(A bouquet of celestial songs of the Cidakas'a)

Dr. S.M. BHATKHANDE

Published by :
NITYANANDA INSTITUTE OF CULTURE .
23/354 Azadnagar, Jaiprakash Road
Andheri (W), Bombay - 400 058.
Tel - 573264
 Obeissance t o Gurudeva Nityananda, who
profusely showered eternal bliss on dl1 those who c a p e in
contact with him in person or in absentia. He showed to
the world that by devotion, one can attain the highest
and that too while living. He in his simple but catching
language elucidated the tenets of philosophy that
enlightened the elite and the illiterate alike. Whatever he
spoke occasionally always contained a thought or
thoughts with fitting illustrations from day t o day life.
People from all -walks of life sought his dars'ana which
instantaneously gave them pleasure. They experienced
indescribable contentment in his divine presence. He
always spoke sparingly but firmly. In his words are
reflected Upani~adicthoughts and philosophy.
In a n humble effort, the author presents the
philosophy of Gurudeva -Nityananda in aphorisms in
 I had a very profitable chance to skip through the
"NITYASUTRANI" composed by Dr. S.M. Bhatkhande.
It carries a concise commentary also. Majority of the
sutras have a very charming rhythm about them. Like
Bhrama Sutra, the sutra drashta has not packed up
immense meaning of deep mysticism within the bowels of
his slim and enchanting sutras.1 felt likecomparing them
with the Bhakti Sutras of Shri Narada.
This contains no mind-blowing philosophical
discussions. I must congratulate Dr. S.M. Bhatkhande
for having come down to the level of the modern restless
minds and given out thesalient pointsinavery simple and
direct style.

CAMP - BIRLAGRAM - Swami Chinmayananda

NAGDA - 456 331
 FOREWORD
A massive Impersonality like Swami Nityananda is hardly an
occasion for an introduction. Like the'Atman, Self, that he lived out
so palpably, his is an eternal Presence that cannot be measured in
terms of space and time. He escapes definition. He is no philosopher
though every word that fell from his lips contains the seed of
perennial philosophy. He is no founder of a sect but a universal
Teacher. He gathered no followers, in fact, he made himself in-
accessible to them; but they flocked to him, even as they still do,
in endless numbers. He was aloof from every form and name and yet
was full of compassion. He scorned pomp and show and befriended
the needy in ways'known andunknown. All in all, Swami Nityananda
is a baffling phenomenon.
He taught no one through words, his whole life itself is a
Teaching. Fortunately for us, some blessed ones who were close to
his earshot have noted down some of his remarks, observations,
cryptic utterances. One such seminal record is the chidakasha gita
of antique aroma. Based upon this authentic work and upon his
words-spoken and unspoken-during the later stay at Ganeshpuri,
Dr. S.M. Bhatkhande has been inspired to commemorate the
Message of the Master in the form of 152 sutras, aphorisms in his
book "NITYASUTRANI ".
None could have chosen a more apt mode of exposition. For the
sutra is the time-honoured form in which a revealed knowledge is
preserved for posterity. Its virtue is its brevity. It is said that even a
syllable spared yields to the author the joy of the birth of a son. The
present writer is in line with this ancient tradition and says s o much in
so few words. He takes care, however, to follow up each sutra with
an illuminating commentary bringing out the full import of what is
thus enunciated.
In twelve short chapters he organises the Knowledge and the
instructions to tread the Way, step by step. The high Knowledge that
beckons the human spirit, the rare opportunity afforded by human
birth on earth, the need for a concentrated discipline, sadhana, the
role that the mind plays, positively and negatively, the
indispensability of the Guru, the veil of MaLa,the potent Word, OM,
which opens the door to Brahman, the happy contribution of Bhakti,
devotion, the universal Law of Karma which holds all creatures in its
grip till one is moved to practise the God-given ways of Yoga and
attain liberation in the Self, Atman, that is ever free and infinite-
these are the main themes that scintillate in these pages which are a
model of condensed exposition.
There are, indeed, many notable spear-thrusts of the Master. Silence
is of the mind, not of the tongue. All are forms of one's ownself. Age ,
is no criterion for wisdom. Karma is trascended by the right Karma- ,
Yoga. Mere reading does not give knowledge; what is learnt is to be
lived. Do not wait for your old age to start the Journey of journeys.
Take up the staff the moment you hear the call. Bhakti motivatedby
desire vitiates. True Devotion is supreme Love for God.
The sections onRaja Yoga and the Kundalini are masterly and
provide authentic guidance to the seeker on this Path. It 'is to be
hoped that this significant work will amply meet the needs and
requirements of the devout as well as the intellectual sections of
spiritual aspirants, all over the world. The mighty Presence of this
Master of Yoga has already made its impact in distant lands and a
book like this should play an important part in enlightening the eager
minds and filling the hungry souls that are looking for Light and
Freedom everywhere.

SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM - M.P. Pandit

PONDICHERRY - 605 002
(India)
 INTRODUCTION
S> Nityananda was a divine personality. His teachings are so
rich, varied and wonderful that it is difficult to say that he professed
only a particular, way of thought. He touched a variety of subjects
from Bhakti to Sakti and from knowledge to realisation, and indoing
so, he took every subjecpto such a height that it'appeared to be the
only subject of his choice.

SOURCES
Sri Nit~anandadid not deliver discourses. He however spoke only
when he liked. For this there was no fixed place or the subject. The
duration of his talk was never the same. He never spoke at a
particular hour or for a particular per~od.During Nityananda's stay in
South Kanara, a woman devotee called Tulsi Amma very carefully
took down notes of what he said from time to time, in Kannada. She
published the same in 1927 under the title 'Cidakas'agTtta'. It has since
been translated into English and Marathi by ,others. TGe
Cid~ka&$t~ comprises inspired sentences spoken by Sr-7
Nityananda in his young age when he was already a Master. The
Cid~k'is'aghis the main source of the present work. The work also
includes sfitras which are based on what he spoke, during his stay at
Ganeshpuri, to his devotees on various occasions. Thus an attempt
is made to cover all his teachings as far as possible.
a suslpks
?HE S ~ T R A SAND THE NITYASGTRA~I
f C - t - w -
@ %*-LA.=
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bewwlrr8- /&",
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A siitra is traditionally defined as follows : @ *.XA "-,+
*b.-.

- cbM
dq i.qa< zr+2+ a 1.~4i( A~4Ji-~*-<f s--
9'41--r
Svalprik~ramasandigdhamsiirawdvie'vatomukham
a~~~~~
@fl>l-4~..,- q I,
Ast bhamanavadyam ca siitram siitr vi o vidub @q ,
A
xi a
4a37;rm~ sT + q;jir& &:(I
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4dd

A sirtra e a statement of few words and letters, free from a n y ~ f v v " ~

doubt, conveying an important sense, meaningful in every way, free
from padding words and also free from any blemish - logical'or
grammatical. An ideal siitra is supposed to conform to this I
definition. However the vast sctra- literature that exists in Sanskrit
does not, as a matter of fact, satisfy the norms laid down above.
I '
There are Srauta, Glhya and Dharma su'tras. There are siitras
on six systems of Indian Philosophy (except SZmkhya). On other
subjects like, VyZkarapa, Chhandas,'NZltya & AlamkZra, also there
are slitras. In the realm of bhakti, the su'tras of NZrada andS%odilya
are available. There are philosophical siitras of Kashmiri ~Bivism
 /
entitled 'Siva SUtras'. Many siitras of these branches of knowledge,
are no doubt concise but hardly convey any meaning for a layman,
and even to an adept, if read without a commentary. The siitras, in
due course of time, became s o condensed that their usefulness as
independent work of a particular branch of knowledge, was losf and
they defeated the original purpose of the siitraka'ra. They became
unintelligible in the absence of any commentary. Not only
commentaries appeared on the scene to throw light on the
respective sMras but also commentaries on commentaries and also
sub-commentaries on them were written to elucidate the matter in
full.
Even so it has to be acceptec! that a su'tra which does not have
the characteristics of a sfitra, cannot be called a sijtra in the true
sense of the term. The author of the NityasGtrZqi of Nityananda,
having borne in mind the state of affairs of various sfitra-worksand the
ideals expected to be followed, has tried to see that the Nityasutrani
do not suffer from the deficiencies that are generally noted in regard
to sutra-works.

THE BHASYA (COMMENTARY)

A b h z ~ y a like
, a siitra, has certain f~xednorms I t 1s-defined as
under
Sutrartho uamyate yatru udkyaib siitrtinusdribhib
Suapadcini ca uarvyante bhcsyam bhG3yavido viduh
A bhQya explains the meanlng of the siitra by appropriate
sentences keeplng In view the dlgn~tyand precision of the su'tra. The
bh@ya also explains the words occurring In the siitras ahd fully
brlngs out the purport of the sEtra, by occdsionally introducing brlef
statements according to the needs of the discussion relevant to the
sfitra. The bha'$ya somekimes imagines a disputant to whom a
prlma f a c ~ eview is ascrlbed and IS called a piirva paksrn, the yew
belng called pu'rvapaksa. The same IS refuted later and the
refutation is called an uttara p a k ~ aor a s~ddhZintapaksu. Both the
pfirva-paska and uttara-pak~aare the creations of the ~~~~~~~~~a.
The bh@ya on the NityastitrZpi is in English whereas the sfitras are
in Sanskrit The author has tried his best to keep up to the trad~t~on
and make the commentary as faultless as possible

ARRANGEMENT OF CHAPTERS
There are In all twelve chapters (adhyciyas) of the su'tras. In the
beginning of each adhyiiya, a br~efsummary is given to facilitate the
reader to know the contents, at a glance.
 The first chapter opens with the stitra6athZtonithya jijhasa and
proceeds to discuss the importance of knowledge. T h e same is
followed by a chapter dealing with human body which has unique
importance in the acquisition of knowledge. The body is
impermanent but its resident is permanent. The human body is to
be utilised for attaining the highest and for this, some kind of
sadhana is to De undertaken. This is stated in the third chapter.

The fourth chapter concerns itself with mind. It is required to be

controlled, as franlquitity of mind is necessary for any achievement.
It is not advisable to proceed in spiritual matters without the
guidance ~ f a ' ~ u r who
u , makes known the nature of reality by
removing avidyd, mciyii and illusion produced by'it. This is stated in
fifth and sixth chapters.
Omkdra is all auspicious and is the one-syllabled Brahman. The
seventh chapter eulogises the same. Devotion is the easiest means
for realisation. It is love for God. The eighth chapter stresses the
importance of devotion. Nobody can escape the law of karma.
Therefore it is to be known by every aspirant, to avoid any wrong
conceptions about it. The ninth chapter throws light on this law.
Yoga is practised in India from ancient times. It has many
technicalities and n~cetiestoo. However, this path is to be treaded
with the guidance of a guru only. This is stated in the tenth chapter.
A person following any one of the three paths viz. knowledge,
devotion and yoga, is liberated. Liberation is the goal of human birth.
It is not a new state to be attained but it is a realisation of one's own
nature. Liberation is the fruit of the spiritual sadhana'. The eleventh
chapter dwells on the liberated and liberatibn. The Atman is dealt
with in the.concluding.chapter, the twelfth. It is Atman which is to
be reallied. It is Brahman and is the ultimate reality. It is the cause of
.originat~on,sustenance and diSsolution' of the world. The s'rutis
uniformly enjoin that it alone is to be known and by knowing it alone,
the mortal becomes the immortal.

The Nityasutrzni are presented to readers as under:

Each siitra is printed in Devanagari and is transliterated into English.
Then the word by word meaning of the satra is offered, which is
followed by the translation of the sutra. This is followed by an
exposition of the sutra in English.
 This work is a spontaneous creation of the author by the grace
of g ~ ~ i t ~ a n a nTherefore
da. this is not an esoteric work designed for
a selected few or for the specially initiated. This is a work for a1
those who believe in God and in his manifestation in various forms. It '
is free from dogmas or fancies, and it does not represent any sect or
cult.
The satras are an expression of the teachings of S'G
Nityananda. His teachings are unsophisticated and are placed before
the readers in the simplest possible form, intelligible to one and all.
Though very simple, they reflect the majesty of the Upanisadic philo-
sophy and all that is best in the Indian tradition, with a long history of
spiritual power. Nityananda's teachings have reverence towards all
lines of thought as he firmly believed that they converged into one
Supreme reality. As his followers belonged to all castes and creeds,'
so also his teachingsare for all, and therefore the Nityasfitrzni are for
all.
The author humbly states that he has tr~edto present the
philosophy of s?T Nityananda a s understood by hlm. Whatever
shines here is the glory of &:~ityananda and the shortcomings, if
any, belong to the author alone
SCHEME OF TRANSLITERATION
-
Vowels 3 a W i i 3 u
-
75 ii T r 72 r ? , $ e r r ai
jir o a u

V~sarga h
Consonants

Palatals c m c h ~ q ~ h g
Cerebrals ! v t h 3 d $ d h ~
Dentals . ;r t th d ' q d h ;r n
Labials y p ~ ; p h ? b ? T b h Y r n
Semi vowels s y T r j I ? v
Sibilants 21 s. Y 9 ~i~ s
Asprate C h -
 This is an humble attempt to help devotees of $<~ityan-anda
and indeed all those who wish to enlarge their spiritual environment.
It is possible that my treatment of. the aphorisms and the
commentary thereon may appear to some as inadequate but I can
only say that my effort is to present the teachings of S g ~ i t y a n a n d a
as clearly as possible without padding thoughts or words. I must
however say that at a few-places I have added some matter in tune
with the general tone and tenor of the philosophical teachings of $5
Nityananda. I have carefully avoided scholastic discussions'that
generally confound the readers of philosophical works.
I pay my homage to late Tulsi Amma, the author of the
cid3k'rs'aGt~. The NityasEtrZ~i are mainly based on the same.
English (mimeographed) and Marathi versions of the Cid~kas'aGtta
by M.U. Hatengdi and P.D. Ayare respectively helped me to
understand the philosophy of SrT Nityananda in general. Amongst
the books from which I gathered the biographical details of s>T
Nityananda, I must mention the books of Swami Muktananda,
Baburao Arnalkar and G.B. Khanolkar.
I am indebted to Dr. Sadashiv Ainbadas Dange, who kindly
guided me and helped me in preparing this work. I express my
profound gratitude to him. I thank my friend Shri E.D. Adavadkar for
his valuable suggestions.
I place on record my thanks to M.R. Sinha, the publisher of this
book. He r~questedme to take up this work and a s an ardent
devotee of SrrNityananda desired it to be of living value. I shall con-
sider myself fortunate if this work proves useful in this direction.
I must also mention here that my wife Suhasini helped me in
various ways. My brother, Prabhakar M. Bhatkhande went through
the entire work and its proofs critically and offered his valuable
advice.
I offer my salutations to .!&z
Nityananda and pray for his
blessings for the welfare of the world.

GURU PURNIMA S.M. Bhatkhande

JULY 21,1986 Kunte Wadi, Bhaskar Colony,
Kopri Road, Naupada,
Thane400 602.
 NITYASUTRANI
(A bouquet of celestical songs of Cidakasa)

CONTENTS
BLESSINGS by Swami Chinmayananda
FORWARD - M.P. Pandit
INTRODUCTION
SCHEME OF TRANSLITERATION
PREFACE
TO THE DEVOTEES
THE SAINT OF GANESHPURI
TEXT-NITYASUTRANI
CHAPTER - 1
INQUIRY INTO KNOWLEDGE

CHAPTER - II
BODY - ITS DISCERNMENT
 CHAPTER - 111
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE ASPIRANT (51)

CHAPTER - IV
CONTROL OF THE MIND ( 59

CHAPTER - V
GURU - THE GUIDE ( 69 )

F:*: (5.4)
y+3 Q:qepikk (5.5)
Ym rm-may-mm:(5.6)
3 m q@,f;m (5.7)
-?mf*: (5.8)
3~wi (5.9)
rn WTa-4, 7F;:f?rn
(5.10)
 0
9 9 ~ 9 f P 9 P P B 9 B B ~ i . 9 B B C i . B B B i . i . B i . i 15
.

CHAPTER - VI
CHARACTERISTICS OF AVIDYA (77)

CHAPTER - VII
NATURE OF OMKARA (87)

CHAPTER - VIII
GREATNESS OF DEVOTION
?Tfff;: (8.I)
h*ofR;: (8.2)
b* srffsfff (8.3).
h m
*:
e:
4bF4-q (8.5)
(8.4)

~ 1 ~ 1 8 1 G(8.6)
I~
fa;rr.im;avrm,=mfm~svr(8.7)
d?&: (8.8)
~imtarneltqe
svr *vr *. (8.0)
~
(8.10)
 , CHAPTER - IX

THE LAW OF KARMA

CHAPTER - X
NATURE OF YOGA

CHAPTER - XI
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LIBERATED
 CHAPTER - XI1
COMPREHENSION OF THE ATMAN (141)

EPILOGUE
 ~-The
-
-.--
saint of Ganeshpuri
At Ganeshpur~llved a sd~ntwho was known for his goodness.
Throughout h ~ life,
s he wds engaged In the upl~ftmentof human~ty.
He was compasslonale rn all h ~ dcallngs
s with whon~soeverhe met.
He was peaceful and magnanimous to the core. HISeyes flashed t k
lustre of dlv~nltyIn him. I-le was f~rtnlysettled 11-t the eternal bliss. He
was 6 1~ i t ~ a n a n d a .
The early llfe of Nltyananda 1s not known authentically. Names
of h ~ parents
s are unknown The ddte of hls birth or even the birth
place are matters for guess HISname iliso was an accldent. His entry
Into the world was wonde~ful lie never gave Importance to his
human form -he often neglected ~t and c11dnot answer any queries
that sought 171spersonal rnfortnatlon T h ~ wds
s to avo~dany effort by
people, to rdlse hlrn in the ledst, above any one else. Such was his
humiltty and ~ndiftere~zce to personal ylot ~flcdt~on.
T.rs ,o
- 20 g + + e + j " . + ~ a ~ a + ~ + + ~ + + + + + 4 + + +.+ j a +

DESCENT
Njtymanda was the find qf a Hariiane woman wha was on her
way home in the evering after,collecting firewood froin the forest.' '
Her attention to the infant, carefully wrapped in a white cloth and
lying in a bush was drawn by crows by their cawing, as if they did not
want to touch this precious treasure but wished that a human farm
be touched by a human form and carried to the proper place. Thk
woman took the child to her home and on the next day, handed
over the male infant to a lady called Unni Amma who adopted it in
return of a small quantity of rice!
According to another pccount, a lady named Uma Amma was
taking her usual morning bath in a river in the knee-deep water at the
sunrise when she was stunnfd af a sight. The sight was a branch of a
tree with thick leaves slowly floating on water and tending towards
P
her on which lay a newly born c ild. She could not trust her eyes for a
moment. Indeed she saw ?mything unbelievable. She picked up the
child with great care, lest it sho,uldslip into water. She was overjoyed
with the unusual event and was deeply touched. She embraced the
child with a mother's heart and rushed home.
The descent of Nityarianda took place sometime in the month of
November or early December 1897 in a village known as Badagare,
which is a few miles1away from &anhangada in Soutb India.
Nityananda was named kaman by the fdster-mother Unni Amma
alias Uma Arnma. She iater worked as a household servant in the
buse of Mr.Ishvaralyeria lawyer at Koilande. Unni Arnma lost her
d a three years' old and she herself bade
husband wheb ~ i t ~ a n a Lwas
goodbye to the world threg years thereafter, when Nitybnanda was
hardly six. Mr. Iyei who had developed affection for Nityananda,
looked after him. Mr.. Iydr a well-to:do gers.on with9 happy.family,
life. H;!was a Sun-worshipperand was a religious minded person. He
h s pious and took care of Nityananda more than his son. In due
course, he became attached and later devoted to him. He felt
uneasy8 if he could not find Nityananda for some time at horrie.
Nityananda was ,not interested in schooling though Mr. Iyer '

tried for it. Instead he preferred at the age of .eight, visiting

Shivananda's hermitage for meditation and als6 recitation of the G%z
etc. - the activities which appeared unusual fur a boy of his age.

