Kaivalya Navaneeta

The Cream of Emancipation

An Ancient Tamil Classic
By Tandavaraya Swami
Translated into English by Swami Ramanananda Saraswathi
Compiler of 'Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi'
!!" Edition

#$blisher's %ote
&e have great pleas$re in offering to the devotees of Sri Bhagavan and the st$dent of
'edanta in general( a val$able little classic) This was one of the works very
fre*$ently referred to by the Maharshi)
+n the absence of any mention in earlier literat$re on 'edanta in Tamil we can ass$me
that ',aivalya %avaneeta' was probably written at least five h$ndred years ago) +t was
translated into -erman and English by .r) Charles -ra$l( .. of the /eip0ig /$theran
Mission and we have in the Ramanasramam /ibrary a book containing these -erman
and English translations and p$blished in 122( both in /eip0ig and /ondon)
&e have not come across any other English translation so far)
&e are confident that this great little book will prove to be of immense help to all
sadhaks)
The #$blisher
+ntrod$ction
The ,aivalya %avaneeta is a widely known Advaita classic in Tamil) %avaneeta
means b$tter) ,aivalya or Revala is the state in which the so$l e3ists( isolated from
all connection with the body etc) 4rom the vast ocean of milk 5the 6panishads etc)7
the great teachers have drawn the milk of wisdom and filled it in pots 5ancient te3ts7)
Tandavaraya Swami( the a$thor of ,aivalya %avaneeta says that he has e3tracted the
b$tter from the milk) Those who have obtained this 5being fed on the b$tter of divine
wisdom 8 Brahma 9nana 8 and being eternally satisfied7 will not roam abo$t feeding
on d$st 5non8real ob:ects of sense7)
The two sections of this work are called 'The e3position of the Tr$th' 5Tattva
'ilakkappadalam7 and '.o$bts cleared Away'5Sandeham telitarppadalam7) They
e3plain the basic philosophical principles and clear do$bts which are likely to arise in
$nderstanding these principles)
') A) .evasenapathi
,aivalya %avaneeta
) #rostrations to the ;oly 4eet of the 6ni*$e /ord who like ether remains as sole
witness in the hearts of all beings( whether they are swayed by desire for wealth(
lands( and women( or are free from s$ch desire( and who shines as the towering peak
over the seven s$ccessive spirit$al heights( which are in themselves e3alted over all
other planes 5of mind7( or in %annilam( the holiest of the seven holy places<
2) + adore the feet of the ;oly Master who shines forth forever as the wide E3panse
which has no beginning or end or interval( and + proceed to tell yo$ the tr$e nat$re of
the Absol$te Being( to e3plain bondage and liberation so that even those who are too
d$ll to learn the script$res( may $nderstand)
=) After adoring my Master( 'enkatesa M$k$nda( who is himself ever8free( and who
made me his own( + write this ,aivalya %avaneeta divided into two parts( the first of
which contains a clear e3position of the Tr$th( and the second clears away all do$bts
arising from the former)

The 4irst Section
The E3position >f The Tr$th
1) The Sages say that there are fo$r prere*$isites for realisation of the Tr$th?
) 'iveka? discrimination between the temporary 5therefore $nreal phenomena7 and
the permanent 5therefore the Reality( i)e)( the no$menal7@
A) indifference to the en:oyment of pleas$res here or hereafter@
") the gro$p of si3 *$alities and
B) the longing for /iberation)

