Welcome

to
 July
40/-
2016

Leading Change with

Authenticity
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3 July 2016
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6 July 2016
 Jagadguru Speaks
Please Your Parents and Guru and Sanctify Your Penance
Everyone wants to lead a comfortable life. Even so, a few dos and
donts must be followed. If that is observed, one can certainly be happy
and keep others also happy. Examples are: Giving due respect to parents,
treating them with care and kindness, wishing good for all and so on.
But nowadays some people do not pay heed to such traditions. Not
knowing what is good or bad, they are impolite and downright rude to
their parents. And that is not good. The parents are also unable to say
anything.
Ahmo {d{M ^Jd{MopQ>V ZV OZmo@ {h {_f n{V &
mg{h {dH$_ go{dVw {ZO nw {nVa {OOr{df{V &&
What this means is that man, though aware that time is fleeting,
completely ignores it. Imagining in his own way things that do not exist,
he wastes his life perpetrating heinous actions, such as seriously harming
his son or father. As a result, he brings his own ruin. In such a
predicament, coming out of these karmic results becomes most difficult.
Instead, he should be convinced that parents will always advise only
what is good for him. He should also remember the difficulty with
which they raised him and that he should remain ever grateful for what
they did as their goodness and benevolence cannot be repaid even in a
hundred years.
_mVm{nVam bom ghoVo g^do ZUm_ &
Z V {ZH${V: mm H$Vw dfmVa{n &&
Therefore, if everyone properly respects his parents and gurus, and
pleases them he becomes fit to receive their grace which itself will yield
the fruit of a great penance.

Vmo{Z { Hw$mXmMm M gdXm &

Vodod {fw VwQ>ofw Vn: gd g_mVo &&
7 July 2016
mana prasda
saumyatva
maunamtmavini
graha
bhvasauddhi
rityetat
When you practice silence, the voice of

tapo the soul opens up like an unfolding bud.

You emit beautiful fragrance then.

mnasamucyate
8 July 2016
 T his article brings to you
an actual practice on the
road to self
transformation. The first
practice on the path of self
transformation is the art of
observing silence. Not
necessarily the first one you
need to perform, just the first
one I am elaborating. Observing
silence can help you achieve
silence of the mind.
The term for observing silence
is mouna in Sanskrit.
Interestingly, in the Bhagavad
Gita mouna is defined as tapas,
penance, of the mind:
mana prasda
saumyatva
mounamtmavinigraha
bhvasauddhirityetat
tapo mnasamuchyate
(Bhagavad Gita 17.16)
A cheerful disposition, even
temperament, self reflection
and contemplation, a quiet mind
9 July 2016
and purity of bhava include
austerities of the mind.
Human mind is always talking.
It is not possible to listen to your
mind if you are talking as well. It
is, furthermore, impossible to
quieten your mind if you are not
paying attention to what it is
saying. And, in order to listen to
your mind, you must be quiet.
Quietude of speech is paramount
to attain complete quiescence of
the mind.
As part of the practice of silence,
you need to start with small
periods first, the shortest being at
least one straight stretch of 24
hours. If you are merely observing
silence of speech by refraining
from speaking, you are only 50
per cent there.
The practice involves observing
complete silence; that means,
not holding any type of
conversation. Carefully examine
the chart below:
 As an analogy, think of taking
your driving test. When you are
behind the wheel with the
testing officer next to you, it is
clear to you that certain
mistakes are considered Instant
Failure items while there are
other points where a degree of
lenience is used.
If you fail to indicate while
turning, or fail to check your
blind spot when changing lanes
for example, your test is
terminated right that moment
and you are asked to turn back.
Whereas, if you are not ultra
vigilant in constantly checking
your rear and side view mirrors
and are only doing so
intermittently, you may still get
a pass.
Similarly, all practices
henceforth are going to have
items classified as Instant
Failure, Warning, and Need
Improvement. Under the Impact
column in the table above, red
markings are instant failure,
yellow, warning, and green are
to be taken as area for
improvement.
For instance, you undertake the
practice of observing silence for
48 hours. During that time, if
you make any verbal comments,
10
the impact is red and huge and
basically that is instant failure. If
you end up reading newspaper
during those 48 hours, the
quality of your practice comes
down by five percent (see the
weightage column); you can still
continue because it is a green
mistake.
During your period of silence,
you can at the most take one
book at the beginning. But
ideally, you should just be in a
room in your own company.
If you end up sleeping for 18
out of 24 hours just because you
can or because you have nothing
else to do, you need not bother
with observing silence business.
It is wasting your time; after all,
we are not observing sleep but
silence.
The more mindful and alert you
are, the better your practice.
When in complete silence, you
will start to become aware of the
talkative nature of your mind.
You will begin to see how your
mind is restless like the baboon
that cannot stay on any branch
longer than a few seconds.
Initially, your ability to
meditate is going to retard while
observing silence. You are likely
July 2016
to experience a certain
restlessness as well. You need
not be alarmed. It is only
natural. With persistence and
patience, a quietude will begin
to dawn. And that is going to get
you ready for good meditation.
Observing silence is comparable
to preparing a fertile ground to
sow the seeds of meditation.
Please know this: the practice
of observing silence is absolutely
critical for the seeker desiring to
experience a state of super-
consciousness.
When you are enjoying yourself
listening to your iPod, the
external noise seems to subside
automatically; the music in your
ears makes the outside sound
almost immaterial.
Similarly, when you are able to
channelise internal noise, it
transforms into music. And
when you start to hear internal
music, everything offered to you
in the external world almost
ceases to matter.
A good practice of silence does
not have any dialogues,
conversations--written or oral,
gestures, interactions or
engagements. Mouna is not
merely restraint of speech, it is
11
quietening your actions, speech
and thoughts. A saguna upasaka,
worshipper of form, is allowed
to eulogise his deity during the
period of mouna. His primary
objective of observing silence is
to strengthen his own devotional
sentiments towards his deity as
opposed to mere quiescence of
the mind.
Somewhere along the line, I
will narrate my personal
experience on hearing anahat
nada, the unstruck sound and
how anyone can get to it; at will,
anytime. It is a natural outcome,
among many others, of silence
and solitude
Peace.
Swami
www.omswami.com
July 2016
 GEMS OF SANKARA

Satasloki-12

Meaning: Feeling, while going about, that he is a wave of

the ocean of the Self; while sitting, that he is a bead strung
on the thread of universal consciousness; while perceiving
objects of sense, that he is realising himself by perceiving
the Self; and, while sleeping, that he is drowned in the
ocean of bliss--he, who, inwardly constant, spends his whole
life thus is, among all men, the real seeker of liberation.

In Satasloki (The Century of Verses) Bhagavatpada

Sankaracharya covers the entire Advaita Vedanta with his
inimitable spiritual insight, each sloka focusing on one
central point of the philosophy.

This is a remarkable four-line summary of how to live one's

life in accordance with the teaching of Advaita Vedanta.

12 July 2016
 What are the constituents of living? They are nothing but
Thought, Perception, Action and Withdrawal. Everything that
happens in one's life produces a response in you in one or more of
these four ways alone. Sankara tells you how to operate these
four in the Vedantic sense.

Thought is a mental process. Every happening affects the mind.

The mind reacts. But react not in the transactional worldly way.
Remember you are only a bead strung on the thread of universal
consciousness. So stand aloof from the mind.

Perception is by the senses. The senses respond. The response

may be a thought or an action or even a withdrawal, which in this
case means you are indifferent to the perception. Sankara says
what you are perceiving is the Self and so by perceiving you are
only realising the Self.

Action is by the kriya sakti in you, namely the prana or life-force in

you. During all the actions that your prana generates in you either
as a response to happenings or as an effect of your thought
process, you should emphatically feel that you are only a wave in
the ocean of consciousness.

Finally, Withdrawal means no action, no response, no perception,

not even a thought. This is just sleep. While thus 'sleeping', feel
that you are drowned in the ocean of the bliss of consciousness.

Whoever spends his whole lifetime thus, says Sankara, is, among
all men, the real seeker of liberation

profvk@yahoo.com

13 July 2016
This is the second and concluding part of review of Sankaras
work that contains his teaching of the entire Vedanta in just five
verses. Part I appeared in the June issue of Tattvloka.

Verse One Svadharma has to be inter-

In the first line the author lays
stress on the regular study of
the scriptures (relevant to
brahmacharya asrama) and
performance of actions as laid
down (svadharma) with faith and
commitment (relevant to
grihastasrama). Karma Yoga is
highlighted in the second line by
instructing the seeker to
perform these karmas as worship
of the Lord.
preted here as compulsory duties
(nitya naimittika karmas)
irrespective of one's preference
(raga/dvesha) and, therefore, only
nishkamya karma.
With the erosion of varnasrama
system, svadharma has to be re-
interpreted as performance of
pancha mahayajna, extolled in
the scriptures as deva yajna
(worship of the Lord), pitru yajna