PILGRIMAGE
Mr. Iyer-took Nityananda with him fa pilgrimage to ~ o h lndia.
h
During their vi$t to Gaya,Nityananda wasitrkk with the past history
of the'Bodhi tree under which Lord Buddfia had attained the highest .
 knowledge. While Mr. Iyer was narrating the history, Nitwnanda"
under this very tree suddenly went into trance and Mr. Iyer waited
for him to return to normalcy, with awe and anxiety. Nityananda
anriounced his decision to stay there for penance. Mr. Ishvara Iyer
was shocked. All his effortstodissuade him from the unexpected
resolution failed. Mr. Iyer felt deeply giev&Iand repented for having
taken him to pilgrimage which'u~timatel~ended in this way. He was
not able to bear the shock. However, it was destined to be so. Mr.
Iyer with a very heavy heart, parted company with him. Nityananda
promised him that he would meet him again without fail.Mr.bhvara
lyer returned home from the pilgrimage with a heavy personal loss.
He slowly adjusted with his new life without Nityananda whom he:
could not forget even for a day.
Nityananda continued his sa'dhanii, details of which cannot be
related with certainty: lt is, however, believed that he went to the
'Himalayas and lived in a cave for some time; and, occasionally on'a
tree, he spent time - may be in meditatjon and the like. Nityananda
however used to say to his devotees that whatever sadhand was
necessary, he had done it in the previous birth and contpleted it.
After about eight years of his stay in the Himalayas, Nityananda
returned\to Koilande and appeared before Mr. Iyer. Mr. Iyer could
not recognise Nityananda instantly as there was considerable
transfotmation in Nityananda - internal and external. Nityananda
was no more a boy but now a youth of sixteen with full lustre on his
face. He, with his broad forehead, shining eyes and with long hands
stretching to the knees, and with gentle smile looked altogether
different.Mr.Ishvara Iyer recognised his old friend and philosopher in
him. He embraced him with tearful eyes with love and requested him
not to leave him again. Mr. Iyer felt joy - unending joy - in his \
presence and called him by the name Nityananda -eternal bliss. He $
said that he would be known thereafter as Nityananda. Nityananda
"
too agreed to his request and never referred to his former name -
Raman Kutty. Thus an infant child, yarned Raman Kutty by Unni
.&ma, became Nityananda at sixteen at the instance of Mr. Is'hvara
Iyer. This name became the permanent name of the saint of
Ganesh~uri- the name that was to be a solace and was to stay in
the hearts of millions of people.
Mr. Iyer was advancing in age and was feeling that
coming to an end. This was in 1915. Mr. Iyer requested
to help him in his last days. Nityanandd took compass1
Ishvara Iyer rested on the lap of Nityananda at t
and felt a sense of fulfilment of his life. Nityanan
his happiness. Nityananda was now a lo
,.
Tulsi Amma
connection whatsoever with a householder. Nityananda refused to
accept a share of the property offered to him by the family members,
as per last wish of Mr.lIshvara Iyer.,On the contrary, he put on a loin
cloth and left Koilande. Nityananda straightway came to Kanhangad
and stayed in a cave in the nearby forest, which is now known as
Guruvana. Nityananda was'already a master of supernatural divine
powers and, therefore, people in distress chased him always for
relief. He also showered his blessings unhesitatingly and relieved
them of their anxieties - though he always disliked their
approaching him only for mundane matters and never for higher
spiritual values. Nit~anandacleared the forest and made it a place
suitable for habitation.
During this course, he was required to drive away poisonous
reptiles and wild beasts also. Nityananda was in the Guruvana for
about two and half years after which he left for Kanyakumari. He was
there for a short period from where he went to Ananteshvara temple
in Udipi. From Udipi he proceeded to Mangalore and from
Mangalore again to Udipi and s o on. He wandered at will. He often -
went into trance- at one time he was in that state for 24 hours
continuously. He stayed anywhere from stables to tree tops and
from plain ground to heaps of garbage. He used to walk very fast and
appear and disappear suddenly. He used to feed the poor
occasionally for whom he was concerned throughout his life. He with
his extraordinary powers served food to a large number of persons
though the quantity of food appeared disproportionate to the
number to a common eye. Nityananda was fond of rail travel but
many times in the engine car. In case of such superhuman beings, it is
difficult to interpret their moves.
During the stay of Nityananda in South Kanara, a widow called
Tulsi Amma did a great service to the devotees by taking down notes
of Nityananda's sayings from time to time. Nityananda never stayed
at one piace and neither spoke at one particular hour nor for a
particular period of time. However she did a stupendous task of
taking down his nectar like words, She put together his sayings
roughly covering a period from 1920, to 1927 and published them
under the title "Cid%k~s'a$t~"in 1927 in Kannada. This is t h e first
authentic record of Nityananda's teachings by a woman devotee
who was a graduate of a university in those days when higher
education to women was not easily available. Tulsi Amma had
observed complete silence for a period of one year at the instance of
Nityananda. She later delivered religious discourses by the grace of
Nityananda at Kundapur in South Kanara. Her whole life was full of
devotion to Nityananda who was a living God to her. She enjoyed a
state of complete bliss for a period of nearly fifteen years from 1930.-
She passed away in 1945.
 In about 1935, Nityananda shifted to Vajreshvari near the
sam'idhi of Godhade Maharaja1 and had first stayed at Akroli.
After one year, Nityananda moved to Ganeshpuri, from where -
this one - never shifted anywhere. He always used to refer to his
---
( person as "this ~ n e " Ganeshpuri
. was a jungle area then, full of wild
beasts including tigers who used to move in$airs. Nityananda chose
this place for his stay which was a holy place in the anc~entdays.
Mandagni mountain provides a scenic background to t h ~ place
s and
the river Tanasa adds to the beautiful natural surroundings.

Vajreshvari is mentioned in the Skanda, MZrka~deya and

Ganes'a Purznas. It appears from the description in the.Purar;lasthat
Para&rZma was connected with this part of land. He had performed
a sacrificehere. At present there is a temple -of Paras'urZma at Gunja
village, about eight miles fromVajreshvari.Vasistha also is said to
have performed a Tricandrsacrifice (Yajga) here and created hot-
water Kuqdas for use of the visiting sages. At the beginning of the
sacrifice, he worshipped Lord GaneQ, as per tradition, when he
appeared in person. Since .then the place became known as
Ganeshpuri, the city of Ganesh. When the jealous Indra tried to
disturb the sacrifice by the Vajra - his famous weapon, Vasi~tha
invoked Adi-s'akti for help. She appeared before Vasi~thaand
swallowed the weapon and drove Indra away. The sacrifice was
successfully completed. Since then the place and the Goddess who
had appeared there came to be known as Vajreshvari.This place was
inhabited also by Lord Ramachandra during his twelve-year vanavasa
(stay in forest) as the legend goes. Centuries ago, Matsyendranath
' and Gorakshanath of the Nath Order .had pleased the ~ o d d e s s
'

Vajreshvari by their penance at this place. Thus Nityananda chose

the ancient hdly land for his life-missionand revived-it by his presence
there for about 25 years.

Nityananda undertook several activities of public utiliy. First he

repaired all the hot water kur?dasand made them fitfor bathing. The
temple of Rameshvara and the adjacent Dharmashala (a place for
visiting pilgrims to stay for a short while) were constructed.
Nathamandir at Vajreshvari, and also a school, a dispensary and a
meternity hospital, he built. At Ganeshpuri, he constructed
Vaikuntha 6s?arna near the Bhimeshvara temple on the land donated
by Srnt. Thakkar.

1; Godhade Maharaja was a devout worshipper of the Goddess Vajreshvan.He took

sama'dhi in 1670.
 Nityananda used to know a true devotee at once. Whenever .
such a devotee was waiting for his dars'ana, he described him to
attendant devotees and called him specifically to 'meet him.
Nityanahda had never gone to any school nor.learnt any language.
He, however, many times used to speak to devotees in their
respective languages. He neither listened to the radio nor read any ~

newspapers. Even the letters he received were not read by him or

read out to him, but were simply torn and thrown away. Of course,
Nityananda knew the contents without reading them or pofitical
happenings without reading newspapers, by intuition.
During his talk with devotees, Nityananda used to advise them to
recite the GitZ and read books written by Swami Vivekananda. He used
, to cure devotees by asking them to take a dip in the k u ~ d a sHe . '
never allowed them to touch his feet. He was fond of children and
often used to feed them and distribute sweets, clothing etc. to them.
He mixed with them freely and sometimes asked them to recite "Om
narnah $"@a". Feeding the children everyday is continued even '
today. He believed in the strength of children, who if improved, could
improve the society when they grow. Nityananda was never
interested in gathering disciples or knowing whether anybody
followed his advice or discarded it. Similarly he did not like dry
metaphysical discussion but preferred devotion, performed in
privacy and not publicly. Nityananda was never seen worshipping
any God - but preferred many times saying 'Om'. He saw God in ,
the children around him. He always got up at 3.00 a.m. and decried
sleeping thereafter.
Nityananda led a simple life throughout. A loin-cloth was hisonly
clothing in all seasons. After getting up at 3.00 a.m. he used to go to
the kul?cjasalone for a'bath. After visitinglhe temple of Bhimeshvara,
he sat in the Kailasa dharna at his usual place till morning with
'Orilkdra' emanating from his mouth continuously. The devotees
without his knowledge, by occupying a place nearby him, heard the
sbund of 'Orhk8ra', which filled their hearts with pleasure.
Nityananda always liked loneliness and he never wished
anything from anybody. He preferred to remain silent. He had no
liking for a particular food. Whatever devotees offered to him, he
distributed to all. He talked very little, and never by his speech or \
action, indicated that he belonged to a particular sect. He, however, 1
was a great ~ u ~ d a l i n r ~
Heo was
~ ; always in a state of eternal bliss.
"Baba" was the favourite name of Nityananda among devotees who
were never tired of waiting in long queues for his darshna. By his very i
sight alone, they felt happy.
 THE LAST DAY
N~tyananda reached the age of 64 In 1961 He was gettrng
exhausted All h ~ l~fe s he cured the allments of h ~ devotees s whlch
~ndlrectlyaffected h ~ health s Thls 1s the course of all salnts They
accept the sickness of others u i exchange of t h e ~ own r good health
N~tyanandas a d that "devotees depos~ttheir des~resand d~fficult~es
at my feet Though, by the grdce of God, much of the effect can be
null~f~ed, the body has to accept at least a part of the depos~tand
5uffer" Nityaridlida ~ ~ cjffe~tecl 1 % by cdtarnct, and also suffe~ed
I ~ the e d ~k le 1;lmentecl that "ill1 people c ome to ine for
coiist~rnt[ I ) ~ I 111
g~.\ce of the Gulu I hey w~lntthe gl~ttel~ny extellrill anci nor the
\ h i ~ i i ~iliteliral
~g M~ich15 to Oe offe~edO L I ~there 15 ric~body t o
I ec eive

N ~ t y ~ r n ~ ~ ]net
~ i d d I<lrye iiumber of clevotecs o n the
Gtrrupaurglr-n8 clcry o n 27th July, 1961, a i usucrl, from 5 00 ~3 rn to
/ 00 11 in by s~ttlng dt oiie pl<rcefor S L I L a
~ big tlilie (In 5th August,
1961, hc.sa~titoone of tile devotees "I dm going to le'rve 1h1sy~oss
body a~icltalte up d subtle one Much cdn i ~ edone in tliclt body"
Nitydnd~icI~~'~last dciy was clriiw~ngnearer He rcnic~rnbe~eci
121s
Kcjnhclnycrd;drama I-le sent f o ~~dbukdidiLOkt2anciwd~ld,~ u h oW ~ S
present In Gilneshpurl He handed over to h ~ ma parcel contalnlng
valuilbles wrth the help of whlch, he later constructed the temple at
Kanhangad and the other at Guruvana, both In South Kanara in
honour of Srl N~t~ananda.
Devotees close to Nityananda were k n o w i ~that
r ~ his health wds
sinking. The day was 8th August, 1961. Swami Muktanandil and
many other devotees were nearby him. At 9.00 a.m. Nityananda
clearly indicated his going away for ever shortly. He exhorted
everybody to have a pure mind and that he would be available to
them when called with pure devotion, and desired that arrangements
for samzdhi be made. At 10.45 a.m. he left his mortal frame and
became one with the Highest.
People from all over rushed to Ganeshpur~for the last ciurshna
of the~rMaster The last rites were perfocnied by Swam1 Jariananda
There at Ganeshpur~,the holy pldce, the sa~ntNltyananda rests In
Samzdh~,III padrniisur~ashowel ~ n gh ~ s91ace o n all those ~ u h o
eal~~estlyremember h~rnand pray to Iiun e
 --
CHAPTER 1
INOUI1RY INTO KNOWLEDGE

A rnan of kl~owledgeenjoys a special status. He is above the

three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep. He controls his
senses. He loves silence. In his eyes, all beings are embodiments of
the self.
It 1s k~~owledgealone w1i:ch should be sought alid t h ~ s
of Brc~l~rnan
knowledge IS the k~~owledge By t'l21sk~iowledge,one 1s
freed from bondage Knowledge IS I~qhtMZyZ 1s powerless before ~ t .
Attainment of linowlecige is tile culniitiation of all philosophical
enquiries. For this n-~erereadiriy is of no use. A seeker of knowledge
shoulcl not ~ ~ n d ucare
l y for the t)ody, A body without knowledge of
the self is like a house without light. Virtuous conduct and
linowledge yo together. Knowlodyc. with ego is like water iull of mud.
.fhe linowledye of Air~lcrribc~stoiui;c~ter~>;rl li,tppi11css. A fit and
pr'oper person to receive the scln?eis o:lcJ ~ v l ~ Iias
c t eschewed sense
pleasures and who is truthful.
Atha : now. atah : therefore. nitya : the eterndl. j~jiiZs$: a desire for
the Itnowledge of nitya (the enquiry into the real nature of nitya).
Now, therefore, the enquiry into the eternal.
The word atha Indicates the beginn~ngof the work. The word
atha IS ausplc~ousand therefoie ~ n d ~ c a t eby s suggestion that
whosoevV1 undertakes study of the N~tyasEtrasw~llbe bestowed
w ~ t hall t i m IS auspicious The word aiha 1s also used here ds a prayer
for ihe successful complet~on of the work by the grace of
Nttyananda
It is custortmry to begin t h exegetic ~ and philosophical a s well as
devotional v~orirswith the word atha e.g. uth3to dharmajijn"8s~
r a sJ a ~ m i ~ i i u) ,t l ~ a t o brahmajij1?8s8
( P ~ r v a l ~ c m 3 r i 7 s 3 - s ~ t of
(Wra!~n(as~trasof BZdarZyar.m), ufhffto bhaktijijiiEsG (!%ocjilya
1ur.bai;tisntrds),
1 uf/iSito t ~ h u k t i m vydkhybsyDrnuh ( N k a d a
bhaki-isEtrcs).
:'\ia!?means therefore. *Those who have an earnest desire for
the knowledge of the eternal and those \ ~ hwant
o to enjoy everlasting
bliss resu1tir:g therefrom, may therefore start their quest for the
ultim-late reality.
VJhat is seen in the worid is all transient. There is an eternal
principle which not only pervades the world, bc;i also transcr.rtds it
and that is to be known. It is in respect of that e~enxiitrui!.~r?, st.3l.c.i:
or an enquiry is to be made. It is the cause of bliss. li i.i, that
absolute which is to be known and realised.
 Gurudeva Nityananda was the one who attained the Highest
and it is his inspired teachings inthe form of flowers that are strung
together in these aphorisms. Nitya therefore not only indicates all
about eternal but also Nityananda. The word 'nitya' in the
Nityasntras points out that they are worthy of thinking over daily
(nitya) for the attainment of 'nitya' - the eternal. The
contemplation on the stitras by the devotees would steadily and
s&ly .take them to higher and higher spiritual stages and would give
them joy for ever (nitya). (1.1)

Budhab : a man of knowledge. traya : three (states).

aGtab : beyond

A man of knowledge is beyond the three states

It is well known that waking, dream and deep sleep are the three
states that every human being experiences. In the waking state, one
gets knowledge of the external by the external senses. In this state,
outward universe is perceived. In the dream state, one is cognitive
only inwardly without intervention of sense organs. One enjoys the
subtle objects which are the impressions of waking life consciously or
unconsciously stored in the memory. The dreamer experiences his
fancies in it. The objects such a s mountains, chariots etc. seen in a
dream cannot be accommodated in thesmall space occupied by the
body of the dreamer. Obviously, they must be false and imaginary.
Very often experience of the dreamstate is falsified in the waking
state and vice-versa.
In the deep sleep one feels no desires and there is a total absence
of dreams and the experiences of waking state. There are no objects
of knowledge.All experiences of the waking and dream states are
dissolved in the state of deep sleep. ?'hisdoes not mean that they are
extinguished. Potentially, they do remain but without individuality to
manifest again in course of time in the respective state. During deep
sleep, one enjoys happiness of quiescence but one is unable to
describe it when one wakes up, though one remembers it. In this
state, traces of 'I' d o not disappear as the merging of the mind into
Atman is temporiiry. Therefore, this state is inferior to the fourth
state which follows this.
 The fourth state is turyc~.It is not like the other tl~reestates. This
is not common to all but is very rare. In this state, one transcends
consciousness and remains deeply plunged into divine delight. There
is cessation of all desires and miseries in this state. This state is
indescribable, illconceivable and uncontaminated. All existelice
ceases in this state which is bliss, peace and non-duality. The first
three states are unreal. The fourth state is the truth and is to be
sought after. A man of knowledge is beyotid the three states. He
alone realises the turya, the fourth state. (1.2)

Yathz : like. .ktirkna : a tortoise. angzni : limbs.

Like a tortoise, he (a man of knowledge) withdraws

A man of knowledge is like a tortoise. The tortoise withdraws its
limbs from all sides, s o also he whose mind is alG~aysstable withdraws
his senses from sense objects. He always remains absorbed i i i
samcdhi (with the Atman). There is no sun-riseand sun-set for liirn. It
is always sun-rise for him. There is 110soot of ignorance covering his
mind a s in the case of ignorant. Therefore, the eternal liylir inside him
which is Atman, shines incessantly and effulgently. (1.3)
Manasz : by mind . maunam : silence.

Weal silence is to be observed by mind.

A j%nin observes silence. But his silence is different from what
is known in comnlon parlance*.i.e. abstaining from speech alone.
One can refrain from speaking but even while doing so, one's mind
would work continuously through wanderings at several places,
remembering the past and imagining the future, and what not. It is
the mind which should be controlled and its silence is to be achieved
and not the one which is observed through tongue. It is through the
silence of mind that a true yogu-saPdhanaPandattainment of the state
of sidciha are possible. (1.4)

A t r n a m ~ r t a ~ a: himages of (his own) Atman. sarvzh : all.

In the eyes of the man of knowledge, all are images of his

own Atman.
From the point of view of a true jfidnin, there do not exist
ignorant men. From the ignorant's viewpoint there exist no wise
men. But there is a difference in the two views. A man of knowledge is
like a mother who loves all her children equally well irrespective of
bad or good behaviour of some of them. AjZGnin views all ignorant as
embodiments of his Atman which is the same in all beings. He does
not discriminate amongst them but shows great forbearance even if
they harm him by words or deeds. He has no sense of preference or
differentiation. Both mud and gold are of equal value to him. He loves
all of them equally well whom he firmly believes as symbols of his own
Atman. (1.5)
JiGninZm : of jii~nins.hi : certainly. na : not. vayab : age.
san<kSyate : is taken into consideration.

in respect of jiiznins, age is not certainly a deciding factor

for their greatness.
There is no prescribed age limit for a jfihnin. Attaining divine
wisdom and liberation depends entirely on the intensity of the faith
and the effortsput in to sustain them. ContinuoussZdhan~alonedone
over several lives fructifies when it reaches the height and no time
limit for such a divine grace is laid down or can be laid down. At the
time of grace, a jii8nin may be of a young age or even old aye. Indeed
the age has no relevance and is not looked into in the case of men of
knowledge only. Even the very present lnoment can be the moment
for attainment of the highest aim of life-the liberation. When such
precious time comes, no age or worldly position can stop it. Human
life is a continuous process and the merit acquired from life to life is
accumulated. Such accumulation may fructify at any time of life.
There are instances of Bhruva and Pralhada who acquired the
highest knowledge by devotion when they were young boys. (1.6)
JZ%nam : knowledge. eva : alone . aptavyan~: is to be obtained

Knowledge alone is to be obtained.

There are many things to which a person engrossed in his
householder's life rushes. Indeed whatever is obtained by him is
impermanent. This is not only true of things of this world but the
other world also. "Just a s here on earth the world which is obtained
by work perishes, even s o there in the yonder world, the world which
is earned by merit through righteous deeds also perishes" - says the
Chzndogya Upani~ad(8.1.6)However, knowledge of the Brahman
is everlasting and that alone should be obtained. Knowledge is not
collecting facts but attaining wisdom by systematic efforts. (1:7)

jiianam : knowledge. brahrnavidyz : knowledge of Brahman. eva :

alone

BrahmawidyZ is the true knowledge

The knowledge of Brahman leads one successfully t o the
highest human goal By t h ~ knowledge
s alone, the ~dentltyof Atman
with the ParamGtnlan i.e Brahman is revealed. The knowledge of
knowledge 1s the knowledge of Brahman. The knowiedge other than
that pertains to translent thlngs not related to the Atman. T h ~ s
knowledge alone leads to eternal truth relat~ngto the atman. From
t h ~ sknowledge, flows smoothly the supreme bliss that surpasses all
comprehens~on.
T h e knowledge which leads to God realisation is supreme.
alone can put a stop to the cycle of transmigration of the soul. T
an 'essential knowledge'. By this, oneattains the purpose of human
life, viz. the unfolding of divine consciousness from within. All other
knowledge can be said to be 'nor-essential' as it concerns purely
worldly matters which are impermanent. It is the- 'essential
knowledge' by which the imperishable is obtained. (1.8)

Tena eva : by that alone. bandhanat : from bondage. virnucyate : is

freed.

By that (the knowledge of the Atman) alone, o n e is freed

from bondage.
A man of knowledge of the Atrnun is abbve the world, as he is
not concerned with activities going on in the world. He is not involved
in them directly. He is awakened to the soul but asleep to the world.
The ego-has no place in him. He has the firm knowledge that he is the
Atman and none else. The knowledge of the Atman extricates him
from the bondage of kartna. He performs actions only to comply
with the prgrabdha itarma over which he has no control. He has only
to wait for liberation till his body falls and that is all. Just a s water does
not cling.to the lotus leaf so also bondage arising out of the results of
actions does not cling to the man of knowledge. As his actions are
without any desire for fruit, no bondage binds him. (1.9)
Atrnaj8~na: knowledge of .&man. vin3 : without. dehab : a body.
tamabpi9ur~arn: full of darkness. gfharn : a house. yathZ : like.

A body without the knswledge'of atman is like a house full

of darkness
A house which is without a lamp and is therefore full of darkness
at night, has noattractionabout it. S o also, the body without spiritual
knowledge ceases to have any meaning. Though the house may be
well constructed and may be of rare architectural beauty, it loses all
its importance and significarice at nigh: without light. In the same
way, a beautiful and attractive human form is not of much value if it is
devoid of knowledge. Indeed, what a lampis to the house at night,
knowledge of the spirit i.e. Atman is to the physical form which
houses it. The lighi of knowledge is the upward flow of the power of
awakened Kui3&din; Jusl as an object sunk in the deep mud has no
value, the Atman which is covered with the mud and dirt of spiritual
ignorance deprives itself of all its glory. It is only when it comes out of
the dark and thick clouds of ignorance that it shines like the Sun and
becomes a source of light. (1.10)

Atmajfi~na: knowledge of atman. tu samprspte : at the attainment.

mcdya" : mzyz. y"ai : goes. tirobhzvam : disappearance.

M5yZ disacppears at the attainment of knowledge of Atman

MByE has no real existence. However, for the ignorant, it is the
creation of his mind. MiiyBemanates from the Atn~anof the ignorant
and deludes him and deceives him incessantly unless and until the
 layers of ignorance of the mind, are melted in the Sun of knowledge
emanatingfrom the Atman. Just a s a train starts from a terminus and
nornlally after calling at various stations returns to the terminus from
where it started, similarly MEyd which originates from the Atman,
finally returns to it and disappears at the sunshine of knowledge
leaving no traces whatsoever. During its existance, MiiyO appears to
be real for all purposes and therefore the ignorant is lured by it
without fail. It is only when the ignorance is destroyed, MiiyBstands
automatically, destroyed, M3yZ's existence ir co-terminus with
ignorance. (1.11)

Jiji%isz : (a philosophical) inquiry. jRane : on the 'attainment of

Knowledge. parisamzpyate : concludes.

