisdom.
During the time of Jagadguru Sri Vidyaranya, the 13th Pontiff of the Sringeri Peetham, the
Peetham was guiding the Vijayanagar empire which was ruling the place during that time.
The king of the vijayanagar empire was so devoted to Vidyaranya Swami he requested him
to guide the emperor even in the administrative works. Vidyaranya Swami accepted the
request and he also took care of the administration of the empire by guiding the King on top
of being the Jagadguru of the Peetham. Subsequently, the acharya came to be known as
Karnataka Simhasana Prathisthapanacharya and peetham is came to be known till today as
Mahasamsthanam, Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham at Sringeri.
The life of the acharyas of the recent past as known from the successor acharyas and the
devotees are very inspiring and will ever stay in the heart of the disciples. Jagadguru Sri
Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati mahaswamigal, re-discovered Adi
Shankaracharya’s birth place Kaaladi and also established the Pathashala in Sringeri; very
well renowned Jivan mukhta Jagadguru Sri Chandrashekara Bharati Mahaswamigal;
followed by a great Yogi Jagadguru Sri Abhinava vidyartirtha mahaswamigal who got
Sanyasa at the tender age of 14; and now Jagadguru Sri Bharati Tirtha mahaswaigal.
Jagadguru Shri Abhinava Vidyathirtha Mahaswamigal
Jagadguru Shri Abhinava Vidyathirtha Mahaswamigal was the 35th Pontiff of Sringeri
Sharada Peetham. He was great Yogi and his life is a very inspiring and valuable lesson to
the seekers of liberation.
Mahaswamigal was born in 13/11/1917 in Bangalore to Kaipu Rama shastrigal and

Venkatalakshmi ammal as their first son. He was named Srinivasan. Right from his birth,
Srinivasan was very much devoted to the Lord and had control over his senses. When in
childhood, he used to help his mother with her household duties. Srinivasan was very
compassionate and courageous right from this childhood. Once, father of one of friends was
beating his friend for not scoring good marks in his school. The beatings were so severe that
Srinivasan heard the cry of his friend and he hurried to his friends’ house. He said to his
friend’s father that nobody can ever bear such hard beatings and asked him to give him
some break and until then Srinivasan asked his friends father to beat him. On hearing such
words, his friend’s father felt bad and stopped beating him.
During that time Jagadguru Sri Chandrashekara Bharati Mahaswamigal was the Pontiff of
the peetham. Srinivasan, by the grace of the Lord, became dear to this great Mahatma. He
made special arrangements to bring Srinivasan to Sringeri and also conducted Upanayanam
in Sringeri itself. The Upanayanam happened on 4/5/1930. After upanayanam Srinivasan
stayed in the Peetham for the study of scriptures as Brahmachari. Jagadguru Sri
Chandrashekara Bharati Mahaswamigal used to spend lot of time with Srinivasan explaining
about the importance of vairagyam and importance of controlling the senses and mind and
focusing on the goal of Atman. He also explained the Srinivasan difference between the life
of Sanyasa and life of Grihastha and also explained the importance of Sanyasa. On hearing
all these words of his Acharya, Srinivasan so convinced that he at once decided that life of
Girhastha is not the right way.
At the tender age of 14, Jagadguru Sri Chandrashekara Bharati Mahaswamigal gave
Sanyasa diksha to Srinivasan and named him Abhinava Vidyathirtha. He also announced
that Sri Abhinava Tirtha will be the next Pontiff of the Peetham after him. The
paramacharya was always very much interested in the progress of this young Sanyasi. Sri
Abhinava Vidyathirtha Mahaswamigal started learning the Nyaya shastra and became an
expert on the Shastra very soon. He also became well versed in Sanskrit and Mimamsa as
well. Whenever there are any doubts on Mimamsa in the minds of his co-students, he used
to clear those doubts properly. Paramacharya was so happy to see the progress of acharya
(Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamigal). Later, the acharya started learning the Vedanta
Shastram directly from the Paramacharya.
The acharya had expertise in many languages. He had such an expertise in Sanskrit that he
can read, write and speak flawlessly in Sanskrit. After our Indian independence in 1954, the
first President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad came to the Peetham to get the darshan of the
Paramacharya. During the time of their meet, the Acharya was instrumental in helping the
President to get the darshan of the Paramacharya. Whatever paramacharya told in Sanskrit,
he would translate it in hindi to the president and whatever the president told in hindi he
would translate that in Sanskrit. This made both the president and Paramacharya happy.
In the same year, Paramacharya attained Mahasamadhi. The acharya became very sad, but
still he never stopped doing his regular activities of the Peetham. On 16/10/1954, the
acharya took the responsibility as the Peetham’s Jagadguru. After becoming the Jagadguru
of the Peetham for almost a year and a half, the acharya stayed in the Peetham meditating
on his Guru. Later as per the request of his disciples, he decided to go for Vijaya Yatra. So
in 1956, the acharya went on Yatra from Kanyakumari to Himalaya. He made many such
Yatras in the following years.
Acharya being an expert in multiple languages used to give discourses in the language of
the sate whichever he visits. His words will be very clear and beautiful that those words will
directly go into the mind of the disciples clearly. Even the most difficult subject the acharya
would explain very clearly that they would be understood easily. Such was the clarity and
expertise the acharya had in communicating the Scriptures.
The acharya made lot of advancements in the Peetham. Before, there was only one guest
room for the guests coming to the Peetham. Later he built many guest rooms and named it
Shankara Kripa, Shankara Niketan, Jayashakara Niketan, Sharada Niketan, and bharati
vihar. He also built a huge Go-shala (place where cows are maintained) and Gaja-shala
(place where elephants are maintained). Also outside the Peetham, he also started many
Mutt branches, dharmashalas and pathashalas.
Sitaram Anjaneyalu (purvashrama name of Jagadguru Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamigal) left
his house and came to the the Peetham in 1966. He was a very illustrious brahmachari in
the Peetham and became very dear to the Acharya. The acharya was so compassionate to
tell him about all the sadhanas he did in after his Sanyasa and through that he found the
opportunity to teach those sadhanas to Sitaram Anjaneyalu. He gave sanyasa diksha to
Sitaram Anjaneyalu in the year 1974 and named him Bharati Tirtha. The acharya used to
tell him always that while studying mind should never think of anything else but the study
matter. If it goes out and sticks to some object of the world, the study will not go to the
mind and later even after studying everything there will not be any benefit from the studies.
Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamigal attained Videha mukti on 21/9/1989.
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. Charitham – brief life-history of a Mahatma
11. Sanskritha Shiksha – few simple and useful lessons of Sanskrit (useful to learn
Vedanta)
12. Sanaathana Dharma Sameeksha – a look at concepts of Saanathana Dharma
13. Vedanta Pariksha – Q & A
14. Ghatanaa – days of spiritual significance in the month
15. Mata Parichayam – knowing a mutt
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 Mar 10

