Adi Shankara’s Viveka Chudamani

Crown Jewel of Sagacity - Iby Dr. Rama Rao Vadapalli V.B.

Vivekachudamani was composed by Shree Shankaracharya and is considered a sublime text and scripture dealing
with the essence of advaita, non-dualism or monistic philosophy. It is difficult to say as to when this was composed
and by which Shankaracharya. Adi Shankara was born, according to recent research in our country (we need not go
by British historians and certainly not by oriental scholars like Max Mueller, the German), in the year 509 B.C. at
Kaladi in today's Kerala. Shankaracharya is the position of the pontiffs at the four peethas in different parts of our
country established by Adi Shankara. The hoary text that goes as a dialogue between the preceptor and the guru
explains the basic concepts of a very important system of belief.

While translating Shankara Bhagavatpaada's Vivekachudamani into Tamil (eventually included in the complete works
of Sri Ramana Maharshi) Sri Ramana of Tiruvannamalai mentioned the need for translations. The sacred seer knew
about many commentaries. He noted that though there are many seekers intent upon realizing the Bliss of
Liberation, mukti, they do not have the scholarship for studying them.

The bulk of Indic scriptures and sacred texts are in classical Sanskrit. To bring these into easy access, there have
been umpteen renderings of these highly venerable texts in almost all Indian languages. Not merely rendering but
even abridgements are not uncommon. Conveying the basic import is found to be essential.

Viveka is a technical term in advaita philosophy and has no single word translation-equivalent in English. It is
basically a sense of enlightened sense of proportion. It involves the faculty of distinguishing and even classifying
things according to their features, qualities and properties. It involves knowledge, judgment and wisdom. It refers to
sagacity, judiciousness, discrimination and discretion in matters relating to the realm of the spirituality. It is a true
understanding of sat and asat, terms which are basic to the understanding of Reality.

Very recently there has been a very slim and selective rendering of Vivekachudamani by Professor Vedula
Subrahmanya Sastry, formerly Head of the Dept of Telugu of Andhra University. Another singular contribution of
Professor Vedula is a short glossary of Vedantic terms in Telugu with brief explanations and succinct elucidation of
very seminal concepts. For those who know English the following explanations of important terms may be of some
immediate practical use.

A great scholar both in Telugu and the language of the sacred text, Sanskrit, Professor Vedula Subrahmanya Sastry,
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rendered the essence of Shree Shankara's teaching in it in simple Telugu for the enthusiasts of spiritual
enlightenment. Mine is an attempt to put across a rough and ready rendering of that book for readers in English. Any
lapses in the rendering are mine and I owe a deep debt of gratitude to the revered Professor for his large-hearted
assent to this, my little project.

An Ardent Prayer
sarvavedanta siddhanta gocharam tamagocharam
govindam paramanandam sadgurum pranatosmyaham 1
Salute I Govinda, the preceptor par excellence, the one with the form of paramananda, the One not seen by the
sense organs and the One manifest in the theory of Advaita, which can be called the essence of all Vedanta.
jantoonaam narajanma durlabhamatah punsthvam tato vipratha
tasmatdvaidika dharma marga parathaa vidvatvamsmatparam
atmaanaatma vivechanam swanubhavo brahmatmana sansthithi
muktirno shatakoti janma sukruthai punyairvina labhyate  2
Among the millions of living beings, it is very rare to be born as a human being. In that, to be born as a male, into a
family belonging to the order of the dutiful brahmins is more difficult and rare.

Even among them being one interested and dedicated to Vedic dharma and being learned, being able to discriminate
between Atman and Unatman, getting realised to experience the Atman, and being a resident in the feeling of 'I am
Brahman' are increasingly difficult and surely rare. This would come by only owing to the merit (punya) acquired over
some crores of births by getting liberation from the bonds of Sansara.

In birth even as a Brahmin, it is not easy to get the desire for liberation from Sansara. Service to Guru,  the preceptor
is hard to come by. These can be obtained only from the grace of God. Being born as a Brahmin, accomplished in
Vedic lore and learning, if one does not make a sincere effort to be liberated from the bonds of Sansara, surely he
is Ajnaani, one unknowing and ignorant. He would be considered as one who has killed himself. There could never
be a more ignorant man than the one thinks that this very rare birth is only to experience worldly things and the
comforts offered by the senses and the sense organs. One can be very learned. One may offer worship to many
deities, perform pious deeds. But all those are of no avail. Liberation from Sansara is possible only when
through Jnaana one experiences Brahman. In no other way is salvation possible in any number of
births.Shruti, Veda, says clearly that in no other way is liberation possible.