A philosophical inquiry concludes on the attainment

of knowledge
A philosophical inquiry reaches its height in the knowledge of
Brahman. When it is attained all doubts are dissolved. It is the
knowledge that liquidates everything. It leaves nothing to be known.
It is the knowledge by which everything becomes known. All desires
cease to exist. No distinction is perceived anywhere. There is no
perceiver and the perceived. It is a state that is indescribable. When
everything is one, who is to see difference and where. This divine
wisdom is nothing else but liberation. The Atman in the body
becomes one with the Brahman like a river which mingles in the sea
and becomes the sea itself and loses all its names and forms. (1.12)
JGZnena : with knowledge. kytam : done. Itarma : action. akarma :
non-action. iva : like.

The action done with know.ledge is like a non-action.

When one associates oneself with the feeling of having
perforinled good or bad, righteous or unrighteous deeds, one gets
automatically bound to the phenomenal world of repeated cycles of
birth and death. The deeds become the seeds which grow and bear
fruits which one has to reap in the form of pleasure or pain. The
fruits of the good or the bad deed have to be lived through, there is
no other way to exhaust them. By attaining divine knowledge, one
learns to dissociate oneself from the sense of being the doer and is
able to comprehend that it is only on account of false identification
wit12 the body and the senses, that the feeling of the 'doer' crops up
each time in the mind. Only when the shackles of doership fall down,
all subjection to the law of karma passes away. As the flower withers
away of its own accord when the fruit comes out of it and grows in
size, similarly on emergence of knowledge leading to self-realisation,
the karma withers away. The karma done thereafter without the
sense of doership, does not bear any fruit. It loses its capacity to bear
any fruit, as it were. Therefore by knowledge alone, one acquires the
state of non-doer. (1.13)

Ayuktani : improper. kevalah : mere. pafhanam : reading.

Mere reading is not proper (is not of much use)

Scriptural texts are of great importance. But mere knowledge of
the texts with no spiritual insight is not of much use or benefit to the
reader. A mere intellectual understanding is not enough. Even then it
is seen that persons whose spiritual consciousness is not roused or
who even do not d o any kind of sBdhanB, yet engage themselves in
lecturing on the VedBnta and philosophical matters. It is possible
that such lecturing might bring some temporary fame or name to the
speaker. His lecturing may add to his power of speech and to the skill
of delivering lectures which would hold the audience spell-bound but
would add much more to his pride. Nevertheless, it would help to
some extent his listeners genuinely engaged in search for the truth.
Perhaps such listeners living a truly spiritual life may be better placed
than him and might bring io the light inadequacies of the bookish
knowledge of the speaker and thereby he himself niight be benefitted.
The whole exercise of the speaker can be said to be futile if he has not
experienced what he speaks. It must be remembered that mere
reading of books and delivering lectures, howsoever fine they may
be, do not necessarily hasten the spiritual progress of a man. This
Atman can not be attaihed by mere study of the Vedas, nor by
intellect, nor even by much lecturing. Therefore a capacity to deliver
discourses is no indication of inner attainment at all. His knowledge,
with no experience, is like a lantern carried by a blind man while
moving out on a dark night. One's hunger is not satiated by mere
inhaling the flavour of a well cooked meal. It is only when one eats,
one's hunger is satisfied. Similarly, reading of scriptures and listening
to lectuies on them do not satisfy a soul hungry for Truth. He
requires a person who has practised the VetlGnta and, therefore- can
show the practical way and not the theoretical.
By study of the scriptures, if the Brahman is not realised, then
all efforts put in for the study can be definitely stated to be fruitless.
The teachings of the VediTnta must pervade every part of the body
and should be put into practice. What Rabindranzth Tzyore said of a
teacher holds good of a Vediirltin also. He said : "A teacher can
never truly teach unless he is still learning himself. A lamp can never
light another lamp unless it continues to burn its own flames".
Therefore, if a person professing VedEnta has not made it a part of
his life, then he is not likely to be of any use tosociety and his reading
is for no good. Tohim,scriptures are like maintaining a cow which is
dried out and is unable to give milk. (1.14)
Jfi3n~rthT: a seeker of knowledge. dehacint~rh: care of the body
vivarjayet : should avoid

A seeker of knowledge sho~aldavoid randue care of the body.

When the goal is decided; it is better to strive for it continuously
and consistently. A seeker who has opted for knowled's, must
concern himself with it. During his search for knowledge, he should
not allow himself to be disturbed by undue demands of the body for
comfort, food, pleasure etc. They have definitely to be treated witha
certain degree of indifference. Those who go to buy milk should not
concern themselves with extraneous matters like the price of the
cow, her colour etc. They should buy mitk and go away. Similarly
earnest seekers of knowledge should relate themselves to
kn~wledgeand ignore whatever comes in their way a s a n obstacle or
a temptation. A Sanskrit subhQita goes : "Whence there can be
comfort to a student e ~ g a g e din pursuit of knowledge and whence
there can be knowledge to a person engaged in pursuit of pleasure?"

AdhTtam : learning. ZcZre~a: by virtuous conduct.

samgamayet: should be made to concur

Learning should be ConcCtrrent with virfuous conduct

Learnlng should not be a mere academic excercise. It should be
put into practice. Similarly knowledge of the scriptures gained
through listening also should be routed through pzactice. By merely
holding sugar in one's hand or by simply looking at it, one cannot
know of ~ t ssweetness. It 1s to be eaten to know its sweetness.
Spiritual instructions, when followed in theory and practice become
effective and bear fruit; otherwise they would remain like so inany
sign posts showing the path leading to one's destination. T o stop at
the sign-posts would be like watching the finger which points to the
Sun and not looking at the Sun. Only that knowledge which is gained
through scriptures and listening and put into practice after due
thought 'and reflection, can alone lead one towards the final
destination i.e. self-realisation. It is said that a man learned in the
Vedas,but devoidof righteous conduct,cannotbe purified even by the
Vedas. The Vedas are unable to purify him. The knowledge is not
separable from virtue. A learned man, therefore, should show the
way by precept and example. (1.16)

AhahkEira : ego. yuta : with, ji'iznam : knowledge. partikapikrr;larh:

full of mud. jalah : water. yath% : like.

Knowledge with ego is like water full of mud.

In the world, it is observed that a well is required to becieaned of
its accumulated mud to have pure water. Though pure water flows
from the spring inside the well alE the time, it becomes impure on
account of the mud. Verily, the human mind is like a well which
contains a pure spring of divine wisdom. However, accumulated
v86anBs of several births contaminate it, and the sense of 'I' and
'mine' envelops it. Feelings of 'I' and 'mine'have to be removed with
sustained effort; then alone the mind will act as a spout for the spring
water of divine wisdom to emerge in its pristine purity. The ego is
verily the mud covering the knowledge. Such knowledge is not useful
like water covered with mud. Therefore the ego should be cast off at
any cost. (1.17)'
Nityam : eternal. adhyZtmajfi&mm : knowledge of the i t m a n

The spiritual knowledge i.e. the knowledge of the Atman is

eternal.
The spiritual knowledge is the highest knowledge. It is the
presiding knowledge over all others which can be called knowledge.
Once it is acquired, it is necessary that it should be spread. It is of no
use if a seed is procured and kept locked up in a box. The same seed,
if properly sown, watered and nurtured. can multiply itself
thousand fold. Similarly a person who acquires spiritual knowledge
becomes capable of spreading the same among thousands of people
by initiating them into it and making them recipients of the divine
grace which he himself received. Of course, it goes without saying
that it should not be taught to all and sundry but to those who are
endowed with faith and intense desire for knowledge. From a
burning lamp, several lamps can be lit, s o also a person of knowledge
can enlighten countless people. The spiritual knowledge is eternal
knowledge. A comparison of the spiritual knowledge with other
branches of knowledge, though not very apt, can be made with a tree
and its flowers. All other knowledge than the spiritual knowledge,
can be termed as purely worldly, non-essential and transient. The
spiritual knowledge is eternal a s it seeks the eternal, i.e. the &man or
Bruhtnun. Unlike other branches of knowledge, it does not go after
transient things. (1.18)
Adhyztmanityah : one who is established in the adhyztma.
sams%ramuktab : free from the transmigratory existence.
One who is firmly established in the adhystma i.e. the
knowledge of the self, is free from the transmigratory
existence.
For a man, who is firmly settled in the self and monistic
knowledge of the universe, there is no birth and re-birth. He sees all
living beings a s if they are hisown body and sees the same universal
spirit in all of them as in his own. His realisation of the oneness of all
things earns for himself a state called ?van-mukta' (one liberated
while still living). For such a person all pairs of opposites like heat and
cold, merit and demerit, pleasure and pain, appear the same. He
transcends them and is never affected by them. (1.19)

v%aviSayah: a person who has eschewed sense-pleasures.

satyapriyah : a truthful. ca : and. eva : a l o n e . \ i E ~ n %:~for
a
receiving knowledge. yogyab : fit.
A person who has eschewed sense-pleasures andis truthful
is alone fit t o receive spiritual knowledge.
Abandonment of sense pleasures is the first pre-requisite for
receiving knowledge and simultaneously along with it there must be
a strong desire for acquisition of knowledge. Just as feeding a person
who has 1-10 appetite results in indigestion, similarly initiating a person
who is not prepared for it, results in spiritual indigestion to him.
The senses are impetuous and carry off the mind by force. Therefore
they must be brought under control. The only way to d o so is to
adopt an indifferent attitude towards them and their demands. Then
alone, one can be a fit and proper person for initiation into the highest
knowledge. (1.20)
? < ? - I -------_--.. LC.-
 CHAPTER 2
BODY-ITS DISCERNMENT

The body is diffrerent from the Atman. The difference between

these two is uniformly stated in the s'rutis. The body is subject to
destruction but never the Atman. Instead of decorating the body
externally, it should be done s o internally with purity of mind.
Discriminative intelligerice is the gift of God given to human beings
unlike other beings. The body is like acarriage which should be used
for carrying the soul to its destination.
 Dehatmanorbhinnatvam
Deha : body. Atman : Atman. bhinnatvam : difference

The body and the Atman are different

The body is made of five great elements (paAca-mah~-bh~tas)
and is inactive by nature. It is well known that it is alive only when the
Atman is inside it. The body is like a cage in which the bird-Atman
resides. This cage is subject to destruction but never the bird inside
it. Atman is eternally existent. The body is perishable to such an
extent that if it is not washed for a day, starts smelling badly.
Obviously, such a body cannot be identical with the Atman. This
difference is to be clearly understood and the body should be clearly
known to be entirely of diffrerent make-up than the imperishable
Atman within. The Atman is pure whereas the body is impure. The
Atman witnesses in the body childhood, youth and old age and is not
affected by them. S o also the Atman transmigrates from one body to
the other leaying no trace whatsoever of the previous body. Such is
the nature of body and the Atman. One is reminded here of the GTta
(2.13) which says that a man of knowledge is not perplexed at the
transmigration of the Atman which takes to new body leaving the old
one behind. Just as a person casts off old worn out garments and
puts on new ones, even s o the Atman casts off from birth to birth
worn out bodies and takes to new ones. (2.1)
S'rutatv~t: on account of statements in the skutis. ca : and.

The s'rutis also reveal the difference between the body and
the Atman
The s'rutis uniformly state that the body and the Atman are
different. T,he immortal Atman does not decay with the body. The
aging process is to the body and never to the Atman. The Atman is
pure whereas the body is impure. The s'rutis time and again reveal
.the difference between the body and the Atman so that one may
strive for the Atman, the immortal. (2.2)

Dehanzs'e : on the destruction of the body. nabhavah : does not cease

to exist

Even if the body is destroyed, the Atman does not cease to

exist.
When it is known that the body and the Atman are different, and
that of the two, the former is perishable and the latter is imperishable,
bne can adduce that even when the body is destroyed the inner
principle - the'Atman continues to live. The death is the end of the
body.
The Atman is indestructible and eternal. He is never born nor
does he die. At no time, he ceases to be. He is not affected at the
destruction of the body. He remains the same for ever. The GTta
(second adhyaya) elaborately deals with this aspect of the Atman.
Just as a tenant leaves old and dilapidated house and goes to
new house, even s o the Atman leaves the old body to enter a new
one. He continues his existence. (2.3)
 Durlabham ma'nuqam janma
Durlabham : rare. mznusam : human, janma : birth.

Rare is the human birth

It is believed that a human birth is not easily obtained. After
taking births in several lower species, the best of the creations of
God, the human form, is attained. It is the highest evolved form and
is, therefore, the best instrument for God-realisation. This is a rare
opportunity that one has at one's disposal and, therefore, it is
necessary to make the best of it. Man is ranked very high in all
beings because of his power of discriminative intelligence and,
therefore, he must know the purpose c f his sojourn on the earth. He
should not be a creature of circumstances but the master of his
future. A frog lives in water - moving up and down by turns. A man
should not similarly live in the sahsbra getting birth.and death again
and again. The sahsbra is full of desiresiattachments and illusions.
The opportunity of human birth should be fully explored and utilized.
The aim of human birth is to attain liberation and efforts should be
made %orit on priority basis. A man occupies a very exalted status in
a human form, as compared to other beings. This form is even used
by Gods themselves for incarnations. (2.4)

AlahkytZi : decorated. tanu : body. citrit'i : with pictures drawn.

bhittib : a wall.

A decorated body is like a wall with pictures (paintings)

A body should be looked after and its proper care be taken to
maintain it. However, excessive attention to it, be avoided. The
decoration of the body adds to one's ego and pride. Moreover, joy
obtained by beautification of the body is short lived. Instead, the
efforts be made to decorate the mind with all good qualities like
modesty, humility, faith in God etc. The external decoration attracts
others - the internal attracts. inner principle and paves way for
satisfaction and happiness. If internal purity is not maintained, then
the body with outer decoration, would appear like a house with all
the outside walls fully painted and beautified but inside left dirty and
unwashed. (2.5)

S 5 r % ~ :~bod~es.
i na'ma : indeed: kotarz~i: nests
....
Bodies indeed are like nests.
Every living being whether a man, ap animal or a bird requires a
place for residence. Birds build their nests, stay there for some time
and fly away, not to return. The nests are impermanent. Exactly so
are bodies of human beings. The soul resides in the body and when it
leaves, leaves it for ever. Therefore, bodies are nests - nests for soul
to live in. The mortal frame is, therefore, to be viewed from this angle.
The immortal one is not to be identified with the mortal body. The
body hasfo be left behind to be returned to the five elements of which
it is made of, the earth being prominent amongst them. (2.6)

* Khdni saruabhiitesu uiuekastu mdnaue

KhZni : sense-organs. sarvabhfitesu : in all beings. vivekab :
discriminative ilitelligence. tu : but. mZnave : in man.
"13

All beings have sense-organs but in man there is

discriminative intelligence.
The God has bestowed sense-organs on the human beings and
animals alike. But in case of human beings, He is more liberal and has
endowed them with discriminative intelligence also. This is a dist-
inguishing factor and keeps the human being above all creatures. If
this intelligence is not p,ut to use, then men and animals would stand
on almost same footing. The man would be liable to be called an
animal. The sense organs offer fleeting happiness. Therefore, with
intelligence they should be kept under proper control which by their
very nature are unruly. (2.7)

~
- * m r r ~ q 1 1 ~ 1 1
- priinasya mahattvcit
Prci~ciycimodehe
PrZ@y?ima : pr'igayama. dehe : in the body. p r a ~ a s y a: of the prZr;la.
mahattvzt : on account of importance.

On account of importance of Pr'ina in the functioning of

the body, the prZl;lZyZima should be done.
PrSil;7a is a vital force in the human body. It is responsible for the
functioning of the entire body. Without it, lungs would not work and
blood circulation also will be affected and dependent onjt, several
other functions would come to a halt. Without fire or some other
energy-source, a railway engine would not run, even s o without
p r b ~ a , the body would not function. This vital force is to be
controlled and regulated for harmonious functioning of the body.
Tjmrebyone's longevity is also increased. P r b ~ aplays an important
role in the welfare of the body. Therefore, the necessity is of
prTz~Siycirns.
PrCi~Bybrnais a practical science and it is, therefore, advisable
to learn it under an able teacher and then to practise it regularly for
keeping the body fit. It must be said that without proper guidance, it
should not be practised. (2.8)
$a<rari.l : body. s'akatari7 : a carriage. iva : like

The body is like a carriage (for the soul)

The body has been already stated to be different from the soul.
In yet another description, it can be compared to a carriage. The
wheels of the railway carriage appear to be connected to rails which
in fact have independent existence-they only roll on them. T h e rails
only constitute a way on which the train moves by the force of steam
or now-a-days by electric energy. Somewhat similar is the position of
the soul and its carriage- the body. The body is to be used by the
soul as a carriage which is to be linked'to the Guru - the power.
With his help, the carriage is to run on the rails of faith and
confidence until the destination of liberation IS reached. Everywhere,
the body has a subsidiary position and this is to be borne in mind.

Na : no. jZti : caste. Zdayab : etc.

e

There are no castes, etc.

*
There are no castes in the eyes of God. All beings are His
manifestations. He is present in all beings equally. For this reason, it is
wrong to attach h caste to a person as a result of birth in a particular
family. A person, who considers himself of high caste and calls
another as an untouchable, is himself one. A person who knows the
Brahman, can alone be said t o be a BrEhmapa. Such a person may
be found in any caste, may be even in the so called lowest.
Incarnations of God have taken place in all the castes and in all the
countries irrespective of social status or even male or female forms.
(2.10)
Na : not, viphalrbhavanti :'go waste. yatnzh : efforts.

Efforts of an aspirant do not g o waste

An aspirant is required to exert considerably for his s8dhana.
Sometimes he doubts about the usefulness or utility of the efforts put
in by him. At times he becomes uneasy by the thought whether his
efforts would go waste or whether they would lead him . t o
undesirable results. During the course of s8dhan8, it is usual for the
aspirant to come across such thoughts which sometimes become s o
overpowering that he thinks of giving up the sddhanZi altogether.
However, he should take courage in the midst of such distracting
thoughts. It must be remembered that a s pure and fresh cow-milk
never tastes bitter s o also all efforts put in for sZidhanE d o not
produce any bitter result but lead only to happiness. As the Atman is
an embodiment of bliss, contemplation on it results in happiness
alone. The G k (6.40) assures the sCidhaka that any one who does
good, never comes to grief.
All efforts do bear fruits, sooner or later. In some cases, a s the
result is not quick, it is felt that the efforts have gone waste. However,
the sadhaka should not forget that unless sufficient efforts are put in,
there is no likelihood of their bearing a fruit. As seed sown to-day
does not blossom into a full blown tree the next day; even 'so the
efforts put in by the sCidhaka do not take him to his goal immediately.
In fact, the testing times lie ahead of him and, therefore, he should
continue his unflinching efforts with tenacity and steadfastness:(3.4)
 Siidhanii rahasi
Ssdhanz: s3dhanZ. rahasi : in seclusion.

An aspirant should d o his sa'dhanti in seclusion.

In the beginning, an aspirant has to struggle for some time
before he settles in his siidhanir. He is like an apprentice struggling
with his tools in a workshop. It is therefore, advisable that he
conducts his practices in secret like an actor who practises his role
behind the curtain before he appears on the stage. In spiritual
matters, any show of the sirdhanii is forbidden as the sddhanais for
upliftment of the self and not others. Moreover, sa'dhancidone in
public may distract the aspirant and may call for unnecessary
criticism also, which may not be palatable to him. Therefore, it is a
settled conclusion that an aspirant should practise in seclusion. (3.5)

Priiyaniit parvam ma'rgastho bhavet

P r Z y a ~ a: death. piirvain : before. margastha : one who has chosen a
way. bhavet : should be.

I
Before death, one should choose a way.
What sirdhand is to be chosen depends upon the will of an
individual which is guided, many times by th;! good deeds done by
him in his present life as well as in the past. Wise people say that one
should not remain without sGdhana7 If it is to be chosen, it should be
chosen, therefore, before one dies. Everyone must take up some
kind of sGdhanE for attaining the final beatitude. One's wandering
on the jungle road leading to worldly transient joys should be given
up and instead one must enter the royal road leading to eternal
happiness. It is of very little use to think of this in the old age a s is the
fashion. If anything worthwhile is to be achieved, then it is better to
take a turn Godwards in time when the body is in a fit condition. (3.6) "
 -5s- *l lul I
Vidycikytiivyttireva muktaye
Vidyz-kyt%-8vyttib: repetition done with knowledge. eva : alone
mukti: liberation.
Repetition (of holy name or a mantra) done with full
knowledge alone leads to liberation.
If an aspirant has chosen the path of devotion, then the holy
mantra chosen by him, of course with the guidance of a Guru, must
be recited knowing fully the meaning of the mantra and its deity.
Mere words do not count in spiritual matters. The recitation must be
accompanied by devotional fervour, concentration and pure mind
to make it effective. Otherwise, mere repetition of the name of God
even for hundreds of years will not bring liberation. The repetition of
mantra with its full knowledge alone leads toliberation. Otherwise, to
an aspirant, the mantra wbuld be like maintaining an infertile cow.
(3.7)

Vijhte : On knowing the highest. parisamapyate : comes to an end.

On knowing the highest, the siidhenii comes to an end.

When an aspirant with his sddhana'realises the self, he becomes
orle with the highest. That is a stage to be reached. In the firm
knowledge that he is the Atman, the eternal, he becomes oblivious to
the world and remains withdrawn in himself. His body-idea vanishes.
Just a s text-books of a lower class are not useful to a student of
higher class, even s o scdhana' becomes meaningless for such a
person. From the night he goes to the day-light, from darkness to
eternal light,, from ignorance to knowledge, and f r o 6 bondage to the
liberation. Therefore, for him all szdhana' comes to an end. (3.8)
 Siidhakah pathikah
Sadhakab : an aspirant. pathikah : traveller.

A siidhaka is like a traveller

A sadhaka has to go a long way, for years and years. His
sddhand continues even in the next birth or births depending upon
the intensity of his sadhand. He gets the total of sfidhanain tact from
the previous birth and continues further therefrom. The GTta (6.43)
says :
"there he regains the understanding of the previous birth (i.e.
all what was done by him) and from that he strives with greater
vigour than before, for realisation."
The sddhaka engaged in the pursuit of attainment of self is not
afflicted by the miseries of the world - like a'traveller taking shelter
in summer under a tree is not affected by the heat in the open.
SiidhaAa' provides the sddhaka a shelter under which he is prot-
ected from sufferings (3.9)
 Samgarahitah scidhakah viyati vimdnavat
Sanigarahitah: without attachment. szdhakab : Sdhaka. viyati : in
the sky. vimzna-vat : like a plane.