14 July 2016
(worship of forefathers), rishi
yajna (worship of rishis and
scriptures), manushya yajna
(worship of human beings--this
comprises all forms of social
service) and bhuta yajna
(worship of animals and plants,
which also includes maintenance
of ecology and environment).
Caution is also given by the
author to avoid taking to sakama
karma (seeking material
benefits). In the third line the
author points out that with the
dilution of raga dvesha by resort
to karma yoga, the seeker should
constantly reflect on the inherent
defects in the experiential sense
pleasures in the world, which are
fleeting and ephemeral and he
needs to be convinced that one
cannot look for permanent
security and happiness in artha-
kama pursuit and the benefits
flowing therefrom.
This will lead him to develop
desire for Self-knowledge and to
pursue such a quest, take to a
withdrawn life (vanaprastha
asrama) either by moving to a
secluded place or remaining at
home with a detached mind,
dropping physical actions
(kayika/vachika karma) and
replacing these with upasana
(meditation).
15
Verse 2
The author emphasises the
need for the seeker to develop
association with wise men and
spiritual seekers (satsang). The
seeker also should intensely
practise saguna Isvara upasana
(meditation), taking resort to the
disciplines set out in Ashtanga
Yoga of Patanjali Maharshi. He
should also gain the
qualifications needed for Jnana
Yoga, such as viveka, vairagya,
shatka sampati (made up of the
six disciplinessama, dama,
uparati, samadhanam, titiksha
and sraddha) and mumukshutvam
(intense desire for liberation).
Nature of Sannyasa
The author also introduces the
fourth asrama of sannyasa in this
verse by a reference to
renunciation of all karmas. This
sannyasa can be formal and
ritualistic as laid down in the
scriptures, or can be internal by
giving up the notion of doership
in all actions.
In the third line the author
instructs that the seeker should
now approach a competent
acharya (making it clear that Self
knowledge can be gained only
from a guru). The term,
sadvidvan, used in the verse
indicates that the guru has to be
July 2016
a srotriya brahmanishtha (himself
a wise person belonging to the
acharya parampara who adheres
to traditional ways of teaching
sampradaya).
Guru seva is also indicated as it
will help inculcate humility,
proper rapport with the teacher
and develop sraddha (faith) in the
guru and his teaching, besides
giving an opportunity for the
guru to assess the level of
preparation of the student to
receive the teaching and help him
fill gaps, if any, in that regard.
In the last line the verse
introduces Jnana Yoga by stating
that the disciple should seek
from the teacher the knowledge
of the essential identity of Atma
and Brahman and carefully listen
to the teaching of the Upanishads
as expounded by the guru (which
is technically known as
sravanam).
Verse 3
In the first line of this verse,
the author elaborates on
sravanam by referring to sastra
vichara (enquiry into vedic
statements, particularly the
mahavakyas, which reveal the
identity of Atma and Brahman).
The enquiry comprises finding
out the real content of the
16
expressions tvam, tat and asi in
the mahavakyam, tat tvam asi, by
applying the rules of mimamsa
guided by the teacher.
The seeker should grasp the
essential nature of jivatma as
pure consciousness (tvam pada
has to be understood as chit)
Resort to the Upanishads will help
the seeker understand the real
nature of Paramatma (referred to
as tat in the Mahavakya) as (sat)
pure existence.
The expression, asi, reveals the
identity of jivatma with
paramatma, as sat is non-
different from chit. Thus
sravanam will give the benefit of
Self-knowledge to the seeker.
The second line of the verse
refers to mananam, which is the
process of helping the seeker gain
doubt-free knowledge and,
therefore, involves logical
negation of all systems,
contradicting the Vedantic
teaching. The author accordingly
cautions the seeker to keep away
from systems which rely solely on
erroneous logic and to endeavour
to gain total conviction in the
Vedantic revelation using proper
logic to understand and extract
the correct message of the
scriptures.
July 2016
 This is important because, on aneously we must dwell on the
the face of it, one may find it teaching, 'I am not the body-mind
difficult to accept the identity of complex,' which will help to shed
one's self and Paramatma and, so, identification with that as
dvaita darsanas (systems pro- enjoined by the author in the first
moting plurality) may appear part of the fourth line in the
more acceptable. Thus, while third verse.
sravanam helps in ajnana nivritti
(removal of ignorance), mananam Two Types
helps in samsaya nivritti (removal Nididhyasanam is of two types:
of doubts).
1. Structured
In the first part The second line of the verse meditation with
of line three, refers to mananam, which is the
proper posture in a
nididhyasana secluded place,
process helping the seeker gain
m is touched invoking the
doubt-free knowledge and,
upon by the Vedantic revelation
therefore, involves logical
author by of my real nature
negation of all systems,
asking the as non-different
contradicting the Vedantic from Paramatma or
seeker to
meditate upon the teaching . Brahman and in
fact, I am Brahman negating non-Vedantic
as revealed in sravanam and conclusions about myself.
fortified by mananam. This
exercise is needed to get over 2. By remaining alert to
habitual tendencies of Vedantic teaching in and through
identification with the body- all transactions (vyavahara) so
mind complex built over a long that our response to situations
period of time and help to gain and interaction is in line with
emotional strength and enjoy a the Vedantic teaching.
calm and balanced mind.
After briefly touching upon
This is possible only by total nididhyasanam, Sankaracharya
assimilation of the teaching, dwells on certain disciplines
making it percolate to the sub- complementary thereto to be
conscious level so that it can be followed by a wise person as part
accessed whenever emotional of nididhyasanam of the second
problems confront us. Simult- type mentioned above.

17 July 2016
 He cautions the seeker to develop
an attitude of humility (giving up
arrogance) in line three of the
third verse, which is concluded
with another instruction enjoining
the seeker to give up indulgence in
needless argument with anybody
and particularly with wise people
and mahatmas.
Such arguments will, apart
from inflating one's ego and
stubbornness resulting in
bitterness all around, be of no
use in learning anything new.
However, informed dialogue
with wise people (samvada) is
recommended for a seeker as it
will help improve his
understanding of the teaching.
Verse 4
This verse contains a few more
instructions to be followed in the
context of day-to-day life keeping
a sannyasi/jnani prominently in
mind in general and related to
specific aspects of the personality
of a seeker in particular. This can
be summed up as follows:
1. May you consider food as a
medicine to treat the disease of
appetite and consume food only
to eliminate hunger. He should
not, therefore, seek anything to
cater to or satisfy his desire born
of a sense of taste. He should rest
18
content with whatever he gets
governed by prarabdha.
2. May you learn to put up with
pairs of opposite experiences
(like heat/cold, praise/censure,
benefit/loss, respect/disrespect,
birth/death) which are inherent
in the world.
3. May you not be given to
indulging in useless prattles and
may you reduce the urge to
engage in purposeless
conversation.
4. Develop a desire to be aloof
and avoid aligning with one
group or the other.
5. May you not react to praise
or censure from people by
avoiding raga for praise and
dvesha for censure.
Verse 5
In the final verse Sankara
reverts to nididhyasana and
provides more guidelines in
elaboration in the first two lines.
1. May you be seated
comfortably in a secluded
location in meditation and fix
your mind on Brahman.
2. May you very clearly see the
fact that as Atma you are
July 2016
complete and full all the time
(Being Self-sufficient and not
lacking in anything in life).
3. If I see the anatma world as
different from me, it will imply
duality and affect my purnatvam.
Therefore, the author wants the
seeker to negate anatma in the
vision of Atma. Atma has to be
looked at as karanam, which
alone is satyam and the world
has to be looked at as karyam
and mithya.
Therefore, the next part of the
verse is devoted to negation of
anatma. May the wise person,
therefore, develop the vision
that the entire anatma jagat
stands negated as mithya.
Nididhyasanam is needed until
the Vedantic teaching is
assimilated and the vision
becomes spontaneous. Such a
person fully absorbed in the
teaching is called a jnana nishtha
or jivan mukta.
In lines three and four, the
author talks of jivan mukti
and videha mukti respectively
and for that purpose also
makes a mention that in the
case of a wise person, the punya
papa karma gets resolved
as follows:
19
1. May you dissolve all sanchita
karma (punya papa karma
accumulated over all the prior
births) by the strength of your
Self-knowledge.
2. May you be unaffected by
agami karma (karma to be done
in the future) as by the strength
of knowledge you have dropped
all notions of doership (kartrutva
abhavat).
3. May you experience prarabdha
karma in this life without
reaction. (In the absence of
identification with the body-mind
complex, the sukha dukha
experiences connected there-with
forming part of the anatma
prapancha will appear
insignificant to a wise person).
4. Once prarabdha is exhausted
and your body falls, may you
remain eternal as paramatma
(videha mukti).
Thus, in five verses Acharya has
brought out the essence of
spiritual pursuit and the means
to achieve the goal of liberation
(Concluded)
athreyaanna@gmail.com
July 2016
 Siva
Mahimna Stotra
20 July 2016
 A great adoration of the Supreme Lord with poetic
beauty and devotional fervour.
P ushpadanta, a Gandharva
and devotee of Siva, had a
passion for flowers. His
name literally means, one who
has teeth as fresh as flowers.
Gandharvas are celestials who
live in the skies and in the
atmosphere (antariksha). They
have contact with svarga, the
celestial abode of the devas. They
may not be spiritually high in the
hierarchy, but their faculties are
considered superior to humans.
King Chitraratha used to offer
flowers from his royal garden
while worshipping Lord Siva.
Pushpadanta was attracted by
the beauty of the garden. Unable
to control himself, he started
plucking flowers daily from the
garden and soon plucked more
and more flowers. The king was
worried that daily almost all the
flowers vanished even before his
own men reached the garden.
Pushpadanta had the power to
be invisible; hence the king could
not catch the culprit. Sensing that
21
this is the work of some hidden
force, the king came up with an
idea. He arranged to scatter the
sacred bilva leaves and flowers
removed from the deity after the
daily puja (nirmalya) all over the
garden.
Pushpadanta unknowingly trod
on the Siva nirmalya, incurred
divine wrath and lost his power
of remaining invisible. Realising
his folly, he prayed for
forgiveness by composing the
Siva Mahimna Stotra. After
intense prayers, he got back his
divine powers.
Ever since, the Siva Mahimna
Stotra has remained very popular
among the devotees of Siva and
it is considered one of the best
among all stutis offered to the
Lord. The stotra is so powerful
that it can uplift a sincere
supplicant to spiritual heights.
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa,
the 19th century saint, is said to
have delved into samadhi just by
reciting a few verses from this
hymn.
July 2016
Heights of Ecstasy
Let us savour some important
lines from Siva Mahimna Stotra
which consists of 43 verses.
In the opening verse after the
invocation, Pushpadanta exclaims,
Your greatness is beyond the
reach of mind and speech. Who
can properly praise that which
even the Vedas describe with
trepidation, by means of neti, neti
(not this, not this)?
The Vedas, Sankhya and Yoga
philosophy show different paths
to the Truth. But, just as the sea
is the final resting place for all
streams, you are the destination
of all people, whatever path they
follow.(7)
A great bull, a wooden
handrest, an axe, tiger skin,
ashes, serpents, a human skull
and such items alone are your
possessions. Yet Gods get all
their desires fulfilled by your
mere casting of eyes. Indeed, one
whose delight is in the Self
cannot be deluded by the mirage
of sense objects, na hi
Svatmaramam vishaya mruga
trushna bhramayati. (8)
Brahma and Vishhnu wished to
measure your greatness . You
took the form of a huge column
22
of fire. Brahma became a swan
and flew high to see the top,
while Vishnu as a boar dug into
the ground to see the bottom.
Neither could succeed. (10)
Having obtained all his power
through worshipping you,
Ravana once dared to test the
power of his arms by lifting
Mount Kailas. You just moved a
toe and Ravana was pinned
down under the mountain. (12)
Bana, the demon king, made
the three worlds serve him. This
is not a surprise, since he held on
to your feet. (13)
When the Ocean of Milk was
churned by both gods and
demons for nectar, deadly poison
came out scorching everything.
O, three-eyed lord, you consumed
this poison, but your consort,
Parvati, blocked it in your throat,
and the stain of poison in your
neck adds to your glory. (14)
Manmatha, the God of Love,
has become invisible (ananga)
since he shot his arrow at you
and was burnt to ashes. River
Ganga that was brought down
to the earth by King Bhagiratha
rushed down with anger, but the
vast river appears like a mere
drop of water on your head. (17)
July 2016
 When you wanted to burn the
three cities, you had the earth as
the chariot, Brahma as
charioteer, mount Meru as bow,
the sun and moon as the wheels
of the chariot and Vishnu
himself as the arrow. Why all
this show? You were only
playing with all things under
your command. (18)
Vishnu brought 1000 lotuses to
place at your feet. After placing
999 of them, he found one lotus
missing. He plucked out one of
his own eyes and offered it to
you. You rewarded his supreme
devotion by giving him the
Sudarsana Chakra. (19)
Though you reward all
sacrifices, those done with
arrogance become counter-
productive, as in the case of
Daksha yajya. (21)
You play in the burning ghats;
your friends are the ghosts; your
body is smeared with ashes of
dead bodies; your garland is of
human skulls. Each of these is
inauspicious, yet you grant
auspicious boons. (24)
Oh Lord! Bhava, Sharva, Rudra,
Pasupati, Ugra, Mahadeva,
Bhima, and Isaana, these eight
names of yours are each treated
23
in detail in the Vedas. Salutations
to you as Brahma in whom rajas
prevails for the creation of the
universe. Salutations to you as
Rudra in whom tamas prevails
for its destruction. Salutations to
you as Vishnu in whom sattva
prevails for giving happiness to
the people. O Siva, you are self
effulgent and beyond the three
attributes. (30)
There is no God higher than
Siva, there is no hymn better
than the hymn on the greatness
of Siva, there is no mantra more
powerful than the name of Siva.
There is nothing higher to be
known than the real nature of
the Guru. (35)
Towards the end, Pushpadanta
gives a phala-sruti, saying that
this hymn, which is dear to Siva
is capable of removing all sins.
May the Lord of all beings
become greatly pleased with
anyone who has learnt this by
heart or recalls it with single-
mindedness
gvramakrishna@yahoo.com
July 2016
24 July 2016
Page 25
26 July 2016
Os
Page 27
Dear Swamiji,

Who is the most important person

in our life? Our guru, father,
mother, friend or partner? And
what is the most important thing
to do? Please share your wisdom.

