Sri Arunachala Pancharatnam (Sanskrit)

 

श्रीः

ॐ नमो भगवते श्रीरमणाय

Sri Arunachala Pancharatnam (Five verses) 

1. करुणापूर्णसुधाब्धे कबलितघनविश्वरूप किरणावल्या अरुणाचल परमात्मन् अरुणो भव चित्तकञ्जसुविकासाय।

Ocean of ambrosia, over-flowing with grace, Arunachala the paramatma, whose rays swallow the solid form of the universe. May you be the sun for the complete blossoming of heart-lotus.

Bhagavan gets into the heart of atma-vidya straightaway, describing the svarupa-lakshanam of Brahman, ie, jnana svarupam. Arunachala is Parabrahman, Lord Shiva himself, who shines in the heart as 'I'. 

When the self is seen as Arunachala svarupam, one's heart-lotus can be said to have blossomed. But one's own nature is misunderstood to be the body or mind. When attention is drawn to the self on enquiry, the darkness of ignorance about the self, is swallowed by the light of consciousness. Everything around us is also seen as the self. This sarvaatma-bhava distinguishes the jnani from the others.

When, as a young boy, Bhagavan was gripped by the fear of death, he did not look outside for an answer. Instead, turned within and enquired into 'Who'. Thereby he understood his own deathless nature.

2. त्वय्यरुणाचल सर्वं भूत्वा स्थित्वा प्रलीनमेतच्चित्रं हृद्यहमित्यात्मतया नृत्यसि भोस्ते वदन्ति हृदयं नाम।

From you, Arunachala, all this universe comes into existence, it is sustained in you and is subsumed into you. You dance in the heart as ‘I’. Your name is 'heart.

The substratum on which the universe is superimposed, is described here, as the tatastha lakshanam of Arunachala. This shows the seeker the lens with which to view the perceivable world. Shankaracharya says in Manisha Panchakam - यद्भासा हृदयाक्षदेहविषया भान्ति स्वतोऽचेतना - By the reflection of this chaitanyam, the mind, senses and body are illumined despite their being insentient. This consciousness is the substratum of the world of objects that we perceive as apart from us.

Without the light of consciousness, the world of names and forms would not be perceived. Bhagavan Sri Krishna says in Gita - मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव (7.7) - everything is strung on me like gems on a string. When we see beyond the superimposed, and instead recognise the substratum, it is revealed to be the self of all, Arunachala.

3. अहमिति कुत आयातीत्यन्विष्यान्तः प्रविष्टया अत्यमलधिया अवगम्य स्वं रूपं शाम्यत्यरुणाचल त्वयि नदीवाब्धौ।

On enquiring into from where the ‘I’ has arisen, turning inwards with a pure and cleansed mind, and coming to know one’s own nature, one will dissolve in you, Arunachala, like a river merges in the ocean.

In this one and the next 2 shlokas, the sadhana is explained. The first one is atma vichara - self enquiry.

A mind which is made pure by karma yoga and bhakti, and which is facing inwards towards the self, can perceive the self. A pure mind is needed for the ahankara / individuality to be destroyed and for knowledge of the self to dawn. Performing karma as yoga (as an instrument of Ishvara) and bhakti are needed as means to this.

4. त्यक्त्वा विषयं बाह्यं रुद्धप्राणेन रुद्धमनसा अन्तस्त्वां ध्यायन् पश्यति योगी दीधितिमरुणाचल त्वयि महीयन्ते।

Renouncing external phenomena and contemplating on you with a restrained mind and restrained breath, the yōgi sees the light and he rejoices in you.

Dhyana marga is described here. Due to the onslaught of vasanas, it is difficult to focus on the self. Here is the role of breath control, as an aid to mind control. Not only is mind control needed, one also needs to turn inwards and focus on the self, to perceive the light. 

The dhyanam that Bhagavan Sri Krishna talks about in Chapter 6, culminates in the mind abiding in the self - आत्मसंस्थं मनः कृत्वा न किञ्चिदपि चिन्तयेत् (6.25) - Letting go of desires, withdraw the mind and focus the intellect, and without giving up, place the mind in the self and cease thinking. This is the yogi who sees the light.

5. त्वय्यर्पितमनसा त्वां पश्यन् सर्वं तवाकृतितया सततं भजतेऽनन्यप्रीत्या स जयत्यरुणाचल त्वयि सुखे मग्नः

Seeing you by a mind that is surrendered in you, one who sees you everywhere and as every form, one who incessantly worships you not as another but as his own self, he triumphs, being immersed in happiness in you.

Bhakti marga is described here. In Upadesha saram, Bhagavan says - 

ईशजीवयोर्वेषधीभिदा सत्स्वभावतो वस्तु केवलम्। 

वेषहानतः स्वात्मदर्शनम् ईशदर्शनं स्वात्मरूपतः। (24 & 25)

From the viewpoint of the upadhis, the jeeva is alpa-shaktiman and alpajna (with limited powers and limited knowledge). Ishvara is sarva-shaktiman and sarvajna. But when these upadhis are removed, the wrong idea that I am this limited jeeva, is surrendered and the pure self, which is of the nature of sat-cit-ananda, is realised. This is also the nature of Ishvara. Therefore, the realisation of one's true nature, is the same as the realisation of God. This is like how there are big waves, small waves, bubbles, etc in water but the underlying reality is water.

Now, having destroyed the mind and individuality by surrender, one can see everything as the self. Ishvara also becomes an object of nithya-smaranam and one need not make a effort to remember him. There is no other, other than Ishvara. To quote Bhagavan Sri Krishna in the Gita verse quoted earlier - मत्तः परतरं नान्यत् किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय (7.7) - There is nothing higher than me or other than me.

Having understood this underlying truth of the self and Ishvara, one has ananya-bhakti, which is not any more a means to cleanse the mind but the jnani's way of expressing his love and joy.

The result of this realisation, is the goal of this human life - happiness and peace. 

इति श्रीमद्रमणमहर्षेर्दर्शनमरुणाचलस्य देवगिरा पञ्चकमार्यागीतौ रत्नं  त्विदमौपनिषदं हि॥ (concluding verse composed by Daivarata )

These five verses in praise of Arunachala, are a revelation of Srimad Ramana Maharshi, composed in Sanskrit in AryaGita meter, are indeed Upaniṣadic gems.

सर्वं श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु

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