Invocation

Is there any way of adoring the Supreme which is all, except by abiding firmly as That!

1

Disciple: Master! what is the means to gain the state of eternal bliss, ever devoid of misery?

Master: Apart from the statement in the Vedas that wherever there is a body there is misery, this is also the direct experience of all people; therefore, one should enquire into one’s true nature which is ever bodiless, and one should remain as such. This is the means to gaining that state.

2

D: What is meant by saying that one should enquire into one’s true nature and understand it?

M: Experiences such as, ‘I went; I came; I was; I did’ come naturally to everyone. From these experiences, does it not appear that the consciousness ‘I’ is the subject of those various acts? Enquiry into the true nature of that consciousness, and remaining as oneself is the way to understand, through enquiry, one’s true nature.

3

D: How is one to enquire ‘Who am I?’

M: Actions such as ‘going’ and ‘coming’ belong only to the body. And so, when one says, ‘I went, I came’, it amounts to saying that the body is ‘I’. But, can the body be said to be the consciousness ‘I’, since the body was not before it was born, is made up of the five elements, is nonexistent in the state of deep sleep, and becomes a corpse when dead? Can this body which is inert like a log of wood be said to shine as ‘I-I’? Therefore, the ‘I-consciousness’ which at first arises in respect of the body is referred to variously as self-conceit (tarbodham), egoity (ahankara), nescience (avidya), maya, impurity (mala), and individual soul (jiva). Can we remain without enquiring into this? Is it not for our redemption through enquiry that all the scriptures declare that the destruction of ‘self-conceit’ is release (mukti)? Therefore, making the corpse-body remain as a corpse, and not even uttering the word ‘I’, one should enquire keenly thus: “Now, what is it that rises as ‘I’?” Then, there would shine in the Heart a kind of wordless illumination of the form ‘I-I’. That is, there would shine of its own accord the pure consciousness which is unlimited and one, the limited and the many thoughts having disappeared. If one remains quiescent without abandoning that (experience), the egoity, the individual sense, of the form ‘I am the body’ will be totally destroyed, and at the end the final thought, viz., the ‘I-form’ also will be quenched like the fire that burns camphor.¹ The great sages and scriptures declare that this alone is release.

4

D: When one enquires into the root of ‘self-conceit’ which is of the form ‘I’, all sorts of different thoughts without number seem to rise; and not any separate ‘I’ thought.

M: Whether the nominative case, which is the first case, appears or not, the sentences in which the other cases appear have as their basis the first case; similarly, all the thoughts that appear in the Heart have as their basis the egoity which is the first mental mode ‘I’, the cognition of the form ‘I am the body’; thus, it is the rise of egoity that is the cause and source of the rise of all other thoughts; therefore, if the self-conceit

¹ That is, without leaving any sediment.

of the form of egoity which is the root of the illusory tree of samsara (bondage consisting of transmigration) is destroyed, all other thoughts will perish completely like an uprooted tree. Whatever thoughts arise as obstacles to one’s sadhana (spiritual discipline), the mind should not be allowed to go in their direction, but should be made to rest in one’s Self which is the Atman; one should remain as witness to whatever happens, adopting the attitude ‘Let whatever strange things happen, happen; let us see!’ This should be one’s practice. In other words, one should not identify oneself with appearances; one should never relinquish one’s Self. This is the proper means for destruction of the mind (manonasa) which is of the nature of seeing the body as Self, and which is the cause of all the aforesaid obstacles. This method which easily destroys egoity deserves to be called devotion (bhakti), meditation (dhyana), concentration (yoga), and knowledge (jnana). Because God remains of the nature of the Self, shining as ‘I’ in the Heart, because the scriptures declare that thought itself is bondage, the best discipline is to stay quiescent without ever forgetting Him (God, the Self), after resolving in Him the mind which is of the form of the ‘I-thought’, no matter by what means. This is the conclusive teaching of the scriptures.

5

D: Is enquiry the only means for removal of the false belief of selfhood in the gross body, or is it also the means for removal of the false belief of selfhood in the subtle and causal bodies?

M: It is on the gross body that the other bodies subsist. In the false belief of the form ‘I am the body’ are included all the three bodies consisting of the five sheaths. And destruction of the false belief of selfhood in the gross body is itself the destruction of the false belief of selfhood in the other bodies.

So enquiry is the means to removal of the false belief of selfhood in all the three bodies.

6

D: While there are different modifications of the internal organ, viz., manas (reflection), buddhi (intellect), chitta (memory) and ahankara (egoity), how can it be said that the destruction of the mind alone is release?

M: In the books explaining the nature of the mind, it is thus stated: “The mind is formed by the concretion of the subtle portion of the food we eat; it grows with the passions such as attachment and aversion, desire and anger; being the aggregate of mind, intellect, memory and egoity, it receives the collective singular name ‘mind’; the characteristics that it bears are thinking, determining, etc.; since it is an object of consciousness (the self), it is what is seen, inert; even though inert, it appears as if conscious because of association with consciousness (like a red-hot iron ball); it is limited, non-eternal, partite, and changing like lac, gold, wax, etc.; it is of the nature of all elements (of phenomenal existence); its locus is the Heart-lotus, even as the loci of the sense of sight, etc., are the eyes, etc.; it is the adjunct of the individual soul; thinking of an object, it transforms itself into a mode, and along with the knowledge that is in the brain, it flows through the five sense-channels, gets joined to objects by the brain (that is associated with knowledge), and thus knows and experiences objects and gains satisfaction. That substance is the mind.” Even as one and the same person is called by different names according to the different functions he performs, so also one and the same mind is called by the different names: mind, intellect, memory, and egoity, on account of the difference in the modes — and not because of any real difference. The mind itself is of the form of all, i.e., of soul, God and world; when it becomes of the form of the Self through knowledge there is release, which is of the nature of Brahman: this is the teaching.

7

D: If these four — mind, intellect, memory and egoity — are one and the same why are separate locations mentioned for them?

M: It is true that the throat is stated to be the location of the mind, the face or the heart of the intellect, the navel of the memory, and the Heart or sarvanga of the egoity; though differently stated thus yet, for the aggregate of these, that is the mind or internal organ, the location is the Heart alone. This is conclusively declared in the scriptures.

8

D: Why is it said that only the mind which is the internal organ, shines as the form of all, that is of soul, God and world?

M: As instruments for knowing the objects the sense organs are outside, and so they are called outer senses; and the mind is called the inner sense because it is inside. But the distinction between inner and outer is only with reference to the body; in truth, there is neither inner nor outer. The mind’s nature is to remain pure like ether. What is referred to as the Heart or the mind is the collocation of the elements (of phenomenal existence) that appear as inner and outer. So there is no doubt that all phenomena consisting of names and forms are of the nature of mind alone. All that appear outside are in reality inside and not outside; it is in order to teach this that in the Vedas also all have been described as of the nature of the Heart. What is called the Heart is no other than Brahman.

9

D: How can it be said that the Heart is no other than Brahman?

M: Although the self enjoys its experiences in the states of waking, dream, and deep sleep, residing respectively in the eyes, throat and Heart, in reality, however, it never leaves its principal seat, the Heart. In the Heart-lotus which is of the nature of all, in other words in the mind-ether, the light of that Self in the form ‘I’ shines. As it shines thus in everybody, this very Self is referred to as the witness (sakshi) and the transcendent (turiya, literally the fourth). The ‘I-less’ Supreme Brahman which shines in all bodies as interior to the light in the form ‘I’ is the Self-ether (or knowledge-ether): that alone is the Absolute Reality. This is the super-transcendent (turiyatita). Therefore, it is stated that what is called the Heart is no other than Brahman. Moreover, for the reason that Brahman shines in the hearts of all souls as the Self, the name ‘Heart’ is given to Brahman.² The meaning of the word hridayam, when split thus ‘hrit-ayam’, is in fact Brahman. The adequate evidence for the fact that Brahman, which shines as the Self, resides in the hearts of all is that all people indicate themselves by pointing to the chest when saying ‘I’.

10

D: If the entire universe is of the form of mind, then does it not follow that the universe is an illusion? If that be the case, why is the creation of the universe mentioned in the Vedas?

M: There is no doubt whatsoever that the universe is the merest illusion. The principal purport of the Vedas is to make known the true Brahman, after showing the apparent universe

² In the Hearts of all individual souls, that which shines is Brahman and hence is called the Heart — Brahma Gita.

to be false. It is for this purpose that the Vedas admit the creation of the world and not for any other reason. Moreover, for the less qualified persons creation is taught, that is the phased evolution of prakriti (primal nature), mahat tattva (the great intellect), tanmatras (the subtle essences), bhutas (the gross elements), the world, the body, etc., from Brahman; while for the more qualified simultaneous creation is taught, that is, that this world arose like a dream on account of one’s own thoughts induced by the defect of not knowing oneself as the Self. Thus, from the fact that the creation of the world has been described in different ways it is clear that the purport of the Vedas rests only in teaching the true nature of Brahman after showing somehow or other the illusory nature of the universe. That the world is illusory, everyone can directly know in the state of Realization which is in the form of experience of one’s bliss-nature.

11

D: Is Self-experience possible for the mind, whose nature is constant change?

M: Since sattva guna (the constituent of prakriti which makes for purity, intelligence, etc.) is the nature of mind, and since the mind is pure and undefiled like ether, what is called mind is, in truth, of the nature of knowledge. When it stays in that natural (i.e. pure) state, it has not even the name ‘mind’. It is only the erroneous knowledge which mistakes one for another that is called mind. What was (originally) the pure sattva mind, of the nature of pure knowledge, forgets its knowledge-nature on account of nescience, gets transformed into the world under the influence of tamo guna (i.e. the constituent of prakriti which makes for dullness, inertness, etc.), being under the influence of rajo guna (i.e. the constituent of prakriti which makes for activity, passions, etc.),

imagines ‘I am the body, etc.; the world is real’, it acquires the consequent merit and demerit through attachment, aversion, etc., and, through the residual impressions (vasanas) thereof, attains birth and death. But the mind, which has got rid of its defilement (sin) through action without attachment performed in many past lives, listens to the teaching of scripture from a true guru, reflects on its meaning, and meditates in order to gain the natural state of the mental mode of the form of the Self, i.e., of the form ‘I am Brahman’ which is the result of the continued contemplation of Brahman. Thus will be removed the mind’s transformation into the world in the aspect of tamo guna, and its roving therein the aspect of rajo guna. When this removal takes place the mind becomes subtle and unmoving. It is only by the mind that is impure and is under the influence of rajas and tamas that Reality (i.e., the Self) which is very subtle and unchanging cannot be experienced; just as a piece of fine silk cloth cannot be stitched with a heavy crowbar, or as the details of subtle objects cannot be distinguished by the light of a lamp flame that flickers in the wind. But in the pure mind that has been rendered subtle and unmoving by the meditation described above, the Self-bliss (i.e., Brahman) will become manifest. As without mind there cannot be experience, it is possible for the purified mind endowed with the extremely subtle mode (vritti) to experience the Self-bliss, by remaining in that form (i.e. in the form of Brahman). Then, that one’s Self is of the nature of Brahman will be clearly experienced.