Humble pranams,
Anita, 25

28 July 2016
 Dear Anita,
Your two questions reminded
me of a story by Leo Tolstoy I
quoted on my blog a while back.
Once upon a time, a king got up
in the morning with these three
questions on his mind:
Who is the most important
person? What is the most
important time? What is the
most important karma?
He asked his ministers and
other courtiers. Some said the
king was the most important
person, the moment of death
was the most important time,
and serving ones religion was
the most worthwhile karma.
Others gave different answers
such as ones child or parent was
the most important person, the
time of birth was the most
important time and charity was
the most important karma. Some
said God was the most important
person, many said it was the
farmer, some replied it was the
soldier and so on.
Not satisfied with their
answers, the king decided to visit
a wise sage who lived on the top
of a certain mountain. It was a
29
steep climb and a few hours later
M i n d
he found himself outside the
cave of the yogi. As was the
custom, he left his sword outside
the door, prostrated before the
sage and posed his questions. In
response, the sage took him to
the edge of a cliff, a nearby high
point overlooking the entire
kingdom. The king was looking
at his vast dominion and feeling
good about his life thus far when
he was interrupted by a voice
behind him.
Turn around, it said. The
king turned back and saw the
sage pointing the sword at
the kings heart, just a few
millimeters away.
O King! the sage continued,
do you know now, whos the
most important person, whats
the most important time and
whats the most important
karma?
The king was startled. After his
heart skipped a beat, a calm
feeling swept over his entire
being and his eyes twinkled. He
bowed in reverence, expressed
his gratitude and went back to
his palace.
His courtiers asked him the
next day if he got a satisfactory
July 2016
answer and if so, they were quite
eager to know as well, they said.
Yes, said the king. The sage
answered all three questions in
an instant. Just when I was in
awe looking at my colossal
kingdom from the edge, I
realised the most worthwhile
karma for me was to love and
care for my subjects. But for
them I would not be the king.
And then the sage appeared with
my sword in his hand. I was a
few moments away from death. I
realised the most important time
was now. At that moment my
past didnt matter and I had no
future. Now was the only
moment I had."
And, Your Majesty, the
minister said, who is the most
important person?
You.
Me?
Yes, you. But not you.
Your wisdom is beyond my
grasp, Your Grace.
The most important person is
30
the person you are with, the
king clarified. Therefore, you
are the most important person
right now.
I hope you got the message. It
is far more important to live in
the present moment and give
your best to whatever you are
doing with whoever you may be.
Give that person or that task 100
per cent attention.
We learn different things from
different people. The importance
of parents can't be compared
with that of a teacher or vice-
versa.
What matters is that we remain
aware and grateful of others'
contribution in our lives and
continue to pass the goodness
onto others, forever making this
world a better place
Peace.
www.omswami.com
July 2016
Page 31
32 July 2016

I n the previous issue, we
looked at the life, times and
work of Atri Maharshi, the
first of the Saptarshis (the seven
great sages). We shall now learn
about the personality and
contributions of Bhrigu
Maharshi, whose descendents,
even to this day, are called
Bhargava.
The historical basis of Bhrigu
and other maharshis and rishis is
attested to by many data,
including the location of their
asrams, writings, travels,
disciples, contemporaries, and
so on. Bhrigu's ashram was in the
country then called Brahmavarta
(now in the border region
between Haryana and
Rajasthan).
Manusmriti says Bhrigu was a
contemporary of Manu. As with
many of our Dharma Sastras,
Manusmriti was a compilation of
much received wisdom. Manu
may be seen, in current terms, as
the Chief Editor getting inputs
from many others, including, in
our case, Bhrigu.
33
M i n d
You might have heard some
social and political comments on
ancient scriptures of all
religions. They must have had
truth, value and acceptance at
their time, and for many
millennia. Even today, while the
outward forms may change, the
core issues are still relevant.
No new theory, structure, law,
or practice, is perfect and may
give rise to unintended,
unanticipated new problems.
Father of Bhrigu Samhita
Bhrigu is known for bringing
together knowledge and practice
of Jyotisham (astrology). He is
the author of Bhrigu Samhita.
Even today, interest in
astrology is widespread, not only
in India, but world over. It is
visible in newspapers,
magazines, books, TV, online,
and so on, in almost all world
languages.
Some take to it early; some
come to it later, when faced with
problems, life's ups and downs,
July 2016
twists and turns. Even those
who label themselves as
rationalists may have a
nagging doubt about some
possible, perhaps just
psychological, benefit of
jyotisham.
As you may recall from your
study of history, most human
settlements all over the world,
from ancient times, have been on
the banks of rivers.
In cases of disastrous floods, or
drying up, people have moved to
new locations, even with much
loss and suffering. Bhrigu
migrated to Bhrigukutch, on the
banks of river Narmada in
modern Gujarat. The place name
has changed to Bharuch.
The fame and worship of rishis,
like Bhrigu, has spread
countrywide. Among Bhrigu's
illustrious descendents was
Sukra, reputed as acharya. A
later descendent was Jamadagni,
father of Parasurama, one of the
Dasavatars of Vishnu.
Another son, Rishi Chyavan, is
regarded as the first compounder
of Chyavanaprash, which
continues to this day as a very
popular Ayurvedic medicine.
34
The prasadam on the day of
Rohini nakshatram, in Dhanur
masam in Sri Bhrigu temple in a
small place called Maruderi near
Kanchipuram in south, consists
of herbal medicine and food.
Rishis were great but, as
humans, naturally, not perfect.
Bhrigu was liable to give curses,
but also bestowed reliefs.
Needless to say, the strong
points so far outweigh a few
weaknesses and that is why
Maharshis such as Bhrigu are
remembered to this day.
Finally, those of you who have
read the Bhagavad Gita in
Sanskrit, and/or translation or
listened to talks on the Gita may
recall that Bhagavan Krishna
himself says,Among the
Maharshis I am Bhrigu. If not,
do look it up.
It comes in Chapter 10, called
Vibhuti Yoga, on the Glories of
the Divine. It is in sloka 25
(Maharshinaam Bhriguraham)
athreyamb@gmail.com
July 2016
Page 35
 A month of austerities that brings out
an innate sense of thanksgiving.

36 July 2016
 M i n d
J uly-August is the Ashada
month according to
Hindu calendar. It
heralds the arrival of
Dakshinayana, the six-month
period when the sun begins
to trace a southward
movement. Dakshinayana is
a sacred period in the Vedic
calendar. Symbolically, it is
the night time of the Devas.

It is believed that during

this time of the year, Lord
Siva as Dakshinamurti
transmitted the
fundamentals of the yogic
science to his first set of
disciples, celebrated as the
Saptarishis. The Lord turned
south to impart the teaching
as the sun turned south.

It is considered a sacred
month for spiritual activities.
People avoid new
undertaking or new
purchases and auspicious
functions such as weddings