Kartavya What is to be done.

One learned in Shastras and Vedas should try for salvation. One should give up all pleasures and comforts that the
senses may provide. One should take refuge at the feet of the Guru, the preceptor. Then one should bear in mind
and act meticulously as taught by the Guru.

The sadhaka, aspirant, should keep his chitta vrittis,  the wanderings and wavings of his mind firmly under control. He
should be committed seriously to attain selfrealization. Though in the ocean of Sansara he should uplift himself.

Glossary of Vedantic Terms

Ajnaana  is to think that there could be a thing which is not Brahman. It is ajanaana to think that the body is ‘me’; that
the external, visible world is true and everlasting: to see the serpent in the rope. The ‘knowingness’, or jnaana is to
realize tattwa jnaanaardha, attaining metaphysical understanding.

Adhikaari: Adhikaara is power or authority that comes from one’s qualifications, abilities or deserts, having qualities of
deserving. Adhikaari is the one who has adhikaara. He who has scholarship, who is an intellectual with the ability to
look within and see atma, the self, and the one who can discriminate between appearance and reality having
richness of saadhana chatushthaya  is adhikaari (See anubandha chatushthayam below)

Adhishthaanam: It is the thing that causes bhranti, illusion owing to ajnaana. This is what the world is to parabrahma.
In rope-serpent illusion this is the rope for the serpent.

Aadhyaasa:  Attributing in a thing something that is not there really. The senses, praana, life force, manas,

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myness, ahamkaara, comforts, the five elements and the five sheaths, pancha koshas  and the entire universe down
to the body which are non-self or anaatma are supposed to be the person.

Anirvachaneeyam: That which cannot be described either as sat  or asat. This is caused by bhranti or illusion. If it
is sat like Brahman, it does not have pain. If asat  it is not seen. As such brahman is anirvachaneeya. The kid of a
barren woman is not seen. It is bhranti, illusion.

Anubandha chatushthayam:  1) Capacity to discriminate between nitya and anitya, eternal and non-eternal 2)

renunciation of fruit here in this world 3) the six qualities like shama, dama, etc., and 4) mumukshatwam, quality of
yearning for liberation. These are the four essential qualities or items of equipment for attaining liberation which is
called mokshapraapti.

Annamayakosham: The Physical Sheath. The gross body, sthoola sareera is born of anna, sustained by it and dies
without it. The body has five koshas, and this is one. Avashtaatrayam: the three states of  jagrat  (wakefulness), 
swapna (dream) and sushupti (deep sleep)

Avidya: the power of parameshwar, Supreme Being, a compound of three gunas, attributes

of sattwa, rajas and tamasaavyaktam: this is avidya itself, called maya also. This is having the three gunas or
attributes. This is the causal body for the atman.

Ashtha paashaas:  Eight bonds:  daya, lajja, bhayam, shanka, jugupsa, kulam, sheelam, jaati. These are:
compassion, sense of shame, fear, doubt, disgust, caste, character and race, respectively.

Ashthavasuvulu: avidya, kamam, karma, and the five elements  Earth, Water, Light, Air, Sky.
Kamam is desire, karma is action. Avidya is already explained.

Asat: That which is not found anywhere in all the three worlds: the horn of a hare and the son of a barren woman.

Ahamkaara: the affection for “I” and ‘me’; the sense of ‘myness’. This is the basic bondage or shackle in samsara.
This is called ‘egosense’ or ‘myness’ also. Antahkarana: Roughly, the inner sense of discretion. Manas, buddhi,
chittam and ahamkaram are called the foursome of antahkaranachatushthayam

Aakaasham: One of the five elements. It is pure, flawless, of all pervading quality. This is given as example of
the atman. According to the context ghatakash and patakaash  are understood: sky in the pot etc.

Atman: ever wandering, that which experiences the fruit of action. It is the absolute reality. It is used to
signify jeeva and manas also. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says it is the one which is worthy to be seen, known, worth
contemplating and worth retaining. The Upanishads say that it is pure, pristine, without action and without limbs or
organs.

Anandamya kosha: This is a sheath where there is the reflection of the micro quality of bliss. This affection results
when something dear is enjoyed. The meritorious, punyatmas, experience this by merely having the body.