A s7idhaka without attachment (for sense-pleasures of the

body) is like a plane in the sky.
An aspirant has to control his senses and give up slowly the
body-idea also. Those who are not prepared to do this, need not
think of undertaking any sbdhana'. Unless the pre-requisites are
fulfilled, there will be no entry to the divine path. Attachment to the
senses and the body causes hindrance and mars the progress of the
sEdhaka. He has to come out of this. Just as an aeroplane moves in
the sky without the help of the earth, even s o the aspirant should
learn to live without attachment to the body. An aeroplane to start
with takes the help of the earth and later gives it up and flies high with
speed, sim~larlythe sc7dhakashould use his body and later on give up
the body idea to attain speed in his sa'dhana'. (3.10)
 CHAPTER 4
CONTROL OF THE MIND

Mind plays an important part in the functioning of the body, It is

an aggregate of countless desires and is fickle. It is the cause of good
and bad actions, as also birth and bondage.Thought-waves of the
mind should therefore be merged into the Atman like rivers merging
in the sea. With constant efforts, the mind should be turned towards
the Atman withdrawing it from externalethings of attraction. It should
be made peaceful. Who conquers mind, conquers all.
AsamkhyZta : countless. vZsan3 : desire. samuccayah : an aggregate
manah : mind
Mind is an aggregate of countless desires
Human mind is an agg~egateof countless vasan0s - vZisana's
accumulated from past births as well as additions made to them from
time to time. It is these vGsanGs that condition the mind, It is through
the mind that senses are reached. Indeed, there is no place in the
world, where the mind does not go. There is no limit to the power of
the mind. It has a speed which is second to none. Without mind,
there cannot be va'sana's or desires. Mind is a substratum of
ulisana's.
When the mind fancies a particular object, it becomes important
and valuable for it. The mind, therefore, does not hesitate even if any
price is required to be paid in acquiring it. It remains uneasy so long
as it is not possessed. Persons whose mind runs after wordly riches,
are not inclined to turn inward and, therefore, they remain away from
the kingdom of the Supreme Self. It is necessary to cleanse the mind
and, therefore, one should constantly endeavour for doing so. It
should be made thought-free so that it can shine like a purified gold
with its original lustre. (4.1)
Caiicalafi : fickle. manah : mind.

~ i n is
d fickle
The mind by its very nature is fickle. The mind's unsteadiness
can be compared to the rippled surface of a lake in which the
phenomenal world is reflected in diverse forms. However, an
attempt is to be made to make it steady like undisturbed water of a
lake. When it attains equanimity, it can concentrate on an object and
such a mind can turn to the Atman which is to be realised by every
one. The fickle mind is described by the G y t ~(6.34). It says :
"It is impetuous, strong and even obstinate. It is as difficult to
control as the wind. Though it is so, it is possible to curb the
restless mind by incessant practice."
The uncontrolled mind is like a wild horse without reins, which
runsinany direction.It is impossible to-run after such a horse,being
a faster animal. However,'when it is caught and reined, one can
ride it to one's advantage. Similarly, when the mind, is caught and
controlled, it can lead to many advantages.
The mind should not be'allowed to run after worldly pleasures
which are transitory. It is like a cashew-nut to the fruit of cashew that
one must live in this phenomenal world, with the mind always out of
it, while still discharging one's duties as efficiently as possible in a
sense of detachment. (4.2)
*
 Manaso mananacca m a n u ~ y a h
Manaso : on account of the mind. mananat : on account of a
capacity of reflection. ca : and. manusyah : man.

A man is called manuSya as he has mind (Manas) and a

dapacity of reflection (manana).
A man is called ' m a n u ~ y ain
' Sanskrit because he has mind
(manas) which is not seen acting s o efficiently in animals. However,
man IS a slave of his mind and, therefore, some times even ranks
lower than animals. The sex-life of animals is governed by the urge
for procreation and not a desire for copulation. In the case of man, it
is not so, he runs after sex-life goaded by the mind, though the
pleasures that he is likely to get are nurely of a temporary nature.
Indeed such life of a man is definitely inferior to animal-life.
The other reason why man is called 'manu$ya' is that he has a
capacity for 'manana' i.e. reflection. A man in the true sense of the
term is one who thinks or engages oneself in 'manana'or reflection.
This reflection should be on the Atman which should be practised
repeatedly till the goal is reached. The Byhadsravyaka Upani~ad
(2.4.5) says :
"The Atman should be heard of, reflected on and meditated
upon. By the realisation of the self, through hearing, reflection
and meditation, everything is known. Such is the glory of the
Atman. "
It is 'manhna'which really makes a difference between the man
and the other living beings. The Yogav'isistha (1.14) says :
"Even the trees live s o also the beasts and the birds, but he
really lives who does 'manana'i.e. who reflects on the Atman." (4.3)
 Yathh nadyah syandama'niib samudre tathci
citmani manasastarangdh
Yath'a : as. nadyah : rivers. syandamanah : flowing. samudre : into the
sea. tathd : similarly. Atmani : in the Atman. manasastararigah :
thought waves of the mind.

Thought-wavesof the mind(shou1d be merged) into the Atman

a s the flowing rivers in the sea.
The mind is extremely unsteady. At every moment arise in ~t
thought-waves and that too of all sorts. It is necessary that they are
diverted or rather made to flow towards one subject. Just as all rivers
flow towards the sea and ultimately merge in ~tglving up all the~r
names and forms and become one with it, s o also the thought-waves
of the mind must be made to flow towards the Atman, ultimately to
merge in the xtman. All thoughts of the outer world should be made
to diminish and whatever IS thought of by the mlnd, must concern the
Atman alone. It should be made the sole subject of cognition. Qne
who can view the thought-waves of the mind as a silent witness, can
conquer the mind, and one who can conquer the mind IS a true
man. (4.4)

w F f - . l ~ s l ~
L Sukrtaduskytayormana eua kiiranam
Sukrta : good action. d u ~ k r t a: bad action. manab : mind. eva : alone
karavam : cause.

Mind is the cause of good and bad actions

Mind alone is the cause of all actions whether good or bad. It
is the mind which receives all images of the objects fl'om the senses
and runs after a particular object according to its fancy. If the object
sought to be achieved is good, naturally the action is likely to be good
and bad, if it is otherwise. Thus the mind becomes the cause of
action.
 It may be argued that the so called 'good' or 'bad' are only
notions connected -with one's way of looking at things to suit one's
own convenience. However, when the mind engages in spiritual
practices, it is slowly bound to be busy with divine thoughts which
will lead only to good actions. There will be no occasion for bad
actions. A man who is protected by the armour of good actions,
becomes invincible, as it were. (4.5) .

Janma- bandhayorapt
Janma-bandhayoh : of the biith and the bondage. api : also.

Mind is also the cause of the birth and the bondage

Mind is the greatest inner instrument. It is called
"antabkaratja' in Sanskrit. Antab means inside and karatja means
an instrument i.e. - an instrument which is inside the body. It is
already stated that the mind is the cause of action. According to the
'Law of Karma', every action bears a fruit, sooner or later. S o long as
one is engaged in actions, one is bound to take births and re-births till
the fruits of actions are exhausted. There is no escape from the law of
karma for any one except the liberated one. Only when the actions
are performed without attachment for the fruits i.e. nigktjma karma,
it is possible that they will not bind the doer. But such a stage is
attained only after considerable spiritual practice, undertaken with
the mind held captive like a parrot,which is taught to speak,is first
required to be held captive in a cage. Thus mind is the cause of
actions, fruits of which have to be reaped which in turn give rise to
bondage. In this way, birth and bondage are caused by the mind, of
which one should get rid of, by being without it (mind) i.e. by
controlling it. (4.6)
Atmonmukharh : towards the Atman. manab : mind. kuryzt : should
be turned.

The mind should be turned towards the Atman

The mind always looks out for pleasures through the senses
which as the Kathopani~ad(4.1) declares :
"The self-existent (Brahma)created the senses with outgoing
tendencies; therefore, man beholds the external universe and
not the internal Self (Atman):' .,
When a man is in good company of virtuous people and
occupies himself with the study of the scriptures, the mind
develops a sense of renunciation for the transient things and
takes an inward turn towards the Spirit. It is through deep
introspection, one comes to realise what untold wealth God
has bestowed inside. Those who pursue external pleasures,
fall into the snare of the wide-spread death but those who
abandon them and turn inside for the immortality, do attain it
in due course of time. Therefore, non-eternal should be given up for
eternal and with all efforts, the mind should be directed towards the
xtman alone (4.7)

Ma : not. bh$ : be. yacakah : beggar. re manab : oh ! mind.

Oh mind! do not be a beggar.

For the sake of receiving alms, in the form of transitory
pleasures, do not stand at the doors of the senses, in a humiliating
way. They will offer you pleasures for the time being but will surely
delude you away and deprive you of the real happiness. Burn this
delusion and realise that when you are free from sensuality, you
become pure and go near the Atman, who is the mind of the mind.
Sensual pleasures are like autumnal clouds which do not rain but
delude the thirsty Cataka bird. Do not run after them. Instead,withall ,
your capacity, try to turn inwards and be steady only on the one goal,
the Atman. Oh ! mind merge yourself in the eternal bliss i.e. the
Atman by saying good-bye to all the external world. Then alone, the
purpose of the human birth can be said to have been achieved. (4.8)

Manab : mind. <antam : calm. samsdheyam : skould be made.

sudhamsln-iva : like the moon. Gtalam : cool.

The mind must be calmed and made cool like the moon
When the Sun sets, the normal activities on this planet cease.
With the rise of the Moon, the same planet is generally quiet, cool
and peaceful.Themoon is a reflector of the Sun,shederives her lustre
from the Sun. While the Sun is full of heat, the Moon is without it and
produces a pleasant light. When the mind withdraws from thoughts
of all activit~es,it can become cool and steady which will be able to
reflect the light of the Atman within. Man is like the planet earth,
which with the activities of the mind, is hot, and when he is without it,
man possesses a cool and a pleasing compose. While giving charities
costs money, attaining steadiness of the mind and purity is without
any charge. Those who are able to attain a peaceful mind not only
derive benefit for themselves but are also able to bless others with
the same. (4.9).
 Vas'amdnetauyab manodeua6
Vas'am~netavyab: should be won over. manodevat! : mind-god.

T h e mind-god should b e won over

Every great man speaks of the mind. Nobody can ignore it. It is
because of the mind that the world is perceived, improvedupon and
attempts are made to get a better world in future. If there is no mind,
there is no world. It is, therefore, the mind that should be controlled
to see the world within, only by merging the mind with the mind of the
mind, the Atman. The process of controlling the mind is difficult, as
the mind tries to fly to the yonder land of sensua~pleasures.It is fickle
and unstea& like the bee, cloud, ma'nini (a woman with pride),
cupid, wind, wealth-goddess, passion, a monkey and a fish.
Unsteady mind is like a flag in the wind.
The mind constantly doubts. It is sometimes wicked in nature.
It is essential, therefore, that the mind must be conquered, which
once achieved, the 'manodeva' i.e. the 'mind-God' blesses and
bestows all that is wished. (4.10)
 CHAPTER 5
GURU - THE GUIDE

Guru IS a must In the splr~tualmatters. It is dtfflcult to be a Gurtl.

The Guruhood comes only after reallsation. The G L I ~ISUl~kea lamp
showrng to his drsclple the way to perfection. The Guru alone
removes bllndtng Ignorance. By fa~thand devottotl, 111s grace can be
obtained. Without hlm, there car1 be Indeed no knowledge. It IS only
when he Instructs that the man~festat~on of God IS redilsed w~thrn.
By the grace of Guru, the d~sclplebecomes fearless and feels
confident In hls sEdhanG.
Guru : a preceptor. upeyiit : should approach.

One should approach a Guru

It is necessary to accept a Guru-the preceptor. It IS wrth hrs
help that one can mdkespirltual progress. Guru IS the necessity of a
person desirous of acquiring something worthwhile In life
A doubtlng mrnd questions the role of a Guru Is ~t necessary for
everybody to have a Guru 'Quest~ons of this type worry a doubtlng
person Any person can not be a Guru The G z u is a realised soul
He dtssemrnatestl-~eknowledge of the self, the Atrnan and transfers
hrs acqu~redpowers to the disc~ples.He is capable of taking a person
caught In the wh~rlpool of Ignorance to the royal road leading to the
Ultimate Truth. It is evrdent, therefore, that a person who wants to
learn, needs a Guru, at least, to begln w~thOnce he knows the way,
he can go on the way shown by the Guru.The process to realise the
Ultlmate Truth IS a long one. When the Guru bestows his grace on
the drsc~ple,he remains with him by rnvlslble bond of love and gurdes
him, all the whrle. Nevertheless perrod~cmeetings with the Guru are
not ruled out, as they help the G L ~ toU chec k the progress made by
-his disciple so that lw (-anquidc, him furiher

A Guru 1s ~ndispensablc~in the fleld of s!~1r1tual

wlcdorn Wlthout
him, there 15 n o hope of Oe11iy ~uccessful~q thlc; ~IPI(J of highest
~mportance Ii 1s seer) that i/i some cases, the Guru hln~self
aproaches the dlsclple But one ~ n u s not
t f o t q ~ thar
t such cases are
B P P P P P B P P P P P P P P P P P P P P

very rare and that it s o happens only when the deservin

set for receiving the grace of Guru. (5.1)

Vigata : beyond, devoid. dehabuddhih : body-sen

preceptor. Tsh : God. eva : verily.

I# Guru who is beyond his body-sense, is verily a G

A Guru is not conscious of his body-care and
fully away from identification with his own body. He
reference to himself. He never tries to impose his
others. Always immersed in God, he feels the existen
every being and everywhere. Such a Guru is the manifes
cit-ananda and is God himself.
The delusion arises when one finds many person
in saffron clothes claiming to be Gurus which in fact
man does not become a Guru by wearing clothes o
using wooden sandals and handling a rosary. A tr
lives, in letter and in spirit, what he teaches and pr
are always in conformity with his teachings. He
sadhana first; and then alone wishes to initiate ot
his gain for their benefit.
The trouble starts when persons after retirem
begin to look out for a Guru. In their haste, they i
His physical body and form. To avoid this type of
for a Guru must begin quite early in life. To find a real
of life, to help one win more, richer laurels. (5.2)
 Anantaram gurutd
Anantarah : afterwards. guru6 : Guruhood.

Guruhood is attained only after realisation

The Guruhood comes only after realisation. Unless one has
experienced the highest bliss, one cannot impart it to others. Then
alone what he.preaches will be au'~omatical1ycharged with power
and his words though not scholarly would appeal all those who hear
him. The Guru should be able to identify himself with the Atman and
indeed this is a condition precedent to Guru hood.
In regard to instructions of mundane matters also, one can call

/
\
oneself a Guru only when one has atleast taught one's disciple for
one year. So also, one can call oneself as a disciple of a particular
Guru only after one's meditating under him for a period of not less
'\ than a year.
The Guruhood is not easy to be attained. It carries with it the
responsibility of taking the disciple safely beyond the sorrows of the
world. (5.3)

Guruh pradkah
Guru : Guru. prad:pab : lamp

The Guru is like a lamp

The Guru is one who leads his disciples on the spiritual path. He
illuminates the path by his knowledge. Therefore, once the path is
shown, the disciple can march on his own. In fact, the Guru is
compared to a lamp giving light incessantly. In spiritual matters, it is
not possible to reach the goal without a Guru. It is, therefore,
necessary to take refuge in him. The Guru takes the disciple to same
heights which he himself has reached. (5.4)
 Gurureua hetuh caksurunm~lane
Guru : Guru. eva : alone. hetuh .cause c a k ~ u: eyes. unmlane :
opening

The Guru is the cause of removing blinding ignorance

It is admitted on all hands that a ' ~ u r uis indispensable in
spiritual matters. On account of ignorance, one is not able to see the
cause of one's worry, anxiety and fear. Ignorance is the cause of
bondage and the knowledge leads to liberation. It is the Guru who
affords the sight to see through the things by imparting knowledge
and a s if opens eyes by removing thecov~rofblinding ignorance to
witness a new phenomenon, hitherto unseen, of unity in place of
diversity. Thereby, the presence of God in everything becomes
visible which removes uncertainty, insecurity and the like. (5.5)

G a d d h a y ~: by faith.bhakty2: by devotion. ca : and. gurupraszdah :

g.race of the Guru.

By faith and devotion, the grace of Guru is obtained.

' As a matter of principle, one should not run iyelter skelter for a
Guru. It is better to enhance one's own suitability and'fitness to
receive a Guru. As soon as one's sEdhan8 becomes ripe, Guru
meets on his own the one who longs for him and who deserves to
receive his blessings. Once a Guru and his disciple know each other, )
then it is the turn of the disciple to repose complete faith in him. Fhith
is the first step in thespiritualscidhana'.The faithshould be unshakable
and s o also devotion to him. Mind should be made sfeady and trained
to settle in him. Then the image of the Guru will be reflected in him.
He guides the course of bhakti and takes the disciple to a higher
plane. In course of time, the Guru puts the disciple to hard tests and
 when the disciple comes out successfully, the Guru is pleased by his
faith and devotion and showers on him, indescribable divine grace
befitting his sa'dhana. A Guru is a person who reveals the hidden.
God in the body and is like a God himself. By reposing complete faith
in him and by full devotion to him, he reveals to his disciple, the inner
self, i.e. the Atman.
-Satikara in his VlvekacadZmaqi (26) defines the term ' ~ > a d d h ~ '
as "unswerving faith in the words of the Guru and inthe teachings of
scriptures" (5.6)

Na: no. j f i ~ n a h: knowledge. sadguru : sadguru. vin% : without.

There can be no knowledge without a Guru.

It is argued that knowledge of the God can be obtained by
reading books. Excellent books are available with commentaries and
copious notes. The tradition has handed down to humanity the
scriptures. People who are able to read and write can take up to this
course and attain the goal of life.
This is not a correct view. If the books themselves were able to
lead the people to their desired destination, all without exception,
would have realised the meaning of life. But this is not seen in the
world. Even in mundane matters, even for being able to read and
write, a Guru - a teacher is required, then how one can learn
philosophical and transcendental knowledge without a sadguru. The
word Guru is explained as a person who destroys ignorance, who
dispels darkness and brings light. A distinction is made between a
Guru and a Sadguru. Normally, a teacher who guides in worldy
matters is called a Guru. A person whose sphere is metaphysics -
who guides in all matters relating to the Ultimate Truth and takes the
disciple beyond the ocean of samsdra, can be more appropriately
cslled a Sadguru. It is only when a Sadguru is met, the knowledge of
Atman is obtained. Without him, the truth relating to the Se!f cannot
be realised. His grace is required for this. He shows the way to see
unity in'diversity and monism in dualism. Guru's grace has,tremend-
ous power which lifts the aspirant. From Guru alone, accrues
the enlightenment,. (5.7)
 ~ u r ~ ~ a d: efrom
l ~ tinstructions of the Guru. abhivyaktib :
manifestation.

Only by instructions from the Guru, (His) manifestation is

realised (in the Self).
The universe is the creation of God who pervades it, through
and through. However, His consciousness is not felt in i t . - ~ i s
manifestation is not understood. Why this is so? If He is everywhere,
His presence should be felt by everyone and everywhere.
Prima facie, this argument sounds well. It, however, suffers
from a deficiency viz, the ignorance of the real position. A man is
engulfed by ignorance to such an extent that even if he is told
hundred times that he is not different from God and he is God alone,
he would never believe. He has wrong notions about God and his
ignorance is deep rooted. It is true that animate and inanimate are
equally the products of God but His consciousness is seen in
animates only. To realise the manifestation of God within, the
initiation and instructions by the Guru are essential. The course of
instruction imparted by the Guru must be faithfully followed. Then
with the intense shdhana, the ~piritualconsciousness which is
inborn in all human beings, is roused. The extraordinary lively
presence can be experienced only by the impulses received from
another living soul, who can transmit them to another soul - a
deserving one. Then alone the consciousness of God will be felt and
the divine presence will be experienced. (5.8)
I

A bhayam guruprasa2icit '

Abhayam : fearlessness. guruprasZidSt : by the grace of the Guru.

Fearlessness is obtained by the grace of the Guru

Indeed, the benediction of a realised Guru is to be sought, who
 destroys fear of any kind. A person who walks in darkness is seized
by fear, but if he walks in the broad daylight, he is free from it. The
primordial ignorance is compared with darkness - an ignorant
person gropes in the dark, sees no way and is afraid of dangers. The
ignorance is a stage of bondage and, therefore, of misery also. Guru
teaches what is permanent and impermanent and the difference
between them. He teaches to discriminate between the Real and
the Unreal. He shows the way to cultivate steadfasthess of the mind.
He removes the feeling of loneliness or being left alone and inspires
confidence in all undertakings of his initiate. His guidance is like a
firm foundation on which the eternal happiness and peace of his
disciple are built up. With his grace, a person acquires contentment
in which the idea of 'I' and 'mine' disappear and when this stage is
achieved, there remains no cause of fear whatsoever. (5.9)

Ma'ta' bdlaka'ya guruh s'isydya

M ~ ~:Fmother.
I b2laka : child. Gurub : Guru. (spiritual teacher)
Gsya : disciple.

