[Advaita-l] Structured approach in studying Advaita

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste,

//

For one whose goal is to become Atmavit knowledge of Sanskrit is not
at all required.The Truth about one's TRUE NATURE /ATMAN can be conveyed in
one's own mother tongue . What is required is the presence and guidance of a maunaguru who has realized or knows what he is teaching. Finally Atman is
not in books or in Sanskrit language. It is within you and is prior to the
formulation of doctrines.

   DO YOU WANT TO BE A KNOWER OF SHASTRA
                                   OR
   DO YOU WANT TO BE A KNOWER OF ATMAN?



//





 

These are the post-neovedantic  statements that

are detrimental to the sampradAya.   


 

Srimad Ramayana reverberates with the concept of 

sadAchAra, sAstra adhyayana, tapas & svAdhyAya.  

 

The 1st kANDa itself starts with the enquiry into the 

vAkya “tapas svAdhyAya nirtataM….” And svAdhyAya

means intense study of sva-veda shAkha along with

its limbs.  This svAdhyAya should
be accompanied

with tapas then only the pUrNatva is achieved.  

Among the virtues of Bhagavan Ramachandra, 

One of them is “vAngmi” that implies whose 

Speech or vAk is purified with the study of

vyAkaraNa.   Another virtue is “suchiH”
that

implies who is pure internally as well as externally

with the performance of nitya / naimittika 

karmAs.   Another virtue is
vEdavEdAngatattvajnaH.

Which implies, one who has studied veda & its limbs.

Another virtue is vichakShaNaH. 
Which implies

Who is an expert in dharma-adharma rahasyas ie.,

Who has studied the mimAmsa darshaNa. 
 

 

In the entire rAmAyaNa, adherence to sandhyA upAsana

and sAstra adhyayana is almost repeated 15-20 times 

and Bhagavan Ramachandra is described to have

undergone this tapas & svadhyAya. 
This is what

Sage Valmiki wanted to convey to the posterity.  

 

In Kishkindha Kanda, when the great jnAni Anjaneya

meets Rama, Sage Valmiki depicts the wonderful

Scene who a student should conduct himself 

In front his acharya.  

 

////

 

nAn Rgveda viniitasya
nAnyajurveda dhaariNaH 

nAsaama veda viduSaH shakyam evam vibhaaSitum 

 

nUnam vyakaraNam kRitsnam
anena bahudhA shrutaM 

bahu vyaaharatA anena na kinchit apa shabditaM

 

//

 

Ramachandra with his
inherent knowledge of vyAkaraNa,

Has identified Acharya
Hanuman even though he

Came in a disguised
form of a sanyAsi to test Rama.

 

The speech of Hanuman
was so purified with the 

Knowledge of sanskrit
vyAkaraNa that Hanuman

Never faltered in his
flow of words.  

 

He studied Rg Veda,
Yajurveda & Samaveda.  

Apart from this, He
studied vyAkaraNa, nirukta &

Chandas & shikSha.

 

Hanuman’s body
language & expressions were

So perfect while
conducting himself before Bhagavan Rama

That even Rama praises
those wonderful qualities that

Come out of studies
the sAstras.  

 

//

na mukhe netrayoH ca api
lalaaTe cha bhruvoH tathaa 

anyeSu api cha sarveSu doSaH sa.mviditaH kvachit   //

 

//

avistaram asa.ndigdham
avilambitam avyatham 

uraHstham kaNThagam vaakyam vartate madhyame svaram

 

//

 

Lord Hanuman’s speech
is said to be unfaltered, undoubtful,

Undelaying which is in
the madhyama svara. 

 

//

sa.mskaara krama sa.mpannaam
adbhutaam avilambitaam 

uccaarayati kalyaaNiim vaacham hR^idaya harSiNiim

 

//

 

The speech of Hanuman
is refined (samskAra krama) which

Implies Hanuman spoke
in Sanskrit that was refined with

shikSha &
vyAkaraNa.  

 

//

 

anayaa chitrayaa
vaachaa tristhaana vya.njanasthayaaH 

kasya na aaraadhyate chittam udyat ase areH api

 

//

 

Hanuman speaks the
sanskrit that originates from him 

 

In 3 different places.  

 

//////////////////

 

Maharishi Valmiki
depicts here how a sishyA should behave 

Himself before the
Acharya.  

Further to this, Sankara in sOpAna panchakaM advices us 
to perform svAdhyAya (vEdO nityaM adhIyatAM....).  
And Veda Adhyayana implies study of veda alongwith the 
veda bhAshya.  

On a lighter note:
Kanchi Mahaperiyaval during His discourses always urged to learn deva bhAsha. 
During his lighter moments, he once said that if the virtuous person without learningthe dEva bhASha, after passing away, when goes to heaven, Lord Indra first enquireswhen this person is well-versed in sanskrit or not.  If he is not, Indra prohibits himfrom entering into heaven as the language spoken in heaven is sanskrit only.  The gatekeeper of heaven kick the person away from heaven.  

Though, this should not be taken literally, this episode is told to emphasize the importanceof dEva bhAsha.  

No more to this thread.
sriram