37 July 2016
and house warming
(Gruhapravesh).
Temple festivals, especially in
Devi shrines, abound during the
month, with community feeding
as an integral part of the
celebrations. All Fridays in this
month are particularly dedicated
to Devi worship in celebration of
womanhood. Married women
(Sumangalis) are reverentially
offered bangles, piece of cloth
and other auspicious materials
on the Fridays.
Sri Andal, one of the twelve
great Alwars and the only female
saint in the Vaishnava tradition,
was born in Ashada in the birth
star Pooram. She wrote the
famous musical offering,
Tiruppavai, and is considered a
manifestation of the Divine
Mother. Aadi Pooram (falling on
August 2 this year) is celebrated
with great piety in Devi shrines.
Nature as Mother
The month witnesses the
celebration of nature as mother,
especially the water resources.
Aadi Perukku is the monsoon
festival celebrated on the 18th
day of the month (this year on
August 2). The festival is a
thanksgiving to the river
Goddesses.
38
Perukku means rising,
indicating the rising water in
rivers. The Cauvery river, the
lifeline of the south, is supposed
to be in spate during the month.
Women cook different forms of
rice as an offering and set off on
a picnic to see the surge of the
first waters of the river
pounding against the banks.
Vyasa Puja and Chaturmas
The full moon day in the month
of Ashada is celebrated as Guru
Purnima or Vyasa Purnima. The
great sage Vyasa, who codified
the Vedasastras is remembered
on this day. Sannyasis observe
the four-month period of
Chaturmas beginning from this
day, which corresponds with the
rainy season.
They engage in intense
spiritual practices and teaching,
and refrain from travelling in
order not to unwittingly trample
on little creatures that abound
on the soft sod.
The Skandha Purana refers to
the significance of Chaturmas
and the benefits from observing
austerities during this period.
There is an interesting
reference to Chaturmas in the
Varaha Purana.
July 2016
 Lord Varaha (Lord Vishnu's
third incarnation) had explained
to Goddess Earth (Dharani Devi)
the significance of Chaturmas,
saying the period is holy and
dear to him. Whoever performs
sacred deeds during these
months would reap immense
benefits.
Chaturmas is also a designated
period for householders to
renew their faith in dharma,
meditating and observing vratas
(fasts and penances). Fasts and
eating restricted food items in
this period help maintain the
physical well-being as the
digestive system is sluggish in
the monsoon period and diseases
spread rapidly.
Many people, especially from
the Vaishnav tradition, refrain
from eating onion and garlic
during chaturmas, while people
in Maharashtra avoid eggplant
(brinjal/aubergine).
Palki Yatra
Symbolising the spiritual
significance of the month of
Ashada, the famous Palki Yatra in
Pandharpur in Maharashtra
concludes on Ashada Ekadasi,
falling this year on July 15. A
custom that dates back to over
thousand years, lakhs of people
39
in organised groups trek a long
distance from Dehu over a 21-
M i n d
day period, carrying the sacred
palki of Saint Tukaram and arrive
at the temple town of
Pandharpur on this day, singing
and dancing with chants of 'Jai
Hari Vitthala'.
The picturesque small town of
Pandharpur is considered the
sacred abode of Lord Vitthala.
According to legends, Vitthala
once came to visit his devotee,
Pundalik, who lived in
Pandharpur.
Pundalik was busy attending on
his parents, and as a result,
Vitthala had to wait outside his
doors for sometime. While
Pundalik later came and sought
the pardon of Vitthala,
impressed by his dedication to
parents, Vitthala decided to stay
by his devotee forever.
Puri Ratha Yatra
This month also witnesses one
of the most celebrated festivals
in India, the Ratha Yatra in the
temple town of Puri, on 6 July
this year. The 18-wheel, 45.6
feet high chariot of Lord
Jagannath, known as
Nandhighosa, along with the
chariots of Balabhadra and
Subhadra, all decorated with
July 2016
various designs and colours, are
pulled by a large assembly of
devotees.
During the festival, a
descendant of Gajapatis, the
medieval Hindu dynasty that
ruled over Kalinga (the modern
Odisha) sweeps all around the
deities and chariots. He cleanses
the road with a broom and
sprinkles sandalwood water and
powder. The custom showcases
that in the eyes of Lord
Jagannath every devotee is
equal, be it the king or a
commoner.
40
Ashada heralds the monsoon
season. The monsoon rains bring
water, an important element of
the panchabhutas.
Rains bring joy, greenery and
fresh air and kindle an innate
feeling of thanksgiving to the
Supreme source that nourishes
all beings H
padmininatarajan@gmail.com
Padmini Natarajan
July 2016
Page 41
 Good change managers act both from head and heart.
T he well-known Chinese
philosopher, Confucius,
had famously said, Only
the wisest and stupidest of men
never change.
Change is the law of nature,
and every individual, every
business needs to constantly
change to adapt to new
situations. Do not resist change.
As Bhagavad Gita says,
everything in the world is in
constant motion. By perceiving
42
the substratum amidst the
constant change that takes place
around, the wise remain
unaffected, enjoying every
moment. Napolon Bonaparte,
the French military and political
leader once said, One must
change one's tactics every ten
years if one wishes to maintain
his superiority. In today's
society, business leaders are
unanimous that the pace of
change is faster and the span of
change shorter.
July 2016
 While change is crucial,
ushering any change is painful.
Bringing change, which is
essentially a different way of
working, is always fraught with
uncertainties. Change
management is perhaps the most
challenging task for managers.
Business leaders often blame
the failure of large change
initiatives on innate resistance
of staff to change. Resistance to
change manifests itself in
several ways - from foot-
dragging and inertia, to outright
sabotage. Only those with a
mature understanding of human
emotions, and have the wisdom
to approach conflict situations
with a calm, holistic approach,
emerge successful in bringing
about the desired change.
Resisting Change
There are several reasons why
people resist change. The
foremost is fear of the unknown.
Employees will only take active
steps towards the unknown if
they genuinely believe, and are
convinced that the risks of
standing still is greater than that
of moving forward in a new
direction. This unknown fear is
often a reflection of beliefs and
established notions. What
appears to be widespread
43
resistance to change is nothing
M i n d
more than people acting
consistently with their beliefs.
When people change their
beliefs arising from their
thoughts, change occurs
naturally and effortlessly.
Change your thoughts and you
change your world, said the
well-known author, Norman
Vincent Peale. The nature of our
thoughts determines the quality
of our life and the outcome of
our efforts. To achieve any
transformation, managers
should closely work to bring
about a new thought process on
the part of their staff.
Loss of Control
Perceived loss of control is
another reason for resisting
change. Familiar routines help
employees develop a sense of
control over their work environ-
ment. Being asked to change the
way they operate may make them
feel powerless, and even
confused. In the early days of
introducing computers, this was
one of the widely cited reasons.
Unwillingness to learn new
skills could be another reason.
After a few years in any job,
most employees say that they
know what all they need to
July 2016
know. There is a marked aversion
to grow based on fresh learning.
A change initiative might
prompt some employees to
worry that their established
skills might become obsolete.
There is also the fear of
personal impact, with many
employees becoming unsure of
how the change will benefit
them directly: Will it make the
job easier, or harder? Will there
be uncertainty on job security?
Will there be multiple bosses to
answer to with no cohesion
among them to appreciate the
true contribution of the
employee? Many such fears
abound during times of change.
The message of our ancient masters
to overcome any form of fear is: Take
care of the present moment.
Mahatma Gandhi had said, I do
not want to foresee the future. I am
concerned with taking care of the
present. God has given me no co-
ntrol over the moment following.
Resistance to action often comes
from imagining negative future
consequences or reflecting on
past failures. Therefore, the best
way to overcome the inner
resistance that often stops us from
taking action is to stay in the
44
present as much as possible and
to be accepting.
Power of Communication
A universally cited reason for
the failure of many change
initiatives is lack of effective
communication by senior
managers. It is vital to
communicate in a timely way
about the need for change, its
rationale and the plan of action.
Often there is a lag between the
time any organistional change has
been discussed at the manage-
ment level and its implemen-
tation. Meanwhile, most senior
managers play like an ostrich and
believe that they are the only ones
who know about the changes.
However, while their heads are
stuck in the sand believing that
no one else knows, there may be
active grapevine around and
employees may be effectively
undermining the future changes.
The negative informal
communication often undermines
the efficacy of change initiative.
Change managers need to vastly
expand the communication
channels, and genuinely give
employees an opportunity to give
their inputs. They should maintain
their visibility and make it known
that they are accessible at all
July 2016
times, and they should clear up
rumours and misinformation that
clutter the communication
channels.
Change managers should also be
flexible and have empathy and
show care to address genuine
personal problems of employees
affected by change. Empathy is
putting oneself in the other
person's shoes, and it is the
lubricant that keeps relationships
running smoothly in an
organisation. By making reasoned
exceptions to alleviate genuine
hardships and compensating
employees for their extra effort
during periods of transition, a
change manager would vastly
improve his personal standing
and thereby the chance of
successful implementation.
Finally, it is vital to keep a
positive attitude during the
change initiative and never lose
heart. Any half-way abandoning
of the initiative would create
widespread negative impact, and
destroy the manager's credibility.
It would also make fresh initia-
tives more difficult to implement.
Change Manager Par
Excellence
While there is preoccupation in
business firms about change
45
management in the
M i n d
organisational setting, just think
about the unparalleled example
of a change manager who
brought profound and lasting
change at the societal level. Adi
Sankara, the universal guru,
exemplifies such a change agent
who envisioned a new order in a
period of moral chaos to wean
people away from mindless
ritualism and factional thinking.
His scientific and rational
exposition of wisdom from the
Upanishads and articulating the
timeless truths of Vedanta,
guided by compassion and love
for fellow beings, remains
unmatched. He won over
dissenters through gentle
persuasion and powerful logic,
setting a personal example, and
effectively delegating to a
chosen group of intimate
disciples to carry on the legacy.
This is a useful pointer in any
journey of change. Change mana-
gers can deliver results if they are
authentic, and they embark on an
inclusive process taking everyone
along, and show no trace of
selfishness in their mission
rk@tattvaloka.com
July 2016
 Book Review

Kundalini - An Untold Story, by Om Swami.

Published by Jaico Publishing House,
A-2, Jash Chambers, 7-A, Sir Phirozshah
Mehta Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001.
172 pages, Price Rs. 250.

T he written this treatise based solely

enig-
matic
kundalini is often referred to as
the primordial energy in every
human being, and is revered as
the formless aspect of Goddess.
While there are countless books
on the subject, the uniqueness of
this new work by the Himalayan
ascetic Om Swami is the practical
meditation techniques that the
author expounds to tap this
energy, with riveting anecdotes
based on his personal
experiences gained from years of
intense meditation in the
Himalayan woods.
In a sense, the author has simp-
lified the path for sadhaks by
removing obstacles in their spiritual
path and understanding, and given a
golden key to unlock the puzzle.
A great master of meditation
techniques, Om Swami has
on the description of Kundalini in
Sri Lalitha Sahasranama.
He firmly establishes the
discovery of the Kundalini
sadhana through traversing the
seven chakras in the body and
provides five elements of chakra
meditation: Visualisation,
Mantra, Posture, Concentration
and Diet Regulation.
With each step on the path, he
demonstrates how the sadhak is
able to unlock new levels of
consciousness.
He quotes the verse svaha
svadha matir medha srutih smrtir
anuttama, occurring as the 110th
verse in the Sahasranama
immediately after the exposition
of the chakras, and describes the
innate meaning of the lines in
the context of the spiritual
progress of the seeker. Like a
caterpillar that breaks free of the