12

D: Is the aforesaid Self-experience possible, even in the state of empirical existence, for the mind which has to perform functions in accordance with its prarabdha (the past karma which has begun to fructify)?

M: A brahmin may play various parts in a drama; yet the thought that he is a brahmin does not leave his mind. Similarly, when one is engaged in various empirical acts there should be the firm conviction ‘I am the Self’, without allowing the false idea ‘I am the body, etc.’ to rise. If the mind should stray away from its state, then immediately one should enquire, ‘Oh! Oh! We are not the body, etc. Who are we?’ and thus one should reinstate the mind in that (pure) state. The enquiry ‘Who am I?’ is the principal means to the removal of all misery and the attainment of the supreme bliss. When in this manner the mind becomes quiescent in its own state, Self-experience arises of its own accord, without any hindrance. Thereafter sensory pleasures and pains will not affect the mind. All (phenomena) will appear then, without attachment, like a dream. Never forgetting one’s plenary Self-experience is real bhakti (devotion), yoga (mind control), jnana (knowledge) and all other austerities. Thus say the sages.

13

D: When there is activity in regard to works, we are neither the agents of those works nor their enjoyers. The activity is of the three instruments (i.e., the mind, speech, and body). Could we remain (unattached) thinking thus?

M: After the mind has been made to stay in the Self which is its deity, and has been rendered indifferent to empirical matters because it does not stray away from the Self, how can the mind think as mentioned above? Do not such thoughts constitute bondage? When such thoughts arise due to residual impressions (vasanas), one should restrain the mind from flowing that way, endeavour to retain it in the Self-state, and make it turn indifferent to empirical matters. One should not give room in the mind for such thoughts as: ‘Is this good? Or, is that good? Can this be done? Or, can that be done?’ One should be vigilant even before such thoughts arise and make the mind stay in its native state. If any little room is given, such a (disturbed) mind will do harm to us while posing as our friend; like the foe appearing to be a friend, it will topple us down. Is it not because one forgets one’s Self that such thoughts arise and cause more and more evil? While it is true that to think through discrimination, ‘I do not do anything; all actions are performed by the instruments’, is a means to prevent the mind from flowing along thought vasanas, does it not also follow that only if the mind flows along thought vasanas that it must be restrained through discrimination as stated before? Can the mind that remains in the Self-state think as ‘I’ and as ‘I behave empirically thus and thus’? In all manner of ways possible one should endeavour gradually not to forget one’s (true) Self that is God. If that is accomplished, all will be accomplished. The mind should not be directed to any other matter. Even though one may perform, like a mad person, the actions that are the result of prarabdha karma, one should retain the mind in the Self-state without letting the thought ‘I do’ arise. Have not countless bhaktas (devotees) performed their numerous empirical functions with an attitude of indifference?

14

D: What is the real purport of sannyasa (renunciation)?

M: Sannyasa is only the renunciation of the ‘I-thought’, and not the rejection of the external objects. He who has renounced (the ‘I-thought’) thus, remains the same whether he is alone or in the midst of the extensive samsara (empirical world). Just as when the mind is concentrated on some object, it does not observe other things even though they may be proximate, so also, although the sage may perform any number of empirical acts, in reality he performs nothing, because he makes the mind rest in the Self without letting the ‘I-thought’ arise. Even as in a dream one appears to fall head downwards, while in reality one is unmoving, so also the ignorant person, i.e., the person for whom the ‘I-thought’ has not ceased, although he remains alone in constant meditation, is in fact one who performs all empirical actions.³ Thus the wise ones have said.

15

D: The mind, sense-organs, etc., have the ability to perceive; yet why are they regarded as perceived objects?

5 The individual soul The mind

6 Consciousness (the Self) The individual soul

As shown in the above scheme, since we, the consciousness, know all objects, we are said to be drik (knower). The categories including pot, etc., are the objects seen, since they are what are known. In the table of ‘knowledge: ignorance (i.e., knower-known)’ given above, among the knowers and

³ Like those who listen to a story with their attention fixed elsewhere, the mind whose residual impressions have worn away does not really function even if it appears to do so. The mind that is not free from residual impressions really functions even if it does not appear to do so; this is like those who while remaining stationary imagine in their dreams that they climb up a hill and fall therefrom — Reality in Forty Verses: Supplement, v. 30

objects of knowledge, it is seen that one is knower in relation to another; yet, since that one is object in relation to another, none of those categories is, in reality, the knower. Although we are said to be the ‘knower’ because we know all, and not the ‘known’ because we are not known by anything else, we are said to be the ‘knower’ only in relation to the known objects. In truth, however, what is called the ‘known’ is not apart from us. And so we are the Reality that transcends those two (the knower and the known). All the others fall within the knower-known categories.

16

D: How do egoity, soul, self, and Brahman come to be identified?

M:

The Example The Exemplified

1 The iron-ball Egoity

2 The heated iron-ball The soul which appears as

a superimposition on the

Self

3 The fire that is in the The light of conscious-

heated iron-ball ness, i.e. the immutable

Brahman, which shines in

the soul in every body

4 The flame of fire which ^{The all pervading Brah}_{remains as one} man which remains as one

From the example given above, it will be clear how egoity, soul, witness, and all-witness come to be identified.

Just as in the wax lump that is with the smith numerous and varied metal particles lie included and all of them appear to be one wax lump, so also in deep sleep the gross and subtle bodies of all the individual souls are included in the cosmic maya which is nescience, of the nature of sheer darkness, and since the souls are resolved in the Self becoming one with It, they see everywhere darkness alone. From the darkness of sleep, the subtle body, viz. egoity, and from that (egoity) the gross body arise respectively. Even as the egoity arises, it appears superimposed on the nature of the Self, like the heated iron-ball. Thus, without the soul (jiva) which is the mind or egoity that is conjoined with the Consciousness-light, there is no witness of the soul, viz. the Self, and without the Self there is no Brahman that is the all-witness. Just as when the iron-ball is beaten into various shapes by the smith, the fire that is in it does not change thereby in any manner, even so the soul may be involved in ever so many experiences and undergo pleasures and pains, and yet the Self-light that is in it does not change in the least thereby, and like the ether it is the all-pervasive pure knowledge that is one, and it shines in the Heart as Brahman.

17

D: How is one to know that in the Heart the Self itself shines as Brahman?

M: Just as the elemental ether within the flame of a lamp is known to fill without any difference and without any limit both the inside and the outside of the flame, so also the knowledge-ether that is within the Self-light in the Heart fills without any difference and without any limit both the inside and the outside of that Self-light. This is what is referred to as Brahman.

18

D: How do the three states of experience, the three bodies, etc., which are imaginations, appear in the Self-light which is one, unitary and self-luminous? Even if they should appear, how is one to know that the Self alone remains ever unmoving?

M:

The Example The Exemplified

1 The lamp The Self 2 The door Sleep 3 The doorstep Mahat tattva 4 The inner wall Nescience or the causal

body

5 The mirror The egoity

6 The windows The five cognitive sense

organs

1. The inner chamber Deep sleep in which the causal body is manifest

2. The middle chamber Dream in which the subtle body is manifest

3. The outer court Waking state in which the gross body is manifest

4

1

72

3

5

8

6 6 6 6 6

9

The Self which is the lamp (1) shines of its own accord in the inner chamber, i.e., the causal body (7) that is endowed with nescience as the inner wall (4) and sleep as the door (2); when by the vital principle as conditioned by time, karma, etc., the sleep-door is opened, there occurs a reflection of the Self in the egoity-mirror (5) that is placed next to the doorstep

— mahat tattva (3); the egoity-mirror thus illumines the middle chamber, i.e., the dream state (8), and, through the windows which are the five cognitive sense-organs (6), the outer court, i.e., the waking state (9). When, again, by the vital principle as conditioned by time, karma, etc., the sleep-door gets shut, the egoity ceases along with waking and dream, and the Self alone ever shines. The example just given explains how the Self is unmoving, how there is difference between the Self and the egoity and how the three states of experience, the three bodies, etc., appear.

19

D: Although I have listened to the explanation of the characteristics of enquiry in such great detail, my mind has not gained even a little peace. What is the reason for this?

M: The reason is the absence of strength or one-pointedness of the mind.

20

D: What is the reason for the absence of mental strength?

M: The means that make one qualified for enquiry are meditation, yoga, etc. One should gain proficiency in these through graded practice, and thus secure a stream of mental modes that is natural and helpful. When the mind that has become ripe in this manner, hears about this enquiry, it will at once realize its true nature which is the Self, and remain in perfect peace, without deviating from that state. To a mind which has not become ripe, immediate realization and peace are hard to gain through hearing about the enquiry. Yet, if one practises the means for mind control for some time, peace of mind can be obtained eventually.

21

D: Of the means for mind control, which is the most important?

M: Breath control is the means for mind control.

22

D: How is breath to be controlled?

M: Breath can be controlled either by absolute retention of breath (kevala kumbhaka) or by regulation of breath (pranayama).

23

D: What is absolute retention of breath?

M: It is making the vital air stay firmly in the Heart, even without exhalation and inhalation. This is achieved through meditation on the vital principle, etc.

24

D: What is regulation of breath?

M: It is making the vital air stay firmly in the Heart through exhalation, inhalation and retention, according to the instructions given in the yoga texts.

25

D: How is breath control the means for mind control?

M: There is no doubt that breath control is the means for mind control, because the mind, like breath, is a part of air, because the nature of mobility is common to both, because the place of origin is the same for both, and because when one of them is controlled the other gets controlled.

26

D: Since breath control leads only to quiescence of the mind (manolaya) and not to its destruction (manonasa), how can it be said that breath control is the means for enquiry which aims at the destruction of mind?

M: The scriptures teach the means for gaining Self-realization in two modes — as the yoga with eight limbs (ashtanga yoga) and as knowledge with eight limbs (ashtanga jnana). By regulation of breath (pranayama) or by absolute retention thereof (kevala kumbhaka), which is one of the limbs of yoga, the mind gets controlled. Without leaving the mind at that, if one practises the further discipline such as withdrawal of the mind from external objects (pratyahara), then at the end, Self-realization which is the fruit of enquiry will surely be gained.

27

D: What are the limbs of yoga?

M: Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Of these —

(1)

Yama: This stands for the cultivation of such principles of good conduct as nonviolence (ahimsa), truth (satya), non-stealing (asteya), celibacy(Brahmacharya), and non-possession(aparigraha).