What mother is t o the child, the Guru is t o the disciple

Mother's love for her child is spontaneous. She is not required
to be told about it. It is born with the birth of the child. She takes care
of the child in all circumstances and protects it, a s her own self and
this too,without any expectation in return. She is every thing to the
, child. Sarikara says that a wicked son may be born but never the
mother. In case of a disciple, the Guru is like his mother, who
protects and guides him. Guru impartshis power to the disciple by
s'akti-pZta d;k+ha' which enables him to experience the divine
presence. With the grace of- Guru, the disciple is transformed
altogether and is initiated into higher spiritual discipline. Indeed,
what mother is to the child, the Guru is to the disciple. (5.10)
 CHAPTER 6
CHARACTERISTICS OF AVIDY A

It is necessary to know what is uidyg, a s also what is avidya'and

Miiyh. Miiyh deludes the ignorant and therefore he sees duality and
multiplicity everywhere instead of unity. Ignorance is bondage.
Unless the veil of MBy6 is cut asunder, there is no possibility of
realising the self. M t y h is very powerful and creates such a
variegated show of the world that it is indescribable in the true sense
of the term. However, it becomes ineffective when the sEdhaka
completes his siidhana' and reaches the state of knowledge. One
should protect oneself very carefully from the onslaught of MGyh
which conceals the tiuth.
 Vidyay& uedyate
VidyayZ ; by knowledge. vedyate : is made known

By VidyS (knowledge), (the Highest) is made known;

is caused to be known
The word vidya'is derived from theSanskrit root 'vid' meaning to
know. Therefore, vidya means knowledge of the subject in hand. It
also means the way to know a particular subject. In the Upani~ads,
there several vidyzs like Prapava vidya Madhu Vidy$
Samvarga Vldyb etc. some of which prescribe meditation and
devotion etc. for attainment of the knowledge. Therefore, the vidyd
is an attempt or process to know. Some vidya's serve a limited
purpose. Therefore, all vldya's, vidyGs of the Upani~adsalso, do not
stand on equal footing. The Mupjakopanisad (1.4)divides vidya'into
Para' vidyd and Apard vidyd. Par5 vidyd is one by which the highest
is obtained. Apard vidya' includes knowledge other than the highest
knowledge. The said Upani~adincludes even the Vedas in the Apara'
vidya'. Vidya' is thus the process of knowledge as' well as the
knowledge itself. It enables one to discriminate and determine the
true nature of the Self and the nonSelf. (6.1)
 Avidyayti nimajjati
AvidyayZ : by avidyZ. nimajjati : is doomed.
By avidyii, (one 'is)doomed
AvidyZ is opposed to knowledge. It also means ignorance of the
true nature of things. Avidya is called ajZZna. Avidy% is with
"
reference to the individual. AvidyZ functions in two ways. In a stock
example of a rope and a snake, one sees in darkness a snake in place
of a rope.Thus avidyz, conceals the real nature of the rope. The
avidya do& not stop functioning here but it also distorts the true
nature of reality; the rope positively appears as the snake. Thus
avidyZ is ignorance by which illusion is produced and one is deprived
of the knowledge of the things. Unless, the illusion is cast off, there is
no possibility of gaining the knowledge. The ignorance is the cause of
all unhappiness. By ignorance, one is deprived of the purpose of life
and is, therefore, doomed. Therefore efforts are required to be made
to see through the illusion produced by the ignorance; (6.2)

Auidyii bandhah
t

AvidyZ : ignorance. bandhab : bondage

Avidja is bondage
Ignorance is a kind of bondage which obscures the nature of
Atman. It is due to ignorance that a man runs hither and thither to
seek happiness outs~de.So long as one is not able tq know one's real
nature, one can be said to be bound. Spiritual ignorance takes the
form of shackles and to remove them one bas to'exert oneself. On
account of ignorance, one undergoes birth and death again and
again. It is necessary to cultivate the ability to live in the awareness of
the soul which enables one ta be oblivious to the outer world of
attractions and distractions. With the spiritual practices, one
marches towards the goalof realisation and stops not until the same
is reached. (6.3)

BhGyab bhGyah:again and again. patati : falls. avidyay2 : by avidya

One falls again and again by t h e avidy3

Brahman is the efficient and material cause of the world and
indeed, of all creation. The aim of human birth is to realise Brahman.
However, because of ignorance, a man lands into the snare of senses
like the wasps falling into the flame. Avidya'causes the downfall and,
therefore, it is to-be fallen down. It is to be cut asunder. It is the root
cause of retrogression. Time and again, it brings down the man and
blocks the way of his progress to regain his innate divinity. AvidyB
also causes identification of the self with the aggregate of h e body.
By ignorance, one thinks ofthe infinite a s the finite. However, this is
not the true character of the Self. Therefore, by "vidyd", "avidy8"
can be dispelled. (6.4)

Avidyayd rndyiibhdsah

AvidyayZ : by avidyz. mZyZ : mZyZ. ZbhZsah : illusion

By Avidyi, illusion of the Maya is caused

As a result of ignorance, Mciyd appears to exist and it presents
the world show. It creates "many" in place of "one". But the wise
men are not affected by its play. Miiydmakes the appearance of the
world a s real. M8y8 continues to function so long a s the illusion
persists. It not. only prevents the v~slonof the clear picture of the thing
but superimposes somethi?g else on it. MSiyfi has no existence at all
either in the Brahman or Siva or elsewhere. It is not an attribute of
the highest in the least. It is like the burning power which is from the
fire itself. Because of ignorance, it appears a s the power of 'God by
which the whole show of the world with its wonderful objects,
appears to be real. It is like the magician's power by which the
ignorant. spectator is affected and never the magician himself. Miyd
is not a real entity. It automatically vanishes when the "Truth" is
known. (6.5)

Atmadardanam mciycipciye,rneghcipciye
siiryadarsbnamiva
Atma-dar4anari.l : sight of the Atman. MayZp3ye : a t the
disappearance of May%. megh%p%ye: at the disappearance of the
clouds. stirya-darianam : sight of the Sun. iva : like.

At the disappearance of MZyZ, Atrnan is seen like the Sun

when the clouds uncover it
Ma'ya' is like a veil which shuts away the reality. Not only it
makes impossible to know the true nature of the things, but it
positively takes one away from the reality and drowns into the realm
of illusion. Therefore, unaware of one's true nature, one gropes in
the darkness created by Ma'ya'. Mdya'has no real existence. It is not a
permanent character of God. However, it is so powerful that it
appears a q e a l . When efforts are made for the knowledge of the
Atman, the Ma'yd vanishes and clear cut vision of the Atman
becomes possible, like the Sun becoming visible when the clouds
disappear. (6.6)
~ n i r v a c a n y ~: bindescribable. may3 : m8yZ.

MBy%is indescribable
Ma'ybcan not be described in the true sense of the term. For the
ignorant, it is a power of God, quite indistinguishable from him. It is
due to MGYBthat the whole world appears as created by the God. It
is real to the ignorant. for all purposes. However, MGyG is not the
real power of God, it does not affect him or deceive him. It is not his
attribute. To attribute MdyB to God is to limit the God. However,
Maya is not totally unreal, like the horn of a hare. It exists as well as
its creation exists, so long as it is not known as different from the
Highest. When its play is comprehended, it vanishes for the one
who knows it. If Ma'yB was to exist in reality, it would have never
vanished. May8 is therefore, neither real nor unreal. Therefore,
Ma'yd is indescribable. For a man of knowledge, who is not deceived
by the power, there is no world and itsvariety, there is no illusion. He
cuts the veil of Ma'yd to pieces with his sword of knowledge. He
therefore, never comes under its influence. To him, the God is
without MGyE (6.7)

m ~ l l r l l
Mdyd sammohayati

M%ya : Maya. sahmohayati : lures.

MZyB lures
During the course of the sa'dhana; Mdya'deludes the sa'dhaka
by its various manifestations, as if to test his resolve. It spreads its net
to trap the sa'dhaka by alluring as well by presenting before him
frightful objects. One might see snakes anywhere, feel the body very
heavy like an elephant or lighter even than a butter-fly. He mightfeel
the coldness of the sea or even think that somebody is pouring hor
water on him. Sometimes, he may be at a loss to know as to whether
he is sitting, running or even flying.At times,he might occupy aplace
at height or tumble down from it. Various things appear and
disappear in quick succession. But when the sa'dhaka keeps his
mind steady, he comes to know the play of Miiyd and can watch its
activities like a drama which neither affects the actor nor the
spectator. (6.8)

@
h s u t a r a m : afterwards. aksamz : ineffective

Afterwards, MZyB is ineffective

After the shdhaka successfully completes his trial by MGya;
there is no illusion any more. It stops its operating power. It
withdraws from him. With the attainment of knowledge of the Self,
he begins to experience peace. He sees light in darkness, he sees
truth, he sees one in many. All differentiations end for him. All desires
are exhausted and, therefore, extinguished. He is fully satiated.
Sense pleasures no more dominate him and in his case, Mdyiybceases
to play its role. It becomes ineffective. M ~ y ~ w i n upits
d s show. Such
is the glory of the knowledge of the Self! (6.9)

MSygtab : from M%yZ.rak~avam: protection. yathz : like. parjanyat :

from GTn.

One should protect oneself from MayB a s o n e protects

oneself from rain
Miiyii IS 11kerain. It rams. MdyG brlngs unde,r its sway more and
more Ignorant people. To protect from thls "raln", an umbrella of
Truth IS to be used with steadfast mlnd a s ~ t handle.
s MQ6resides in
the God but not the latter in the former, just as the wave 1s in thesea
but not vice-versa. One who is able to protect oneself from Mtiya; is
not required to put in effortsfor protection from any other power, for
MGya' is the greatest of the powers. When one is free from it, one is
free from all. (6.10)

MSyZpihitam : covered by Maya. satyam : truth

The truth is covered by M&y%

Generally persons are immersed in worldliness. Their
immersion is s o deep that they hardfy come to the surface and try to
see the truth. They are, therefore, not able to discriminate between
eternal and non-eternal, the real and the unreal. They mix up the real
and the uhreal or even take the unreal a s the real for granted and
continue their worldly business unabated. They have not the
slightest idea of what really they do. The veil of Mtiydis very thick for
them and they are not able to tear it. For them, the Truth is tightly
covered by MZiya'. When they repeatedly hear ihe Truth, they
become dimly aware of it. When such an awakening takes place, it is
the first sign of their tending towards the Truth which ultimately
leads them to endeavour for it and get the vision of the Ultimate
Reality. (6.11)
 .,&rlmsr~119?11
Janmaiua ma'yaya' saha
Janma : birth. eva : the very. may5 ; m'ayZ. saha : along with.

The very birtti is along with MSyS

The very birth is an indication of bondage. For liberated souls,
there is no birth' or death. One is born with residual karma of the
previous birth for exhausting it by enjoyment or sufferingas the case
may be. While doing so, one does new karmas and adds to previous
accumulation. This goes on sp long as the karma is done with
attachment - with a desire for its fruit. Alongwith the birth, oneisas
if thrown into stormy water of MGyG. To avoid being drowned in it,.it
is necessary to learn to swim and in the end to cross it over
successfully. Those who are able to cross the ocean of MGyG, cross
the birth and death; they realise their own nature. Being freed from
the multiplicity and diversity caused on account of Mfiya', they
experience identity with God. (6.12)
 CHAPTER 7
NATURE OF OMKARA

The 0t;ka"ra IS sacred, it IS a symbol of Brahman Itp

universe It is the flrst sound that origtnated from Brah~na
rn~ndsettles in ~ tthe, body idea viz the ldentlflcatlon of ti
the Atrnan drsappears. Ori~kdrais the ocedn of rnfinite po
the abode of bliss. It confers immortallty oil the sadhaka
Omkara, that IS realised within, by the yogrs. O m k
P r a ~ a v aare one.
Vedasvar'lparfi : .of the nature of the Vedas. OmkZra : .OnikZra

Oshkara is of the nature of the Vedas

The sacred monosyllable 'Om' is an embodiment of the essence
of all the Vedas. All Vedic mantras begin with O m - not only the
mantras but rituals also. All oblations offered to various Gods are
preceded by the chanting of Om. Any sacrificial deficiency in the
pronunciation of the mantras is made good by chanting of Om. Om,
when uttered at the beginning of sacrificial acts, removes possible
obstacles and leads the sacrificer to success.
At the beginning and the conclusion of the Vedic studies, O m is
to be pronounced for sustenance of studies. O m is the Vedic name of
Brahman, though it is beyond all names and forms. O m is
inseparable from the Vedas, nay it is the soul of the Vedas. The
Manusmrti (2.77) says that PrajZpati took out from three Vedas-

'r
qgveda, ajurveda & SZmaveda, A, U & M and thus the O m was
formed. he Manusmrti (2.83) also calls it as the one syllabled
Brahman so also the GYt5 (8.13). (7.1)
Or+k%-e~a
: by Orhksra. manolayah : dissolution of the mind.

By deep concentration on Omkgra, the mind should be

dissolved into it
By concentration on Omkara, the mind gets absorbed into it.
However, the concentration is required to be deep, then alone the
dissoiution is possible. When such a state is reached, then the world
with all its names and forms disappears. Everywhere unity is seen
and in it the manifestation of the Supreme. Along with the mind, the
ego also ceases to exist and every thing is viewed with same
indifference. This paves the way to the smooth flow of the bliss. With
the help of Omkara, the mind can be dissolved and that too in the

Sarvam : all. idam : this. Orhk'ira : OrhkZra.

All this is Om
Om consists of three mZtras - A, U & M. A denotes waking
state (jGgrat auastha7), the U indicates dreaming state (svapna
auasthg and M signifies the state of deep sleep (su9upti avastha.
When Om is taken as a whole - as a single unit - it stands for the
fourth state which transcends the three states. Thus Om covers all
the states and Om is everything.Everything aroundis manifestation
of Omkara.
The three states of the universe, viz. its creation, sustenance
and dissolution proceed from Om which is alsq called Brahman.
OmkBra is the supreme soul. As the Katha Upanisad (2.16)
puts it :
 "this word (Om) is verily Brahman, this word is verily the
highest and he who knows this word, obtains verily, whatever
he desires."
The said Upanigad further e.ulogises it as the best support and
the highest support. O m is all pervading, indivisible and unscrutable
Brahman. (7.3)

- ,
YiCait Rwi ~ ~ ~ ~ V @ Q - B T ~ ~ I IV I >

Oniktire sthitam nlano dehabuddhivina's'irya

Omksre : in the Omkdra. sthitarh : settled. manab : mind. deha-
buddhi : body-idea. vin~s'a : destruction.

The mind settled in Omkiira destroys body-idea

By constant chanting of O m and deep concentration on the
same, the mind becomes steady on O h k d r a . When it slowly crosses
one by one, the three rnatras (measures) of Omkdra and dwells on
the formless Omka'ra, the body-idea gradually disappears of its own
accord. O m is the best companion in life that can be thought of and
therefore one's endeavour should be to have its constant company
by meditation and reflection on it. (7.4)

Omkdrah sbktisUgarah
Omkzrab : Omkzra. &kti-sZgarab : ocean of infinite power

Omkiira is the ocean of infinite power

Omkcra is the ocean of infinite power. Its power, as if in the form
of water, flows in all directions. The vibration caused by-the chanting
of Omkcira corresponds to the original vibration of the (Saguua)
Brahman at the time of creation of the world. O m is the first sound
that was produced by the Brahman and hence Om is very important.
By chant~ngof Om, one becomes sharer of its great infinite power
which enables one to sail safe the turbulent water of the ocean of
Sa6w-ra (mundane life). Mysterious power resides in the Omkdra.
This power destroys the veil of ignorance and all sorts of cravings.
This power takes the aspirant toloftier planes of consciousness and
ultimately to Brahman. His steady transcending the spiritual heights
brings him peace, rest, inner strength and ultimately the Supreme
Peace. (7.5)

~ * - W ! I ( I I
Biirakakumbhakau Orirkarena saha
Paraka : inhalation. kumbhaka : retention. Orkk'lre~asaha : along
with Omk'ara

Inhalation a n d retention of t h e breath should be d o n e with

Omka'ra
Omkcra is to be utilized for breathing purposes. The breathis to
be inhaled with Orhkcira. It is called Paraka a s the act 'fills' the lungs
with the breath. While retaining the breath, again Orilkdra is to be
mutely chanted. The retaining of the breath is called Kumbhaka. The
sGtra does not mention the 'recaka' which is the exhaling from the
sanskrit root 'ric', to empty. Actually the process of prdpa'ya'ma is
two-fold - (i) sa-garbha; and (ii) a-garbha. The first is with the
Gtiyatff or Om. The second is without it. Om is conceived in this
process, as the 'foetus' (garbha) of pra'gdydrna, a s it is uttered
mutely along with it. The sa-garbha prGgdy8ma is referred to in the
above SEtra as OmkBreya saha. The idea in sa-garbhatua (with
Omka'ra or GflYat<) is that, this way, the prciybydma becomes
fruitful; the otherway, it is 'foetus-less' i.e. not producing the desired
fruit. Hence sahaunk'lra breath is always prescribed. Otherwise, it is
only a physical process. Actually, it has to be both - physical and
mental. This is fruitful. The breath in the bodypresents a miniature
cosmos - the microcosm. Om is the divine speech in it, a s the
cosmic speech - thunder is the macrocosm. In other words, Om is
the very life-breath in the cidCkSish. Om thus, is the source of all
speech - macrocosmic or microcosmic. It is here that it stands as
the very source of all speech - the source of ,Cidifk~s'a~:tcT(7.6)
Asm'at : from him. Vayub : wind. s k y a h : Sun. ca : and. tathZ : also.
lndra : Indra. ca : and. Agni : Agni (fire-god) api : also.

On account of the fear of Him, Vayu (wind), Surya

(Sun), s o also lndra and Agni do their allotted duties
faithfully.
OmkBra is all powerful, OhkBra is the manifestation of
Brahman. O n account of the fear of Omka'ra the wind blows in a
restrained way for the benefit of the whole world. It is again due to
Omka'ra that the Sun-god shines and enlivens the entire universe.
The God of rain, lndra regulates the down-pour at the instance of
OmkGra, the Brahman. He fears its power and does not cause
excessive rain-fall. The God of fire, Agni is also no exception tat'he
command of OmkEra. Agni has the power of burning due to it.
Without .Orhkdra i.e. the Brahman, Agni cannot burn anything on
his own. The heat and the sound are generated by Omka'ra. Omka'ra
is thus a tremendous power of powers. The world has emanated
from Onika'ra, it exists on account of Om and in it again, it is
dissolved. On1 is the life of all that is visible and invisible. (7.7)

Ananda: bliss. Zyatanam: abode. OrbkZt-a: . b m k ~ r a

OmkPra is the abode of bliss

Orilkdra is the abode of bliss T- the everlasting and supreme
bliss. It is this Om that all the Vedas speak of. In the GYta (7.8) the
Lord sags : ' e 0

"I am the syllable Om in all the Vedas"

.
It is for this syllable that Brahmacarya (celibacy) is practised. The
aim of aH penances is proclaimed as Omkbra. This OrhkGra is the
supreme light. Omkbra is to be recited continuausly without any
interruption. This Om is immortal and ageIess. The sacred
monosyllable Om is the only name of Brahman by which it is realised.
Om is pure consciousness, It is of the nature of solace and peace
which bestows on its seekers everlasting rest. It frees from the whirl-
pool of birth and death. Om is the panacea for annihilation of all kinds
of sins. It is divine ambrosia. It confers eternal bliss and immortality. *.
For this purpose, Ori~kdra-scidhana'is to be undertaken with due
instruct~onsfrom the Guru. (7.8)

Sah: He (Omkzra). eva: alone. antar: inside; within. yah: who.

ca: and. dy&ate: is seen.

H e (Omkara) alone is seen inside (by the Yogis)

What is manifested is Om s o also what is not. It is the PrZ~ic
force of the entire universe. This force is experienced by the Yogk
They see it in their deep ,meditation, as a subtle spot in the 4jZb
Cakra i.e. in the middle of the eye-brows. This force is itself Siva-
s'akti. This is visualised only by the Yo& of great Yogic practicesand
not by those possessing only the bookish knowledge. The light of
0 1 7 7 in the body within, is the same as the light of the Universe
outside. (7.9).
I
Na : no. an!& : end. na : no. ca : and. 'idib : beginning. v?i : or.

(Omksra) has neither a beginning nor a n end

O m vibrates all the time. It is the voice of Brahman. It is
beginningless and endless, like Brahman. It is the sound of sounds.
From it all sounds are generated. It is the voice of all created beings, It
includes all names and sounds. In Om, all the sounds culminate. All
sounds are its variations. O w voices the Vedas. It is the vibration
inside and outside the body and is the cause of existence. It is the
cosmic sound. (7.10).

Prdqena yutah p r a ~ a u a b
Pr81;lena: by prZga. yutab : existing along with. pravavab : pravava.

Omk'ira vibrating in the body along with pra'na is called

pracava
Oniktira and prapava are one and the same. Prapava is its
another name. However, a slight distinction can be made between
them. Orfika'ra is the universal vibrating force. When it vibrates in
the body along with pr@a, it is called Praoava. Prapava is the name
of OmkBra with reference to the body. (7.11).
 CHAPTER 8
GREATNESS OF DEVOTION

Devotion is the easiest of the means of reaching the God.

Devotion to the Lord offered without any desires is true devotion. Only
that devotion is superior which leads one to liberation. A devotee
should try to remain away from any controversies, lest his devotion is
disturbed. Indeed, without devotion life is worthless like a pitcher
without water. The love of God makes life meaningful.
 Sarnatvam bhaktib
Samatvam : equal-sightedness. bhaktib : bhakti (devotion)

Equal-sightedness is bhakti
Bhakti is a way of reaching the God. The divine sage NZrada has
'immortalised this way in his bhakti-siitras. The BhcTgavata PurGya
has described bhakti of nine kinds - which is popularly called
nauavidha bhakti. Everybody has his own way to please and worship
his chosen deity (;+fa devatc), and therefore, the method of bhakti
differs from individual to individual.
Seeing divine presence in all is bhakti, i:e. lookirlg upon every
one with equal-sightedness, is bhakti. Everybody is entitled to
practise it.