46 July 2016
cocoon and flies off a butterfly,
at the awakening of the
Kundalini, the seeker breaks free
of his conditioning.
Om Swami mentions the three
knots that the Sahasranama
refers to: Brhama Granthi, Vishnu
Granthi and Rudra Granthi, which
indeed cover the whole
spectrum of inner challenges
that any sadhak encounters on
the path of awakening the
Kundalini power.
He provides a contemporary
analysis of these knots in the
form of emotions and thoughts
in our day-to-day living, and the
sadhana techniques to overcome
them.
This kind of insight we seldom
come across in textbooks dealing
with Kundalini.
For generations, the process of
awakening Kundalini has
remained esoteric, often
secretive and confusing, with
differing versions.
The knowledge has remained
privy to a few. This book throws
refreshing light on the subject,
with simple, step-by-step guide
for the benefit of average
seekers.
47
Awakening of kundalini has
M i n d
been an important aspect of
intents meditation. The more I
heard people talk about it, the
more I realised how much
misconception there was about
kundalini and chakras. I have
based what I have written on the
original scriptures of kundalini
and my own direct experience,
he says.
Om Swami effortlessly connects
various aspects of the traditional
Hindu stories, with anecdotes
and narration of intense
personal experiences. The book
is easy to read and flows
effortlessly from topic to topic.
The author, in his signature
anecdotal and witty style, makes
it gripping.
He believes in sharing his
wisdom with his readers and has
been inspiring people of all
generations.
The easy-to-read large fonts
and the sleek paperback design
of the book enhance the appeal.
If you are an aspirant and also a
worshipper of the Divine Mother,
this book will benefit you
abundantly
Kailas Simha
July 2016
 Mahamangalarti at
Sankara temple on Jayanti day
48 July 2016
 Sankara Jayanti
at Sringeri
S ankara Jayanti was
observed in all solemnity in
Sringeri from May 7 to 13,
led by Mahasannidhanam Bharati
Tirtha Mahaswamiji and
Sannidhanam Vidhushekara
Bharati Mahaswamiji. Vedic
scholars from across the country
participated in the celebrations
and paid respects to the Adi Guru.
During all the days, Mahanyasa
Poorvaka Shata Rudra Abhisheka
was performed to the icon of
Bhagavatpada. Recitation of the
Vedas, Prasthanatraya Bhashya
and Madhaviya Shankara Vijaya
(biography of Sri Sankara) was
also performed daily.
Sri Sannidhanam himself
rendered Madhaviya Shankara
Vijaya. There were discourses on
Sri Sankaracharya's life and
teachings by eminent scholars.
On May 11, the Sankara Jayanti
day, Mahasannidhanam
performed elaborate puja from
around noon, and concluded the
same with kanakabhisheka to the
icon of Sankaracharya.
49
S r i n g e r i
Mahasannidhanam released
three books on the occasion:
Madhaviya Shankara Digvijaya
Volume 2 containing, in Kannada
script, final seven sargas (cantos)
of the biographical work on
Bhagavatpada by Sri Vidyaranya,
the 12th Acharya of Peetham,
and two books containing the
verses of Srimad Bhagavad Gita in
Devanagari and Kannada scripts.
Advent of Sankara
In his anugraha bhashanam,
Sannidhanam narrated that the
Supreme Lord incarnates when
dharma is waning to protect the
noble and destroy evil. Such was
the situation before the advent
of Adi Sankara.
Kumarila Bhatta, an
incarnation of Lord
Subrahmanya, had just striven to
uphold the Karma Siddhanta, the
path that stresses the Vedic
rituals, when Sankara came into
this world with the message that
one has to engage in karma until
one's mind gets purified and
then he should resort to the path
of Jnana.
July 2016
page 50
 Sannidhanam explained that
his Parapara Guru, Jagadguru Sri
Sacchidananda Shivabhinava
Nrisimha Bharati Mahaswamiji,
had ordained that Sankara
Jayanti be observed as a five-day
celebration. He added that
listening to the narration of the
life of Bhagavadpada cleanses
our minds, removes the ill effects
of the Kali Yuga and grants all
our earnest desires - gfm
H${b_bN>or gH $ N~l m{n H$m_Xm
Mahasannidhanam in his
anugraha bhashanam explained
that Vidyaranya had extolled in
Sankara Digvijaya the extra-
ordinary contribution of Adi
Sankara.
Speaking of Jivatman, he said
philosophers of various schools
gave different interpretations.
Buddhists denied the existence of
Atman- hVw ~mmoo AdYmdV
Charvakas proclaimed that Jivatma
is nothing but the physical body
and hence subject to total
annihilation on physical death.
Tarkikas explained that
Jivatman exists, but is neither
the body nor the senses nor the
mind. Atman is neither born nor
dies. It is Nitya, beyond
destruction, and takes up
different physical bodies in
different life times. In order to
logically explain this, Tarkikas
stated that a child, without
being taught in any manner, is
able to drink milk from its
mother because it has done so in
its previous lifetimes. Immed-
iately a question may prop up,
If this is the case, should we not
remember all that we did in our
previous lifetimes?
The Tarkikas then gave the
reply, It is not necessary for
everything from the past lives to
be remembered. However, the
very survival of the child
depends on its ability to feed in
the present lifetime. Thus did the
Tarkikas logically expound the
existence of Atman across
lifetimes - VXZw HWpMX dm_bm^:
H$UmXmV Mimamsakas, such as
Kumarila Bhatta, stressed the
importance of the performance
of karmas as expounded in the
Vedas, such as mo { V> m o _ o Z
dJ H $m_mo Oo V (let the man
desirous of the heavens perform
the Jyotishtoma sacrifice)
H$m_m[abm: {ZOnXJ_Zo Xp mV
_mJ_m_, and laid down the path
to one's own good.
Saankhyas mentioned that
Atman is never subject to
51 July 2016
52 July 2016
suffering, but did not explain
further - gmL > : X : I {dZrV na_
Yogis explained the importance
of limbs of Yoga, such as
Pranayama (control of breath)
and postulated that it is possible
to achieve an exalted state of
being through such practices -
AW a{MVm mUY h V m@ :
Bhagavatpada did not stop with
merely ensuring the existence of
the Jivatman, but postulated that
according to the Upanishads,
Jivatman is non-different
from the Supreme Entity,
Parabrahman
BW {I nw _ m g {YV na{md
m> a : mam m:
It must be firmly understood
that this non-difference
expounded by the Adi Guru is in
accordance with what is stated
in the Vedas.
He has stated that whenever
one engages in philosophical
enquiry, the Vedas must be
resorted to as the supreme
authority - lw { V_VVH$m}
AZw g YrVm_ . Otherwise, it is
always possible for another with
a better intellect to come up
with a totally contradictory
stance.
In order to explain the supreme
authority of the Vedas, Bhagavat-
pada stated - do X {h {Zano j
m_m ado [ ad $n{df o. We find
that the Vedas proclaim Vd_{g
not once, but nine times. This
repeated emphasis is meant to
indicate the importance of what
is stated and is called Amg:
With such a proclamation in the
Vedas, Bhagavatpada expounded
the philosophy of Advaita that
the Jivatman is non-different
from Parabrahman.
Mahasannidhanm explained that
it is most fitting as well as our
duty to observe Sankara Jayanti
and revere the Universal Teacher.
On May 12, there was the Adi
Sankara Maharathotsava along
the main street of Sringeri which
was graced by the presence of
Sannidhanam.
Veda Poshaka Sabha
Function
At the valedictory function of
the Veda Poshaka Sabha, the
Administrator Shri V. R. Gowri-
shankar explained how the
Sabha came into existence and
how the Vedic scholars as well as
the students successful in the
examination were being
honoured.
53 July 2016
Vidyarthis successful in Ghanapatha examination with the Acharyas

Mahasannidhanam blessing Telangana Housing Minister

54 July 2016
 In his anugraha bhashanam,
Mahasannidhanam said it is for
sustenance of the Vedas that his
Guru, Abhinava Vidyatirtha
Mahaswamiji, had launched the
Veda Poshaka Sabha.
While the first batch of
students passing the Ghanapatha
examination had received Rs.
500 as honorarium, this amount
has steadily increased to Rs.
30,000 today for the same
recognition.
Mahasannidhanam recollected
that his Guru had also started the
Surasaraswati Sabha for propa-
gation of Sanskrit. Thousands
spanning all age groups
participate in these examinations.
He expressed joy at the partici-
pation of numerous scholars and
students in the Sabha and praised
the 14-year-old son of Vedabrah-
masri Chandramouli Shrouthi of
Chennai for having passed with
distinction the Rahasyaanta Sama
Veda at such a young age.
Mahasannidhanam praised the
father for having performed the
upanayanam of his son at the age
of five and for having taught the
Vedas for eight and a half years
to make him a well-versed Vedic
scholar at a young age.
55
Mahasannidhanam awarded
gold rings for excellence in Vedic
scholarship to Vedabrahmasri
Suswaram Subrahmanya Sharma
of Srisailam, in Rg Veda,
Vedabrahmasri Chandramouli
Ghanapaathi of Chennai for
Krishna Yajur Veda, Veda-
brahmasri Srinivasa
Ghanapaathi of Chennai for
Shukla Yajur Veda and Veda-
brahmasri Aditya Sharma of
Chennai for Sama Veda.
Then followed the felicitation of
69 students out of the 99
successful in the advanced Vedic
exams. Twenty of them had
cleared the Ghanapatha level
examination, while the remaining
49 had successfully cleared the
Kramapatha level examination.
Sankara Jayanti celebrations
ended with teppotsava on May 13.
Mahasannidhanam at Kigga
Along with Sannidhanam, the
Mahasannidhanam offered
worship at the Rishya
shringeshwara temple at Kigga,
near Sringeri, on May 16, and
offered an elaborate puja to Sri
Rishya shringeshwara Swamy.
He also offered pujas to Lord
Mahaganapati and Goddess
Shanta, consort of Rishya-shringa.
July 2016

Scholars awarded gold rings seen with the Jagadgurus
At a Sabha on the occasion,
Mahasannidhanam began his
anugraha bhashanam with a sloka
to Rishya-shringeshwara:
Fm m _w Z o {d^mS> H $gw V m d &
Z_: mmVm{YnVo g: gpQ>>hoVdo &&
He recalled that as described in
the Ramayana, it was the sage
who had brought relief from the
drought in the Anga desa. When
Adi Sankara came to this region,
he realised its sanctity and
established the Sharada Peetham
at Sringeri.
Mahasannidhanam recalled that
all the preceding Acharyas have
come to Kigga and offered
worship to Rishyashringeshvara
Swamy. Rains have been abundant
in the region as a consequence.
Sringeri Jagadgurus have been
Poornahuti of Maharudra Yaga 66th Vardhanti
revered as harbingers of rain. This
epithet was always attributed to
his Guru, Jagadguru Sri Abhinava
Vidyatirtha Mahaswamiji.
Girija Kalyanam
Girija Kalyanam was celebrated
at the Malahanikaresvara temple
at Sringeri in the presence of
Sannidhanam on Vaishakha
Shukla Dvadashi (May 18).
Pandits from Sadvidya Sanjeevini
Samskrita Mahapathashala
chanted verses pertaining to the
wedding ceremonies of Lord Siva
and Goddess Girija. Earlier Vara
Puja was performed in
Pravachana mandira in the
presence of Sannidhanam.
Narasimha Jayanti
Narasimha Jayanti was
celebrated on May 20, with a
56 July 2016
special puja by Maha-
sannidhanam to Lord Lakshmi
Narasimha. Sannidhanam was
present as Mahasannidhanam
performed the parayana of
Srimad Bhagavatam depicting
the avatara of Lord Narasimha.
Earlier Sannidhanam had
darsan of Lord Narasimha on the
external southern wall of the Sri
Vidyashankara temple.
Both the Acharyas graced the
purnahuti of the Chandi Homa at
the Durgamba temple.
57
Sannidhanam performed puja
to Lord Kere Anjaneya, guardian
deity consecrated by Sri Adi
Shankara in the west of Sringeri.
Kumbhabhisheka at
Horanturu
Sannidhanam performed on
May 4 the Jeernoddharana
Kumbhabhishekams at the
Mallikarjuna Swamy and
Suryanarayana Swamy temples
at Horanturu near Sringeri. The
Suryanarayana Swamy temple
had recently been renovated by
the Peetham
July 2016
 Sankara
Jayanti
Festival
MAY
17 to 20, 2016

58 July 2016
A di Sankara Bhagavadpada
was the resplendent sun
who blazed the glorious
trail of Advaita in the firmament
of our Sanatana Dharma that has
been flowing like a nurturing river
into eternity.
His light is the light within, the
light without, the light in each
and yet transcendent, the light
of light, self-luminous, the light
of self, Siva himself.
Tattvloka has consistently
tried to follow in the footsteps of
the great Acharya by dissemi-
nating principles of Vedanta for
the benefit of readers to under-
stand, absorb and implement it
in their day-to-day lives.
This year, as a value add to the
special issue on Sankara brought
out in the month of May,
Tattvloka conducted a festival
in honour of the Bhagavatpada
to coincide with Sankara Jayanti.
The week-long festival, from
May 17 to 22, 2016, showcased
artists who beautifully glorified
the life and thoughts of Adi
Sankaracharya through music,
talks, dance and Harikatha.
On the inaugural day, the well-
known Harikatha artist, Sindhuja
Chandramouli expounded on the
life and works of Adi Sankara.
This was followed by an
inspired music concert by Sri
Ramakrishnan Murthy, who
59
prefaced each kriti with a
befitting sloka of the Acharya.
S r i n g e r i
Isaikavi Ramanan took the
stage on the next day and gave
an interesting and informative
talk on the life and time of Adi
Sankara.
On day four, a classical dance
programme was given by
students of Abinaya Natyalaya of
Ms. Krishnakumari Narendra.
The concert started with Guru
Padukashtakam and ended with a
few verses from Bhajagovindam.
This programme was graced by
our guest of honour Sri SR Dash,
FGM, Central Bank of India.
Smt. Gayathri Girishs musical
presentation was a fitting finale
to the festival. She beautifully
explained Sankara's history as one
of Renaissance and Integration.
The highlight of the programme
was a composition of Sri Sri
Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamigal,
Bhajare Loka Gurum, as well as
another gem of a composition by
Sri Sri Sacchidananda Abhinava
Nrusimha Bharati Mahaswamigal,
Krupasagaraya Kavya Pradaya.
Everyone who was part of this
journey was simply spellbound
and elated to have witnessed
and participated in this splendid
experience
vidyaramani@tattvaloka.com
July 2016
Advertisement

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60 July 2016

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July 2016
 Food Processing
in the Body
Knowing about food is not
enough. We must know
what to eat, when and how.