(2)

Niyama: This stands for the observance of such rules of good conduct as purity (saucha), contentment (santosha), austerity (tapas), study of the sacred texts (svadhyaya), and devotion to God (Isvarapranidhana).⁴

(3)

Asana: Of the different postures, eighty-four are the main ones. Of these, again, four, viz., simha, bhadra, padma, and siddha⁵ are said to be excellent. Of these too,

⁴ The Aim of yama and niyama is the attainment of all good paths open to those eligible for moksha. For more details see works like the Yoga Sutra and Hathayoga Dipika.

⁵ Siddhasana: Left heel should be placed over genital organ and over that, the right heel. Fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, the body should remain motionless and erect like a stick.

it is only siddha, that is the most excellent. Thus the yoga texts declare.

(4)

Pranayama: According to the measures prescribed in the sacred texts, exhaling the vital air is rechaka, inhaling is puraka and retaining it in the Heart is kumbhaka. As regards ‘measure’, some texts say that rechaka and puraka should be equal in measure, and kumbhaka twice that measure, while other texts say that if rechaka is one measure, puraka should be of two measures, and kumbhaka of four. By ‘measure’ what is meant is the time that would be taken for the utterance of the Gayatri mantra once. Thus pranayama consisting of rechaka, puraka, and kumbhaka, should be practised daily according to ability, slowly and gradually. Then, there would arise for the mind a desire to rest in happiness without moving. After this, one should practise pratyahara.

(5)

Pratyahara: This is regulating the mind by preventing it from flowing towards the external names and forms. The mind, which had been till then distracted, now becomes controlled. The aids in this respect are (1) meditation on the pranava, (2) fixing the attention betwixt the eyebrows,

(3)

looking at the tip of the nose, and (4) reflection on the nada. The mind that has thus become one-pointed will be fit to stay in one place. After this, dharana should be practised.

(6)

Dharana: This is fixing the mind in a locus which is fit for meditation. The loci that are eminently fit for meditation are the Heart and Brahmarandhra (aperture in the crown of the head). One should think that in the middle of the eight-petalled lotus⁶ that is at this place, there shines, like a

⁶ Although it is true that the lotus in the crown of the head is said to have a

thousand petals, it also may be described as having eight petals because each

of these eight consists of 125 sub-petals.

flame, the Deity which is the Self, i.e., Brahman, and fix the mind therein. After this, one should meditate.

(7)

Dhyana: This is meditation, through the ‘I am He’ thought, that one is not different from the nature of the aforesaid flame. Even, thus, if one makes the enquiry ‘Who am I?’, then, as the scripture declares, ‘The Brahman which is everywhere shines in the Heart as the Self that is the witness of the intellect’, one would realize that it is the Divine Self that shines in the Heart as ‘I-I’. This mode of reflection is the best meditation.

(8)

Samadhi: As a result of the fruition of the aforesaid meditation, the mind gets resolved in the object of meditation without harbouring the ideas ‘I am such and such; I am doing this and this’. This subtle state in which even the thought ‘I-I’ disappears is samadhi. If one practises this everyday, seeing to it that sleep does not supervene, God will soon confer on one the supreme state of quiescence of mind.

28

D: What is the purport of the teaching that in pratyahara one should meditate on the pranava?

M: The purport of prescribing meditation on the pranava is this. The pranava is Omkara consisting of three and a half matras, viz., a, u, m, and ardha matra. Of these, a stands for the waking state, Visva jiva, and the gross body; u stands for the dream state, Taijasa jiva, and the subtle body; m stands for the sleep state, Prajna jiva, and the causal body; the ardha matra represents the Turiya which is the self or ‘I-nature’; and what is beyond that is the state of Turiyatita, or pure Bliss. The fourth state which is the state of ‘I-nature’ was referred to in the section on meditation (dhyana). This has been variously described — as of the nature of amatra which includes the three matras, a, u, and m; as maunakshara (silence-syllable); as ajapa (as muttering without muttering) and as the advaita mantra which is the essence of all mantras such as Panchakshara. In order to get at this true significance, one should meditate on the pranava. This is meditation which is of the nature of devotion consisting in reflection on the truth of the Self. The fruition of this process is samadhi which yields release, which is the state of unsurpassed bliss. The revered Gurus also have said that release is to be gained only by devotion which is of the nature of reflection on the truth of the Self.

29

D: What is the purport of teaching that one should meditate, through the ‘I am He’ thought, on the truth that one is not different from the self-luminous Reality that shines like a flame?

M: (a) The purport of teaching that one should cultivate the idea that one is not different from the self-luminous Reality is this: Scripture defines meditation in these words, ‘In the middle of the eight petalled Heart lotus which is of the nature of all, and which is referred to as Kailasa, Vaikunta, and Paramapada, there is the Reality which is of the size of the thumb, which is dazzling like lightning and which shines like a flame. By meditating on it, a person gains immortality.’ From this we should know that by such meditation one avoids the defects of (1) the thought of difference, of the form ‘I am different, and that is different’, (2) the meditation on what is limited, (3) the idea that the Real is limited, and (4) that it is confined to one place.

(b) The purport of teaching that one should meditate with the ‘I am He’ (sahaham, Soham) thought is this: sah is the supreme Self, aham is the Self that is manifest as ‘I’. The jiva which is the Sivalinga resides in the Heart-lotus which is its seat situated in the body which is the city of Brahman; the mind which is of the nature of egoity, goes outward identifying itself with the body, etc. Now, the mind should be resolved in the Heart, i.e., the I-sense that is placed in the body, etc., should be got rid of; when one thus enquires ‘Who am I?’, remaining undisturbed, in that state, the Self-nature becomes manifest in a subtle manner as ‘I-I’; that Self-nature is all and yet none, and is manifest as the supreme Self everywhere without the distinction of inner and outer; that shines like a flame, as was stated above, signifying the truth ‘I am Brahman’. If, without meditating on that as being identical with oneself, one imagines it to be different, ignorance will not leave. Hence, the identity-meditation is prescribed.

If one meditates for a long time, without disturbance, on the Self ceaselessly, with the ‘I am He’ thought which is the technique of reflection on the Self, the darkness of ignorance which is in the Heart and all the impediments which are but the effects of ignorance will be removed, and the plenary wisdom will be gained.⁷

Thus, realizing the Reality in the Heart-cave which is in the city (of Brahman), viz. the body, is the same as realizing the all-perfect God.

In the city with nine gates, which is the body, the wise one resides at ease.⁸

The body is the temple; the jiva is God (Siva). If one worships him with the ‘I am He’ thought, one will gain release.

⁷ “If meditation in the form ‘I am Siva’ (Sivoham bhavana), which prevents the thought going outwards, is practised always, samadhi will come about.” —Vallalar ⁸ “In the city that has nine false gates, He resides in the form of bliss.”

—Bhagavad Gita

The body which consists of the five sheaths is the cave, the Supreme that resides there is the Lord of the cave. Thus the scriptures declare.

Since the Self is the reality of all the gods, the meditation on the Self which is oneself is the greatest of all meditations. All other meditations are included in this. It is for gaining this that the other meditations are prescribed. So, if this is gained, the others are not necessary. Knowing one’s Self is knowing God. Without knowing one’s Self that meditates, imagining that there is a deity which is different and meditating on it, is compared by the great ones to the act of measuring with one’s foot one’s own shadow, and to the search for a trivial conch after throwing away a priceless gem that is already in one’s possession.⁹

30

D: Even though the Heart and the Brahmarandhra alone are the loci fit for meditation, could one meditate, if necessary, on the six mystic centres (adharas)?

M: The six mystic centres, etc., which are said to be loci of meditation, are but products of imagination. All these are meant for beginners in yoga. With reference to meditation on the six centres, the Sivayogins say, ‘God, who is of the nature of the non-dual, plenary, Consciousness-Self, manifests, sustains and resolves us all. It is a great sin to spoil that Reality by superimposing on it various names and forms such as Ganapati, Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Maheswara and Sadasiva’, and the Vedantins declare, ‘All those are but imaginations of

⁹ “We shall meditate on that which, existing in the form of Self, is the atma tattva, is effulgent, and which residing in all living things always says ‘I’, ‘I’. To seek for a God outside, leaving the God residing in the cave of the Heart, is like throwing away a priceless gem and searching for a trivial bead.” —Yoga Vasishta

the mind.’ Therefore, if one knows one’s Self which is of the nature of consciousness that knows everything, one knows everything. The great ones have also said: ‘When that One is known as it is in Itself, all that has not been known becomes known.’ If we who are endowed with various thoughts meditate on God that is the Self, we would get rid of the plurality of thoughts by that one thought; then, even that one thought would vanish. This is what is meant by saying that knowing one’s Self is knowing God. This knowledge is release.

31

D: How is one to think of the Self?

M: The Self is self-luminous without darkness and light, and is the reality which is self-manifest. Therefore, one should not think of it as this or as that. The very thought of thinking will end in bondage. The purport of meditation on the Self is to make the mind take the form of the Self. In the middle of the Heart-cave the pure Brahman is directly manifest as the Self in the form of ‘I-I’. Can there be greater ignorance than to think of it in manifold ways, without knowing it as aforementioned?

32

D: It was stated that Brahman is manifest as the Self in the form of ‘I-I’, in the Heart. To facilitate an understanding of this statement, can it be still further explained?

M: Is it not within the experience of all that during deep sleep, swoon, etc., there is no knowledge whatsoever, i.e., neither Self-knowledge nor other-knowledge? Afterwards, when there is experience of the form ‘I have woken up from sleep’ or ‘I have recovered from swoon’ — is that not a mode of specific knowledge that has arisen from the aforementioned distinctionless state? This specific knowledge is called vijnana.

This vijnana becomes manifest only as pertaining to either the Self or the not-self, and not by itself. When it pertains to the Self, it is called true knowledge, knowledge in the form of that mental mode whose object is the Self, or knowledge which has for its content the unitary (Self); and when it relates to the not-self, it is called ignorance. The state of this vijnana, when it pertains to the Self and is manifest as of the form of the Self, is said to be the ‘I-manifestation’. This manifestation cannot take place as apart from the Real (i.e., the Self). It is this manifestation that serves as the mark for the direct experience of the Real. Yet, this by itself cannot constitute the state of being the Real. That, depending on which this manifestation takes place is the basic Reality which is also called prajnana. The Vedantic text ‘prajnanam brahma’ teaches the same truth.

Know this as the purport of the scripture also. The Self which is self-luminous and the witness of everything manifests itself as residing in the vijnanakosa (sheath of the intellect). By the mental mode which is impartite, seize this Self as your goal and enjoy it as the Self.

33

D: What is that which is called the inner worship or worship of the attributeless?

M: In texts such as the Ribhu Gita, the worship of the attributeless has been elaborately explained (as a separate discipline). Yet, all disciplines such as sacrifice, charity, austerity, observance of vows, japa, yoga and puja, are, in effect, modes of meditation of the form ‘I am Brahman’. So, in all the modes of disciplines, one should see to it that one does not stray away from the thought ‘I am Brahman’. This is the purport of the worship of the attributeless.