Avaranashakti: This is the quality of tamoguna which covers a thing. This is the basis for a man to
have samsara.shrams: brahmacharya (celibate), grihastha (family, house holder) vaanaprastha (old
age)  and samnyasa (ascetic)

Idriyas: (memory to the atman)  five jnaanendriyas and five karmendriyas, senses and sense organs.
Eshwar: The one who has maya as means, upadhi, stationed in all beings. With maya he dictates and disciplines all
while being above maya.

Uparati: keeping chittavritti  firmly under control without allowing it to stray into vishayas or external things or Maya

Upadhi: base. For Eshwar maya is the base. For jeevi the five koshas like annamaya kosha are the base.

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Oormis:  waves The waves in the ocean of samsara: those relating to praana are hunger and thirst, to
the manas griefs and enticements; to deha, the body birth and death. These six are shadoormis.

Karma is the activity of the senses. This is of three types: sanchita, praarabda and aagaami. Sanchita is

experiencing the fruit of actions, which has been brought forward from the previous birth; prarabda is experiencing
the fruit of actions in this birth and aagaami is experiencing the fruit of actions performed in this birth in the birth to
come. There is another division: nitya, naimittika, kaamya, nishiddha karmas. What is to be done every day isnitya
karma; that which is done for a purpose is naimittika and that which done with a desire is kaamya  and that which is
prohibited by the scriptures is nishiddha karma. In yet another division they are of three
types: maanasika, vaachika and kaayika, performed with the mind, the speech and the body.

Karmendriyas, legs, anus, genital are the five used in speech; taking and giving; walking; excretion and procreation. "

Kaarana sareera: Prakriti with three attributes (tri gunas) becomes kaarana sareera for the atman. its sthiti, being or
existence, is the state of deep sleep, sushupti.

Kootastha: koota is an implement on which a goldsmith flattens gold into a thin leaf. It is stable and unmoving. The
person who remains unmoved like that is a kootastha. Koshas: the sheaths like praanamayakosha etc. They are five
as explained earlier. Chittam: That which signifies, conveys, makes known. It makes known sabda sparsa rasa roopa
gandha to be experienced by the subject.

Chidaabhaasa: Chit is chaitanya, consciousness. Paramaatama, the Supreme Being. Aabhaas is image.

Chidaabhaas is the chaitanya that is reflected in the chitta. This is the Jeeva.

Jhadajahallakshana: When the meaning of the word used does not strictly refer to the purported thing. Devadaata
seen somewhere at some other time can be recognized as Devadatta in a different place at a different time with the
application of jahadajahallakshnana. The Supreme Being is omniscient. Jeeva is limited in knowingness. If the
respective qualities are removed, ignored, and if only chaitanya is reckoned, the condition of (advaita) monism – non
duality is arrived at. Jeeva, that is Jeevaatma, is equated with Paramatma.
Jnaana: knowingness, coupled with discrimination and wisdom.

Jaagradavastha:  State of wakefulness

Jignyaasa: The desire to know is jignyaasa.

Jeevanmukta: The one liberated while alive. Steeped in the conviction that jeevatama  and paramatma are one,
when chittavritti, the goings about of chitta are minimal, the condition is called prajna. The one with
that prajna is jeevanmukta. The purport, meaning, is that while being alive the one who is free from the bonds
of samsara is a jeevanmukta. With avarana, covering, destroyed, he lives with prarabda alone with equanimity.

Jeevatma: Jeevudu is called jeevatma also. He is anaadi, without beginning, ahamkari, steeped in ego-sense, and

goes on carrying out acts. He acts according to his past vasanas, tendencies. He experiences the fruit of his deeds,
good and evil. Jnaanendriya: Senses which take in sabda, roopa, sparsa, rasa, gandha. These are the skin, eye, ear,
tongue and nose.

Tat twam asi: This is mahavakya, a grand declaration from Chandogyopanishad. Tat is ‘paramatma’, twam is

‘you’ asi is ‘are’. That thou art. The meaning is that jeeva is paramatma and the two are not different at all.

Tamoguna: This is the attribute of darkness. This engenders produces, moha, enticement, evil attraction.

Taapa-s; Taapa is feeling of severe heat. These are of three types: adhyaatmika, adibhautika and adhidaivika: The
grief of the manas owing to attractions/enticements is adhyatmika; the grief accruing from serpents, tigers, etc
is adibhautikam; the grief accruing from fire, thunderbolt or excessive rain etc is adhidaivikam.