62 July 2016

Where and how you eat your food has a
bearing on the food's influence on your
body.
I f you notice carefully, after
digestion some foods leave
you feeling lethargic,
whereas some make you feel
energetic; some make you feel
light and many make you feel
heavy. This post-digestion effect is
called maturity of the food. After
the food has been digested but
the residue has not been excreted,
the food consumed is in the third
stage, called vipaka. It means
ripening or maturing. It is the
post-digestive state. The earlier
stages have been covered in the
previous issue of Tattvloka.
At this stage, both the food
and its residue are in your
system. The residue in the
stomach is producing toxins
and the nutrients absorbed
have not yet been fully
transported throughout
your body.
Processed foods leave more
residue in your body. Eating a
63
y
B o
cheese and tomato sandwich
on white bread is not the same
as eating a green salad with
tomatoes, cheese and croutons
in it. The latter will digest
better, absorb better and leave
you feeling better.
Foods that are sweet, salty or
sour in vipaka are good at
eliminating wind and help the
excretion of urine and stools.
Foods with pungent, bitter and
astringent vipaka aggravate
vata and can cause irregular
bowel movements and
reproductive disorders. All
acidic foods, with the exception
of citrus fruits, have pungent
or bitter vipaka and should be
avoided as far as possible.
Naturally, citrus foods have
sweet or sour vipaka and are
really good for the body.
Most dry fruits, for example,
have hot vipaka and aggravate
pitta.
July 2016
Final Stage
This is the fourth and the final
stage of the food's processing
by the body. It is also known as
the specific or net potency. The
Sanskrit word is prabhava. Its
literal meaning is 'effect.' The
food has been digested, the
residue has been excreted, and
the rest has been fully
absorbed by your body. The
food you consumed has shown
its complete and net effect.
Let us take the example of
cows milk again. Its taste is
sweet and light, its potency is
heavy and sweet, its maturity is
unctuous and heavy, and its
effect is acidic and light. So,
milk may help wash down spices
after a meal, but its net effect is
acidic and it vitiates vata.
Knowing all about food is not
enough; we must know what,
when and how to eat. I have
known numerous patients who
ate according to their constitu-
tion, who were strict vegetarians,
who followed the rules of diet, yet
were not in the best of health.
Just as we cannot transfer the
contents of a full one litre
bottle to another half its size,
64
we cannot absorb the living
energy of our food if we do not
align ourselves to that energy. I
am not referring to any esoteric
aspects of food consumption.
Instead, I wish to share with
you simple and practical
principles of eating our food,
that will make all the difference
between feeling healthy and
feeling ill; between looking
lustrous and looking listless.
The Eating Sense
Isha, a woman in her mid-
thirties, was depressed. Her
feelings were not unreasonable.
She was overweight by 20
pounds and, despite all her
efforts, could not lose weight.
She had tried all sorts of diet
programmes. Every time she
lost a few pounds, she gained
them back quicker than she had
lost them. She had tried fasting
and supplements she had
even become a vegetarian but
there was no improvement.
Isha was happily married with
no kids. The intriguing thing
was that she was eating the
right food in the right
amounts, yet she was unable to
lose weight. She asked me why
God was so unkind to her.
July 2016

'What has God got to do with
your body weight?' I asked. She
felt some negative forces in the
universe were preventing her
from permanently shedding
weight. She said she wanted to
look beautiful in the mirror. I
told her that she was beautiful
but she would not believe it.
Her inability to lose weight had
deeply affected her self-belief,
self-confidence and self-
esteem. She saw herself
as a failure.
She asked me how it could be
that no diet programme
worked for her. She tried eating
less, she tried eating more, she
tried eating certain foods and
she tried salads-only diet, but
every time she lost weight, she
put it back on. She had been a
non-vegetarian all her life, but
in the past five years, she had
even become a vegetarian, she
said. She tried exercising but
she could not find any method
to permanently shed her excess
weight. 'Please tell me the
truth, Swami,' she said. 'Can
you help me?
Yes,' I said. 'You see, Isha,
exercising or diet programmes
are never a permanent way of
65
y
losing weight. Your weight has
little to do with what or how
B o
much you are eating.'
Then?'
'You need to know the art of
eating. There is no problem
with your selection of foods.
Diet is not the problem, just
the eating-sense.'
Eating Sense
I shared with her the long
forgotten eating sense: the art of
choosing what, when, how, and
how much you put in your
stomach. She seemed somewhat,
but not fully, convinced.
Nevertheless, she followed my
method of eating food properly
over the next three months and
came back to report that she had
lost 12 pounds. She felt happier
and fitter because she was not
torturing herself, and in spite of
eating everything, she was still
losing weight. Another four
months later, she lost ten more
pounds, exceeding her target of
losing 20 pounds.
To be continued...
July 2016
66 July 2016
 L
emon and lime (Nimbu in
Hindi, Nimmakaaya in
Telugu and Elumichai in
Tamil) are highly acidic citrus
fruits. While lime is green and
small, lemon is yellow and larger
than lime. Lime is more acidic
than lemon, and both fruits have
good nutritional qualities.
Do you know that lemons
originated in the Indian sub-
continent, in the gardens of
Assam and Burma, from where
they travelled far and wide, first
to Arab world and then to
Europe?
Health Benefits
Both lemon and lime contain
unique flavonoid compounds that
have anti-oxidant and anti-cancer
properties. These flavonoids stop
cell division in cancer and have
antibiotic effects.
Lemon and lime are excellent
sources of Vitamin C, one of the
most important antioxidants in
nature. Vitamin C travels
through the body neutralising
free radicals with which it comes
into contact.
Free radicals can interact with
the healthy cells of the body,
damage them and their
membranes, and also cause a lot
67
y
of inflammation. This is one of
the reasons that Vitamin C has
been shown to be helpful in
B o
reducing osteo-arthritis and
rheumatoid arthritis.
Vitamin C prevents the
development and progression of
diabetic heart disease. It is vital
for the functioning of a strong
immune system. It is useful in
conditions such as colds, flu and
recurrent ear infections.
Thus, consumption of
vegetables and fruits high in this
nutrient is associated with a
reduced risk of death from all
causes including heart disease,
stroke and cancer.
Versatile Uses
Lemon and lime produce more
juice when they are warm.
Always prepare lime juice when
the fruit is in room temperature,
or place the fruit in a bowl of
warm water for several minutes
before squeezing. Rolling the
fruit under the palm of your
hand or on a flat surface will also
help to extract more juice.
Before cutting the fruit, wash
the skin so that any dirt or
bacteria sticking on the surface
will not be transferred to the
fruit's interior.
July 2016
 Lemonade is perhaps the most
popular drink ever. Nimbupani,
spiked with cumin seeds (jeera),
is entrenched in our culinary
traditions. In fact, lime juice is
recommended in Ayurveda to
improve the appetite, help
digestion and mineral
absorption, for heartburn and
nausea.
Lemon zest, or peels without
the pith, has several culinary
uses. The peels are among a
small number of foods that
contain measurable amounts of
oxalates, naturally-occurring
substances found in plants,
animals, and human beings.
When oxalates become too
concentrated in body fluids, they
can crystallise and cause health
68
problems. For this reason, those
with existing kidney or gall
bladder problems may wish to
avoid eating lemon or lime peel.
Lemon pickle, or nimbu achaar,
both sweet and spicy varieties, is
a great way to draw value from
this versatile fruit. With the
addition of fenugreek seeds
(methi), asafoetida and turmeric
along with good quality oil, the
cooked lemon stored in a jar is a
relish for days together for its
vital benefits
55cmani@gmail.com
July 2016
 Sankha-Mudra
P ause to realise how your fingers have enormous powers.
Right positioning of the fingers has the potential to influence
your body's vital force, and to direct it to the different parts
of the body, to bring about balance and harmony.

One of the best positioning of the fingers is in the form of Sankha

mudra. Sankha means conch, which is a symbol of purity, brilliance
and auspiciousness. Conch is one of the principal weapons of Lord
Vishnu, who among the trinities oversees the nourishing aspect of
all beings. While each finger in the human hands represents one of

70 July 2016

the five basic elements,
or panchabhutas, conch is said
to symbolise all the five
elements-- fire, water, air,
earth and space.
The sound from conch is
associated with the sacred
pranava (OM). Conch is blown in
temple worship in the early
morning to announce the opening
of the sanctum. In a similar way,
the Sankha mudra opens the doors
of the inner sense.
Method
When this mudra is performed,
the hands resemble a conch.
First, clench the left thumb with
the right fingers. Place the left
fingers on the back of the right
palm. Join the tips of the right
thumb and the left index finger.
The thumb, which represents
the fire element, is encircled in
this mudra. At the same time,
the union of the left index finger
and the right thumb results in
energising the air element. This
combination helps to subdue the
mind and takes the senses to a
higher realm.
There is also a simpler version of
the mudra, called Sahaj Sankha
mudra, which is performed by
71
y
interlocking the eight fingers and
bringing them in contact with the
B o
upward-pointing thumbs.
This mudra is known to cure all
kinds of throat problems (just as
the sound of conch is said to
clear all negative elements). It
brings about voice improvement,
and is especially useful for
practicing singers.
According to Ayurveda, people
suffering from Vata and Kapha
combination are advised to
perform this mudra in
moderation. This is because the
mudra may have the effect of
accentuating the vata and kapha
elements in the body of such
persons. For example, the cold
quality of vata with the persons
having cold hands and feet and
craving for warmth, may get
pronounced if the mudra is prac-
ticed in excess. Likewise, people
with dominant kapha element
might experience excess mucous.
In general, one of the important
benefits of the Sankha mudra is its
positive effect on the respiratory
system
rishi@tattvaloka.com
July 2016
Page 72
 Special Feature

(Crest-Jewel of Discrimination)

