[Advaita-l] YogAmRRitaM by R. Visvanatha Sastri - 10

[V. Krishnamurthy]

Namaste

vyomAtItamidaM sarvaM mano vai gaganAkRRiti .
j~nAnaM yathAkAsha-kalpaM tathA brahmAdi devatAH .. 111 ..

 Space pervades everything. Mind is like space.  All
knowledge is an effect on this mind-space – even Gods  like
BrahmA.     ( Can some one suggest a better translation
than this? – V.K.)
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manaH prashamanopAyo yoga ityabhidhIyate .
Atmaikya-j~nAnayogasya sApta-bhUmikamuchyate .. 112 ..

The process of stilling the mind is called yoga. For the
yoga of Atmaikya-jnAna, there are seven steps. 

Note by VK: The several shlokas (a hundred or so) that
follow dwell on these seven steps. I think the author’s
source for these seven steps is  the fifth chapter of
“Mahopanishad” which mentions these seven steps.  I have
heard him say that of all the 108 Upanishads “Mahopanishad”
is  his most favourite Upanishad.
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yoga-bhUmi-samArUDhAH brahmAtmaikatva-darshinaH .
AtmArAmA mahAtmAnaH daivIM prakRRitimAshritAH .. 113 ..

niyataM karma kurvantaH pUrvAchAra-kramAgataM .
svaprakAshA yogavidaH mahAnto bhAskarA iva .. 114 ..

The(se)  great souls (who have ascended the seven steps)  
are well established in yoga. They have the vision of the
Oneness of the Atman and brahman. They rejoice in the glory
of the Atman. They are endowed with the daivI prakRRiti 
(of the Gita).  They do the duties prescribed for them
according to the norms  of tradition. They are a Light unto
themselves. They are the ones who know about yoga . 
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ekabhAvaj~nAnasyaiva sAtvikatvAt tat-pratipAdakatvAcca
gItAyAH etatpratibandhakAtmaka-manasaH  shAntiH yathA
sAdhyate tatsAdhanameva yoga ityuchyate . vastutaH manaH
gaganAkRRiti tathApi svasya gaganAkAratAM vihAya
tadAropita-vyApArAsaktaM yadA bhavati tadA
tatprashamanArthaM yatnaH Avashyako bhavati . gaganAkAraM
manaH cidambarajyotireva amanaskaM ..

In fact the space-like character of the mind is traded by
the mind for mundane attachments.  It is to reverse this
behaviour of the mind that effort is necessary. The
knowledge of Oneness is so subtle  that this character of
the mind is an obstacle to that knowledge. The effort made
to remove the obstacle nature of the mind is called yoga.
When the mind is stilled, the space-like mind becomes the
great effulgence of the space of Consciousness.
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dehAtpravrajanAkhyeti prathamA bhUmikochyate .
na tvevAhamiti shloke dehapravrajanaM smRRitaM ..115 ..

The exit from the body-thought is said to be the First step
(‘bhUmikA’).  The shloka ‘na tvevAhaM’ (in the very
beginning of the 2nd ch. of the Gita) reminds us of this
First step.

Note:  In mahopanishad, the first bhUmikA is mentioned as:
The right desire that arises on the basis of dispassion 
(‘vairAgya-pUrvam-icchA’). The author’s paraphrase of this
as ‘The exit from the body-thought’ is characteristic of
the esoteric way in which he reads and understands all the
scriptures – including epics like the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata.   Some of the the other bhUmikAs also are, in
a sense, differently worded  from the ones listed in the
Upanishad.
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nAhaM dehendriyAdIti dehAdvyutthAnamiShyate .
cidAtmani sadAnande dehArUDhAmahaMdhiyaM .. 116 ..

The conviction that ‘I am neither the body nor the senses’
is considered as ‘exit’ from the body. The ‘I’-thought here
should be on the Consciousness-Bliss, that is the Atman,
instead of on the body. 
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niveshya li~NgamutsRRijya kaivalyapadamAshritaH .
AkAsha-sadRRishe pUrNe yu~njetAtmAnamomiti .. 117 ..