Titiksha: Patience, tolerance, the absence of any thought of revenge and the fortitude to bear insult or harm
constitutes titiksha.
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Triputi: The knower, the thing to be known and knowingness together are triputi. There is another tripuiti too: the
seer, the seen and the scene Damam: The restraint of the external senses by keeping the senses in their places
without allowing them to stray about in various vishayas, things that attract.

Drishyam:  The scene which is seen. The sthoola deham and the world around are all seen and form a scene.
According to shastra, all that is liable to be destroyed. Dhyanam:  To divert and concentrate all  the movements
of chitta as a stream towards the goal - the Supreme Being.

Nityaanityavastuvivekam:  It is certain that Brahman is nitya and jagat  is mithya. This is viveka, discrimination or

sense of judgment.
Nidhidhyaasanam: This is akin to dhyanam and akin to nirvikalpa samadhi.

Nirvikalpa samaadhi; Keeping the manas unwaveringly on the paramatma after restraining the occupations of the

senses is nirvikalpasamadhi, It demands the cultivation of equanimity in the mind and thus in the self.

Parabrahmam: This is one: Truth, Jnanam. It is limitless and endless. This is also called paramatma.

Puryashthakam: 1. Karmendriyas – five sense organs; 2. jnanendriyas , sense pereceptions – five;

3. vaayus like praana etc.–five; 4. mahabhootas, five elements like the Earth 5. antahkaran,– mano, buddhi, chitta
and ahamkara; 6. avidya compound of the three gunas. 7. kaama, desire and 8. karma, action. All these
comprise sookshma sareera.

Pancha kosha-s: Five sheaths: annamaya, praanamaya, manomaya, vijnaanamaya and anandamaya. These are
different from atman and are called anatman.

Pancha bhoota-s: Five elements: Earth, Water, Light, Air, Sky, bhoomi, apas, tejas.vaayu and  aakasha.

Pancheekaranam: Uniting into five. Each element joins all the others to make a mahaaboota, mega element. The
elements thus divided go to form the sthoola sareera, the gross body.

Prajna: Immersed in the feeling that jeeva and eswar are one and the same and restraining the manas  from straying
according to the pulls of the chitta is prajna.

Pratyayam: Pratyayam means jnaana, knowingness.

Pratyagaatma:  That which enters everybody. This means paramatma and jeeva.

Praagabhaavam: The state of not being. The state of the pot before it becomes pot is its pragbhava.

Praanamaya kosham: Vital Sheath. Praana conjoined with the five sense organs, karmendriyas, is pranamayakosha.

Filled with this the annamaya kosha goes about in all actions. This is anatman, non-atman.

Prana-s:  Praana is only one. In view of its operating in various parts of the body it is of various types of vaayu: prana,
apaana, vyaana, udaana and samaana.
Bandham: Obtaining the feeling of atman in anatma, non-atman, like the body. Bandham: is the feeling that “I” is the
body. This feeling/belief creates the troubles of birth and death.

Buddhi:  Conjoining with matter, this creates the knowledge of matter.

Brahman: That which grows, expands.

Bhakti: The best instrument in the equipment for man to get liberation, moksha. Bhakti is making the manas coalesce
into its own form of pratyagatma. Some say that it is contemplating its own form of atma tatwa, nature of atman.

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Bhaava vikaara: the changefulness of the thing. These are of six kinds: birth, stay, growth, mutation, decay and
death. Atman does not have these vikaraas, changes. Only anatman has these.

Bhranti: This is aadhyaasa itself. Taking one thing to be another, construing or taking the rope to be a serpent or to
take the body, anatman, as atman.

Mananam: Subtle enquiry contemplating something heard from the guru as a message or upadesha with some
proofs.

Manas: That which has sankapa, intention, and vikalpa,  alternative.

Manomayakosham: Mental Sheath.  Manas, along with the other koshas,  is called manomayakosha. This spreads
into pranamayakosha  and flourishes in pride. This is anatman.

Mahat: Buddhi, the cause of ahamkara.

Maya: That which is not true. This is the power of pararameswar. This is without beginning, anaadi. This
is prakriti with the three gunas, attributes. This is known as avidya also. It is this that engenders this universe. This is
inexplicable, indefinable, the upadhi, base for parameswar.

Mithya: That which is not there but appears to be there. In rajju sarpa bhranti the rope appearing as serpent
is bhranti. It is like water in a mirage. This is adhyaasa, the universe being seen in Brahman.
Mishrasatwam: This is satwa with a little mixture of rajas and tamas. This is the base for linga sareera or sookshma
sareera.