Self-revealing instructions to transform a jiva

into a jivanmukta

73 July 2016
 S piritual practice or
Adhyatmika Sadhana, also
called Anushthanam,
means practical sadhana. Our
saints have categorized Anush-
thanam as Uttama, Madhyama
and Adhama, namely, the best,
the middle and the worst.
Uttama Anushthanam is the
best form of spiritual practice,
with Jnanam or Vivekam, based
on scriptural knowledge of
Prakriti and Purusha, or nature
and soul. Madhyama
Anushthanam is acquiring
enlightenment by scriptural
knowledge, without any
practice or sadhana. Adhama
Anushthanam or the worst kind
of sadhana, is practice without
any scriptural knowledge or in
complete ignorance of the
primordial principle.
To enable intellec tual
sadhakas to perform the best
form of spiritual practice,
Viveka Chudamani, the Crest-
jewel of Discrimination, was
bestowed by Adi Sankara-
char ya on mankind. The
conventional metho dology
of preaching to a disciple
who approaches the gur u
with all humility for
liberation from bondage,
was followed in bringing
74
about this most valuable
master piece.
In all compassion, the guru
undertakes to teach the
disciple the higher esoteric
aspects of life. He points out
that all fear, discontentment
and unhappiness in the world
are only due to the ignorance
of his real Self. Inherently, he
is himself the Supreme Self.
But, on account of his
ignorance, he has identified
himself with his body, mind
and the senses.
Universal Truth
Man has all the inherent
faculties and capacities to
discriminate between what is
real or unreal, permanent or
transitory. These faculties are
bestowed only on human beings.
It is in fact considered very
fortunate to get human birth in
this world. Adi Sankara has
stated this clearly in the early
part of Viveka Chudamani.
To instill and implant the
Knowledge of Reality in the
disciple, is the sole purpose of
Sankara's teachings. He
stressed that only by the fire of
Knowledge, the dense wood of
ignorance can be destroyed and
the Supreme Self recognised.
July 2016
Real Knowledge
What is this Knowledge of
Reality? The disciple may be
under a wrong notion that he
can gain that knowledge by
reading and assimilating books
on Vedanta, such as the
Upanishads, Yoga Vasishtham and
the Bhagavad Gita. To remove
this wrong impression, Sankara
has made it clear that by reading
Vedantic books, one can become
a well-versed pandit, but unless
he actually does proper sadhana
with discrimination and
renunciation (viveka and
vairagya), he cannot acquire Self-
knowledge. To consider
scholarly attainment or
pandityam as Atma jnanam, is
nothing but self-deception. This
has been well brought out by
Sankara in the following verse:
dmd I ar mXPar mmV
mmZH$m mb_ &
dX {dXfm VX^wVo Z Vw _wVo &&
That is, scholarly talent in giving
discourses on spirituality and
getting applause and appreciation
from people will be useful to a
man for getting his livelihood, but
not liberation or Moksha.
Illusory Superimpositions
Sankara further explains, in
great detail, the nature of the
five sheaths (pancha kosas), -
the physical sheath (Annamaya
Kosa), the vital sheath
(Pranamaya Kosa), the mental
sheath (Manomaya Kosa), the
intellectual sheath (Vijnanamaya
Kosa) and the blissful sheath
(Anandamaya Kosa) --with
several illustrations, and advises
him to negate and discard them,
as they are all illusory super-
impositions on the Self and do
not really exist. They are false
appearances as they only serve
as veils to his Self-knowledge.
Again, the body, mind, buddhi
and ego are different upadhis in
which the Self is reflected and
they are not his real Self. Unless
these illusory objects are
negated and discarded, the
disciple has little hope of getting
his real Self revealed.
Psychologically, man is very
much attached to his body and
he thinks that his body is
himself. This attachment is due
to his complete identification
with his body.
Sankara wants his disciple to
understand the danger of
attachment and craving for
bodily upkeep, as they are not
conducive to spiritual progress.
How, therefore, Sankara tries to
75 July 2016
convince the disciple can be seen
from the following illustration:
maranmo f UmWu gZ Am_mZ
{Xj{V &
Jmh Xm{Ym Ydm ZXr VVw g
JN>{V &&
That is, the seeker who pursues
spiritual practice to realise the
Self and, at the same time,
devotes his attention for the
upkeep of his body, is like a man
who proceeds to cross a river by
catching hold of a crocodile to
use as his floating plank.
In the succeeding verses,
Sankara exhorts that, for the
seeker of liberation, attachment
to his body and infatuation over
his wife and children are
impediments to his spiritual life.
Knowing that mere exhortation
is not enough, Sankara points
out the defects of the human
body so as to wean away the
attachments to it. The sloka here
exemplifies it:
dL _ m g {YaZmw
_o X mo _ OmpWg H w b _ &
nyU _yVnwarfmm Wyb {Z{_X dnw:&&
Composed of skin, flesh,
blood, fat, marrow, excreta,
urine and such other foul and
offensive matter the physical
body is only fit for aversion.
mam{m_m g {bVmo
_bny U m} @ {VH$_c: &
H$W ^doX domm d_oV{bjU: &&
The Self-existent Atma which is
the knower of this body and all
other things, is always distinct
from this physical frame filled
with filth.
dL > _ m g _o X mo @ pWnw a rfammm -
dh _ {V _y T > O Z: H$amo { V &
{dbjU dopm {dMma[mbmo
{ZOd$n na_mW^yV_ &&
Fools, due to ignorance,
identify themselves with their
bodies while men of
discrimination and renunciation
(Viveka and Vairagya) will know
by Self-enquiry, that they are
really distinct from their bodies
and that they are really the
Supreme Divine Self.
Sankara then explains with
convincing illustrations that he
is also not the subtle body (linga
sarira or sukshma sarira),
consisting of the mind, the five
senses, the intellect or the
buddhi and he is also not the
Maya (karana sarira), which is
also called by other names, such
76 July 2016
Page 77
as Avidya, Ajnana and Prakriti.
All these unreal and illusory
super impositions on his real Self
have to be got rid of, as they are
responsible for his ignorance
and transmigration. They are all
appearing to him to be really
existing because of his igno-
rance, which is the root cause of
all misery.
This should be carefully
understood as the false and
mistaken identity due to the
perversion of the mind. The
mind itself is regarded by the
saints as ignorance or avidya
and, therefore, the disciple
seeking liberation should purify
his mind, by which liberation
and Self-realisation become
easily possible.
He should understand by
discrimination that all the
sufferings pertain to the three
bodies, namely, the gross or
physical, subtle and causal
(sthula, sukshma and karana
sariras), but there are absolutely
no sufferings to his Self which is
his real Being.
The dilemma of the disciple still
continues. It may be due to
delusion or ignorance or what-
ever that caused the appearance
of the Supreme Self as a jiva.
78
The ignorance or avidya due to
which the Self appears as jiva
has been existing without
beginning from time
immemorial and, therefore, it
will have no end. It may be
argued that whatever has no
beginning cannot be supposed to
have an end either and,
consequently, the jiva or the
individuality of the soul also
continues without end. In that
case, how is it possible to get rid
of the delusion and how can
liberation and Self-realisation be
possible?
Brahman, the Supreme Self
The above doubts and
apprehensions expressed by the
disciple and the elaborate
clarifications and explanations
given by Sankara with a number
of illustrations to convince him
and make him understand the
Reality, are the most important
features in Viveka Chudamani,
because they focus, in all clarity,
the crux of the Advaita
philosophy. The great light of
Advaita of Adi Sankara does not
allow the existence of anything
except the Brahman or the
Supreme Self.
What Sankara says in answer to
his disciple and how he clarifies
the position is most revealing.
July 2016
 Realising that the idea of a
separate jiva still remains
distinct in the disciple's mind,
Sankara clarifies his standpoint
in the following sloka
d Qw > { Z J w U m{ $
~mo Y mZX$n ~w o : & Rope and Serpent Illusion
^mm mVmo Ord^mdmo Z gmo
_mohmnmo ZmdVwd^mdmV &&
That is, the self-illuminating
Atma, the witness which is
actionless and beyond all
qualities, is appearing to be jiva
with all the qualities and
characteristics of jiva, due to
intellectual perversion (buddhi
pramadam) but, it is not real. As
soon as the perversion or
delusion goes, the Jiva Bhranti
also disappears.
The very notion of Jivahood in
the Atma arises due to ignorance
or the false and perverted
creation of the mind, and as soon
as this false impression ceases to
exist, the Supreme Self or Atma,
which alone always exists,
manifests itself with all its lustre
and grandeur.
In the succeeding verses,
Sankara explains to the disciple
with more and more clarity that
the phenomenal visible universe,
even though beginningless, is
not eternal. When knowledge or
vidya is acquired, the effects of
ignorance or avidya cease, and
consequently, the Jivahood,
which is only a mistaken
attribute to the Atma also ceases.
To make the position crystal
clear to the disciple, Sankara
explains it with the famous
illustra tion of rajju sarpa
bhranti. When there is semi
darkness, on account of
ignorance and misconception,
a rope is mistaken to be snake
and consequently, lot of fear or
anxiety arises in the mind. This
fear and anxiety continues as
long as the ignorance or
miscon ception about the rope
lasts. But, when once the rope
is actually seen, the entire false
impression of the snake in the
mind along with the fear and
anxiety disappears.
In the same way, as long as
ignorance or avidya about the
Supreme Self remains, the false
impression of jivahood with all
its attributes of birth and death
continues, and as soon as the
ignorance is got rid of, the myth
of jivahood ceases and the
resplendent, all-pervading
Supreme Self shines.
79 July 2016
 Sankara further explains this
important topic relating to
knowledge and illusion, with
more illustrations, to bring
about a complete transformation
in the mind of his disciple, so as
to enable him to become
enlightened.
What is appearing in the dream
is taken to be true as long as we
are dreaming and it disappears
completely as illusory and
unreal, once we are awake. In
the same way, what is perceived
on account of age-old ignorance
or avidya, in the wakeful state
(Jagrata avastha), disappears
when one's Self-knowledge
arises. Though ignorance or
Avidya is beginningless, it is
completely wiped out by the
emergence of Knowledge or
Vidya.
Ob n H $dXV n H $mnmo Ob
\w Q _ &
Wm ^m{V VWm_m{n Xmofm^mdo
\w$Q^: &&
By applying the paste of kattaka
seed to the muddy and polluted
water, the mud and other foreign
matters settle down at the
bottom and the pure crystal-
clear water is obtained.
Similarly, by the acquisition of
Self-know-ledge, the taint of
ignorance and all the super-
impositions are removed and the
Self is perceived in all its natural
splendour.
By these luminous clarifications
with illustrations, Sankara
wants to inculcate firm
conviction in the mind of the
disciple, that by Self-knowledge
alone, but by nothing else, all
the superimposed illusory
objects can be got rid of and the
Supreme Self realised. But, how
to obtain Self-knowledge is the
moot question.
The only Being really existing is
the Supreme Self or Brahman
and, excepting Brahman, nothing
else exists.
The oneness of Brahman is
denoted by the three words: Ekam
eva advitiyam--one only without a
second. If this subtle and most
sacred essence of Advaita is
understood and assimilated,
what is revealed is, that actually,
Brahman is not a Being to be
realised, obtained or achieved, as
everybody and everything
appearing are all Brahman only.
So, if Brahman is not a Being to be
realised or achieved, what sort of
practice has to be done for
liberation and transformation of
80 July 2016
the Jiva into Jivanmukta? These
are really the most important and
vital questions arising in all
sincere sadhakas.
The answer is simple and clear.
The enlightened and correct
spiritual practice or Anush-
thanam, therefore, will be to
avoid or discard all those illusory
entities or non-Self objects
obstructing Brahman by their
superimpositions. This sadhana
has to be done by practising the
eliminating process, and this
practice of elimination, is what
is known as Neti Neti sadhana.
Neti, Neti
This sadhana contemplates the
negation, through discrimi-
nation, of everything pertaining
to the body and the prakriti or
the nature appearing to the
senses and falsely superimposed
on the Self. By negating and
discarding all superimposition
through constant discri-
mination, as Neti, Neti (not this,
not this), Brahman alone
ultimately remains as the
Supreme Self glowing in all its
natural splendour.
Brahman cannot be eliminated
like non-Self objects, as the
Seeker-eliminator, who has
negated and discarded all the
81
attributes of non-Self, ultimately
loses his ego or jivahood and
dissolves and disappears in the
ananda of the Supreme Self,
which alone exists and nothing
else, as the salt doll thrown into
the ocean dissolves into the
ocean and disappears.
The disciple, after practising
Neti Neti sadhana, has, however,
felt disappointed. Because after
practising at length the
elimination of all the attributes
of non-Self, he could not gain
anything. He, therefore, points
out to the Guru that after
eliminating and discarding all
the five sheaths or the Pancha
Kosas and all other attributes of
non-Self, as Neti-Neti, he found
nothing except emptiness or
void, and in such a situation,
when nothing is perceived, what
can the seeker know ?
Immensely pleased by what the
disciple has stated, Sankara
congratulates him on his sincere
endeavours and efforts to grasp
tatva jnanam.
Sankara now explains the
nature of Brahman or the
Supreme Self and exhorts him to
discriminate between the 'seer'
and seen (Dhruk and Drusya). He
makes his disciple understand
that the 'seer' or the perceiver
July 2016
himself is the Self, the one
unchanging Consciousness or
Awareness.
AWy b {_o V Xg{a
{g dVmo mo _ dXV _ &
AVmo _fm_mV{_X nVrV
Ohr{h dm_Vm JhrV_ &
~mhp_od {dmw~wm
{d{ d_m_mZ_IS>~moY_ &&
Sankara explains that after
eliminating and discarding all
the ever-changing impermanent
and insentient (jada) attributes
of non-Self, what remains is the
Chaitanya or the Pure
Consciousness or Awareness,
which is vast, all pervading and
unlimited, like the sky. This
Consciousness or Chaitanya is
the Self, and it is, in fact, the real
and eternal existence of
everybody.
One has to establish himself in
this state of Chaintanya or Self-
Consciousness, by constant
discriminatory practice. In this
way, the disciple has been
advised to discard all his wrong
notions of his identification with
his physical body, determine
steadfastly that he is himself the
Brahman and realise his real
truthful state. The above
practice of enlightened
intellectual meditation that he is
himself Brahman (Aham
Brahmasmi), after eliminating all
attributes of non-Self, should be
done vigorously and without
interruption until the disciple
shines as Brahman.
Importance of Anubhuti
Sankara next explains how the
disciple should do the spiritual
practice to achieve the goal of
Self-Realisation. He impresses
upon him that unless there is
achievement or anubhuti, the
spiritual practice is of no avail.
So, for attaining anubhuti, how
the practice of self-meditation
or Svasvarupanusandhanam has
to be done, has been explained
by Sankara to his disciple by the
splendid and famous example of
Bhramara keetaka nyayam:
{ mVamgpV_nm H$rQ> H $mo
mWm{c {b^md_ N> { V &
VWd moJr na_m_Vd
mdm g_mm{V VXoH${ZR>m &&
That is, without attachment to
anything and always thinking
intently and constantly on the
Brahmara (bee), the worm
ultimately transforms itself and
becomes Bhramara. In the same
manner, having no desire
towards anything in the world,
if a yogi or sadhaka meditates
82 July 2016
intently on Paramatma or the
Supreme Self, with constant and
uninterrupted attention and
devotion, he transforms and
becomes Brahman or the
Supreme Self himself. By doing
such purified constant practice
of Self-meditation, the mind
ultimately merges into Brahman
and Nirvikalpa samadi is
attained. Thus the Absolute
Bliss of Brahman is realised and
enjoyed, resulting in the fullest
contentment and absolute
happiness.
Sankara also exhorts his
disciple that he should be always
vigilant and attentive and
should never become careless in
his steadfastness, while doing
meditation on Brahman. At every
stage, the disciple must be
careful and safeguard himself
against pitfalls. Stressing that
there should not be any
hindrance or mental deviation in
his meditation, Sankara gives a
splendid example to his disciple
in the following verse:
cw V Mo {X {Mm_rfX d a m~mo Y m nw f n{jdV
~{h_wI g{nVomVVV:&
_mXV: wVHo${bH$XH$:
gmonmZnL>Vm n{VVmo Wm VWm &&
That is, if a play ball, by
inadvertence slips from the hand
and falls on the stair-case, it
bounces and rolls down from one
step to another and reaches the
ground floor. In the same manner,
if the mind which is fixed in medi-
tation on Brahman, slightly strays
from the ideal and turns external,
then it entangles by and by in
worldly matters and ruins itself.
Viveka and Vairagya
Though uninterrupted
meditation is definitely possible
to perform, several seekers, on
account of their perverted and
half-hearted spiritual practices,
lose their hearts, as they are not
able to control their minds.
Unless the mind becomes still
and thoughtless, it cannot stay
in meditation for it very often
strays into external objects.
These are all due to lack of
complete desirelessness. So, for
controlling the mind,
discrimination and renunciation
(viveka and vairagya), are
absolutely necessary. Sankara
points out the importance of
both these qualities.
njm {dOmZr{h {dMjU d_ &
{d_w{VgmYmJbVm{YamohU
Vmm {dZm ZmVao U {g{V &&
Just as two wings are
necessary for a bird to fly in the
83 July 2016
sky, discrimination and
dispassion are essential for the
aspirant to succeed in his
spiritual sadhana and attain the
top-most stage of liberation. If
any one of these is absent,
sadhana cannot succeed, as a
bird cannot fly with one wing.
In the succeeding verses, it has
been impressed on the disciple
that only the dispassionate man
who has renounced everything
can succeed in attaining samadhi.
Such a person alone achieves Self-
Realisation and experiences
Eternal Bliss, free from all
bondage.
In this manner, by stressing on
the importance of dispassion,
Sankara succeeds in transforming
the mind of the disciple and
convinces him of the futility in
thinking about material objects
any longer and advises him to
live without any concern for
them.
{dmw _V: H$aU d$no
{Zdo gm{jd~mo Y _mV o &
mZ: mZ{ZMbVm_wnmZZ
nyU d_odmZw{dbmoH$omV: &&
The mind which is purified (by
discrimination and elimination
of all non-Self objects) must be
fixed in the Self, the Witness
and Absolute Knowledge, and
then gradually by making it
still, the infinite Self must be
realised as one's own Self.
Sankara describes the nature of
the sbsolute in a number of
verses to instill and inculcate
proper understanding and
interest in the mind of the
disciple. Brahman, the Supreme
Self, has been described as the
sky, absolutely motionless,
changeless, infinite and pure,
without any interior or exterior
and without a second, being the
Self of everybody, as explained in
the following verse:
H$nmU d BdmVn[any U H $dVw { Z &
{Z{dH$mao {ZamH$mao {Z{dmofo {^Xm
Hw$V:&&
That is, it is the One Being
which is changeless, form less
and absolute and all-pervading
and motionless after the
universe is dissolved--where is
the question of any diversity?
Sankara also explains
elaborately to the disciple the
characteristics of realised
persons (jivanmuktas) and
how they will be leading their
lives in the world after
attaining samadhi and Self-
realisation.
84 July 2016
~ mHmaV`m gXm pWVV`m
{Z_ m~mmW Y r -
a`mdo{X^mo`^moJHcZmo {ZmbdmcdV &
dZmbmo{HVbmoHdOJ{XX
n`dpMcYYs -
amVo H{MXZVn`\c^Y` g
_m`mo ^{d &&
Having merged and established
himself in the Supreme Brahman
at all times without any sense of
external consciousness of sense-
objects, taking food offered by
others, like a sleepy person or
like a child, and beholding the
world as an illusory dream and
being always in the Self-
conscious state, such a great
saint who has attained the goal
of Self-realisation is indeed very
rare and is worshipped and
esteemed on earth.
Sankara also explains that for
a Jivanmukta identifying
himself with Brahman, with his
desires and samskaras
weakened, there will be no
question of the existence of the
effect of prarabdha.
Finally, summing up he says,
Brahman is all-pervading,
infinite, without beginning or
end, always transcendent and
changeless, blissful and action-
less, existing everywhere in
everything, endless,
supportless, beyond all
attributes, taintless, subtle and
absolute, incomprehensible,
beyond the purview of mind,
senses and speech. It exists as
the One without a second and
there is absolutely no duality
whatsoever.
Final Transformation
This is how the ground has
been prepared for the great
transformation of the disciple
from jiva to jivanmukta. Sankara
assumes that this
transformation is undoubtedly
possible for everyone who
practises the system,
propounded and preached in
Viveka Chudamani, the Crest
Jewel of Discrimination
85 July 2016
86 July 2016
 There is a story related to Tukaram, the well-known 17th century
Marathi poet and philosopher, as told by Amit Goswami in his book
"Physics of the Soul." The story brings into focus the attitude we
should display to family and friends in our daily interactions with
them.