Discarding even the subtle body, and ‘sitting’ in that
platform of kaivalya, one unifies himself with the Atman,
with the fullness like that of Space.
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divyadRRiShTyA pravrajitaH kuryAt pArAyaNAdikA .
saccidrUpasya nityatvaM anyeShAm cApyanityatA .. 118 ..

Having exited by this divine illumination, keep doing  all
your karmas like pArAyaNa etc. that remind you of the
eternity of Consciousness and the ephemerality of all else.

Note by VK:  I have observed my father was doing all his
ritualistic pUjas and pArAyaNas  meticulously till the last
day of his life.
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saccidrUpA vayaM sarve deha-prANa vilakShaNAH .
saccidrUpe hyavasthAnaM dehapravrajanAt paraM .. 119 ..

Once having exited from the body-thought, we should remain
in the awareness of that Consciousness – which is our real
Nature. It is totally different from the body or the
accessory prANas.
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avinAshi ca tadrUpaM yena sarvamidaM tataM .
videhAshca vayaM sarve acchhedyatvAdilakShaNaH .. 120 ..

That real nature and form of ours is imperishable. It is
that which permeates everywhere. Our form has no body, it
has the characteristics like ‘uncuttable ..’ etc.
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dehAdyaiH sahasaM jAtaH dehAdiShvabhimAninaH .
mRRityugrastA ime sarve ato vyutthAnamiShyate .. 121 ..

We were born with the body and the senses; and we are
attached to them. But all of them are in the grip of death.
That is why we have to ‘exit’ from them. 
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aprameyaM svasvarUpaM tanniShTo na hi muhyati .
ahaM mameti yo mohaH deha-bhrAntyA kRRito hi saH .. 122 ..

One who is established in  the immeasurable Self has no
delusions. The delusion of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’ arises because of
the ‘I am-the-body’ thought.
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gacchhAmi tiShTAmIti dehe ahaMbhAvanA mama dehaH
indriyANIti mamatva-bhAvanA tatra tatra abhimAnaH sArvA
janInaH evaM dehArUDhAM dhiyaM dehAdibhyaH pratinivartya
cidambara-svarUpAtmA ahameva
sthUla-sUkShmakAraNadeha-vilakShaNo.ahaM mahAn vyApI
pratyakcidambarajyotirahaM iti bhAva-dArDhyameva dehAt
pravrajanaM . etadeva prathamataH saMpAdya anantaraM
gRRihAt pravrajanti prAcInAH vidvAmsaH AvashyakaM
bhavedyadi tadapi deho.ahamiti buddhireva
mahAsaMsAramityuktatvAt dehendriyAdiShu vairAgyaM yama iti
aShTA~Ngayogasya prathama-bhUtatvAt eShA buddhiH Adau
abhyasanIyA .  etadarthameva karmAdi vihitaM .
dehabhrAnti-parityAgapUrvaM asmAt dRRishya-jAtAt samutthAya
parajyotiH prapattiH tattAdAtmyabhAvasthitireva
videha-muktiryA shAstreShu pratipAdyate saiva mAmekaM
akhaNDaM vyApakaM sharaNaM vrajeti
antimashlokokta-tanniShTatAkhya-yogamAroDhuM 
prathama-sopAnaM upadeshArambha eva dvitIyAdhyAye gItaM .. 