Mukti: Getting rid of the tendencies that have been there long with strength is liberation. Mukti kaaranam: The cause
of liberation. To be rid of bondage, the faith that aham brahmasmi becomes the reason. It is because of this that the
knowing ones, jnaani-s experience absolute bliss.

Muni: One who has total restraint of speech, one committed to dhyana  and a knowing one, jnaani, is  a muni.

Mumuksha: The desire to get rid of samsara; .the wish to be liberated.

Mumukshu: The one who wishes to be liberated and seeks to get moksha.

Moola prakriti:That which is the compound of the three gunas. This is base for the emergence of the universe.

Moksham: The undoing of the cord that ties the heart to avidya; liberation from avidya: getting self-realization.

Yati:  The  one who restrains his manas and senses.

Yoga:  That which joins. It unites manas  with paramatma. It restrains the activities of the manas.

Rajogunam:  The inspiration for man to act, perform deeds. Kama. Krodha etc are the qualities, dharmas, of rajo
guna.

Rajju sarpa bhranti: this is an illusion: seeing a serpent in a rope. The root cause of this is ajnaana. When the real
thing is known the illusion disappears. Rope appears as rope. When one can see atman, the illusion disappears. The
body is seen and realized as anatman.

Lingas: That which reveals the subtle. There are six lingas that would help in determining the meaning of the
Upanishads. These are 1. upakrama upasamharas, 2 abhyaasam, 3. apoorvata, 4. phalam, 5. artha vaadam and
6. upapatti.

Lingasareeram: The subtle body is also called sookshma sareera. This has the earlier tendencies, poorva vasanas.
Owing to ajnaana this is the base for jeeva. It stays till moksha is attained. Only when this is gone there is moksha.
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Varnadharmas: Deeds to be performed according to the ‘birth’ of individuals.

Vasanas:  These are called samskaras also. For flowers etc these occur owing to nearness or contact. Some are
inherited by the jeevi. There are three types: loka vasana, shastra vasana and deha vasana. Mukti is to get liberated
from these. These stand in the way of acquiring jnaana.

Vijnaanamaya kosham: Intellectual Sheath. This is a sheath that is the reflection of the chaitanya, consciousness, in
all the three states of wakefulness, dream and sleep. This is a changeful quality of prakriti.

Vichaara: deep and steady enquiry.

Vishayas: These are the base for the activity of the senses perceptions. Since these go about the vishayas,
attractions and sensory objects, these would be a hindrance for self-realization, atma darshana.

Vikshepa shakti: the power that makes the manas go about in many directions. Vairagyam; This is a state of having
no desire; a kind of total non-attachment, freedom from sense attractions and enticements.

Shamam: Restraint of manas  to keep it steadily on  pratyagatma.

Shareeratryam: The three bodies: sthoola sareeram, sookshmasareeram and linga sareeramn.

Shamadi shatkam: the six qualities shamam, damam, uparati, titiksha, shraddha and samaadhanam.

Shuddhastwam: total, complete, pure satwam with the other two gunas being totally absent. Experiencing absolute

bliss in contemplating is the absolute reality. The one with this quality enjoys ananda, bliss.

Shraddha: Having total faith in what is taught by the guru  as truth. It is only through this that there could be self-
realization.

Shravanam: Determining the purport of Vedic pronouncements with requisite investigations like

upakramaupasamhaara in the Vedantic tradition.

Shadoormulu: The six oormi-s: hunger and thirst; grief and attraction; birth and death are the six oormi-s.

Shad bhaava vikaaras: the six mutations, changes that a thing undergoes: birth, being, change, growth, decay and
death.

Sat:The everlasting, eternal, atman.

Satwa gunam: the most important and valuable among the three gunas. This is the most important for self-realization.
From this emerges jnaana, knowingness: knowledge and wisdom.

Samadhanam:  Keeping the buddhi steadily in shuddha brahman, that is, pratyagatma. Samadhi: Keeping

the manas still and unwavering like an upright flame when there is no wind going beyond the knower and the dhyana.

Samyak jnaanam: The knowingness, jnaana of the truth that brahman and atman are just one and the same and are
not at all different.

Swapnavastha: Jeeva being in the sookshma sareera shines. While in the wakeful state, the functions are performed
by the senses, while in the dream-state, buddhi alone performs them all gets ‘doership’, kartrutva.

Saadhana chatushthayam:nityanitya vastu vivekam, ihaamutraphalabhogam, shama and the five other qualities in
shamaadi shatkam and  mumukshatwam. sushupti: deep sleep. This is a state where the senses and the buddhi are
all lost to merge in antahkarana. Buddhi is there as a seed.