34

D: What are the eight limbs of knowledge (jnana ashtanga)?

M: The eight limbs are those which have been already mentioned, viz., yama, niyama etc., but differently defined:

(1)

Yama: This is controlling the aggregate of sense-organs, realizing the defects that are present in the world consisting of the body, etc.

(2)

Niyama: This is maintaining a stream of mental modes that relate to the Self and rejecting the contrary modes. In other words, it means love that arises uninterruptedly for the Supreme Self.

(3)

Asana: That with the help of which constant meditation on Brahman is made possible with ease is asana.

(4)

Pranayama: Rechaka (exhalation) is removing the two unreal aspects of name and form from the objects constituting the world, the body etc., puraka (inhalation) is grasping the three real aspects, existence, consciousness and bliss, which are constant in those objects, and kumbhaka is retaining those aspects thus grasped.

(5)

Pratyahara: This is preventing name and form which have been removed from re-entering the mind.

(6)

Dharana: This is making the mind stay in the Heart, without straying outward, and realizing that one is the Self itself which is Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.

(7)

Dhyana: This is meditation of the form ‘I am only pure consciousness’. That is, after leaving aside the body which consists of five sheaths, one enquires ‘Who am I?’, and as a result of that, one stays as ‘I’ which shines as the Self.

(8)

Samadhi:When the ‘I-manifestation’ also ceases, there is (subtle) direct experience. This is samadhi.

For pranayama, etc., detailed here, the disciplines such as asana, etc., mentioned in connection with yoga are not necessary. The limbs of knowledge may be practised at all places and at all times. Of yoga and knowledge, one may follow whichever is pleasing to one, or both, according to circumstances. The great teachers say that forgetfulness is the root of all evil, and is death for those who seek release,¹⁰ so one should rest the mind in one’s Self and should never forget the Self: this is the aim. If the mind is controlled, all else can be controlled. The distinction between yoga with eight limbs and knowledge with eight limbs has been set forth elaborately in the sacred texts; so only the substance of this teaching has been given here.

35

D: Is it possible to practise at the same time the pranayama belonging to yoga and the pranayama pertaining to knowledge?

M: So long as the mind has not been made to rest in the Heart, either through absolute retention (kevala kumbhaka) or through enquiry, rechaka, puraka etc., are needed. Hence, the pranayama of yoga is to be practised during training, and the other pranayama may be practised always. Thus, both may be practised. It is enough if the yogic pranayama is practised till skill is gained in absolute retention.

36

D: Why should the path to release be differently taught? Will it not create confusion in the minds of aspirants?

¹⁰ “Death or Kala is the giving up on this earth of the contemplation of the Self which should never be given up even the least bit.” — Vivekachudamani

M: Several paths are taught in the Vedas to suit the different grades of qualified aspirants. Yet, since release is but the destruction of the mind, all efforts have for their aim the control of mind. Although the modes of meditation may appear to be different from one another, in the end all of them become one. There is no need to doubt this. One may adopt that path which suits the maturity of one’s mind.

The control of prana which is yoga, and the control of mind which is jnana¹¹ — these are the two principal means for the destruction of the mind. To some, the former may appear easy, and to others the latter. Yet, jnana is like subduing a turbulent bull by coaxing it with green grass, while yoga is like controlling it through the use of force. Thus the wise ones say that of the three grades of qualified aspirants, the highest reach the goal by making the mind firm in the Self through determining the nature of the real by Vedantic enquiry and by looking upon one’s self and all things as of the nature of the Real; the mediocre by making the mind stay in the Heart through kevala kumbhaka and meditating for a long time on the Real; and the lowest grade, by gaining that state in a gradual manner through breath-control, etc.

The mind should be made to rest in the Heart till the destruction of the ‘I-thought’ which is of the form of ignorance, residing in the Heart. This itself is jnana; this alone is dhyana also. The rest are a mere digression of words, digression of the texts. Thus the scriptures proclaim. Therefore, if one gains the skill of retaining the mind in one’s Self through some means or other, one need not worry about other matters.

¹¹ Seeing everything as Real according to the scripture: I am Brahman — one only without a second.

The great teachers also have taught that the devotee is greater than the yogi^l2 and that the means to release is devotion, which is of the nature of reflection on one’s own Self.^l3

Thus, it is the path of realizing Brahman that is variously called Dahara vidya, Brahma Vidya, Atma vidya, etc. What more can be said than this? One should understand the rest by inference.

The scriptures teach in different modes. After analysing all those modes the great ones declare this to be the shortest and the best means.

37

D: By practising the disciplines taught above, one may get rid of the obstacles that are in the mind, viz., ignorance, doubt, error, etc., and thereby attain quiescence of mind. Yet, there is one last doubt. After the mind has been resolved in the Heart, there is only consciousness shining as the plenary reality. When thus the mind has assumed the form of the Self, who is there to enquire? Such enquiry would result in self-worship. It would be like the story of the shepherd searching for the sheep that was all the time on his shoulders!

M: The jiva itself is Siva; Siva Himself is the jiva. It is true that the jiva is no other than Siva. When the grain is hidden inside the husk, it is called paddy; when it is dehusked, it is called rice. Similarly, so long as one is bound by karma one remains a jiva; when the bond of ignorance is broken, one shines as Siva, the Deity. Thus declares a scriptural text. Accordingly, the jiva which is mind, is in reality the pure

¹² “Of all yogins, only he who rests his unwavering mind and love in me is dear to me.” — Bhagavad Gita

¹³ “Of the means to release only bhakti (devotion) may be said to be the highest. For, bhakti is constant reflection on one’s own Self.” — Vivekachudamani

Self; but, forgetting this truth, it imagines itself to be an individual soul and gets bound in the shape of mind. So its search for the Self, which is itself, is like the search for the sheep by the shepherd. But still, the jiva which has forgotten itself will not become the Self through mere mediate knowledge. By the impediment caused by the residual impressions gathered in previous births, the jiva forgets again and again its identity with the Self and gets deceived, identifying itself with the body, etc. Will a person become a high officer by merely looking at him? Is it not by steady effort in that direction that he could become a highly placed officer? Similarly, the jiva, which is in bondage through mental identification with the body, etc., should put forth effort in the form of reflection on the Self in a gradual and sustained manner; and when thus the mind gets destroyed, the jiva would become the Self.^l4

The reflection on the Self which is thus practised constantly will destroy the mind, and thereafter will destroy itself like the stick that is used to kindle the cinders burning a corpse. It is this state that is called release.

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D: If the jiva is by nature identical with the Self, what is it that prevents the jiva from realizing its true nature?

M: It is forgetfulness of the jiva’s true nature; this is known as the power of veiling.

39

D: If it is true that the jiva has forgotten itself, how does the ‘I-experience’ arise for all?

¹⁴ Though the obstacles which cause the bondage of birth may be many,

the root-cause for all such changes is ahankara. This root-cause must

be destroyed for ever — Vivekachudamani.

M: The veil does not completely hide the jiva;^l5 it only hides the Self-nature of ‘I’ and projects the ‘I am the body’ notion; but it does not hide the Self’s existence which is ‘I’, and which is real and eternal.

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D: What are the characteristics of the jivanmukta (the liberated in life) and the videhamukta (the liberated at death)?

M: ‘I am not the body. I am Brahman which is manifest as the Self. In me who am the plenary Reality,^l6 the world consisting of bodies, etc., is a mere appearance, like the blue of the sky’. He who has realized the truth thus is a jivanmukta. Yet, so long as his mind has not been resolved, there may arise some misery for him because of relation to objects on account of prarabdha (karma which has begun to fructify and whose result is the present body), and as the movement of mind has not ceased there will not be also the experience of bliss. The experience of Self is possible only for the mind that has become subtle and unmoving as a result of prolonged meditation. He who is thus endowed with a mind that has become subtle, and who has the experience of the Self is called a jivanmukta. It is the state of jivanmukti that is referred to as the attributeless Brahman and as the Turiya. When even the subtle mind gets resolved, and experience of self ceases, and when one is immersed in the ocean of bliss and has become one with it without any differentiated existence, one is called a videhamukta. It is the state of videhamukti that is referred to as the transcendent attributeless Brahman and as the transcendent Turiya. This is the final goal. Because of the grades in misery and happiness, the released ones, the

¹⁵ Ignorance cannot hide the basic ‘I’, but it hides the specific truth that the jiva is the Supreme (Self) — Kaivalya Navaneetha.

¹⁶ If there is prolonged meditation that the worlds are an appearance in me, who am the plenary Reality, where can ignorance stand? — Kaivalya Navaneetha.

jivanmuktas and videhamuktas, may be spoken of as belonging to four categories — Brahmavid, Brahmavara, Brahmavariya and Brahmavarishtha. But these distinctions are from the standpoint of the others who look at them; in reality, however, there are no distinctions in release gained through jnana.

OBEISANCE

MAY THE FEET OF RAMANA, THE MASTER,
WHO IS THE GREAT SIVA HIMSELF
AND IS ALSO IN HUMAN FORM,
FLOURISH FOR EVER!

(Translated by Prof. T. M. P. Mahadevan)

2

Invocation

I seek refuge at the sacred feet of the blessed Ramana, who performs the entire work of creation, preservation and destruction, while remaining wholly unattached, and who makes us aware of what is real and thus protects us, that I may set down his words fittingly.

Importance of the Work

Worshipping with the instruments (of thought, word and body) the sacred lotus feet of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, the very embodiment of the beginningless infinite supreme Brahman, the Satchitananda (existence, consciousness, bliss), I have gathered this bouquet of the flowers of his instructions (upadesa manjari) for the benefit of those who are foremost among the seekers of liberation and who are adored by learned persons, in order that they might adorn themselves with it and attain salvation.

This book is an epitome of the immortal words of that great soul, Sri Ramana Maharshi, whose teachings entirely dispelled the doubts and wrong notions of this humble person even as the sun dispels darkness.

The subject of this book is that eternal Brahman, which shines as the pinnacle and heart of all the Vedas and Agamas.

That incomparable Self-realization (atma siddhi) which is praised by all the Upanishads and which is the supreme good to be sought by all noble aspirants (brahmavids) is the theme of this work.

CHAPTER I

PRACTICE (Abhyasa)

1. What is the method of practice?

As the Self of a person who tries to attain Self-realization is not different from him and as there is nothing other than or superior to him to be attained by him, Self-realization being only the realization of one’s own nature, the seeker of liberation realizes, without doubts or misconceptions, his real nature by distinguishing the eternal from the transient, and never swerves from his natural state. This is known as the practice of knowledge. This is the enquiry leading to Self-realization.