! and C) The si3 *$alities are sama( dama( $parati( titiksha( samadhana and sraddha)
>f these( sama is control of mind@ dama is control of the senses@ $parati is cessation
of activities 5relating to caste( creed( family etc)7@ titiksha is control of passions( and
incl$des end$rance@ samadhana is( according to the sages( the settling down of the
mind to reflect the Tr$th( as revealed 5by the script$res and the sages7@ sraddha
denotes faith in the master and the script$res@ s$ch are the meanings of the si3 terms
of this category)
B) After eagerly sal$ting his Master( he stood $p and sobbed o$t his heart( saying D>
/ord< + have s$ffered long the tort$re or worldly life( which is after all so false<
-racio$s Master( save me by tearing off the cords which bind me to the five sheaths(
so that my heart may be at peace<''
! and AC) D/ook here( my son< ;e who has forgotten his tr$e nat$re is alternately
born and dies( t$rning ro$nd and ro$nd in the $nceasing wheel of time( like a feather
ca$ght $p in a whirlwind( $ntil he realised the tr$e nat$re of the Self) +f he comes to
see the individ$al self and its s$bstrat$m( the >verself( then be becomes the
s$bstrat$m( i)e)( Brahman( and escapes rebirths) Sho$ld yo$ know yo$rself no harm
will befall yo$) As yo$ asked + have told yo$ this)''
2) The *$estion then arises? &hereon does the s$perimposition rest when the
s$bstrat$m is completely hiddenE And how can there be any s$perimposition if the
s$bstrat$m is not hiddenE D5The answer is?7 The s$bstrat$m is twofold( general and
partic$lar( of which the general s$bstrat$m remains contin$o$s and $nbroken)
Transient s$perimposition is partic$lar)
2A) +n the world( the common s$bstrat$m 'This is' can never be veiled@ b$t only the
partic$lar identity 8 'This is a rope)' Similarly with the :iva( ignorance does not veil
the s$bstrat$m 8 '+ AM'@ b$t it veils the specific knowledge 8 '+ am Brahman')''
=A) By the /ord $nder the sacred banyan tree< + speak the tr$th@ Fo$ are the
$nchanging &itness of the gross( s$btle and 5cas$al7 ignorance( the waking dream
and sleep states( and the passage of time 8 past( present and f$t$re( which endlessly
rise and fall( like waves in the ocean of bliss)
1C) +n the e3ample@ 'This is that .evadatta(' the man who was seen in another place
and on another occasion( and also known as .evadatta( is this man who is seen in this
place and on this occasion) Altho$gh the time and place are different( a little
consideration reveals the man to be the same)
1) Similarly( in the words 'That' and 'tho$'( their literal meanings e3cl$ded( the
Conscio$sness8#rinciple is taken as Brahman and the &itness( whose $nbroken
identity is established by 'art'( so that Brahman is the Self( and the Self is Brahman)
C=) 9$st as the ether tho$gh all8pervading seems to be newly opened in a well which
is newly d$g( so Brahman tho$gh ever8present yet appears as if realised afresh by
en*$iry into the self as ta$ght by a master or the script$res) Therefore( > son( be at
peace that we are always the same limitless Being<
C1) The whole $niverse is as $nreal as water in a mirage( silver in mother8of8pearl(
the city of -andharvas in the air( the dreamland of dream( the bl$e of the sky( the
serpent in the rope( the off8spring of a barren woman( the horn of a hare( or the thief
in the thick post) > Son< #$re Conscio$sness is alone real) .o not therefore forget the
Self at any moment)

Section Two
.o$bts Cleared Away
) D9$st as men dig a hole( gently plant a long post in it( fill in earth and ram it in( to
fi3 it firmly so too( + take to clearing away do$bts that yo$r mind which has realised
the Self as being the S$preme Conscio$sness may remain $nshaken)''
BB) .isciple? D> Siva in the form of my Master) +f these powers and .eliverance are
together the fr$its of tapas( then all the sages sho$ld possess both( as the ancient sages
did) &e have known that the ancient sages had these siddhis and were also liberated
at the same time) &hy do not all :nanis possess s$ch powers as wellE''
B2) Master? D>f the two types of tapas( namely( tapas( for the f$lfillment of one's
desires( and dispassionate tapas( the former bestows the powers desired( and the latter
wisdom) Each can yield its allotted fr$its only) That is the law) The ancient sages had
evidently performed both kinds of tapas)