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sthoola sareeram: Bones, marrow, brain, flesh, blood, organ of touch and skin along with feet, thighs, breast bottom,
shoulders make this sthoola sareera.

Explanation of terms relating to Atman

Akhandam: the full, without limbs.

Akriyam:  with no work
Aksharamdviteeyam: that which has no destruction
Advaitam: non-dualism, monism
Anantam:  that which has no end
Anaadyantam: that which is without beginning or end.
Anupaadeyam: which has nothing inside or outside that is worth keeping
Anaashrayam: that which has no foundation or basis
Aniroopyaswaroopyam:  that which has shape that cannot be described
Anirvachaneeyam:  that which cannot be described or defined
Anupaadeyam: that which is not worthy to be grasped
Apratarkyam: that which is beyond imagination
Aprameyam:  that which cannot be measured
Avikaaram:  that which has no change or mutation of any kind
Asangam:  that which has no company and that would not mix with anything
Asat: that which is not to be found all the three loka-s
Aheyam: That which has nothing to be left
Anandaghanam: solid bliss
Yekarasam: that which is bliss alone
Yekam:  one
Chidghanam: solid consciousness, jnana
Nityam:  that which is there at all times
Niranjanam:  that which is not laved
Niravadyamyam:  flawless, perfect
Nivrvikalpam:  without any different thinking
Nirakaram:  without shape
Niraakriti: without shape
Niraalambam: without foundation or base
Nirdwayam:  with none second
Nirgunam: without gunas like tallness or shortness
Nishkalam:, having a single form or shape with no divisions,
Nishkriyam: with no gesture or action
Prjnaanaghanam: solid jnana
Manovachamagocharam: that which  is not seen by manas or speech
Budhham: form of jnaana
Satyam: ever living
Sat samrudhham:  full of that which is there in all the three lokas, sat
Sarvatomukham: all pervasive
Sadghanam: solidified sat
Sarvaateetam:  transcending all
Sartvaatmakam:  that which is all
Sookshmam: that which is not perceived by the senses
Svatahsiddham:  formed or emerged naturally

chittasya shuddhaye karma na tu vastoopalabhaye

vastu siddhirvichaarena na kinchit karma kotibhih  11

The Nature of the Seekers and Aspirants

To bring the manas, under control, the learned Sadhakas should give up all deeds undertaken with desire, kaamya
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karmas, and try for salvation. By performing pious deeds, karmas, purity of chitta only is possible. One would not
attain the state of Parambrahman. However many karmas one may be committed to and
performed, parambrahman cannot be attained. He would not be able to experience the Brahman.

When, in the dark, a rope is taken to be a snake, grief occurs. When it is realised that the rope is only a rope and not
a serpent, the grief is dispelled. This discrimination and the capacity to judge would be attained only when one goes
deep into the nature of things. When one listens to the word of the Guru, the dear one and exercises one's judgment,
one would be able to know and understand the nature of things. The knowledge of the nature of things (padaartha
jnaana) would not be obtained by hundreds of baths or pranayamas. Self-realization, atmajnaana, is possible only
through deep contemplation and tapas under the guidance of the compassionate Guru.

The qualities of adhikari, the one deserving to know.

Brahma Praapti, the attainment of Brahman is possible only to the most deserving one, adhikaari, the one with the
right qualification. In this matter the place and time are only contributory factors. The one who aspires for liberation
must find a compassionate knowing one of the Brahman (Brahma Vetta) and then think of the self.

An intellectual and one capable of the right and wrong imagination and the one who has sadhana chatushthaya (to
be explained a little later here) would be competent to know the self. He should have both: Viveka, discrimination and
judgment as well as vairagya (a sense of total non-attachment), great qualities like Shama  and a deep yearning
for Moksha.Such a one alone is fit to know the self.

Sadhasna Chatushtayam - Four Ways Of the Aspirant

To contemplate and realise Brahman the learned ones spoke of four ways. Only when one has the four
accomplishments in Sadhana, one would attain that.