2. Can this path of enquiry be followed by all aspirants?

This is suitable only for ripe souls. The rest should follow different methods according to the state of their minds.

3. What are the other methods? They are (1) stuti, (2) japa, (3) dhyana, (4) yoga,

(5)

jnana, etc.

(1)

Stuti is singing the praises of the Lord with a great feeling of devotion.

(2)

Japa is uttering the names of the gods or sacred mantras like Om either mentally or verbally. (While following the methods of stuti and japa the mind will sometimes be concentrated (lit., closed) and sometimes diffused (lit. open). The vagaries of the mind will not be evident to those who follow these methods).

(3)

Dhyana denotes the repetition of the names, etc., mentally (japa) with feelings of devotion. In this method the state of the mind will be understood easily. For the mind does not become concentrated and diffused simultaneously. When one is in dhyana it does not contact the objects of the senses, and when it is in contact with the objects it is not in dhyana. Therefore those who are in this state can observe the vagaries of the mind then and there and by stopping the mind from thinking other thoughts, fix it in dhyana. Perfection in dhyana is the state of abiding in the Self (lit., abiding in the form of ‘That’ — tadakaranilai) .

As meditation functions in an exceedingly subtle manner at the source of the mind it is not difficult to perceive its rise and subsidence.

(4)

Yoga: The source of the breath is the same as that of the mind; therefore the subsidence of either leads effortlessly to that of the other. The practice of stilling the mind through breath control (pranayama) is called yoga.

Fixing their minds on psychic centres such as the sahasrara (lit., the thousand-petalled lotus) yogis remain for any length of time without awareness of their bodies. As long as this state continues they appear to be immersed in some kind of joy. But when the mind which has become tranquil emerges (becomes active again) it resumes its worldly thoughts. It is therefore necessary to train it with the help of practices like dhyana, whenever it becomes externalised. It will then attain a state in which there is neither subsidence nor emergence.

(5)

Jnana is the annihilation of the mind in which it is made to assume the form of the Self through the constant practice of dhyana or enquiry (vichara). The extinction of the mind is the state in which there is a cessation of all efforts. Those who are established in this state never swerve from

their true state. The terms ‘silence’ (mauna) and inaction refer to this state alone.

Note: All practices are followed only with the object of concentrating the mind. As all the mental activities like remembering, forgetting, desiring, hating, attracting, discarding, etc., are modifications of the mind, they cannot be one’s true state. Simple, changeless being is one’s true nature. Therefore to know the truth of one’s being and to be it, is known as release from bondage and the destruction of the knot (granthi nasam). Until this state of tranquillity of mind is firmly attained, the practice of unswerving abidance in the Self and keeping the mind unsoiled by various thoughts is essential for an aspirant.

Although the practices for achieving strength of mind are numerous, all of them achieve the same end. For it can be seen that whoever concentrates his mind on any object, will, on the cessation of all mental concepts, ultimately remain merely as that object. This is called successful meditation (dhyana siddhi). Those who follow the path of enquiry realize that the mind which remains at the end of the enquiry is Brahman. Those who practise meditation realize that the mind which remains at the end of the meditation is the object of their meditation. As the result is the same in either case it is the duty of aspirants to practise continuously either of these methods till the goal is reached.

4. Is the state of ‘being still’ a state involving effort or effortlessness?

It is not an effortless state of indolence. All mundane activities which are ordinarily called effort are performed with the aid of a portion of the mind and with frequent breaks. But the act of communion with the Self (atma vyavahara) or remaining still inwardly is intense activity which is performed with the entire mind and without break.

Maya (delusion or ignorance) which cannot be destroyed by any other act is completely destroyed by this intense activity which is called ‘silence’ (mauna).

5. What is the nature of maya?

Maya is that which makes us regard as nonexistent the Self, the Reality, which is always and everywhere present, all-pervasive and Self-luminous, and as existent the individual soul (jiva), the world (jagat), and God (para) which have been conclusively proved to be nonexistent at all times and places.

6. As the Self shines fully of its own accord why is it not generally recognised like the other objects of the world by all persons?

Wherever particular objects are known it is the Self which has known itself in the form of those objects. For what is known as knowledge or awareness is only the potency of the Self (atma shakti). The Self is the only sentient object. There is nothing apart from the Self. If there are such objects they are all insentient and therefore cannot either know themselves or mutually know one another. It is because the Self does not know its true nature in this manner that it seems to be immersed and struggling in the ocean of birth (and death) in the form of the individual soul.

7. Although the Lord is all-pervasive it appears, from passages like ‘adoring him through His grace’, that He can be known only through His grace. How then can the individual soul by its own efforts attain Self-realization in the absence of the Lord’s grace?

As the Lord denotes the Self and as grace means the Lord’s presence or revelation, there is no time when the Lord remains unknown. If the light of the sun is invisible to the owl it is only the fault of that bird and not of the sun. Similarly, can the unawareness of the Self — which is always of the nature of awareness — by the ignorant, be other than their own fault? How can it be the fault of the Self? It is because grace is of the very nature of the Lord that He is well known as ‘the blessed grace’. Therefore the Lord, whose nature itself is grace, does not have to bestow His grace. Nor is there any particular time for bestowing His grace.

8. What part of the body is the abode of the Self?

The Heart on the right side of the chest is generally indicated. This is because we usually point to the right side of the chest when we refer to ourselves. Some say that the sahasrara (the thousand-petalled lotus) is the abode of the Self. But if that were true the head should not fall forward when we go to sleep or faint.

9. What is the nature of the Heart?

The sacred texts describing it say:

Between the two breasts, below the chest and above the abdomen, there are six organs of different colours¹. One of them resembling the bud of a water lily and situated two digits to the right is the Heart. It is inverted and within it is a tiny orifice which is the seat of dense darkness (ignorance) full of desires. All the psychic nerves (nadis) depend upon it. It is the abode of the vital forces, the mind and the light (of consciousness).²

But, although it is described thus, the meaning of the word Heart (hridayam) is the Self (Atman). As it is denoted by the

¹ These are not the same as the chakras. ² See Reality in Forty Verses: Supplement, 18-19.

terms existence, consciousness, bliss, eternal and plenum (sat, chit, anandam, nityam, purnam) it has no differences such as exterior and interior or up and down. That tranquil state in which all thoughts come to an end is called the state of the Self. When it is realized as it is, there is no scope for discussions about its location inside the body or outside.

10. Why do thoughts of many objects arise in the mind even when there is no contact with external objects?

All such thoughts are due to latent tendencies (purva samskaras). They appear only to the individual consciousness (jiva) which has forgotten its real nature and become externalised. Whenever particular things are perceived, the enquiry ‘Who is it that sees them?’ should be made; they will then disappear at once.

11. How do the triple factors (i.e., knower, known and knowledge), which are absent in deep sleep, samadhi, etc., manifest themselves in the Self (in the states of waking and dreaming)?

From the Self there arise in succession:

(i)

Chidabhasa (reflected consciousness) which is a kind of luminosity.

(ii)

Jiva (the individual consciousness) or the seer or the first concept.

(iii) Phenomena, that is the world.

12. Since the Self is free from the notions of knowledge and ignorance how can it be said to pervade the entire body in the shape of sentience or to impart sentience to the senses?

Wise men say that there is a connection between the source of the various psychic nerves and the Self, that this is the knot of the Heart, that the connection between the sentient and the insentient will exist until this is cut asunder with the aid of true knowledge, that just as the subtle and invisible force of electricity travels through wires and does many wonderful things, so the force of the Self also travels through the psychic nerves and, pervading the entire body, imparts sentience to the senses, and that if this knot is cut, the Self will remain as it always is, without any attributes.

13. How can there be a connection between the Self which is pure knowledge and the triple factors which are relative knowledge?

This is, in a way, like the working of a cinema (see next page).

Just as the pictures appear on the screen as long as the film throws the shadows through the lens, so the phenomenal world will continue to appear to the individual in the waking and dream states as long as there are latent mental impressions. Just as the lens magnifies the tiny specks on the film to a huge size and as a number of pictures are shown in a second, so the mind enlarges the sprout-like tendencies into treelike thoughts and shows in a second innumerable worlds. Again, just as there is only the light of the lamp visible when there is no film, so the Self alone shines without the triple factors when the mental concepts in the form of tendencies are absent in the states of deep sleep, swoon and samadhi. Just as the lamp illumines the lens, etc., while remaining unaffected, the Self illumines the ego (Chidabhasa), etc., while remaining unaffected.

14. What is dhyana (meditation)?

It is abiding as one’s Self without swerving in any way from one’s real nature and without feeling that one is meditating. As one is not in the least conscious of the different

states (waking, dreaming, etc.) in this condition, the sleep (noticeable) here is also regarded as dhyana.

15. What is the difference between dhyana and samadhi?

Dhyana is achieved through deliberate mental effort; in samadhi there is no such effort.

16. What are the factors to be kept in view in dhyana?

It is important for one who is established in his Self (atma nishta) to see that he does not swerve in the least from this absorption. By swerving from his true nature he may see before him bright effulgences, etc., or hear (unusual) sounds or regard as real the visions of gods appearing within or outside himself. He should not be deceived by these and forget himself.

Note: If the moments that are wasted in thinking of the objects which are not the Self, are spent on enquiry into the Self, Self-realization will be attained in a very short time.

Until the mind becomes established in itself some kind of bhavana (contemplation of a personified god or goddess with deep emotion and religious feeling) is essential. Otherwise the mind will be frequently assailed by wayward thoughts or sleep.

Without spending all the time in practising bhavanas like ‘I am Siva’ or ‘I am Brahman’, which are regarded as nirgunopasana (contemplation of the attributeless Brahman), the method of enquiry into oneself should be practised as soon as the mental strength which is the result of such upasana, (contemplation) is attained.

The excellence of the practice (sadhana) lies in not giving room for even a single mental concept (vritti).

17. What are the rules of conduct which an aspirant (sadhaka) should follow?

Moderation in food, moderation in sleep and moderation in speech.

18. How long should one practise?

Until the mind attains effortlessly its natural state of freedom from concepts, that is till the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ exists no longer.

19. What is the meaning of dwelling in solitude (ekantavasa)?

As the Self is all-pervasive it has no particular place for solitude. The state of being free from mental concepts is called ‘dwelling in solitude’.

20. What is the sign of wisdom (viveka)?

Its beauty lies in remaining free from delusion after realising the truth once. There is fear only for one who sees even a slight difference in the Supreme Brahman. So long as there is the idea that the body is the Self one cannot be a realizer of truth whoever he might be.

21. If everything happens according to karma (prarabdha, the result of one’s acts in the past) how is one to overcome the obstacles to meditation (dhyana)?

Prarabdha concerns only the out-turned, not the in-turned mind. One who seeks his real Self will not be afraid of any obstacle.

22. Is asceticism (sannyasa) one of the essential requisites for a person to become established in the Self (atmanishta)?