A disciple inquired of Tukaram about how his transformation came,

how he never got angry, how he was always loving and so forth; he
wanted to know the 'Tukaram Secret'.

"I don't know what I can tell you about my secret," said Tukaram, "but I
know your secret."

"And what is that?"

"You are going to die in a week," said Tukaram gravely.

Since Tukaram was a great sage, the disciple took his words seriously.
During the next week, he cleaned up his act. He treated his family and
friends lovingly. He meditated and prayed. He did everything he could
in preparation for his death.

On the seventh day, he lay down on his bed, feeling weak, and sent for
Tukaram.

"Bless me, sage, I am dying," he said.

"My blessings are always with you, said the sage, but tell me how you
have been spending the last week? Have you been angry with your
family and friends?"

"Of course not. I had only seven days to love them. So that's what I did.
I loved them intensely," said the disciple.

Now you know my secret," exclaimed the sage. "I know that I can die
at any time. So I am always loving in all my relationships."

87 July 2016
Jambavan Caves in Gujarat

J ambavan, the King of Bears

(Riksharaj) is an important character
in Ramayana. He is an eternal servant
of Rama, and helped find Sita and her
abductor Ravana. More importantly, he
made Hanuman realise his immense
potential, including his ability to cross
the 100-miles of ocean to search for Sita

88 July 2016
in Lanka. While Jambavan was
associated with Lord Rama in the
Treta-yuga, Bhagavatam
describes Jambavan's tryst with
Lord Krishna in the Dvapara-yuga
over Symantakamani, the rare
jewel that can protect the
owner from any calamity, and
also can yield a huge daily
output of gold.
Once he realised that Krishna
was the next avatar of Vishnu,
Jambavan gave up the fight with
Krishna over the jewel, and gave
his daughter in marriage to him,
and happily saw Krishna settling
down in Dvaraka.
Tunnel to Dvaraka
The Jambavan Cave near
Porbandar (the birth place of
Mahatma Gandhi) in Gujarat is a
tourist attraction reminding the
visitors about this age-old story.
Visitors are fascinated that
inside the cave there are two
89
tunnels: one leads to Junagadh
(famous for the Gir Lion
sanctuary) which is two hours
away, and other to the temple
town of Dvaraka in another
direction, also about two
hours drive.
The cave also sports naturally
formed Sivalingas made by sand
from the waterfalls from the roof
of the cave. Outside the cave,
there is a temple for Rama and a
Samadhi of Ramdas, the saint
from Maharashtra who is said to
have done tapas in the cave.
Every year a big fair is celebrated
at this place.
It is fascinating that the story
of Ramayana has links all around
India. While the modern day
Gujarat may have been outside
the circuit mentioned in
Ramayana, Rama's footprint is
remembered in Gujarat through
his close disciple Jambavan
July 2016
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Honey abhisheka to Lord Chandramoulisvara on Sivaratri

July 2016
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