They are:

adau nityaanitya vasthu vivekah pariganyate

ihaamutra phalabhoga viragastadantaram
shamadi shattka sampattirmumukhutvamiti sphutam 19

i. nitya nitya vastu vivek (Judgment of the real and unreal)

This is coming firmly to the decision and conviction that Brahman alone is Satya, True and the Jagat, world
is mithya, illusion or appearance.
ii. vairagya (Non-attachment and renunciation)
By experiencing directly and listening to the utterances in Vedanta as well as the preaching of the Guru, realizing that
right from the body to everything that is to be experienced is only anitya, impermanent or fleeting, one should give up
all desire and attachment. This is vairagya.
iii. Shamadi shatkam: Six sublime qualities
The sestet of qualities shama, dama, uparati, titiksha, shraddha, samaadhanam, these six are called shamadi
shatkam.

Shama is keeping the manas steady giving up the attraction and affections of all sensory feelings and keeping them
away as unworthy and dangerous.

Dama is to withdraw the senses from all attractions and keep them in respective places firmly. The jnaanendriyas are
sensory faculties like sight, smell, touch etc. The jnaanendriyas are sensory organs like the mouth, nose, and tongue
etc. uparati: Restraining the manas from straying into external things (worldly things and sense gratification) is the
best - It is uparati)

Titiksha : It is tolerating with patience all kinds of grief, pain and trouble.

Shraddha : Coming to a determination that what the guru has taught is true and believing that is the absolute truth
is Shraddha. With this one can attain the goal.

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Samadhanam : With Shraddha, Brahman can be attained. Keeping the buddhi unwaveringly and steadily on the
absolute Parabrahman is samadhanam.

iv. Mumukshatwam: The Quality of the Seeker

Mumukshatwam : Without placating, casting or lulling the manas, shedding or leaving all bonds right from ego- sense
to body with a desire to attain self-realizations is mumukshatva, the qualities of a mumukshu, a seeker of self-
realization.

Only those who have these four qualities explained above are eligible and fit for brahmajignyasa, contemplating and
thinking to know brahman.

If viewed and reviewed carefully on the basis of these two things, vairagya and shamadi shatkam,
mumukshatwa appears rather slow and sluggish in some and of a medium quality in some others. However it may
be, with Guru's grace it grows and gives fruit too. Whoever has vairagya and mumukshatva would find these qualities
like shama meaningful and rewarding. In those who have these qualities but are slow and sluggish, Shama and other
qualities may shine but do not bear fruit as a tree in a marshy land.

The form of Bhakti

The means to obtain moksha, Salvation, is bhakti, devotion. Bhakti is the quality of losing one's self in his own atma,
the inner self orpratyagatma. One's real form is parabrahman. Being immersed in it, losing one's self into it
is bhakti. Some hold that bhakti is the feeling that the person himself is parabrahman.

So it is said.

moksha sadhana samagryam bhaktireva gareeyasee

swaswarpanusamdhanam bhaktirityabhidheeyate
swatmatatwanusandhanam bhaktiritya pare jaguh  32

The Qualities of a Preceptor, guru

The one who has these four qualities and is desirous of knowing the atman should seek refuge in a guru who
has prajna. It is only through him that mukti would be possible.

He who has the following qualities only should be taken as a guru.

He is the one who is a veda vetta, one knowing the Vedas.
He is sinless and he wouldn’t be even a whit attracted to desire.
He is the best among those who know Brahman: losing himself totally in parabrahma.
Like fire which has no more faggots, he is totally cooled down and his manas is peaceful.
He is an ocean of compassion.
He is a close relative of all good people and is humble. He loves his disciples.

shrotriyo vrijino kamahato yo brahmavittamah

brahmanyuparatassanto nirandhana ivanalah
ahetuka dayasindhu bandhuranamatam sataam 35

Such a guru needs to be approached in all humility and should be propitiated with devotion and loyalty. He should be
asked then to know about what is to be known regarding atman.

The way of enquiry

Master! Kin of all those who bow down in Salutation! Ocean of compassion! I am in bhava sagara, the ocean of life
and sansara. Kindly rain compassion on me through the corner of your eye and uplift me.

I am being consumed by the wildfire of sansara. I am being blown away by the winds of misfortunes. I am terror-
struck. I seek refuge in you. Save me in every way from death. There is none else to come to my rescue.
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 durvaara sansara davaagni taptam
dodhoooyamaanam drushtavaataih
bheetam prapannam paripaahi mrutyoh
sharanyamanyam yadaham na jaane  38

Minds of the Great Men

Mahatmas, embodiments of peace, good men like the spring season would make people happy.

Having crossed the frightful flood, ocean of sansara,  without any particular reason, they would relieve people of grief
and suffering. This is their natural quality. Doesn't the moon protect and save this earth baked by the Sun's rays
giving his cool rays!