The effort that is made to get rid of attachment to one’s body is really towards abiding in the Self. Maturity of thought and enquiry alone removes attachment to the body, not the stations of life (ashramas), such as student (brahmachari), etc. For the attachment is in the mind while the stations pertain to the body. How can bodily stations remove the attachment in the mind? As maturity of thought and enquiry pertain to the mind, these alone can, by enquiry on the part of the same mind, remove the attachments which have crept into it through thoughtlessness. But, as the discipline of asceticism (sannyasashrama) is the means for attaining dispassion (vairagya), and as dispassion is the means for enquiry, joining an order of ascetics may be regarded, in a way, as a means of enquiry through dispassion. Instead of wasting one’s life by entering the order of ascetics before one is fit for it, it is better to live the householder’s life. In order to fix the mind in the Self which is its true nature it is necessary to separate it from the family of fancies (sankalpas) and doubts (vikalpas), that is to renounce the family (samsara) in the mind. This is real asceticism.

23. It is an established rule that so long as there is the least idea of ‘I-am-the-doer,’ Self-knowledge cannot be attained, but is it possible for an aspirant who is a householder to discharge his duties properly without this sense?

As there is no rule that action should depend upon a sense of being the doer it is unnecessary to doubt whether any action will take place without a doer or an act of doing. Although the officer of a government treasury may appear, in the eyes of others, to be doing his duty attentively and responsibly all day long, he will be discharging his duties without attachment, thinking ‘I have no real connection with all this money’ and without a sense of involvement in his mind. In the same manner a wise householder may also discharge without attachment the various household duties which fall to his lot according to his past karma, like a tool in the hands of another. Action and knowledge are not obstacles to each other.

24. Of what use to his family is a wise householder who is unmindful of his bodily comforts and of what use is his family to him?

Although he is entirely unmindful of his bodily comforts, if, owing to his past karma, his family has to subsist by his efforts, he may be regarded as doing service to others. If it is asked whether the wise man derives any benefit from the discharge of domestic duties, it may be answered that, as he has already attained the state of complete satisfaction which is the sum total of all benefits and the highest good of all, he does not stand to gain anything more by discharging family duties.

25. How can cessation of activity (nivritti) and peace of mind be attained in the midst of household duties which are of the nature of constant activity?

As the activities of the wise man exist only in the eyes of others and not in his own, although he may be accomplishing immense tasks, he really does nothing. Therefore his activities do not stand in the way of inaction and peace of mind. For he knows the truth that all activities take place in his mere presence and that he does nothing. Hence he will remain as the silent witness of all the activities taking place.

26. Just as the sage’s past karma is the cause of his present activities will not the impressions (vasanas) caused by his present activities adhere to him in future?

Only one who is free from all the latent tendencies (vasanas) is a sage. That being so how can the tendencies of karma affect him who is entirely unattached to activity?

27. What is the meaning of brahmacharya?

Only enquiry into Brahman should be called brahmacharya.

28. Will the practice of brahmacharya which is followed in conformity with the (four) orders of life (ashramas) be a means of knowledge?

As the various means of knowledge, such as control of senses, etc., are included in brahmacharya, the virtuous practices duly followed by those who belong to the order of students (brahmacharins) are very helpful for their improvement.

29. Can one enter the order of ascetics (sannyasa) directly from the order of students (brahmacharya)?

Those who are competent need not formally enter the orders of brahmacharya, etc., in the order laid down. One who has realized his Self does not distinguish between the various orders of life. Therefore no order of life either helps or hinders him.

30. Does an aspirant (sadhaka) lose anything by not observing the rules of caste and orders of life?

As the attainment (anusthana, lit., practice) of knowledge is the supreme end of all other practices, there is no rule that one who remains in any one order of life and constantly acquires knowledge is bound to follow the rules laid down for that order of life. If he follows the rules of caste and orders of life he does so for the good of the world. He does not derive any benefit by observing the rules. Nor does he lose anything by not observing them.

CHAPTER III

EXPERIENCE (Anubhava)

1. What is the light of consciousness?

It is the Self-luminous existence-consciousness which reveals to the seer the world of names and forms both inside and outside. The existence of this existence-consciousness can be inferred by the objects illuminated by it. It does not become the object of consciousness.

2. What is knowledge (vijnana)?

It is that tranquil state of existence-consciousness which is experienced by the aspirant and which is like the waveless ocean or the motionless ether.

3. What is bliss?

It is the experience of joy (or peace) in the state of vijnana, free of all activities and similar to deep sleep. This is also called the state of kevala nirvikalpa (remaining without concepts).

4. What is the state beyond bliss?

It is the state of unceasing peace of mind which is found in the state of absolute quiescence, jagrat-sushupti (lit., sleep with awareness) which resembles inactive deep sleep. In this state, in spite of the activity of the body and the senses, there is no external awareness, like a child immersed in sleep¹ (who

¹ The acts of sleeping children like eating and drinking are acts only in the eyes of others and not in their own. They do not therefore really do those acts in spite of their appearing to do them.

is not conscious of the food given to him by his mother). A yogi who is in this state is inactive even while engaged in activity. This is also called sahaja nirvikalpa samadhi (natural state of absorption in oneself without concepts).

5. What is the authority for saying that the entire moving and unmoving worlds depend upon oneself?

The Self means the embodied being. It is only after the energy, which was latent in the state of deep sleep, emerges with the idea of ‘I’ that all objects are experienced. The Self is present in all perceptions as the perceiver. There are no objects to be seen when the ‘I’ is absent. For all these reasons it may undoubtedly be said that everything comes out of the Self and goes back to the Self.

6. As the bodies and the selves animating them are everywhere actually observed to be innumerable how can it be said that the Self is only one?

If the idea ‘I am the body’ is accepted², the selves are multiple. The state in which this idea vanishes is the Self, since in that state there are no other objects. It is for this reason that the Self is regarded as one only.

7. What is the authority for saying that Brahman can be apprehended by the mind and at the same time that it cannot be apprehended by the mind?

It cannot be apprehended by the impure mind but can be apprehended by the pure mind.

8. What is pure mind and what is impure mind?

² The idea that one is one’s body is what is called hrdaya-granthi (knot of the

Heart). Of the various knots, this one, which binds together what is conscious

with what is insentient, is what causes bondage.

When the indefinable power of Brahman separates itself from Brahman and, in union with the reflection of consciousness (Chidabhasa) assumes various forms, it is called the impure mind. When it becomes free from the reflection of consciousness (abhasa), through discrimination, it is called the pure mind. Its state of union with the Brahman is its apprehension of Brahman. The energy which is accompanied by the reflection of consciousness is called the impure mind and its state of separation from Brahman is its non-apprehension of Brahman.

9. Is it possible to overcome, even while the body exists, the karma (prarabdha) which is said to last till the end of the body?

Yes. If the agent (doer) upon whom the karma depends, namely the ego, which has come into existence between the body and the Self, merges in its source and loses its form, will the karma which depends upon it alone survive? Therefore when there is no ‘I’ there is no karma.

10. As the Self is existence and consciousness, what is the reason for describing it as different from the existent and the nonexistent, the sentient and the insentient?

Although the Self is real, as it comprises everything, it does not give room for questions involving duality about its reality or unreality. Therefore it is said to be different from the real and the unreal. Similarly, even though it is consciousness, since there is nothing for it to know or to make itself known to, it is said to be different from the sentient and the insentient.

CHAPTER IV

ATTAINMENT (Arudha)

1. What is the state of attainment of knowledge?

It is firm and effortless abidance in the Self in which the mind which has become one with the Self does not subsequently emerge again at any time. That is, just as everyone usually and naturally has the idea, ‘I am not a goat nor a cow nor any other animal but a human’, when he thinks of his body, so also when he has the idea ‘I am not the principles (tattwas) beginning with the body and ending with sound (nada), but the Self which is existence, consciousness and bliss, the innate self-consciousness (atma prajna)’, he is said to have attained firm knowledge.

2. To which of the seven stages of knowledge (jnana bhoomikas)¹ does the sage (jnani) belong?

He belongs to the fourth stage.

¹ The seven jnana bhoomikas are:

(i). subheccha (the desire for enlightenment).
(ii). vicharana (enquiry).
(iii). tanumanasa (tenuous mind).

(iv). satwapatti (self-realization).
(v). asamsakti (non-attachment).
(vi). padarthabhavana (non-perception of objects).
(vii). turyaga (transcendence).

Those who have attained the last four bhoomikas are called brahmavid,
brahmavidvara, brahmavidvariya and brahmavidvaristha respectively.

3. If that is so why have three more stages superior to it been distinguished?

The marks of the stages four to seven are based upon the experiences of the realized person (jivanmukta). They are not states of knowledge and release. So far as knowledge and release are concerned no distinction whatever is made in these four stages.

4. As liberation is common to all, why is the varistha (lit., the most excellent) alone praised excessively?

So far as the varistha’s common experience of bliss is concerned, he is extolled only because of the special merit acquired by him in his previous births, which is the cause of it.

5. As there is no one who does not desire to experience constant bliss what is the reason why all sages (jnanis) do not attain the state of varistha?

It is not to be attained by mere desire or effort. Karma (prarabdha) is its cause. As the ego dies along with its cause even in the fourth stage (bhoomika), what agent is there beyond that stage to desire anything or to make efforts? So long as they make efforts they will not be sages (jnanis). Do the sacred texts (srutis) which specially mention the varistha say that the other three are unenlightened persons?

6. As some sacred texts say that the supreme state is that in which the sense organs and the mind are completely destroyed, how can that state be compatible with the experience of the body and the senses?

If that were so there would not be any difference between that state and the state of deep sleep. Further, how can it be said to be the natural state when it exists at one time and not at another? This happens, as stated before, to some persons according to their karma (prarabdha) for some time or till death. It cannot properly be regarded as the final state. If it could it would mean that all great souls and the Lord, who were the authors of the Vedantic works (jnana granthas) and the Vedas, were unenlightened persons. If the supreme state is that in which neither the senses nor the mind exist and not the state in which they exist, how can it be the perfect state (paripurnam)? As karma alone is responsible for the activity or inactivity of the sages, great souls have declared the state of sahaja nirvikalpa (the natural state without concepts) alone to be the ultimate state.

7. What is the difference between ordinary sleep and waking sleep (jagrat sushupti)?

In ordinary sleep there are not only no thoughts but also no awareness. In waking sleep there is awareness alone. That is why it is called awake while sleeping, that is, the sleep in which there is awareness.

8. Why is the Self described both as the fourth state (turiya) and beyond the fourth state (turiyatita)?

Turiya means that which is the fourth. The experiencers (jivas) of the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep, known as visva, taijasa and prajna, who wander successively in these three states, are not the Self. It is with the object of making this clear, namely that the Self is that which is different from them and which is the witness of these states, that it is called the fourth (turiya). When this is known, the three experiencers disappear and the idea that the Self is a witness, that it is the fourth, also disappears. That is why the Self is described as beyond the fourth (turiyatita).