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AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA VEDANTA DARSHANAM Mar 10

AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA

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

Sanatana Dharma Sameeksha - snatn xmR smI]a ...................................................................................... 44

Vedanta Pariksha ........................................................................................................................................ 47

Chaithanyam shaasvatham shaantham vyomaatheetham niranjanam

He who is Consciousness, eternal, peaceful, beyond space, taintless, beyond naada-kalaa-

Eternal, peaceful and taintless

Tad viddhi pranipaathena pariprashnena sevayaa

Nirgunam nirmalam shaantham jangamam sthirameva cha

Sa pithaa sa cha me maathaa sa bandhuh sa cha devathaa

Guru as the eternal support

Three types of actions

Overcoming the bondage of action

Ishwara arpitham na icchayaa kritham

Yat karoshi yat ashnaasi yat juhoshi dadaasi yat

Shubha ashubha phalairevam mokshyase karma bandhanaih

Knowledge and its place in action

Sarvam karma akhilam paartha jnaane parisamaapyathe

Knowledge in overcoming bondage of action

Thus remembrance of Ishwara or knowledge of Ishwara as the all-pervasive non-dual

Patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhakthyaa prayacchathi

What about bad actions?

Api chetsuduraachaaro bhajathe maam ananyabhaak

Api chedasi paapebhyah sarvebhyah paapakrittamah

If remembering Ishwara, then why bad actions are performed?

Remembrance of non-dual reality of Lord at all times – way out of action

Vivekachoodamani rises above introductory works in that it explains concepts logically as

Durlabham trayam eva etat daivaanugraha hethukam

Samatvam Yogam – Vision of equanimity or oneness is Yoga

Same in all beings

True vision -> eternal bliss

As explained earlier, this Upanishad consists of just 18 slokas. Since it is a samhitopanishad

Ishavasyam idam sarvam yat kincha jagatyaam jagat

Sarva vyaaptha Chaitanyam

Remembrance or constant contemplation is the implementation of this truth in our lives.

Enjoy through renunciation

Jneyah sa ntyasanyaasi yo na dveshthi na shochathi

Do actions remembering Ishwara

Sorrow – experience of a person who doesn’t remember Ishwara

Text and English commentary

Raga Shubhapantuvarali is the 45th Melakartha raga.

Some of the common sancharas are N S R G M G-R S, M P D P M G-R S, P D N D P M G-R S.

Mokshamu galada -- Tyagaraja Krithi

mōkṣamu galadā bhuvilō jīvan muktulu kāni vāraluku

sākṣātkāra nī sad-bhakti sangīta jnāna vihīnulaku

prāṇānala sam-yōgamu valla praṇava nādamu sapta svaramulai paraga

vīṇā vādana lōludau 5śiva manō vidhamerugaru tyāgarāja vinuta

Chit Jada Chinthanam

Oru kodi divaakararotthuyarum

Shining like thousand suns

Gaudapada acharya says in Mandukya Karika thus:

Ever shining Chit

Sree Narayana Guru

One Caste, One Religion, One God

Ishaavasyam idam sarvam yat kincha jagatyaam jagat

• Ending letter of the noun ( ANt> )

• Verb root from which the noun is derived ( xatu )

In Samskritam, there are three persons.

Unlike in English, we have 3 numbers in Samskritam.

letter and ANt means end.

@kvcnm! iÖvcnm! b÷vcnm!

bal> balaE bala>