Ni5kZmabhakti : desireless devotion. bhaktib : bhakti (devotion)

Desireless-bhakti is (real) bhakti

It is always better to worship the God without any desire - the
bhakti should be desireless. The God understands prayers and there
is no necessity to press him again and again for some worldly
matters. A devotee at higher stage of devotion would feel ashamed of
requesting the Lord of the universe for some paltry matters. This
inferior kind of bhakti should not be performed, which has a desire
attached to it. The God knows what the devotee wants. If the
devotee asks for certain things, it is possible that the God may grant
him what he desires, but if he does not ask, the God may give him
more than what he would have asked for. Therefore, why to restrict
his grace by begging words ? Thus the love of God for its own sake
should be without any motive and every day efforts be directed to
intensify it. (8.2)

f m m ~ ~ 1 1 9 1 1

Ni~k'ima: desireless. bhakti : bhakti. eva : alone. ga6yas?: superior

The desireless devotion is the best devotion

The desireless devotion is the best devotion. The power of such
devotion is of great help in knowing theself rather than dry devotion
performed mechanically. Prayers without knowing their meaning or
pra$ers devoid of love do not become effective. Pure and unalloyed
devotion prepares a basis to receive the grace. Prayers cleanse the
mind and make it ready for higher experience. Mere intellect serves
little purpose in devotion. It? devotion, one shoutd unconditionally
surrender to God and should firmly believe that whatever happens,
happens at His will and His will alone. In devotipn, pride should be
totally discarded. The deirotion should be simple and not
demonstrative. It isnot necessary that others should know about the
dgvotee's details of devotion. Intense devotional practice takes the
devotee to his home town - the aim of human life - by a short cut.
The devotion is the easiest way to realise the Self. (8.3)
 Niskamabhaktyb sciyujya-muktih
Niskama : desireless. bhaktyz : by bhakti. szyujya-mukti : liberation
of complete merging (i.e. becoming one with the God)'

By desireless-bhakti, szyujya-mukti is obtained

~ h tradition
k bklieves in four kinds of liberation that a devotee
attains, step by step. The first one is salokatcil i.e. attaininga stage
to live in the world of the chosen deity - e.g: Siva-loka, lndra-loka,
etc. The second one entitles the devotee to sambatd- i.e. he goes
near the deity. It is continued residence near the deity. By the third,
he achieves saru'phtG- the similarity of the form of.the deity. But the
highest is sciyujyatci - which means complete merging of the
devotee in the deity - rather becoming a dei.ty himself.
Bhakti done with pure love of God takes the devotee to higher
and higher planes. As he advances in his devotion, a contact is
established between him and the deity when his personality is
regenerated i.e. it undergoes a change. He experiences inner peFce.
He sees God everywhere and, therefore, there remains nothing to be
sought - nothing to be hankeredafter. Sbyujya-muktiis the highest
stage where the seer and the seen become one. This is gained by
pure love of God, love without expecting anything (desireless)- but
love and love alone. (8.4)

Bhaktih: devotion. k$ravat :alike milk

Devotion is like milk

It is well known that the butter is potentially present in milk,
though it is not seen. To get it, efforts are required to be put in to boil
it, to ferment it by adding butter-milk and finally by - churning the
curd. Bhakti is like milk. It is to be boiled first on the fire of spiritual
 discernment.It shoukl then be allowed to ferment with bh&anb--i.e.
the feeling of relationship with God, Then churning with the help of
graddhd (faith) and with water of pure mind, brings out the butter-
'the bliss emanating from the Atman. A devotee experiencing this
bliss, blooms w~thlustre and inspires confidence in others engaged in
dry and ordinary rituals. In Bhakti, is the Atman and the Brahman,
like butter milk.

&'it : away. v3dZt : from a controversy

A devotee should remain away from controversy

A devotee should not do anything which will distract him from
the love of God. Pure bhakti implies centering of themind on the
chosen God. Actually, it is continuous flow with love forgetting the
self. Therefore, a devotee should remain away from any controversy
about God that may be raised by disputants. It is not proper for him
to justify or otherwise the existence of God, let alone it be done by
others. Apart from this, a devotee should also not take part in any
discussion about cohparative merit or demerit of. any spiritual
system. It is better for him not to participate in any kind of
competition amongst his fellow devotees, for he has not to hanker
after name qr fame. Any thing that disturbs the devotion should be
avoided. The devotee has to remain away conscientiously from any
disputes, discussions, competitions, challenges and the like. (8.6).
'*.@
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Vinti bhaktim uythd janma, jalam vind ghat0 yathii
Vin': without. bhakti: devotion. vrthX worthless. janma: life
jalah: water. vina without. ghata: a pitcher. yath'i: like
Life without devotion is worthless, like a pitcher without
water
Human birth is not easy to get. Therefore, having obtained it, it
is necessary to make best dse of it. The bhakti affords easiest
opportunity to d o so. Of all the means fdr realisation, it is the one

?
which is at hand of every b y.The human birth is compared to a
pitcher. If it remains' empty, t has no value. Even so, if one does not
take to bhakti, the life can be said to be worthless; for devotion is a
must for a man of knowledge also. Without bhakti, knowledge of the
Brahman would not be possible. A devotee remains immersed in
love of God and realises in due course, oneness with the God, he
worships. A devotee does not crave for liberation.*It comes to him
automatically at the height of his devotion. Bhakti plays an important
part in the life of the devotee. His life becomes meaningful, when it is
filled with love of God, to the very brim. (8.7)

@
**: &*I IG I I

Kas'cidekah s a h a s r e y ~
~ a k i d e k a h: scarcely one. sahasregu : anlong thousands.

Scarcely one among thousands strives for perfection

Nobody brings with him at the time of birth, property, wealth,
jewellery, silver, or gold; nor does he take away at the time of his
death any of these things. However, in the normal course the whole
intervening period is occupied with madness in runliing after them
m d associating oneself with,falsepride for their possession. The vast
majurity goes on chasing after shadowy happiness resulting from
worldly undertakings. But very few are imbued with a desire for
release from the sahsa'ra. Most of the people simply d o not feel any
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such need. AS the GTta' (7.3) puts it : "Among thousands of men,
hardly one strives for perfection and of those who try and succeed,
scarcely one knows Me in reality". The bhakti shows the way and
therefore it is to be taken up leaving asideall hankerings after passing
joys. (8.8)

-
Q
@ * 191 1
Bhaktistatpremasvarispd
Bhaktib : devotion. tat-prema-svariipz : of the nature of Supreme
Love far God.

Devotion is of the nature of Supremq Lwe far Gad .

Bhakti i3 pure iove far God: Love iiinborn in every li~iqgbeing
and it is more so in human beings. The %me love when diverted
towards the chosen deity, without any display, becomes bhakti.
Bhifiktiin the intern4 e@ta of natant attrrrGfion-towardsthe, God. It
should be untainted by any desire for worldly success or happiness,
theta alone it b@eome~ pure m d can be, called bhakti in the true
sense, The bh&ti is 'exclusive lwe f ~Godr which in due course of
, time becomes intense. The Nkada-Bhaktisfltra(2) defines devotion
as Supreme Love directed %awardsGad. By such devotion, God
b e c a m the dearest object of the devotee. He lives wjth Gg6
constantly and therebre God too is ever with him. (8.9)

*
YathE : as. bhaktib : devotion. tathE : so. muktih : liberation.

As is devotion, so is liberation
With supreme love for God, the devotee transcends sense
enjoyments. He never feels want of anything. All his desires are
fulfilled by the loving affection of his dearest God. He no longer longs
for the worldly pleasures or even the heavenly pleasures which
simply turn pale in comparison with joyful experience he has at each
stage of advancement in devotion. All the four stages of salvation
mentioned in the Nityasitra (8.4) come to the devotee
automatically though he may not be conscious of them. The devotee
by virtue of his devotion i.e, supreme love for God and its intense
growing, is liberated as per stage of his devotion. (8.10)
 CHAPTER 9
THE LAW OF KARMA

The law of karma is powerful. Nobody can escape it. According

to it, everybody reaps fruits of hisactions-good or bad. However,
action undertaken in the spirit of Karmayoga are exceptions. It is
said that without exception, no law is complete. By performing
karma alone,one reaches the stage of perfection. Many great men
treaded the path of karma and attained the highest.
 .rlqI l
m:mi-:
Prabalah Kamasiddhthtab
Prabalah : powerful. karma : karma. siddhBnta : law.

The law of karma is very powerful

The taw of karma has its expanse very wide. There is no one
who is not under its influence. Everybody does some work or the
other incessantly. As the Gk(3.5) says : no one ever remains even
for a moment without doing work. Work is attached to the man
inseparably. His every work or action, whether good or bad,
producesits consequence in this life or the next, depending upon the
nature of the action.
All men are not placed in one and the same condition. There is a
great difference in their status, education, wealth etc. Some of the
differences are from the very birth. Some are happy and some are
miserable and it is beyond one's understanding to know the reason
thereof. In a family, some are born wise while others ignorant to the
extreme. It is generally seen that men of virtue suffer in life and the
wicked prosper beyond imagination. One is always at a loss to know
the reason of such inequality and divkrsity.The law of karma (karma
siddha'nta) explains this seemingly anomalous position. The action
performed with a desire for the fruit is the root cause of all
variations.The fruits of actions of previous births are the causes of
present bad or good condition. The law of karnia firmly says that
every action has Its fruit and that has to be enjoyed. (9.1)
 Trividham karma
Trividham : three-fold. karma : karma.

T h e Karma is three-fold
The karma is of rhree kinds. The first is called ancrabdha
karma 1.e.the one which has not yet begun to fructify. This includes
accumulated karma from past lives and is called samcita karma
also. It is stored up karma. The second kind is prcirabdha karma. It
means the karma which has begun to bear fruits like the present
body. The body is the concrete visible proof of the ' p r ~ r a b d h a
karma. It is the starting point of it. Pra'rabdha is wrongly referred to
by many as Daiva which means fate. The next one is kriyamzya -
i.e. the work that is being done slid that will be done in future.
Some karmas take time to fructify like some trees which take
varying time for bearing fruits, according to the potency of the seed.
Some karmas bear fruits immediately and some at a later stage; may
be even after many years or births, but the fact remains that each
karma bears a fruit which clings to the doer invariably. (9.2)

Anatikramal?Tyab : insurmountable. karma-siddhzntah : the law of

karma.

T h e law of karma is insurmountable

The law of karma is insurmountable. Every karma bears a fruit,
sooner or later, and has to be enjoyed by its doer. According to
karma, one is placed happily or otherwise. The karma never leaves
its doer unless its fruit is enjoyed by him. The karmas can be
exhausted only by enjoying their fruits, bad or good, and not
otherwise. It is seen in the world that even saints suffer from illness in
their life like a common man. They are afflicted by diseases. A doubt
may be raised a s to why they d o not cure themselves by the divine
power acquired by them. The answer is that though they are able to
d o so, they d o not d o it because the law of karma operates. If they
cure a particular disease prematurely, they know that they will have
to have it again for the remaining period. They therefore refrain from
curing the diseases affecting them.
If it be said as to how a particular karma clings to its doer even
after his death and not to anybody else, the reply is : like a calf of a
cow. Even in a group of thousand cows, the calf goes to its mother
and none else; even so, the karma unmistakably finds its doer. (9.3)

Apaviidah karmayogah
ApavZdab : exception. karmayogah : karma done without
attachment for a fruit.

Exception is Karmayoga
The karma done with a desire for some thing in return inevitably
entangles the doer. But the karma without any desire for its fruit
releases him from the law of karma. The resulting bondage
flowing from the nature of karma performed does not bind the doer.
This alone is true karma. This karma is called ni+ka'ma karma. This
is a karma which does not bear the fruit. T o this category can belong
a karma which is done with a sole motive of helping the other in his
progress for attaining union with the God. Similarly any action for
public good without arrogating to oneself the authorship, does not
bind its doer. In the karmayoga, what is important is the motive
behind the action. The practice of karmayoga cleanses the mind and
prepares one for higher szdhana' and knowledge. (9.4)
 Karrnanaiva samsiddhib /

~ a r m a @ by
: karma. eva: alone. samsiddhib: perfection.

By karm-a alone, the perfection is reached

The law of karma establishes that the man isthe architect of his
own life. What one sows, one reaps. It is open to choose what is
good. The karma determines the future also. if this is so, what is the
role of a prayer,? Prayer also is a karma, but falls on the side of God.
It is definitely heard by Him. He induces his devotees for good actions
which do not bind them like ordinary actions. They become
foundation for hisbright future. As the present lot in life is of one's
own making, so also is next lot. This is what the law of'karma
teaches. By karma alone, one can win over his life. By karma, the
good is reached. As the G2b (3.20) points out - King Janaka and
others attained perfection by work alone. (9.5)
 ~ 3* d ~ l l € l l
Na mukte karma lipyate
Na: not. mukte: to released person. karma: karma. lipyate: clings

To the released person, the karma does not cling

As is seen in the world, the liberated persons continue to
perform actions for the general good. In their case, their previous
karmas stand destroyed. Because of their knowledge of Brahman,
the fruits of works done by them, which are always virtuous, do not
cling to them. They only wait for the fall of the body which is the gift of
the prcirabdha karma. The virtuous karma and self-realisation are
not incompatible. In the case of released persons, who are called
jhan-muktas, seeds of action are burnt out and therefore they do not
sprout and hence no fruit binds them. If a man of self-realisation does
not perform actions, ignorant people may follow his suit and would
go astray. It is therefore that a liberated person, though master of h ~ s
own, performs actions. (9.6)
>h%m??i7mm rn T?I%T~>JJTQ
 CHAPTER 10
NATURE OF YOGA

There are many yoga systems. However, RSijayoga is the best

amongst them. There a r e several postures f o r the practice of the
yoga. However, a posture in which one can sit comfortably for a long
time for the sa'dhand, alone should be adopted. During the course of
the yogic sCdhan$ many miraculous powers are acquired but one
should not be enamoured by then?. On the contrary, one should
remain away from them s o that theywill not be able to take o n e away
from the goal.
~ u ~ d a l i n ?ai sgreat power which lies dorniant in every man and
woman. I t is to b e aroused under the guidance of the G L ~ ~TLh Ie .yoga
aims a t liberatton and the yog?enjoys self-freedom. There a r e no
rituals and their co~nplexitiesin tlie yogic s5dharCi. The Rajayoga is
the king of tlie yogas a s the name signifies.
 Muktirheturyogasya
Mukti : liberation, hetuh : aim. yogasya : of the yoga

Liberation is the aim of the yoga

The ultimate cbjective of yoga is liberation. By the constant
practice of yoga, however, a yog; acquires, superhuman and
unbelievable powers. The yog;'gets siddhis of eight types. He can
become as minute as an atom or as big a s a mountain. He can reduce
his weight to nothing or increase it tounbelievable measure. The yog;
can re,ach any place in a,moment's time. He can create things out of
his will and can realise hkdesires. He gets control over the five
elements: These powers are not, however, the end and aim of the
yoga. The extraordinary powers are devious in nature and if the yo$
moves with them, they take him away from the path towards
liberation and they turn into obstacles. They are like danger signals
which should be meticulously avoided. The yogic practices lead the
yo$to the harmonious development of the body, the mind and the
soul. However, the aim of all practices of the yoga is to gain salvation
or liberation in this very life and nothing short of it. It is the summum
bonum.of human existence. The true yogTnever useshis powers for
his selfish end and never interferes with the functioning of the world.
' (10.1)
Yogesu.: amongst the various systems of yoga. rajayogah : rajayoga

Among the various systemsof Yoga, Rgjayoga is the best.

"Self-realisation" means realisation of the unity of the embodied
soul and the highest soul. The mind wrongly identifies the self with
the body due t o ignorance. Realisation of the unity is therefore
possible.only after this wrong identification or ignorance is removed.
The purpose of Yoga isto help the individual to achieve the goal. The
word Yoga therefore rightly denotes this end i.e "unity" and is
derived from the Sanskrit root word "yujHwhichmeans-to unite". In
the course of time however the term Yoga has come to mean "means
of", "method of", "technique of" or "path towards" self realisation.
Among various such Yogas, this siitra gives highest importance to
"REja Yoga"
"Some of the prominent Yogas are Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga,
Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Kriyh Yoga, Jn"cina Yoga
and RGa Yoga. These Yogas prescribe techniques of removing the
identification of the soul with the body. These techniqbes operate on
the body and/or mind. The uniqueness of R 3 a Yoga lies in operating
on both the body and the mind. The Yogasntras of sage Pata;jali
prescribe an eight-fold path which helps the control of the mind after
the body has been duly purified,. The eight-fold path,prescribed by
Patazjali with ,specific incorporation of the Advaita doctrine
constitutes Raja Yoga. Central to this RGa Yoga is the Kur?dalin7
sbkti which finds no mention in Pata?ljaIi's si7tras. (10.2)
~urpjalin?Kul?dalii. Mzhes'vari: Divine power and consort of Lord
Siva

KqdalinT is the divine power and consort of Lord ~ > vwho

a is
called Mahes'vara
I

The Kurtdalinr s'akti rept'esents the primordial energy called

Prakytiand is often termed a s Citi in the Rqja Yoga. At the time of the
birth, this s'aktienters the h u d a n body through thesahasrdra cakra
1
and passing through the SUSmrjd ndqfrin the spinal cord becomes
dormant in :he ~ ~ l a ' d h a 'bdgetting
ra coiled in three and a half coils. It
is this dormancy wt'ich leads t o ignorance resulting in the
identification of the self with the body. When this s'akti is awakened
and.raised to Sahasra'ra cakra to again unite wlth Lord &a, the
ignorance is removed and the human being attains self-realisation.
The importance of this shkti lies in the fact that once it is awakened '
through the grace of guru, it guides the aspirant till the final end and
no special efforts thereafter are needed. (10.3)

@
-9 *?-: 11x1 I
Muktidatci Mahes'varah
MuktidStZ: bestower of the liberation. Maheharah: Lord 6 v a
/
Lord Siva is the bestower of liberation,
, In the beginning, before creation of the world, there waa only
Siva, without any form, with s'akti undiffejentiated from him. Saktiis
divine, dynamic.and creative aspect of Siva, which manifests in the
form of creation. The Ku~daliniisthis s'akti. When this s'akti meets ,
her consort Lord ~ &inathe Sahasrara c a k p , it is the culmination of
the yogic sddhana'. It is liberation. Lord Siva is the presiding deity .
and therefore he is the bestower of liberation. (10.4)
.*
,
 s;.vaptija vratiidrni cenna, Rdjayoge
bdhyakarmhbhhvah
~ j v a p i j 3 diva-worship.
: vratgdhi: vows etc. cet: if. na: no. Rqayoge:
in the practice of R2ja Yoga. bZhyakarm3bhZvah: absence of external
actions.

If it is enquired whether there is a &"a-worship o r any

observance of vows etc. prescribed in the pragtice of the
RGja Yoga, the reply is no; there is a total absence of external
actions (Karmas) .)
4
O n e may be curious to know whether Siva-pijja (worship of
Lord Siva), or any other rituals are required to be performed o r any
vows are necessary to be observed by the yogTpractising this Ra'a
Yoga. The answer t o such queries is 'no'. In this Raja Yoga no
rituals a s such are prescribed. There is n o rigorous sadhana
torturing the body. There is n o scdhand on a spot. The
: yog?is just required to keep the mind steady and concentrate on the
breath. It helps awaken the ~ u ~ d a l i n r a nfacilitates
d its upward
'
path through the cakras in the spinal column. Once the awakened
~ u ~ d a l i n T r e a c h ethe
s Sahasrcira cakra, the yogTgets in tune with .
the entire universe. His Atman merges in the Parama'tman and there
remains nothing for him to be done. (10.5)

NZcjTs: n'icjys. tisrab: three.

There are three ncidrs in the human body.

N@E are channels of vital energy. There are innumerablenab
+in the human body. Three of them are most significant from the point
 + B + P + + P + p p + + ~ + + P + P 5 . C P P t.PJ.+P

of view of R5ja Yoga. They are-the ldd, the Pirigala' and the
Su~umga'.All these are in the spinal column which is called
Merudapda. This is the axis of the body. The SugumgB runs
centrally through the spinal cord from fhe Mfila'dha'ra to Sahasrdra
cakra. The Pirigaldis situated on the right side and Ida on the left side
of Sugumr!3 in the spinal c&d. fie 146 and Pirigald are called
lunar (Candra-na'dij and solar (Su'rya-nCi& nadE respectively. The
three nii& meet in the Ajijn"8 cakra.
Within the Suqumt;la'n8& there is a nc7dTcalled Vajra' within
which there is another na'drcalled CitrZi. Within the Citrci again;
there is Brahman~dilike a fine silken thread, through which \he
awakened KuQdalinTpasses. SugumgCi being the abode of VajrQ
Citrdand Brahrnan~dlit is broadly referred to as the passage of the
awakened Kupdalin; The niidk are purified by the practice of

CakrZy: lotuses, ?at: six. sahasrzra: sahasr'ira (thousand petalled).

ca: and. saptamam: seventh.

Yogic~.lotusesare six, the seventh is called Sahasrara. ,

~ c c o r d i to
n ~the scriptures, a human being is constituted of five
kogas (sheaths) and three bodies. The five sheaths are Annamaya,
PrB~amaya,Manomaya, Vijfidnamaya and Anandamaya. The first
sheath is identified w~ththe physical or the gross body. The next
three sheaths are identified ,with subtle body called siiksma s'arrra or
liriga s'arira. The last sheath is identified with the subtlest body or
kdrapa shrrra.
The scriptures posit the exsistence of "cakras" or centres and
"n8dk"or channels in the subtle body. As the subtle body 6 said to
have exact correspondence with the physical body, the location of
cakras and nads is indicated in or near the various parts of the
physical body to help understand them better. The cakrasare called
spiritual centres or psychic centres and are seats of vital energy.
There are many cakras in the body butfseven are prominently
recognisnd. The above sutra refers to the following seven cakras: 1)
Mu'la'dhnra2) Svddhi~thdna3) Mapipu'ra 4) Ana'hata 5) Vis'uddha 6)
 A j ; i ~and 7) Sahasrara. As the Sahasra'ra is considered the ultimate
destination,.it is usual to refer to the first six only as the cakras.
Na'dk are the channels or conduits for the flow of different
aspects of vital energy. The most important among the various
nadE, is the " S u ~ u m ~n@Twhose
d" passage is identified with that of
the spinat cord. The cakras are connected with this nGc&
The scriptures speak of the Kutpjalin7as the divine power. It
lies coiled up and dormant at the base of the spinal column. After its
awakening and during its passage through "Sugurngb', it crosses the
cakras and ultimately reaches the Sahasra'ra cakra which leads to self
realisation.
Patafijali does not ,mention KugdalinTin his YogaSatras. But its
awakening and upward passage are central to the Ra'ja Yoga
mentioned in the earlier sMra. To distinguish this feature it is often
called "KuVdalinTyoga".
Among the cakras, Mfila'dhGra is at the root o[ the spinal '
column midway between the genitals And the anus., K~~dalinrlies
dormant in this cakra. Next to it is Svadhi~tha'nacakra and it lies
midway between Mi~lGdhdraand the navel. At the centre of the navel
region is Ma~ipiiracakra. The cakra at the heart region is called
AnSihata cakra. Vishddha cakra is near the base of the throat. The
sixth is Ajna'cakra located between the two eye-brows. SahasrGra
cakra is the crown of the head bebind the forehead. This cakra is the
abode of Lord S v a or Parama Siva. The uniting of Kugcjaliniwith
Parama Siva constitutes self-realisation. (10.7)

Maladhare: In the Maladhara cakra KundalinT: Kul?dalinT.

n rin the ~ f i l d d h ~ i rcakra.

