श्रीः
ॐ नमो भगवते श्रीरमणाय
Sri Arunachala Aksharamanamalai – Verses 41 - 50
What the purpose of sadhana? Is there really a need to get rid of the jeeva-bhava and realise the true self as Arunachala? Of what practical use is this? Verse # 43 does a deep-dive into a powerful shruti-vakyam (Kenopanishad) to understand answers to these questions. With utmost compassion, in this mantra, Shruti also equips us with sadhana, which can be practiced by us as we go through any of our worldly experiences, to get closer to the goal. Basically, shift the focus from the seen to the seer and ask - Who is seeing? Is my refuge within me, or in the objects (sense objects, relationships, worldly experiences) outside me?
41 – ஞிமிறு போல் நீயும் மலர்ந்திலை என்றே
நேர் நின்றனை என் அருணாசலா (அ)
O Arunachala, the sun of luminosity! How is it that you too, like a bee, hover before me (without entering me, and making me blossom) saying, ‘You have not bloomed’?
If the guru appears before the sadhaka and says ‘you are not ready’, the sadhaka has nowhere to go. Unless the sun’s rays touch the lotus bud, it will not blossom. Like how the sannidhyam of the sun, makes the lotus bloom, the sannidhyam of Arunachala makes the jeeva blossom and shed his ahankara. The sannidhyam of the Guru (who is Arunachala svarupam) has to make the shishya blossom.
42 – தத்துவம் தெரியாது அத்தனை உற்றாய்
தத்துவம் இது என் அருணாசலா (அ)
O Arunachala! I do not know the truth (I have not heard it from the guru) and you have still taken possession of me – what is the principle behind this? Explain it to me.
One of the most important shlokas, worth deep contemplation on, is this. Bhagavan says this is my truth, my true svarupam, it is intimate to me, even without my knowing it. I remain as the aatma, whether I know it or not. Bhagavan told devotees - you are experiencing only the aatma even in jagrat. You just have not realised it.
The deshika / sadguru shows me the path to this. Bhagavan did not know the tattvam, he had not even heard the words ‘tattvamasi’ when he reached the feet of his sadguru Arunachala. He lived as Brahman without having heard the word 'Brahman' ever. Hence he asks for an explanation of the guru's grace.
This verse contains the practical situation we find ourselves in. The shastram tells me that I am the self, I am not the body or mind or any the koshas. The aatma is सर्वानुभूः – ever-experienced by all, and is in close proximity to me. While I understand it theoretically, it is not my living reality. My experiences in the world present a dichotomy to the Advaita-tattvam. This is the gap between jnanam and vijnanam - knowledge and experiece.
The aatma is not evident to the person who looks outside for it. This
is why Yama to says Nachiketa ‘एतद्वै तत्’ (this is that), in a series of
mantras in which he explains the aatma and concludes with ’this’, which I have
explained is ‘that’ tattvam that you are looking for. It is right here!
Bhagavan Sri Krishna explains how it becomes
the shishya’s own reality – in # 5.17 - तद्बुद्धयः तदात्मानः तन्निष्ठाः तत्परायणाः
is his state – his intellect is absorbed in that, the self is that, he is
steadfast in that, it is his supreme goal.
43 – தானே தானே தத்துவம் இதனைத்
தானே காட்டுவாய் அருணாசலா (அ)
O Arunachala! You are the tattvam, the Self of all. Show this to me yourself.
This brief meaning has a deep tatparyam. The first of the vibhutis Bhagavan Sri Krishna talks about in the Gita is - अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयः स्थितः (#10.20) - O Arjuna ! I am the Self residing in the hearts of all beings.
This “I” (தான்) is Arunachala, who shines as the self of all. The word ‘தான்’ (thaan) means the Self as against ‘நான்‘ (naan) which indicates ahankara / abhimanam / ego. In Arunachala Pancharatnam, Bhagavan says हृदि अहमिति आत्मतया नृत्यसि भोः (2) - you dance in the heart as 'I'.
Bhagavan says - show it to me yourself, by showing up as my very self. Show it to me by removing the veil that I have covered it with - the body, mind, intellect. These are the upadhis which I identify myself with. When this wrong identification is done away with, what remains is the underlying substratum.
Names and forms vary between people and they exist superimposed on this tattvam which is the substratum. Thoughtfully, Bhagavan additionally uses the word இதனை, which means ‘this’. It is close to me, I have to look within to find it.
How is it revealed? Kenopanishad mantra # 2.4 tells us that the aatma is revealed in each and every experience. I don't have peace because I am looking in the wrong place for happiness. प्रतिबोधविदितं मतम् अमृतत्त्वं हि विन्दते |आत्मना विन्दते वीर्यं विद्यया विन्दतेऽमृतम् ॥ Brahman is known in each and every state of consciousness. The one who knows it attains immortality.