9. What is the benefit derived by the sage from the sacred books (srutis)?

The sage who is the embodiment of the truths mentioned in the scriptures has no use for them.

10. Is there any connection between the attainment of supernatural powers (siddhis) and liberation (mukti)?

Enlightened enquiry alone leads to liberation. Supernatural powers are all illusory appearances created by the power of maya (mayashakti). Self-realization which is permanent is the only true accomplishment (siddhi). Accomplishments which appear and disappear, being the effect of maya, cannot be real. They are accomplished with the object of enjoying fame, pleasures, etc. They come unsought to some persons through their karma. Know that union with Brahman is the real aim of all accomplishments. This is also the state of liberation (aikya mukti) known as union (sayujya).

11. If this is the nature of liberation (moksha) why do some scriptures connect it with the body and say that the individual soul can attain liberation only when it does not leave the body?

It is only if bondage is real that liberation and the nature of its experiences have to be considered. So far as the Self (Purusha) is concerned it has really no bondage in any of the four states. As bondage is merely a verbal assumption according to the emphatic proclamation of the Vedanta system, how can the question of liberation, which depends upon the question of bondage, arise when there is no bondage? Without knowing this truth, to enquire into the nature of bondage and liberation, is like enquiring into the nonexistent height, colour, etc., of a barren woman’s son or the horns of a hare.

12. If that is so, do not the descriptions of bondage and release found in the scriptures become irrelevant and untrue?

No, they do not. On the contrary, the delusion of bondage fabricated by ignorance from time immemorial can be removed only by knowledge, and for this purpose the term ‘liberation’ (mukti) has been usually accepted. That is all. The fact that the characteristics of liberation are described in different ways proves that they are imaginary.

13. If that is so, are not all efforts such as study (lit., hearing) reflection, etc., useless?

No, they are not. The firm conviction that there is neither bondage nor liberation is the supreme purpose of all efforts. As this purpose of seeing boldly, through direct experience, that bondage and liberation do not exist, cannot be achieved except with the aid of the aforesaid practices, these efforts are useful.

14. Is there any authority for saying that there is neither bondage nor liberation?

This is decided on the strength of experience and not merely on the strength of the scriptures.

15. If it is experienced how is it experienced?

‘Bondage’ and ‘liberation’ are mere linguistic terms. They have no reality of their own. Therefore they cannot function of their own accord. It is necessary to accept the existence of some basic thing of which they are the modifications. If one enquires, ‘for whom is there bondage and liberation?’ it will be seen, ‘they are for me’. If one enquires, ‘Who am I?’, one will see that there is no such thing as the ‘I’. It will then be as clear as an amalaka fruit in one’s hand that what remains is one’s real being. As this truth will be naturally and clearly experienced by those who leave aside mere verbal discussions and enquire into themselves inwardly, there is no doubt that all realized persons uniformly see neither bondage nor liberation so far as the true Self is concerned.

16. If truly there is neither bondage nor liberation what is the reason for the actual experience of joys and sorrows?

They appear to be real only when one turns aside from one’s real nature. They do not really exist.

17. Is it possible for everyone to know directly without doubt what exactly is one’s true nature?

Undoubtedly it is possible.

18. How?

It is the experience of everyone that even in the states of deep sleep, fainting, etc., when the entire universe, moving and stationary, beginning with earth and ending with the unmanifested (prakriti), disappear, he does not disappear. Therefore the state of pure being which is common to all and which is always experienced directly by everybody is one’s true nature. The conclusion is that all experiences in the enlightened as well as the ignorant state, which may be described by newer and newer words, are opposed to one’s real nature.

To Sri Ganesa

One day in l912, a potter came to the Virupaksha Cave with a small image of Sri Ganesa that he had made and presented it to Sri Bhagavan. Easwara Swami suggested that both he and Sri Bhagavan should write a verse each to celebrate the occasion. This is what Sri Bhagavan wrote:

He who begot you as a child you made Into a beggar; as a child yourself You then lived everywhere just to support Your own huge belly; I too am a child. Oh Child God in that niche! Encountering one Born after you, is your heart made of stone? I pray you look at me!

Significance of Arunachala

The sudden rise of the blazing column of Annamalai¹ in front of Brahma and Vishnu and their utter distress at not being able to know the same is symbolic of the sphurana of the Heart centre as the real Self of the intellect and the ego.

Significance of the Beacon

Getting rid of the ‘I am the body’ idea and merging the mind into the Heart to realize the Self as non-dual being and the light of all is the real significance of darshan of the beacon of light on Annamalai, the centre of the universe.

¹ Annamalai is another name for Arunachala.

Sri Arunachala Mahatmya1

(The Glory of Sri Arunachala)

Nandi² said:

‘That is the holy place! Of all Arunachala is the most sacred! It is the heart of the world! Know it to be the secret and sacred Heart-centre of Siva! In that place he always abides as the glorious Aruna Hill!

‘That day on which the ancient and wonderful linga of Arunachala took shape is the asterism of Ardra in the month of Mrigasira. And the day on which Vishnu and the other devas worshipped the Lord who emerged from the effulgence is the day of Maha Sivaratri.’

Siva said:

‘Though in fact fiery, my lacklustre appearance as a hill on this spot is an act of grace and loving solicitude for the maintenance of the world. Here I always abide as the Great One (Siddha). Remember that in the interior of my Heart is transcendental glory with all the enjoyments of the world also.

‘Because they bind the beings of the worlds, know that relentless karmas become the bondage for jivas. The effulgent Arunachala is this (mountain), the mere sight of which causes them to become nonexistent.

‘What cannot be acquired without endless pains — the true import of Vedanta — is easily attained by all who can either directly sight this hill or even mentally think of it from afar.

¹ Extracts from The Skanda Purana translated into Tamil by Sri Bhagavan.

² Nandi is the foremost devotee of Siva, always remaining in front of him.

‘I ordain that residence within a radius of three yojanas³ of this hill shall by itself suffice to burn off all defects and effect union with the Supreme even in the absence of initiation.’

Devi said:

‘This is always the abode of pious devotees. Those who do evil to others here will, after suffering ills, be destroyed. Wicked persons will be completely bereft of their powers to do evil here in the twinkling of an eye. Do not fall into the burning fire of the anger of Lord Arunachala who has assumed the form of a hill of fire.’

³ A yojana is ten miles.

The Marital Garland of Letters

(Akshara Mana Malai)

This joyful Marital Garland of Letters which resembles a beam of the rays of the rising sun was sung by the noble Sage Ramana, the ocean of compassion, with the object of removing the delusion of the devotees who sought his grace. Those who look upon it as their sole refuge will realize within themselves that they are Arunachala and will reign in the world of Siva.¹

Invocation

Gracious Ganapati² with Thy (loving) hand bless me, that I may make this a marital garland of letters worthy of Sri Arunachala, the bridegroom!

Refrain

Arunachala Siva! Arunachala Siva!

Arunachala Siva! Arunachala!

Arunachala Siva! Arunachala Siva!

Arunachala Siva! Arunachala!

1. (a) Thou dost root out the ego of those who meditate on Thee in the Heart, Oh Arunachala!

(b) Arunachala! Thou dost root out the ego of those who dwell on their (spiritual) identity with Thee, Oh Arunachala!

2. May Thou and I be one and inseparable like Alagu and Sundara,³ Oh Arunachala!

¹ This was composed by Sri Muruganar.
² Another name for Sri Ganesa.
³ The Tamil word alagu and Sanskrit word sundara have one and the same

meaning: ‘beauty.’ Alagu and Sundara were also the names of Sri Ramana’s

mother and father.

1. Entering (my) home and luring me (to Thine) why didst Thou keep me prisoner in Thy Heart’s cavern, Oh Arunachala?

2. Was it for Thy pleasure or for my sake Thou didst win me? If now Thou turn me away, the world will blame Thee, Oh Arunachala!

3. Escape this blame! Why didst Thou then recall Thyself to me? How can I leave Thee now, Oh Arunachala?

4. (a) Kinder far art Thou than one’s own mother. Is this then Thy all-kindness, Oh Arunachala?

(b) Kinder indeed art Thou than one’s mother, such is Thy Love, Oh Arunachala!

7. (a) Sit firmly in my mind lest it elude Thee, Oh Arunachala!

(b)

Change not Thy nature and flee, but hold fast in my mind, Oh Arunachala!

(c)

Be watchful in my mind, lest it change even Thee (into me) and rush away, Oh Arunachala!

8. (a) Display Thy beauty, for the fickle mind to see Thee forever and to rest (in peace), Oh Arunachala!

(b)

The strumpet mind will cease to walk the streets if only she find Thee. Disclose Thy beauty then and hold her bound, Oh Arunachala!

(c)

The mind by her unsteadiness prevents my seeking Thee and finding peace; (hold her and) grant me the vision of Thy beauty, Oh Arunachala!

1. After abducting me if now Thou dost not embrace me, where is Thy chivalry, Oh Arunachala?

2. Does it become Thee thus to sleep when I am outraged by others, Oh Arunachala?

3. Even when the thieves of the five senses break in upon me, art Thou not still in my Heart, Oh Arunachala?

4. One art Thou without a second; who then could dare elude Thee and come in? This is only Thy jugglery, Oh Arunachala!

5. Significance of Om, unrivalled — unsurpassed! Who can comprehend Thee, Oh Arunachala?

6. As (Universal Mother) it is Thy duty to dispense Thy grace and save me, Oh Arunachala!

7. (a) Who can ever find Thee? The Eye of the eye art Thou, and without eyes Thou seest, Oh Arunachala!

(b) Being the sight of the eye, even without eyes find me out Thyself. Who (but Thyself) can find out Thee, Oh Arunachala?

1. As a lodestone attracts iron, magnetising it and holding it fast, so do Thou to me, Oh Arunachala!

2. (Unmoving) Hill, melting into a Sea of Grace, have mercy (on me) I pray, Oh Arunachala!

3. Fiery Gem, shining in all directions, do Thou burn up my dross, Oh Arunachala!

4. Shine as my Guru, making me free from faults and worthy of Thy Grace, Oh Arunachala!

5. Save me from the cruel snares of fascinating women and honour me with union with Thyself, Oh Arunachala!

6. Though I beg, Thou art callous and dost not condescend. I pray Thee! Say to me ‘Fear not’, Oh Arunachala!

7. Unasked Thou givest; this is Thy imperishable fame. Do not belie Thy name, Oh Arunachala!

8. Sweet fruit within my hands, let me be mad with ecstasy, drunk with the bliss of Thy essence, Oh Arunachala!

9. Blazoned as the devourer of Thy votaries, how can I survive who have embraced Thee, Oh Arunachala?

1. (a) Thou, unruffled by anger! What crime has marked me off (for Thy wrath), Oh Arunachala?