~ u ~ d a l i is a
Kur;ldalinTisin t h e ~ u ' l i i d h ~cakra
r a which is the initial centre in
the body. It is the seat of ~upjalin; Ku~dahnTis coiled in the
Mfiltidhtira which literally means initial support. Here KuvdalinT
remains static until it is activised. The yogrwho concentrates and
meditates on the Mijla'dhdra cakra can acquire the knowledge of
Kur2da'linTand can arouse it. Ku~dalinTis the cosmic power and
cannot be compared with other powers like electricity etc. When
aroused, it generally moves upward through the S u ~ u r n y c(10.8)
.

S a h a s r ~ r a h sahasrara
: cakra. &a-nilayah: abode of Lord ha.
svagyham: home. ca: and. KuqdalinyZb: of the KuncjalinT

SahasrGra or C i d a k k b is the abode of Lord !&a and is the

home of Kut?c;lalin;
Sahasrlira or Cidakifsb is the abode of Lord ha. It is called
~ : v ~ n a n d a ~ u 6 also
' a s ~rahrnfinanda~u;.It is in the CiddkGsb that
the transcendental consciousness is experienced. The unity of the
embodied one, Jyva and Lord ~ ; v ais also experienced there.
C i d ~ k ~ sis' athe place where supreme peace is obtained. Cidifkdsb is
unbounded expanse of consciousness. It is poetically described as
the sky of consciousness in the cerebrum.
CidCikhsb is the home of Kur;~dalinTand also the seat of
Sahasrcra cakra, the thousand-petalled lotus. (10.9)

KuQdaliny:Divine power. utthZpayitavyZ: should be awakened.

~ u ~ d a l i is
n ?t o be awakened.
1
Kutjdalin~isthe divine power and is not perceptible to eyes. It is
not a nerve but is a power. It lies coiled up in three and a half coils in
MGlddhdra which is the root or basic support of the spinal cord.
Ku~~daliniis central to all treatises on ~ u ~ d a l i yoga.
n? I
 Kupjalin: is a coiled up dormant power in every ma.n and
woman and it is to be awakened. When it is awakened under the
guidance of a proper guide and with a steady and gradual practice, it
controls and governs the sSidhaka and becomes his guide on the
spiritual path leading to liberation. K~~cjalinTis divine by nature and
takes care of the sadhaka a s a mother, whose movements in the
body are experienced. It is then discovered as a Reality. If however,
the s ~ d h a k awho is not desireless and whose mind is not pure, tries
to awaken the ~ u r ; l d a l i nsheer
~ b ~ force through Zsanas etc. and with-
out the help of a guide, then there is a possibility of adverse effects on .*
the mind and body. Therefore Guru's guidance is absolutely
essential in this respect. The Guru knows the exact position of the
sadhaka and prescribes a proper method and schedule suited to him
for successfully awakening the Kul?dalinT.
Just as milk which bubbles up to an uncontrollable overflow
when boiled, even so the Kur;ldalin; sbkti when evoked, bubbles in
the SahasrEra cakra and overflow? with effulgence. Without
aroused Ku~dalinr,liberation is not poss~blein the RZja Yoga. (10.10)'

Asanafi: a posture. sukhzsanarh: a sittingpos~t~onin

wh~chone can
sit comfortably for the sZdhanZ

Sukhzsanati is a posture in which one can sit comfortably for -

the s%dhan%
I
For the pracitce of Yoga, there are several iisanas (postures)
like PadmSisana (Lotus pose), SiddhEsana (Perfect pose),
SvastikGsana (prosperous pose) etc. Each of these Esanas confer
certain benefits on the practicant. In this context, what is the
purpose of SukhSisana ;n yogic practices? The Sukhiisana is for
facilitating the control of the mind and the breath. It is not meant for
torturing the body. One should on the contrary feel lightness of the
body in SukhEsana. It is therefore desirable to choose asukhiisana
i.e. a posture in which one feels comfortable and is able to sit steadily
for a longer time for the s6dhanE
 The Sukhasana for spiritual practices is only a necessary
condition. The sufficient condition is the stillness of the mind. The
mind must be withdrawn from without, through breath control and
kept steady or rooted in the image or idea of God. (10.11)

Vis'ue s'aerke caika eua prcnah

Visire: in the universe. s'aGre: in the body. ca: and. ekab: one. eva:
X n e .przvah: pr%va.

In the universe and in the b$dy, there is one priina alone.

The infinite and all pervading prEtp is "uis'ua-prEpa": It is
omnipresent universal vital energy or life force by which everything
vibrates and moves. P r t i ~ isa the sum total of all energy. It is the same
in every one and everywhere. It is indivisible though it appears
differentiated from individual to individual. According to the science
of Yoga, the prEga does not mean the usual breath but it is that force
which causes the breath. It is on account of pr8va that the 'whole
nervous system in the body works. The pr8ya is dynamic and
sustains the body. Just as a railway engine cannoi run without fire, or
some other energy source, so also the body cannot move without
p r a ~ a It. is the original motivating factor for all transactions in life.
When the pra'va is about to leave the body,one experiences agony
which cannot be described in words. But to a practicant of
pra'gtiyya'rna, no such agony is f.elt. The universal life force and the life
force in the body are one and linked naturally. H,ence the concept of
unity and the need for its realisation which is self-realisation-the
final goal. (10.12)
 Prcinah pafieavidhuh
Pr3~al;l:vital energy, par?ca-vidhah:Tfive-fold.

P r i i ~ ais five-fold
The p r G ~ aresiding in the body manifests in various forms.
However, its five-folddivision is referred to here. Each manifestation
of prdya has a particular activity to perform. Generally the word
prciva is wrongly used for breath-but p r G ~ ais that vital energy in
the body which causes the breathing. PrGva is thus life itself.The heart
is geperally considered the seat of prGya.
In the five-fold division, 'prGyaJ works the respiratory system;
'apcina'isresponsible for excretory and discharging system in the
body; 'vycina'circulates the blood all over the body; 'uddna' moves
upward and becomes the cause of exit of the j b a at the time of death
and on account of 'sam8naJ, the digestive system works.
Harmonious movement of the breaths promotes health. If any of
these five prayas does not function properly, then disorders of the
body arise. On account of five-fold function of pra'ya, it assumes five
names as mentioned above (10.13)

Pr5r;lZyZmena: by regulation of the breaths. bahu: many. siddhayah:

(miraculous) powers.

By prsnEyCrna, many (miraculous) powers are acquired.

PrdyByGma literally means the regulation of prdga which here
means breathing process. In this process, inhalation, retention and
exhalation of the breath are known as pgraka, kumbhaka and recaka
respectively. Just as several delicacies can be prepared from one
cereal like rice, even so several attainments are possible by
regulation of the breathing process. By prBvSiyt?ma, mind is
controlled and when mind is controlled, everything is
controlled. By regular practice of prZr$7yDma, the can
suspend breathing for a long time and achieve stillness of mind. The
three constituents of breathing process are not mere physical
exercises. They have an internal significance as well. A deep breath
inhaled moves in the body like the inner hand of a clock and when it
moves s o internally, it helps understanding of the subtler t-hings.
Priir;lSiya'ma purifies ndd; and thereby makes the body light and
pure all round. PrBr;lSiyGma bestows vigour, vitality and longevity
too.
Prb~ZiyGmais to be practised regularly to sustain the prdqa and
its strength. As water in a lake.evaporates slowly and more so
in the summer, the prEr;la also withers away as the years go by. It is
necessary to retain its vitality. By prGr;lByZma,the yog?can satiate his
h;nger-he can feed himself by kumbhaka. By the control over
prSir;la, he can conserve the life-energy (pra'na-sbkti) and thereby
increase his life-span. By regular prci~SiyGma,all the senses and
thought-waves are controlled which gradually help the yogT in
achieving his objective. By prSir;lSiyZma, the yogTalso obtains several
supernormal powers. However, these are hindrances to the
realisation, and therefore the yogTshould neglect them if he wants to
advance in his sddhana and attain self-realisation. If the yogTfeeIs
contented with powers, his progress will be retarded and he will lose
the way. (10.14)

PrZr;lZy%nena: by pr2r;lZyZma. kul?dalin?: k ~ ~ d a l i n ; .jzgytih:

arqusing.

By PrGyGyEma, ~ u ~ d a l i nis: aroused.

By regular practice of prZ~8ya'ma,the Kur?&dinris awakened.
Just as a match-stick is struck against a chemically coated side of the
match box to ignite fir< even so by the prE~SiyZima,the KuudalinTis
struck and its power is aroused. By stopping the breath and retaining
the prBya within, the state of Kumbhaka is achieved. By the practice
of prdgZiyama, the K~t~dalinTrises through the narrow and subtle
Su~umr;lh channel in the centre of the spinal column and enters the
head. This is of course a difficult task like carrying a huge rock to the
top of a hill. However such alfeatlis possible by constant practice of
prEryiyiya'ma and purity of mind.
As a rope is required to draw water from a well, even s o regular
practice of prg~aya'mais required to draw up the Kur?dalinTpowerto
the centre of Sahasra'ra. It is all bliss when it reaches there. (10.15)

Anyairapi
Anyaib: by other means. api: also.

By other m e a n s also t h e ~ u ~ d a l i nis; awakened.

The dormant Kur?daliniisaroused by recitation of holy names
of God, meditation and spiritual knowledge als.0. Besides, it can be
awakened by great masters merely by a touch, or a kind look or by
chanting a mantra to a disciple to be favoured. This process is
known as sbkti-pdta, i.e. transmission of s'hakti-the power. The
great masters can do so from a distant place by a mere wish or
thought also. By concentration of mind on the MiilddhCra cakra
which is the seat of ~ u ~ d a l i itn can
t be awakened. Thus there are
several means, by which its favour can be sought. Kul?dalinrisa great
power, when it is 'aroused, the power stays permanently with its
recipient. It is a divine power which leads to all round progress

Guru: Guru. krpayz: by the grace: visGse12a: specially.

By t h e grace of Guru, t h e ~ u ~ d a l i nc a7n b e awakened

special1y.
All the other Yogas and approaches to realisation require a
supreme effort on the part of the aspirant. The grace of Guru
houever .helps the aspirant to reduce his efforts and to recelve
appropriate guidance in his progress. The grace of Guru, by
s'aktipa'ta in particular, requires almost no effort on the part of the
aspirant, hence the importance of the grace of Guru (Gurukypz) in
this Yoga. There is often a misconception about the institution of
Guru. The several paths toself-realisation~onstitute,as it were,
~~ecialised'branches of knowledge. In modern education, for every
branch of knowledge, there are separate institutions and teachers
and the conferment of degree in recognition of competence in a
particular branch is a must. There were no universities or specialised
institutions in the past analogous to the present institutional structure.
The Guru therefore served not only as a teacher in the specialised
branch, but also the universally approved authority for granting a
certificate of competence to the student in the relevant branch of
knowledge. Once the conce t is understood in this context, there
9 .
will be no misunderstandingar mis-apprehension about the ne"e of d

~im
~ ; r . a m :Ily*1 I
a C\

Drdhva-gumme anubhiitayah -
urdhva-gamane: at the time of going upwards.
anubhiitayah: experiences

When t h e awakened ~ u ~ d a l ignore s upwards, t h e aspirant

gains various experiences.
When the Kuadalini is awakened, the door of S u ~ u m y Eis
opened at the lowest end of the. spinal cord. Kugcjalin; does not
proceed at once to 'Sahasra'ra cakra. Ku~dalin?commences its
upward journey through SusumpB and passes from one cakra to
ariother higher cakra when various unusual experiences are felt by
the-aspirant. He hears various sounds as a result' of his intense
sBdhan5. The sounds that are heard in the initial stages of the
scjdhana' resemble the sound of ringing of bells etc. The aspirant
should not dwell on these sounds. He should neglect them. When the
irant advances in his sddhana', he hears the continuous sound.of
rain centre. This is a sure sign of his elevation
t spiritual wisdom is taking a seat in him.
I
roused Kur;l&~lini goes through S u s u m ~ a 'nddr
er, various pleasant and fragrant-smells
- .also-ay_e_
 experienced by the aspirant. They are of sandalwood, musk,
camphor etc. These are like milestones and indicate that the aspirant
is treading the correct path, and the spiritual wisdom is dawning on
him.
As the awakened ~ u r ; l ~ a l i n ~ ~ afrom
s s e one
s cakra to the other
in the cerebro-spinal passage, the aspirant evolves from one state of
consciousness to another, getting a new birth as it were, every time.
He acquires in the process, good qualities like humility, inner peace,
contentment, compassion etc. which are conducive to his progress.
He experiences bliss in increasing degrees a s the K~r;ldalin?~asses
through cakra after cakra. His intellect is illumined which enables
him to realise his identity with the Supreme Brahman. He gets
control over the five elements. After crgssing five cakras in due
course, the aspirant reaches the sixth-AjRa'cakra situated in the
middle of the eyebrows where he can poise for the final take-off for
union with sat-Cit-Ananda.(10.18)

--PI---.-experience. sahasrzre: into the sahasra'ra

Ananda: bliss. anubh'ltih:
cakra. praves'a: entry.

Absolute bliss is experienced when the KurjdalinTenters

into the sahasra'ra cakra.
The Sahasra'ra cakra which is the yogic thousand-petalled lotus
is situated in the crown of the head. This is the most important cakra
with which the rest of the cakras are intimately connected. The
KuDdalinTaroused from Mfila'dhBra causes supreme bliss on its
entering the SahasrEra cakra. It is indescribable and passes all
formal understanding. The head therefor5tbecomes a sea of bliss. It
is here that the jrva is Gnited with Siva, and' all his sense of
separateness is dissolved. The yogTattains the transcendental state
and gains supreme knowledge. This is liberation and enjoyment of
unalloyed bliss of Brahman. It is here that the eternal bliss (nitya-
, a'nanda) is experienced. This is a supreme experience which cannot
be had from books. Reading books in this respect is like reading all
books about a mango without even getting a chance to see it. (10.19)
 Aplavah: immersion. samxdhil?: samzdhi.

Complete immersion in the divine con~ciousnessis Samadhi.

SumEdhi is the final stage in the practice of the yoga. This stage
is of two kinds. The first one is known as savikalpa sam8dhiin which
the yogTretains his separate identity. He remains one step below the
top. In the nirvikalpa sania'dhi, there is complete cessation of mental
activities, the mind is left in the state of calmness and tranquility. In
this state, his separate identity is dissolved and he remains immersed
in the divine conscious&ss. The mind loses itself completely in the
latter and has therefore no awareness of itself. The sama'dhidoes not
consist of external demonstrations like holding one's breath,
nostrills, displaying peculiar bodily movements etc. In the nirvikalpa
samcdhi state, all pairs of opposites vanish and there is complete
merging or immersion of every thing in the divine consciousness.
The yog?s consciousness merges completely in the absolute
consciousness. There is no difference between the experience and
the experiencer. Both become completely one. The self abides in its
own essence as pure consciousness. (10-20)

Rzjayog? Rzjayo$. tu: definitely. svZrZjyabhZk: enjoyer of freedom

of the self.
The R2jayogT definitely enjoys self-freedom
The R ~ j a ~ o g T hall
a s the senses under his full control s o also his
mind and this is true independence. Normally, a person is kept in
bondage by these and therefore when a person is free from their
influence, he can be said to be a free man in the true sense. By
controlling these, he attains the knowledge 6f the self. The self alone
 is the emperor of the klngdom of bliss. The RGjayo$leads a rich and
full life. As a matter of fact, the yega is the science of living a pure and
healthy life.
The word suarSijya means the identification with the self-
refulgent (Brahman ). The RGjayogT is the enjoyer of this state.

Gururupiiyah sfitranam samksepatuiit

Gurub: Guru. upayah: means. sEtr7i~Zm: of the sotras.
sa~ksepatvat:on%ccount of brevity.

On account of brevity of stitras, 'Guru is the means to

understand scriptures.
In the great sdtra-works like si7tra.s of Pataiijali or the ~ ? u a
satras or the BrahmasiTtras of BSidardya~a or even in the
Upani~ads,tryths are expressed with brevity. Here the reference is
primarily to Siua sztras. Therefore they cannot be understood by
mere reading the same. The way to know them isto approach a
Guru who himself has realised the same, in personal experience as a
result of his deep sSidhanG. Guru is the only.source to know the truth
of scriptural sciences. Without him thereis not likely to be any entry
into their realm and if there is one, it is not likely to be successful.
Guru is a must and therefore it is desirable that one should approach
the Guru sooner or later. Of course, the sooner the better. Guru is
competent to remove all obstacles that may come up in the sa'dhana'
of his disciple. He removes his doubts and difficulties, if any. Guru
does not confer liberation on the disciple but accelerates the process
of self-realisation. The Guru is indispensable in the Yoga as it is a
practical science. He imparts knowledge according to the
temperament and the spiritual stage of advancement of the disciple.
He inspires and gives all help to the disciple. However, the
s ~ d h a k ahimself has to tread the spiritual path after receiving the
grace of Guru. (10.22) . .
Muktal! : a realised person. jitendriyah : conqueror of the senses.

A realised person is a conqueror of the senses

A realised person is a conqueror of the senses. For him they no
longer exist. The senses -five)Ga"nendriyas(senses of perception) or
five karmendriyas (senses of action) - cease to affect him.
Therefore they no more attract him. Me is above them. Their show is
closed to him for ever. The senses are as follows :
Five jii~nendriyas: (I) Ear : s'rotra (2) skin (tuak) (3) eyes (cakgu)
(4) tongue (jihua")and (5) nose (ghr8rp)
Five karmendriyas: (I) Speech (vEk) (2) hands ( p g ~ i(3)
) feet (ppda)
(4) Anus (pEyu) and (5) Organ of generation
(upasthaq.
The pleasure and the ,,pain arising out of these senses are
external to the realised person as contrary to the common folk to
whom they are internal and therefore cause affliction.In the case of
the realised person, the senses are powerless and therefore the
pleasure and the pain which are produced by them, are absent as far
as he is concerned. Being absolutely free from the influence of the
senses, he remains established in the divine consciousness.
It is possible that an appearance of a realised person may not be
pleasant sometimes. Even he may not observe the normal rules of
hygiene for himself but it must be remembered that he has the
internal purity of the highest order. He is altogether a different
person who cannot be judged by ordlnary rules of behaviour or
etiquettes. HISbehavlour
IS very dlff~culttointerprete. (11.1)

Satatah jagarti

Satatak : always. jagart1 : 1s awake

The liberated person is always awake in the A f r n ~ n

In metdphyslcs, Ignorance IS compared to darkness an
knowledge to the llght The reallsed persons, wh
personlflcdtlons of the Itnowledge, are always a
knowledge of the Atman, whereas others sleep rn ~g
Ignorant people are engaged In the actlvlt~esof sense gra
These are the people who rather care for the mater~al
eternal and therefore remaln asleep In the n~ghtof lgnoran
reallsed person, there 1s no such nlght at all It IS a day for hl
tlme
A reallsed person IS a person wtth knowledge. Though k
everytli~ng,he moves about as ~f knowing nothlng He may do
thtngs at several places, but kill remaln aloof from them as
noth~ngHe destroys narrowness dnd Ignorance of people w
he goes (11 2)

Mbaktgasya prajGd c a k ~ u h

Mukta : a real~sedperson. prajiiz : knowledge. c a k ~ u: e

A realised person has a third eye of knowled

A realised person is full of knowledge of the Brah
knowledge himself. The mortal eyes in a sense he has n
transcends as they belong to five senses of perce
remains nothing to be seen for him. The seer and the
one in h ~ scase There 1s a denlal of separatenes
knowledge becomes his caksu, the eye. This is therefore called a
third eye metaphorically. With his third eye, he sees the past, the
present and the future - nay eternity which cannot be cognised by
the mortal eyes. He may not speak in a beautiful language like a
pundit but his words are bound to charm you a s they are charged
with his spiritual power. His words reflect what he himself has
experienced and not what is simply written or spoken elsewhere.

Vandyah : a person who deserves respect. khalu : indeed. muktah : a

realised person.

A realised person is indeed to be respected

Proper respect should be shown to a person of spiritual widsoni,
who shines with it, irrespective of whether he is born in a low
stratum. A diamond or a precious stone found even in the mud is
picked up and maintained with great care. Similarly a realised
person is to be cared for. He is like a God on the earth. On no
occasion such a person should be insulted. No doubt, he does not
bother whether he is respected or reproached. He is above these
states. His free movements in the society should not be
misunderstood merely because he lias chosen to move amongst
ordinary people. He is a person deserving respect and should
always be respected.
A realised person never hates anybody. He is a friend of all. He
has nothing of his own over which he claims ownership. He is always
free from egoism and forbearing is his basic quality. He is not
disturbed under any circumstances. Fear, anger, pleasure, pain etc.
do not simply touch him and therefore he remains pure to the
extreme. He is always cheerful. (11.4)
T l r t l i ~ n ~holy places esp where a bath IS taken for acq
na not ca and l q e t r 6 ~ 1plilces of pllgnmagep.

It IS customary to visit holy places in the latter half o

unknown paths. wh~chvery often was a r~skycourse

return from v ~ s ~toi sacred places was celebrat

dnd h~inseif11-1 every thiiig, then he has attamed the

h ~ i~fe
s He IS ~na state of I~berat~on Such a person

Jale Into water n~magnavat l~kea one plunged I

not bear hatred or anger towards anybody, even

harm him. He is above good or evil. He is for ever 'drowned' in the
water of Diviniy which is above, beneath and around him. He is
completely unaware of the world around him in the ordinary sense.
He remains deeply settled in the bliss. Fear, passion, pleasures etc.
do not simply touch him. He views, praises and insultswithequal
unconcern. He remains deeply plunged in realisation. (11.6)

BhZvab : outlook. l b v a t : like a child.