BG) DSinless son( 9anaka( Mahabali( Bhagirata and others got deliverance only)
.id they display any siddhisE 5%o7) Some of the sages so$ght siddhis only@ others
so$ght both siddhis and emancipation) These siddhis are simply for display and
nothing more) They do not make for liberation)''
C=) .isciple? D> Master< + do not see the propriety of the statement that all beings
are permeated by the single non8d$al Self which is all8embracing as Being8
Conscio$sness8Bliss) The e3istence of the :ivas is clear beca$se they all say '+'@
Conscio$sness also is clear beca$se of knowledge which is obvio$s@ why does not8
Bliss show forth in a similar wayE''
C1) Master? DSon( altho$gh there are shapes( fragrance and softness together present
in the same flower( each of them is cognised by a separate sense only) >therwise they
are not perceived@ s$ch is the law of nat$re) Similarly tho$gh the beatific *$alities(
Being( Conscio$sness and Bliss together form the Self( yet the modes vary constantly
and give rise to the difference which appear as the world)
C!) My son< the three *$alities 8 Satva( Ra:as and Tamas 8 give rise to the three
modes 8 repose( agitation and ignorance respectively) Being( Conscio$sness and Bliss
which are themselves glorio$s( always remain a homogeneo$s &hole yet appear
different)
C) Bare e3istence alone is noticed in plants( minerals and the earth which look
insentient and are ignorant)
There can be no happiness in the state of dist$rbance ca$sed by passions( s$ch as l$st(
which act like poison) B$t Being and Conscio$sness are evident in it)
Being( Conscio$sness and Bliss together become manifest in the state of #eace which
is characterised by a stern detachment 5from e3ternalities7)
Therefore Bliss becomes clear in a peacef$l mind rid of ignorance and agitation)''
G1) .isciple? D;ow sho$ld + remain( so that + may e3perience what yo$ have
described as BlissE''
Master? D+f yo$ get rid of the mode of mind which give rise to the states of waking(
dream and sleep( yo$ will remain as yo$r tr$e being and also e3perience Bliss)
G!) +f yo$ ask how to control the activities of the mind( rising $p from its latencies?
R$le over the intellect and sense as yo$r slaves) They will become e3tinct)
=C) Also by gentle control of the breath which blows like bellows( the activities of
the mind cease) +f yo$ are not inclined to practice this yoga( they will cease if yo$
root o$t the massive ignorance of the cas$al body) Then too the mind stops its
activities)''
=) .isciple? DBy what means can + root o$t ignorance( the cas$al bodyE''
Master? DThe sr$tis can never mislead one) ;ow can there be ignorance if yo$ firmly
fi3 their teaching in yo$r mind@ ' + am the all8perfect being in whom the worlds
appearE''
=A) .isciple? D;ow can + remain so when + engage in worldly transactions( with
wandering mindE''
Master? DThere is nothing apart from Me) &hatever is seen( is of Me) + am + who is
conscio$sness which sees all this as fictitions as my dream)
=") +f yo$ always remain aware that '+' am perfect Conscio$sness( what does it
matter how m$ch yo$ think( or what yo$ doE All this is $nreal like dream visions
after waking) + am all8Bliss<''
=1 and =!) S$ch is 'idyananda) Those who st$dy this work with devotion will
realise the high state of Repose and be liberated here and now) +n order that all may
$nderstand clearly 'idyananda( the tr$e spirit of the ;oly books( in %annilam Master
%arayana appeared in my samadhi and commanded me to make this ,aivalya
%avaneeta perfect in every detail( and free from defect)
1B) #raise( praise to the a$thor of my salvation< ;e placed on his head the 4oot of
%arayana( the +nfinite /ord( who made him his slave( and who( by means of the
process of negation had destroyed what thro$gh imposition had arisen as a mere
fictitio$s appearance( and p$t me in s$ch a condition that +( with eyes of -race( can
remain for ever the Spectator)