Synopsis: What does it mean to ‘exit’ from the body?  The
thought ‘I  am doing’,  ‘I am going’, ‘I am standing’ etc.
is the ‘I-thought’.  The thought ‘This is my body’, ‘These
are my senses’ etc. is the ‘Mine-thought’. All  mortals
have these two thoughts.  Rescinding them if one is
immersed  in the conviction  that ‘I am Conscious-Bliss’, 
that will be  ‘exit’ from the body-thought.  This is the
first step to be achieved in the Atmaikya-j~nAna yoga. Even
in ashTAnga yoga, it is control of the senses (‘yama’) that
is given  as the first step.  It is for this ‘exit’ from
the body-thought that karmas have been ordained.  It is
directly in tune with the final teaching of the Gita where
one is required to surrender everything of his to the
Absolute. And the first step is therefore enunciated as
‘deha-pravrajanaM’ (exit from the body thought) right in
the 2nd chapter of the Gita.
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Atmaikya-j~nAna-viduShAM na shoko moha eva vA .
akhaNDastvaM mahAn bhUmA kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 123 ..

asaddeho vinAshIti adehastvaM ca svAkRRitiH .
tejasvI cAprameyo.asi kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 124 ..

janigatyAdihIno.asi ShaDvikAra-vivarjitaH .
nityaH sarvagataH sthANuH kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 125 ..

jAtasya hi dhruvo mRRityuH tvaM na jAtaH kadAcana . 
anAdikAla-siddho.asi kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 126 ..

mathyate.amRRitasAraM yat vyAvahArika-vaibhave .
amRRitodadhi-rUpasya kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 127 ..

na vadhyastvaM na hantAsi j~nAnAkArasvarUpataH .
tripuTyabhAnAtpUrNo.asi kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 128 ..
yadRRicchhayA pUrva-bhAgyAt upapannastavAhavaH .
labdha-yuddhAvakAshastvaM kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 129 ..

brAhmaNAnAM tu yo nityaH mahimA tava ceritaH .
bhakto.asi me sakhA ceti kA hAnishca tavAhave .. 130 ..

Synopsis: What do you lose by fighting? There is no sorrow
or delusion for one who has the Atmaikya-j~nAna. Your
reality is the vast expanse. You are the Immeasurable
Reality. It is the non-real body that perishes. You are
beyond birth and death and the six vikAras.  He who is born
has to die; but You have been there from eternity. Even in
the midst of mundane happenings like the turbulences of the
wave only the ocean remains. You cannot be killed nor are
you the killer. Devoid of the trinity of Satva, Rajas and
Tamas, you are the Fullness. By your good fortune this
opportunity of war has emerged.  The glory of those who
know brahman is also with you.  You are my devotee and
friend.  What do you lose by fighting?
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svadharma-bhUta-yuddha-karaNAt pApasaMbhavaH AgamiShyatIti
yA bhrAntiH sA dehAbhimAna-kRRitA .
anAdikAla-vAsanAja-bhrAntiH dhIreNa savyasAcinA
parihartavyA . sharIrendriyAdi-ceShTayA
cidAkAsha-bhUtastvaM kathaM spRRishyate .
vAcistha-agni-shabdAt dahyate kiM . sUrya-prabhA yathA
spraShTuM na shakyate tathaiva tava svarUpamapi . ataH
svasvarUpaM samyak vij~nAya anubhUyatAm yuddhAdi-kAryeShu .
tasmAdyuddhasveti punaruktirapi AtmanaH
sarvakAryAspRRiShTatvaM dRRiDhayati . vihitaananuShTAnAt
pAtityaM shrutavatA tvayA kathaM tatparityaktuM prayatyate
. kutastvA kashmalamiti etAdRRishamahAviduSho
bhAgyashAlinaH tava mauDhyaM sarvathA na sama~njasaM .. 

Synopsis:  The War came up because of the need to protect
dharma. But your argument that sin will accrue to you is
based on your attachment to yourself as Arjuna. By saying
‘fire’ the tongue does not get burnt. By doing your war
with the clear conviction that you are not the body, mind,
etc., how can anything touch you? 
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PraNAms to all the advaitins on this list and to my father.
profvk


Prof. V. Krishnamurthy
New on my  website, particularly for beginners in Hindu philosophy:

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Free will and Divine will - a dialogue:
http://www.geocities.com/profvk/HNG/FWDW.html