The liberated person's outlook is like a child

Liberation is not necessarily a post-mortem affair. In this very
life, it can be achieved and experienced. Those who attain it are
called jrvan-muktas that is liberated while living. They obtain the fruit
of their siidhand in this very life. They enjoy supreme state though
embodied. Their possessing a body does not come in the way of their
union with God. Their release is final. They possess a body which is
the result of the pra'rabdha karma which they allow to fall according
to itsdestiny. They allow theprarabdha to run its course. They are in
continuous state of divine bliss. .The outlook of jTvan-muktas
resembles that of a child. They seeallwith equal sightedness. They
are not proud of their knowledge or the state they have achieved.
They are serene and pure beyond imagination. They behave as
innocently as a child. Just a s a child does not keep in mind any harm
done to it by anybody and quickly forgets it and is always immersed
in happiness so also behave the jivan-muktas. They are not affected
by the behaviour of others but they always remain immersed in
eternal happiness and spread that happiness around them. (11.7)
 Akcimahaitukam sarvam
Akzmahaitukam : without any motive. sarvaln : everything.

Everything done by the liberated persons is without any

motive
The enlightened persons are incapable of selfish action. They
always act selflessly but with full freedom. In their case, the action is
'like an inaction. Many liberated individuals work for the welfare of the
world. They go on helping the people without any motive. They have
no axe to grind. The meaning underlying their action cannot be
understood or appreciated by the ignorants. They do not work out of
sense of duty which is the result of attachment but their engaging in
the work of helping the world is spontaneous - it becomes their
nature. Their action does not add or substract to the value of
their realisat~on.They cannot be persuaded for a particular actionor
disuaded from it also. So long as they live; they do what is beneficial
to the mankind whether noticed or unnoticed by anybody - like the
Sun and the Moon who shine for the benefit of the world without
the slightest tinge of doership. They radiate joy and peace all around.

Dars'anat : on account of what is seen. ca : and.

And also on account of what is seen in the world

Liberated persons work for the well-beingof the world. They do
not teach inaction. They have nothing to achieve in this woild, still
they work. The work does not fetter them which they do without
any attachment. They can do so as they have reached the state of
perfect satisfaction. They disregard success or failure they meet in
their work. All their actions are above 'self'. Self-lessactivity or even
social service is not incompatiblewith their perfection or salvation. In
fact, they are torch-bearers to individuals in their march towards the
aim of spiritual realisation. They are the ideal persons in the society
whose example is worth emulating by others. If they indulge in
inactivity, the ignorant may misunderstand them. Many realised,
persons are therefore seen engaged in the activities for the
upliftment of the humanity. They look at indiv,iduals a s dwelling
places of God. The greatest Indian philosopher SahkarZcZrya in his
short life, set an example for ottiers for work even after attaining
realisation, the state of perfection. (11.9)

Anzvyttib : non-return. tasya : his.

He d o e s not return ( t o the mortal world)

A liberated person has all his desires fulfilled. There remains
nothing which can attract him for enjoyment. There is no joy or
sorrow for him. He has all the lordly powers. There is no rebirth for him
nor does he wish for the same. From the state of liberation, if he
comes back again then the liberation will have no meaning. The
liberated soul becomes one with Brahman and does not acquire
anything new but manifests his original nature. He remains no longer
different from the Highest self - the Brahman. His unity with
Brahman is complete. He is released from all types of bondages. The
liberated soul never returns to the mortal world again. (11.10)
 Yugapanmoksam necchanti sarve labhante ud
Yugapat : at one time; simultaneously. moksa : liberation. na : not.
icchanti : wish. sarve : aklabhante : get. v$ : or

All people d o not wish for liberation at a time

nor d o they get also
A desire for liberation is not born in all at a time, leave aside its
attainment. The attraction of the worldly joy is the greatest and
therefore first of all it takes a long time t o arise a desire for liberation
and even thereafter one keeps on postponing again and again efforts
in that direction.
Sometimes, one is under the force of va'sancis accumulated
from birth to birth whlch cause delay in taking any steps for
perfection. As everybody is free to take food at the time convenient
to him, or as all do not feel hungry at one and the same time, even
though the food IS kept ready, similarly all d o not hunger for spiritual
knowledge and the resultant liberation simultaneously. There are
innumerable worldly attractions, and the capacity to overpower
them differs from individual to individual. Even when they hunger for
attaining the good, their intensity is not the same. However, as the
destiny is common, they reach it at varying time in one birth or
several births depending upon their sZdhana.(ll.ll)
 -

mwmmhtat~q?~~
a

Muktirndma svar~pajfidnamaikyamca
Muktib : liberation. nzma: means. sva-rilpa:of the nature of the Self.
jsznali~: knowledge. aikyam : unity. ca : and.

Liberation means knowledge of the Self and its identity

with the Brahman
What is liberation? It is realisation of one's true nature. It is not
something new that is to be acquired. It is not an external object and
therefore it is not necessary to run here and there for it like a musk
deer which runs to find out the perfume which in fact issues ~ ufrom t
its own body. The search therefore has to be from within. When the
knots of ignorance are loosened, the knowledge dawns. It is the
highest attainment. It is the highest possible evolution of an individual
in his life-time. It is the absolute identity between the Self and the
Brahnlan. It is the experience of one-ness inside and outside.
Liberation is not a production of something new. It is an experience
of "1 am Brahnian", the experience supreme. It is the communion
with the Supreme Reality, nay becoming the Supreme Reality itself.
The liberation can be enjoyed while living which is calledFvan-
~nukti.The same state continues after death in a disembodied state
which is called videha-n~ukti.The world appears to the j b a r ~ - r ~ ~ u k t a
as it appears to anybody else. However, he is not deceived by it. He is
not affected by the misery of the world: He is therefore in the world
and still out of it. Liberation is the state of perfection and immortality
and complete freedom. It is the cessation of all misery. It is a state of
positive bliss (Cnanda). (11.12)
 Muktimicchet
Mukti : salvation : icchet : should desire.

One should desire for salvation

The Vedanta proclaims that the Supreme aim and ideal of
human life is to attain liberation which is also called salvation,
realisation, perfection etc. One should have passion for the same. It
is the manifestation of the Divinity from within. It is the recognition of
the highest truth as Brahman. It is complete freedom from the
bondages of good and evil. This isyhich is to be desired. This
depends upon the efforts put in the life as well as the accrued
merit carried forward from the previous birth to the present birth. All
people march towards this ideal. Realisation is the highest human
development. Sannya'sins, householders, celibates etc. all desire
the same, all cherish the same. Persons like SannyZsins reach the
destination earlier as compared to householders - who are normal
worldlings. The sannya'sin marches continuously whereas the
householder marches only as and when he finds time. Therefore, the
sannyZsinislike a traveller by flight and the householder by a bullock
cart. It goes without saying that the sannyzsin reaches the
destination earlier though both are drawn by the same force and to
the same ideal. (11.13).
 Mahdtmci sajjanah sddhustathci satpuruso'pi ca
sarva eva sam* proktci ete vai muktasanijiiak*
Mahztms : mahZtmZ. sajjanab : sajjana. sa"dhu: sZdhu. tatha : so also.
satpuru~a: satpurusa. api : also. ca : and. sarve : all. eva : just.
samZb : equivalents, proktzh : stated. ete : these. vai : expletive.
muktasamjfiak'ah : indicating liberalised persons.

The words mahatmci, sajjana, sa'dhu and s a t p u r u ~ aare $11

equivalents and indicate a liberated person
A person who has reached the state of perfection is called
variously in the world as mahdtrnci, satpuruga etc. All these.words
indicate a supreme person. Maha'tma' is one who has realised the
identity of the Atman with the ~ahci-Atman,the Brahman. He is a
person who has,identified himself as the all-consciousness. He sees
the same Atman in everyone.
An ordinary person is called a puruia whereits the extra-
ordinary is sat-puruga. The word ' ~ a t ' i ~ u s eindthe sense of reality
and goodness and penance. Sat-puru~a is one who has realised the
reality by penance and is engagedin activities for good of the people.
Similar is the case with sajjana (sat-jana).Sa'dhu means good - who
has attained the good, who sees the good and does the good. All
these are to be held in high esteem. These are perfect mkh. (11.14)
Sat-puru$i@m :of sat-purusas. vac%-hsi : words. vedavakyani :
sentences of the Vedas.

W o r d s o r s e n t e n c e s s p o k e n by S a t - p u r u s a s a r e like holy
declarations of t h e Vedas
Whatever satpuru~asspeak, speak spontaneously. They speak
ex-tempore.As they are always united with the Truth, they speak the
Truth alone. Their words are like Vedas - guiding the humanity for
eternity. The words of Satpurusas live for ever. Their free talk
becomes the upades'a - the instructiori. They are not required to
exert for the same. Like words of the Vedas, their words are inspired
and the Divinity speaks through them. Their words do not go waste.
They remdln charged with power. They inspire and guide the
persons. Having known the path themselves, they are competent to
show ~i to otheis. (11.15)

@
Sarnyak nyciscit sannycis;

.
Samyak : proper. nyZsBt : by renunciation. sanny3sY : renunciate.

By proper renunciation, a renunciate is called

Many realised persons are sannycsins. However all cannot
become sannya'sins - i.e. renunciates. It is not advisable also.
SannyCsa is the fourth a's'rama and is a very difficult a's'rama. The
first three a r e . brahrnacary8&ania, gyhasth8s0rama and
va"naprasth~s'rama.During the first, one is supposed to study with
strict celibacy. In the second, one is to enter house-holder's'life after
completion of studies. The third is va'naprasth~4amai n w h ~ c hone
has to withdraw slowly from the family life and prepare oneself for the
fourth. Every ds'rama is of 25 year's duration.
 Sannyc7so is glving up results of all activities and not the
activities. Activities cannot be renunciated by the embodied beings.
The essence of Sannyfisa lies in the dispassionate attitude or the
state of mind or the approach to the actions performed. A
sannya'sin should not be worried for tomorrow. He should be like
birds and animals who d o not worry for the morrow. Without
expectations of any kind, he should devote himself to the task in
hand l~lithmaximum efficiency. (11.16)
 CHAPTER 12
COMPREHENSION OF THE ATMAN

Time and again, 4rutis have exhorted that the Atman is to be

searched and realised. All other talk should be given up. The Atman
cannot be known by sense-organs.
The individual soul is Brahman itself. However, because of
ignorance, the soul does not know this, and therefore it is like onein
prison. For knowing the nature of the Atman, the non-eternal is to be
abandoned in favour of the eternal - the Atman. The Brahnian is
one without a second.
Brahman is the cause of origination, sustenance and dissolution
of the world. However, from the transcendental point of view, the
world does not exist. The knowledge of Brahman entitles one for
instantaneous release.
Atma : Atman. anvestavyab : should be searched.

The Atman should be searched

The Atman is not a physical entity that can be searched in the
world. The Atman is one's very self. It is therefore unnecessary to
search for it outside by extraneous means. The Atman is an insider
and is self-established. As the Byhadzra~yakaUpani~ad(2.4.5)says
- "T@ Atman is to be heard about, reflected upon and
ascertained". The hearing (si-ava~a) implies study of the scriptures
under a teacher who himself has realised the Atman, and listening to
his instructions. Thereafter understanding the instructions through
reasoning means the reflection (manana).Repeated meditation on
the truth understood is called nididhyirsana. These are the three
means by which the Atman is to be searched. (12.1)
 Indriyairajiieya h
Indriyaib : by sense-organs. ajfieyah : cannot be known.

The Atman cannot be known by sense-organs

The Atman is not perceptible to the sense organs as it is without
any form or attributes. It is therefore to be known by spiritually
discerning intelligence. Generally it is seen in the world that people
wrongly identify themselves with the body, the senses and the like.
One often hears expressions such as "I am fat", "I am blind", "I am
lame", etc. This is a gross mistake. By such wrong identification with
the self, it is difficult even to attain ordibary contentment, let alone
glory of the Atman. It is therefore necessary to divert the attention
slowly from the gross to the subtle, from the visible to the invisible.
When the mind dwells on the gross, one is likely to experience pain
and pleasure as a result of its outcome. (12.2).

Indriy~tTtab: beyond sense organs

, The Atman is beyond the sense-organs
The seeker of Atman has to knov~the relation of the body and
the senses s o that he can think of the Atman which is different from
them and therefore beyond them. The sense-organs are the seats of
various undesirable activities which veil the knowledge. They are
destroyers of the knowledge of the Self. They are therefore to be
regulated. The senses are superior to the body and the mind is still
higher than the senses. The intelligence is further above them and
beyond them is the Atman. The Atman transcends the body, the
body-idea and the senses. Only when.the senses are conquered, it
can be known. It can be perceived with the help of a sharp
penetrating intelligence. It is of the nature of pure consciousness. It is
permanent and not momentary:(l2.3)

KZrZruddhab : imprisoned. jka : individual soul.

T h e individual sou1.i~like a one in prison

The individual soul resides in the body. It not only physically
lives in it but identifies with it also. The identification with it causes
bondage and therefore the body becomes its prison in which it
remains imprisoned. It is affected by the experiences of world and
therefore suffers. It believes itself to be finite. The individual soul is
the agent which enjoys merit and demerit of its deeds. (12.4)

Heyamanityam
Heyae : to be abandoned. anityam : non-eternal.

What is non-eternal is t o be abandoned

It is well known that uncertainty rules supreme in the human life.
The world itself is uncertain. But even in such a world, there is one
thing which is certain. It has never proved to be otherwise. And that
is death. Nobody in the world has escaped it nor there is any
possibility also. As one Sanskrit subh?f$ita'puts it : "The death of
mortal beings is certain whether today or after hundred years". The
worldly success that may be achieved will not last long and give
happiness. !t is therefore necessary t6 initiate action for acquiring
everlasting bliss, and to pay more attention to it. In the busy schedule
of every day, some time be set apart, may be five minutes.,for making
efforts for attainment of self knowledge to escape the entanglement
of material existence. A lifein which suchan opportunity is not taken,
may be said to be at the bottom of the evolutionary process. The
A t n ~ a nis the only reality which is eternal and the rest is anitya - the
non-eternal. Therefore all that is worldly and non-eternal be given up
in.favour of the eternal - the Atman. (12.5)

Dvaitam bhayamaduaitamabhayam j

Dvaitam : duality. bhayarh : fear. advaitari-r : non-duality.

abhayam : fearlessness.

Duality means fear, non-duality is fearlessness

A person desirous of attaining his go'al, may be a mundane one,
must first of all cultivate a sense of fearlessness and a capacity to
overcome difficulties. The same is true in spiritual matters also. If
one is afraid of water, one cannot cross a river in a boat or if one fears
fire, even cooking a meal will be impossible. One should have
courage to face the world for the sake of truth. Oneshould be able to
say a spade a spade. The mental conception of duality born out of
ignorance of the truth is the cause of fear. he untrained mind does
not reveal the truth but it twists or even makes it appear altogether
different. When one sees duality, one does not see the truth but the
untruth only. Therefore one remains away from the light. Duality is
like darkness where one fears. The non-duality is light and all
illumination. It is here where one experiences within oneself a
monistic conceot of the universe. (12.6).
 Atma udsancibhir~vytoyathci" dityo meghaib
A t m ~: Atman. vasana : addictions. Zvytab : engulfed. yath'l : like.
aditya : the Sun. meghaib : by clouds.

The Atman is engulfed with vt7sanc-i~ like the Sun by clouds

As the Sun is hidden by the clouds so is the a t m a n by thick
layers of sense addictions (vlisana's) brought forward frorh life to life,
with strong traces of thoughts, words and deeds. They obstruct the
vision of Atman. The Atman which is s o limited by the adjuncts is
called jTva - the individual soul. Just a s the Sun shines resplendently,
the moment the clouds go away, similarly the Atmati shines in its
glory as soon as the layers of va'sanfis covering it are removed. The
Atman is eternal withcut a beginning or an end. It is without any birth
or rebirth. It IS self-refulgent. (12.7)

Sa tu pratibimbah
Sab : the Atman. tu : verily. pratibirnbah : reflection.

The Atman is verily a reflection of the Brahman.

The jTva'tman is the reflection of the Parama'tman - the
Brahman, on the finite mirror of ignorance - the avidya'. O n
account of avidya, he feels that he is the knower, the doer of the
karma and enjoyer of its fruits. Further he identifies himself with the.
gross body. He utterly misunderstands his position. He is a
reflection of the Brahman, the infinite consciousness. Just as the
reflection varies according to water in which it is reflected, it is shaky
if the water is shaking, or it is stable if the water is stable - s o also the
[ua'tman which is the reflection of the Brahman, varies according to
avidya. The analogy of reflection explains how or)e and the same
Brahman appears differently in individual being$ due to avidyd
(12.8)
 -- -

Tasya lingifbh2ivah
Tasya : in his case lifig%bh3vab: absence of sex

H e is without s e x .
The Atr~larl has no sex.. The sex differences pertain to the
physical body and not to the inner principle. They can never pertain
to the eter~tal and pure principle like Atman. Otherwise they would
make him limited and subject to so many miseries. Divine wisdom
makes no d~stinctionwhatsoever on account of caste, creed etc. It
shines on every one according to his or her sadhana'. Men or women,
possess the same Atr~lan.(12.9).

J ~ brahmaiva
O

Jyval! : individual soul. brahma : Brahman. eva : nothing but

T h e individual soul is nothing but Brahman itself.

The soul is not different from Brahman, from the highest point
of view. It is of the nature of Brahman and is completely identical with
it. There is only one Supreme Self, the Brahman which is non-dual in
character. ~ h e ' s a m eself in the body, is referred to a s soul - jha
because of adjuncts of the body, - the sense organs, mind,
intellect, ego etc. Therefore the impartite appears as partite. The jrua
in the body is subject to bondage and transmigration. The jrua is
limited by avidya When it is destroyed, what remains is the original
self identical with universal self.
The statement that the soul is absolutely identical with
Brahman does not mean that the soul with all its adjuncts and limits
is equal to Bra11171an.The jTua in its original a d p u r e form of the
A t n ~ a nis identical with Brahrnan and not the empirical;ua. (12.10).
Par3 : boundless. asya : his. s'akith : power.

His power is boundless.

The power of God is not comprehended unless and until one
attains maturity. Children do not know the importance of their
parents until they reach maturity. Similarly, spiritually ignorant
people are unaware of God and his infinite innate powers. The
creation of the universe:consisting of a multiple conglomeration of
high and low things, is a stupendous task. But it is a mere pastime for
him. It proceeds spontaneously from him without any motive or
without any external help. He has divine powers which proceed
from him naturally. He is the creator, the sustainer and the
destroyer of the world. He is omniscient and omnipresent. The God
with qualities is viewed as S a g u ~ aBrahman and is the object of
worship. The Nirguya Brahman does not mean Brahman devoid of
qualities but above all qualities. To qualify is to restrict. It isabove all
restrictions, limitations and descriptions. It simply cannot be
described and therefore the popular way to "describe" it is "neti
neti" - not thus - not thus. (12.11).

*mTvl193'll
Ekam sat Brahma
Ekam : one. sat : being. Brahma : Brahman

There is only o n e highest being i.e. Brahman

\

There is only one highest divine being which is Brahman. The

wise people call it variously according to their own experience. It is
the end of every thing. The whole world survives on account of it. It is
all pervading like the Omkdra which pervades all sounds. It alone is
real. It is'without a beginning or an end. It is the inmost self of all and is
a pure being. It is devoid of qualities. By ignorance, the differences of
knower, kriown and knowledge are superimposed on it. It is free
from all impurities and is the Ultimate Truth. The Brahman is pure
consciousness, unlimited and infinite. It is a transcendental principle
and yet underlying every thing. It is self-luminous. It is changeless
and there is no diversity in it. It is free from all distinctions. It is one
without second. It is beyond description by words. (12.12).

Sagunasya systih
Sagu1;lasya : of the Brahman with attributes. Systib : creation.

T h e creation belongs t o Saguna Brahman

The Saguqa Brahman is the cause of creation, sustenance and

dissolution of the world. He is the instrumental and material cause of
the world and is not affected by the changes in the world. The world
exists in him and not he exists in the world. He is the controller of the
sentient and the non-sentient alike.Heis the substratum of the world.

. Jaganna vidyate
Jagat : world. na : not. vidyate : exists.

In reality, t h e world does n o t exist

The Brahman is the material and efficient cause of the world.

However, it does not become the world nor does it undergo any
change. The world is not its transformation. As a spider remains
unchanged even though weaving its web out of itself, even s o is the
case with Brahman. The world has existence so long as its cause,
the Brahman, is not known. Once it is known, the world,
disappears. For a realised person, all becomes one - there is neither ,

a knower nor the known. If the world was real, its reality could have
been felt all the time. It would not have been otherwise. But the very
fact that itsexistence is not felt at the highest experience, the world is
not real in its true sense. It is only relatively real. (12.14).

Sadyab : instantaneous. mukti : liberation. jfisnena : by knowledge

By knowledge, the liberation is instanfaneous

Knowledge of the Brahman entitles one for instantaneous

release. It is the result of consistent efforts put in,by the one to know
Him. It is complete identity with the Brahman and not the
destruction of the soul. It is extinction of the finite. It is a direct
experience with none in between. (12.15)
the Brahman, is not known. Once it is known, the world,
disappears. For a realised person, all becornes one - there is neither
a knower nor the known. If the world was real, its reality could have
been felt all the time. It would not have been otherwise. But the very
fact that itsexistence is not felt a t the highest experience, the world is
not real in its true sense. It is only relatively real. (12.14).

Sadyab : instantaneous. mukti : liberation. jri3twna : by l<n:)wlecige

By knowledge, the liberation is instantaneous

Knowicdge of the Brcihrncrn entitles one for instantaneous

release. li is the result of consistent efforts put in,by the one to know
Him. It is complete identity with the Brahman and not the
destruction of the soul. It is extinctiori of the finite. It is a direct
experience with none in between. (12.15)
 This. work now comes to a close. The teachings of $$
Nityananda as presented in the NityasiitrZni have great relevance in
the present age when the significance of spiritual heritage of India is
lost sight of by people engaged inchasing material gains. If they try to
know Nityananda, they will realise that at Ganeshpuri lived a divine
person who lived the life of the "Sthitaprajfia" described in the G h .
5% ~ i t ~ a n a n was
d a content in himself and had cast of all desires
of mind. He was beyond any kind of passion and anger or pleasure
and pain. The senses were under his firm control. He was
undisturbed in any circumstances. He was established En the peace
of the Self and therefore enjoyed eternal bliss - which incidentally
his name signified. However, 5% Nityananda took compassion on
those who approached him with purity of mind and showed them the
way to live a better life - a life of faith in and devotion to the
Almighty. Indeed blessed are those who have seen Nityananda.
Equally blessed are those wbo try to practise his teachings - simple
but full of meaning. May Sg Nityananda bestow his grace on all
aspirants!