2. (b)Thou, unruffled by anger! What (austerities left) incomplete (in previous births) have won me Thy special favour, Oh Arunachala?
10. Glorious Mountain of Love, celebrated by Gautama,⁴ rule me with Thy gracious glance, Oh Arunachala!

11. Dazzling Sun that swallowest up all the universe in Thy rays, open the lotus of my Heart, I pray, Oh Arunachala!

12. (a) Let me, Thy prey, Surrender unto Thee and be consumed, and so have peace, Oh Arunachala!

(b) I came to feed on Thee, but Thou hast fed on me; now there is peace, Oh Arunachala!

1. O Moon of Grace, with Thy (cool) rays as hands, open (within me) the ambrosial orifice and let my Heart rejoice, Oh Arunachala!

2. Tear off these robes, expose me naked, then robe me with Thy love, Oh Arunachala!

3. There (in the Heart) rest quiet! Let the sea of joy surge, speech and feeling cease, Oh Arunachala!

4. Do not continue to deceive and prove me; disclose instead Thy transcendent Self, Oh Arunachala!

5. Vouchsafe the knowledge of eternal life that I may learn the glorious primal wisdom, and shun the delusion of this world, Oh Arunachala!

6. Unless Thou embrace me, I shall melt away in tears of anguish, Oh Arunachala!

7. If spurned by Thee, alas! What rests for me but the torment of my prarabdha?⁵ What hope is left for me, Oh Arunachala?

8. In silence Thou saidst, ‘Stay silent’ and Thyself stoodst silent, Oh Arunachala!⁶

9. Happiness lies in peaceful repose enjoyed when resting in the Self. Beyond speech indeed is Thy prowess resting in the Self. Beyond speech indeed is This my state, Oh Arunachala!

10. (a) Thou didst display Thy prowess once, and the perils ended, return to Thy repose, Oh Arunachala!

⁴ The Gautama here referred to is not the Buddha but a Hindu Sage of that name who dwelt at Arunachala.

(b) Sun! Thou didst sally forth and (the siege of) illusion was ended. Then didst Thou shine motionless (alone), Oh Arunachala!

39. (a) (A dog can scent out its master); am I then worse than a dog? Steadfastly will I seek Thee and regain Thee, Oh Arunachala!

⁵ Prarabdha is the part of destiny due to past actions (karmas) which bear fruit in the present birth.

⁶ Silence is the highest and most perfect form of instruction which the guru can give, for by its nature it is the closest to the essential object of such instruction, which is the realization by the disciple of the incommunicable and inexpressible Absolute.

(b) Worse than a dog (for want of scent) how can I track Thee (to Thy home), Oh Arunachala?

1. Grant me wisdom, I beseech Thee, so that I may not pine for love of Thee in ignorance, Oh Arunachala!

2. (a) Not finding the flower open, Thou didst stay, no better than a (frustrated) bee, Oh Arunachala!

(b) (In sunlight the lotus blossoms), how then couldst Thou, the Sun of suns hover before me like a flower bee, saying ‘Thou art not yet in blossom’, Oh Arunachala?

42. (a) ‘Thou hast realized the Self even without knowing that it was the truth. It is the truth itself!’ Speak (thus if it be so), Oh Arunachala!

(b)

Thou art the subject of most diverse views, yet art Thou not this only, Oh Arunachala!

(c)

Not known to the tattvas, though Thou art their being! What does this mean, Oh Arunachala!

43. (a) That each one is Reality Itself, Thou wilt of Thy nature show, Oh Arunachala!

(b) Reveal Thyself! Thou only art Reality, Oh Arunachala!

(c) ‘Reality is nothing but the Self’; is this not all Thy message, Oh Arunachala?

1. ‘Look within, ever seeking the Self with the inner eye, then will (it) be found.’Thus didst Thou direct me, beloved Arunachala!

2. (a) Seeking Thee within but weakly, I came back (unrewarded). Aid me, Oh Arunachala!

(b)

Weak though my effort was, by Thy grace, I gained the Self, Oh Arunachala!

(c)

Seeking Thee in the Infinite Self I regained my own (Self), Oh Arunachala!

1. What value has this birth without knowledge born of Realization? It is not even worth speaking about, Oh Arunachala?

2. (a) Let me dive into the true Self, wherein merge only the pure in mind and speech, Oh Arunachala!

(b) I, by Thy Grace, am sunk in Thy Self, wherein merge only those divested of their minds and thus made pure, Oh Arunachala!

1. When I took shelter under Thee as my One God, Thou didst destroy me altogether, Oh Arunachala!

2. Treasure of benign and holy Grace, found without seeking, steady my wandering mind, Oh Arunachala!

3. On seeking Thy Real Self with courage, my raft capsized and the waters came over me. Have mercy on me, Oh Arunachala!

4. (a) Unless Thou extend Thy hand of grace in mercy and embrace me, I am lost, Oh Arunachala!

(b) Enfold me body to body, limb to limb, or I am lost, Oh Arunachala!

1. O Undefiled, abide Thou in my Heart so that there may be everlasting joy, Oh Arunachala!

2. (a) Mock me not, who seek Thy protection! Adorn me with Thy Grace and then regard me, Oh Arunachala!

(b) Smile with Grace and not with scorn on me, who come to Thee (for refuge), Oh Arunachala!

54. (a) When I approached, Thou didst not bend; Thou stoodst unmoved, at one with me, Oh Arunachala!

(b) Does it not shame Thee to stand there like a post, (leaving me) to find Thee by myself, Oh Arunachala?

1. Rain Thy Mercy on me ere Thy knowledge burn me to ashes, Oh Arunachala!

2. Unite with me to destroy (our separate identities as) Thou and me, and bless me with the state of ever vibrant joy, Oh Arunachala!

3. (a) When shall I (become) like the ether and reach Thee, subtle of being, that the tempest of thoughts may end, Oh Arunachala?

(b) When will waves of thought cease to rise? When shall I reach Thee, subtler than the subtle ether, Oh Arunachala?

58. (a) I am a simpleton devoid of learning. Do Thou dispel my illusion, Oh Arunachala!

(b) Destroy Thou my wrong knowledge, I beseech Thee, for I lack the knowledge which the scriptures lead to, Oh Arunachala!

1. When I melted away and entered Thee, my Refuge, (I found) Thee standing naked (like the famous Digambara),⁷ Oh Arunachala!

2. In my unloving self Thou didst create a passion for Thee; therefore forsake me not, Oh Arunachala!

3. (a) Fruit shrivelled and spoilt is worthless; take and enjoy it ripe, Oh Arunachala!

(b) I am not (like) a fruit which is overripe and spoilt; draw me, then, into the inmost recess (of the Heart) and fix me in eternity, Oh Arunachala!

⁷ Digambara, from dik — the directions of space, and ambara — cloth, i.e,. one who is clothed in the directions of space, in other words, who goes naked.

62. (a) Hast Thou not bartered cunningly Thyself for me (for my individuality is lost)? Oh, Thou art death to me, Oh Arunachala!

(b) Hast Thou not bartered cunningly Thyself for me (giving all and taking nothing)? Art Thou not blind, Oh Arunachala?

1. Regard me! Take thought of me! Touch me!⁸ Mature me! Make me one with Thee, Oh Arunachala!

2. Grant me Thy Grace ere the poison of delusion grips me and, rising to my head, kills me, Oh Arunachala!

3. Thyself regard me and dispel illusion! Unless Thou do so who can intercede with Grace itself made manifest, Oh Arunachala?

4. With madness for Thee hast Thou freed me of madness (for the world); grant me now the cure of all madness, Oh Arunachala!

5. Fearless I seek Thee, Fearlessness Itself! How canst Thou fear to take me, Oh Arunachala?

6. Where is (my) ignorance of (Thy) wisdom, if I am blessed with union to Thee, Oh Arunachala?

7. (a) My mind has blossomed, (then) scent it with Thy fragrance and perfect it, Oh Arunachala!

(b) Espouse me, I beseech Thee, and let this mind now wedded to the world be wedded to perfection, Oh Arunachala!

1. Mere thought of Thee has drawn me to Thee, and who can gauge Thy Glory (in Itself), Oh Arunachala?

2. Thou has possessed me, unexorcisable Spirit, and made me mad (for Thee), that I may cease to be a ghost (wandering the world), Oh Arunachala!

⁸ ‘Regard me! Take thought of me! Touch me!’ refer respectively to the three modes of initiation, by look, by thought and by touch.

1. Be Thou my stay and my support lest I droop helpless like a tender creeper, Oh Arunachala!

2. Thou didst benumb (my faculties) with stupefying powder,⁹ then rob me of my understanding and reveal the Knowledge of Thy Self, Oh Arunachala!

3. Show me the warfare of Thy Grace, in the open field where there is no coming and going, Oh Arunachala!

4. Unattached to the physical frame composed of the (five) elements, let me forever repose happy in the sight of Thy Splendour, Oh Arunachala!

5. Thou hast administered the medicine of confusion to me, so must I be confounded! Shine Thou as grace, the cure of all confusion, Oh Arunachala!

6. Shine Thou selfless, sapping the pride of those who boast of their freewill, Oh Arunachala!

7. I am a fool who prays only when overwhelmed (by misery), yet disappoint me not, Oh Arunachala!

8. Guard me lest I flounder storm-tossed like a ship without helmsman, Oh Arunachala!

9. Thou hast cut the knot which hid the vision of Thy head and foot (the limitless Self). Mother-like, shouldst Thou not complete Thy task, Oh Arunachala?¹⁰

10. Be not (like) a mirror held up to a noseless man, but raise me (from my lowliness) and embrace me, Oh Arunachala!

⁹ This verse alludes to the wandering ascetics who spirit away children for disciples, stupefying them with a pinch of powder such as sacred ashes.

¹⁰ The cutting of the knot which binds man to illusion implies the attainment of nirvikalpa samadhi; completion of the task refers to the state of sahaja samadhi.

1. Let us embrace upon the bed of tender flowers, which is the mind, within the room of the body (or the Ultimate Truth), Oh Arunachala!

2. How is it that Thou hast become famous from Thy constant union with the poor and humble, Oh Arunachala?

3. Thou hast removed the blindness of ignorance with the unguent of Thy Grace, and made me truly Thine, Oh Arunachala!

4. Thou didst shave clean my head (and I was lost to the world),¹¹ then Thou didst (show Thyself) dancing in transcendent space, Oh Arunachala!

5. (a) Though Thou hast loosed me from the mists of error and made me mad for Thee, why hast Thou not yet freed me from illusion, Oh Arunachala?

(b) Though Thou hast detached me from the world and made me cleave to Thee, Thy passion for me has not cooled, Oh Arunachala!