How does one know Brahman as the self constantly? Through one’s self (by sadhana), one acquires fitness for knowledge (veeryam), through knowledge one attains immortality.
This knowledge which is awareness of my true self, is realisation. In each experience, Brahman is effortlessly and choicelessly revealed. And it is the power which reveals that I know something and that I do not know something. This is the real I.
Where does the world around me fit in? To me, the unlimited witness-consciousness, all bodies, time, space, objects appear, as known or unknown. The jeeva-jagat-Ishvara triad appears to me.
That I am the experiencer of everything, beyond space, time and object, is thus revealed to me in every experience and I remain untouched, a witness, even during sleep. This does not need practice or pramanam or faith in any teaching. I exist in every experience as the witness. I am not merely the witness of one body-mind, but of all bodies and minds. Even if all bodies and minds disappear, I will still remain.
Dakshinamurthy stotram says बाल्यादिष्वपि जाग्रादिषु तथा सर्वास्ववस्थास्वपि व्यावृत्तस्वनुवर्तमानम् अहमित्यन्तः
स्फुरन्तं सदा...(#7) That which persists in all stages of age
(childhood, boyhood, youth and old age), in all states (waking, dreaming and
deep-sleep) and in all other conditions and constantly manifests inwardly as
“I”…this is Dakshinamurthy.
I need to realise this because then I get rid of the limitedless linked to my body and mind. I realise the self to be the witness of everything. As a witness, I am infact, unimpacted by the experiences. The happiness I feel from a pleasant experience, is a reflection of my aatmaananda. The object which gave me the happiness, was merely a nimittam - an efficient cause for my inherent happiness to be reflected in my mind. The object merely removed the turbulence in my mind, which I experienced by anticipating it. If I can silence my mind of unwanted thoughts and hand over the reins of my chariot to the intelligent sarathi who is Paramatma, I will reach my goal.
If I can separate my happiness from the object, I am no longer dependent on non-eternal things for happiness. I can achieve this by enquiring into Who, for every worldly experience. Only by turning from the seen to the seer, this can be experienced. My only refuge is within me. Therefore, the 'Who am I' vichara, was the only upadesha that Bhagavan gave us, to get to the self.
44 – திரும்பி அகந்தனைத் தினம் அகக்கண் காண்
தெரியும் என்றனை என் அருணாசலா (அ)
O Arunachala! You taught: ‘Turn the ego within and look constantly with the inner eye, and you will see.’
In this verse, Guru Aruncahala’s upadesha has been explained (it was requested in the previous verse) - Arunachala svarupam is ‘thaan’ - Srimad Bhagavatam says (in a slight modification of the similar Mundakopanishad mantra) भिद्यते हृदयग्रन्थिः छिद्यन्ते सर्वसंशयाः क्षीयन्ते चास्य कर्माणि दृष्ट एव आत्मनि ईश्वरे (1.2.21) - The hridaya-granthis (ignorance, desire and desire-driven action) are discarded, doubts are removed, all action falls away when Ishvara is seen within as one’s own svarupam.
Ishvara is not seen as a form using the mind and intellect. An Ishvara who is outside me, can disappear at times. The proximity is important - this is found inside me.
Only this ‘thaan’ exists. This is what Arunachala tells us. It is
experienced always (தினம்) when we turn
inwards with dispassion and see with antarmukha-drushti (அகக்கண்), then it reveals itself by the inner eye. Bhagavan uses the word ‘தினம்’ - constantly search, without a break.
45 – தீரம் இல் அகத்தில் தேடி உந்தனை யான்
திரும்ப உற்றெனன் அருள் அருணாசலா (அ)
O Arunachala! Seeking you in the limitless heart, I have regained you.
Ishvara resides in the heart as 'I'. So the place to look for him is the heart. In reality, it is not possible to lose this Ishvara within. Due to my outward-oriented senses and mind, I believe I am someone else. When the ahankara, the “I” thought is traced to its source, and the aatma manifests there. I have to merely stay in that place thereafter.
46 – துப்பறிவு இல்லா இப்பிறப்பு என் பயன்
ஒப்பிட வாய் ஏன் அருணாசலா (அ)
O Arunachala! Of what use is this birth without knowledge born through inquiry? And, why should I compare it to anything?
The purpose of our birth is knowledge of my own immortality, which is obtained by realising the true nature of the self. Instead, if we work on developing our personality instead of letting go of it, there is no point in having a human birth. The word personality is derived from the word 'persona' which referred to the mask worn by performers in Greek and Roman drama - it is an adhyasa / superimposition. We have to endeavour to let it go.
47 – தூய்மனம் மொழியர் தோயும் உன் மெய் அகம்
தோயவே அருள் என் அருணாசலா (அ)
O Arunachala! Bestow your grace so that I may merge (தோயவே) with you - you who have merged with those whose mind and speech are pure and in whom you shine as 'I'.
This is an important verse for the sadhaka, asking for grace, because it talks about an important prerequisite - a pure mind.
Karma yoga cleanses the mind. Bhakti and dhyanam make it one-pointed and focussed. These sadhanas lead us to the guru, receive the teaching and internalise it.
48 – தெய்வம் என்று உன்னைச் சாரவே என்னைச்
சேர ஒழித்தாய் அருணாசலா (அ)
O Arunachala! I sought refuge in you as my God, and you destroyed me utterly.
Bhagavan Sri Krishna says in Gita # 7.14 दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया । मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ॥ The delusive power of Maya is hard to cross over. Those who surrender themselves to me, transcend Maya.
This surrender is vital to destroy individuality. It is difficult to keep working, or undertake upasana, without a desire for the result. But when one is able to surrender the work and its results to a higher power, one is out of the clutches of the ego. The one who has no need for any external anchor but merely works as an instrument of Ishvara, merges with Ishvara.
In the path of knowledge, the same Ishvara means the aatma-svarupam. Surrender to Ishvara, cleanse the mind of all its dross, remove the ego and then the mind rests calmly in its source, which is the self. This is the path to liberation.
In both the paths (bhakti and knowledge), the ego has to be
removed, to progress.
49 – தேடாது உற்ற நல்திருவருள் நிதி அகத்
தியக்கம் தீர்த்து அருள் அருணாசலா (அ)
O Arunachala! You are the treasure of divine grace that has come to me without seeking; do remove my delusion of the mind (the limitation / limited idea that I am different from you).
Bhagavan realised the Self without actively seeking it. Even after the experience, he did not feel like a changed person. After he realised what he had received, he saw that it was a great treasure. This is why he uses the word ‘nidhi’ – the treasure of svaanubhava.
This realisation is the highest treasure. All of Bhagavan’s
devotees attained peace, and not wealth or gold. On the contrary, they lived
their lives begging for alms. The proximity to a jnani made them overlook every
inconvenience, because all they could see was that they had attained a rare treasure.
50 – தைரியமோடும் உன் மெய் அகம் நாட யான்
தட்டழிந்தேன் அருள் அருணாசலா (அ)
O Arunachala! With courage I sought to know your reality; but alas, I got destroyed in the process. Do bestow your grace on me so that I can see your svarupam.
When one completely surrenders, he has given up all other anchors, and then Ishvara turns his grace on him and prevents him from falling. When the ego (jeeva-bodha) is alive, Ishvara cannot be attained. Destruction of the ego is at the core of spiritual progress. Hence Bhagavan says - 'I got destroyed'.
Bhagavan demonstrated the bhakti of a jnani – it is the highest bhakti, without any duality. The shloka goes -
द्वैतं मोहाय बोधात्प्राग्जाते बोधे मनीषया । भक्त्यर्थं कल्पितं द्वैतम् अद्वैतादपि सुन्दरम् ॥
The jnani has bhakti in which he has created a specific shade of duality purely for the sake of bhakti – this bhakti is even more beautiful than the knowledge of oneness with Ishvara. Mere Advaita-knowledge could be dry and academic. Bhakti makes it beautiful, gives him freedom and makes him complete and peaceful. Bhagavan Shankaracharya’s stotrams overflow with bhakti, and he was the highest jnani to have walked the length and breadth of the country. Advaita and bhakti are mutually complementary.
There is no greater example of complete surrender to divine will, than that of Bhagavan Ramana maharshi. And there was not a moment that he lived, other than as Brahman. His life was an amalgamation of the highest bhakti and the highest knowledge.
There are no boundaries to this knowledge. It applies to everyone; it is not a cult, it does not call for hero worship. There are no rules as to who can join the sampradaya. It does not oppose any philosophy. It blends with bhakti, upasana and karma.
Srimad Bhagavatam calls the realised person a नित्यानुभूत-निजलाभनिवृत्त-तृष्णः – (Rishabha Gita # 5.6.19) he constantly abides in the self and has no desire which has to be fulfilled to make him complete. The seeking (arising from apurnatvam) ends when we find fulfilment in the object which makes us complete, and we no longer feel limited. Everything that limits us, has been taken out of us - this is the goal.
यत्र योगेश्वरः कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धरः । तत्र श्रीर्विजयो भूतिर्ध्रुवा नीतिर्मतिर्मम ॥
सर्वं श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु
Read Verses 51 to 60 - https://vedantalearning.blogspot.com/2024/10/aksharamanamalai-verses-51-to-60.html