Lord! I am being tossed in the flames of sansara.  Kindly sprinkle waters from the vessels of your words which are
sacred, holy, cool and replete with the ananda  of the highest order. Sprinkle the nectar of your words which are very
dear to my hearing. Blessed really are those who are accepted by you being chosen as deserving your grace and
compassion.
brahmananda rasaanubhooti kalitai pootai susheetairyutai
ryushmadvakkalasho ghnitaih shrutisukhairvakyamrutai sechayaja
santaptam bhavataapa daava dahana jwaalbhirenam prabho!
dhanyaste bhavadeekshanagateh paatreekrutah sweekrutaah 41
How can I ever cross this ocean of sansara? What is the refuge for me? What is the ruse prabhu! I am not able to find
any. Save me with your compassion. Destroy the grief of sansara for me!

Guru’s abhaya (assuring protection from fear of harm)

Thus sending up prayers, being scorched in the flames of sansara, goes the afflicted one to the guru. The guru,  with
compassionate looks graces him with abhaya, fearlessness forthwith. The one who has approached him is eager to
attain moksha, he is the one who would meticulously follow his teaching; he is of a calm and cool mind with restraint
of hismanas. For such a disciple (sishya), the guru must preach with kindness the intricacies of tatwa, philosophy.
Thus the guru  should draw the sishya near.

“O! Learned one! You are in no danger. There is a way, a technique to cross the ocean of sansara. I would show you
the way taken byyatis, successful sadhakas to cross sansara. There is a great upaya (method, a ruse or a shortcut)
to destroy the fear of sansara. Going that way you could reach the other shore and get absolute bliss.

“You would be able to getjnaana by contemplating the meaning put across in the upanishads. Veda has it that for
the mumukshu, the one who seeks moksha or salvation, dhyana, yoga, bhakti and shraddha are necessary. When
one has these four qualities, one can easily get liberation from the bond of the body.

“For you, the form and embodiment of atman, owing to ajnaana, a bond has formed with the body which
is anatma. Because of that you are entangled in sansara.  The fire of jnaana would destroy sansara totally by
contemplating and distinguishing what is atman and what is anatma.”

The question of the disciple, Sishya

The disciple said: “Master! Listen to me with compassion. I ask you a question.
“I would be blessed to hear the answer from your lips!”

“What is bandha, bond? Where did it come from? What is its basis? How can it be severed? What is anatma? What
is one's form which is Paramatma? How can one distinguish the one from the other? Kindly explain.”
konaama bandah kutah yesha aagathah
katham pratishtaasya katham vimokshah
kosaavanaatmaa paramah ka aatma tayorvivekah
kathameta duchyataam  51

The, guru, Preceptor’s Word
Said the guru:

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You say you want [1] to be free from the bond of ajnaana and attain brahmatva, the quality of brahma.  You have
sanctified your whole family for generations. You have been successful. For a father, sons are those who free him
from indebtedness. But for liberation from sansara, everyone must endeavor for one's self only.

The weight on the head someone else may relieve and hence the pain from burden. But for certain things like hunger
and thirst, everyone must find ways of satisfying himself. For relief from disease only the patient must take medicine.
Nobody else. Everyone must find atmaswaraajya, only with his own eye on jnaana. This cannot be attained by
scholarship. It is like the beauty of the moon which can be seen by the person himself. To be rid of the bonds
of avidya or kama, the individual has to put in the whole effort.

Only either through yoga, sankhya or karma can freedom from sansara be achieved. Only through jnaana one would

arrive at the conclusion that jeeva and brahma are just one. There is no other way. One can play veena and impress
listeners but it cannot get him an empire.

The Quality and Nature of Scholarship

Scholarship, eloquence and powers of argument can yield money or prestige but not liberation certainly.

vaagvaikharee shabdajharee shastravyakhyana kaushalam

vaidushyam vidushaam tadvadbhuktaye na tu mukthaye 60

If one does not realize paratatwa, study of sciences would be just fruitless. When it is known, study of sciences would
be futile.

avijnate tattve shastraadheetistu nishphalaa

vijnaatepi pare tattve shastraadheetistu nishphala  61

The vocabulary in shastras is like wilderness: it would confuse chitta. For that reason, atma tattwa needs to be learnt
from the really knowing-one.

For the one bitten by a snake, the medicine called brahma jnaana alone would be useful. With shastras or Vedas
there would be no use. By ingesting medicine a disease can be cured, net merely by uttering its name. Freedom,
liberation form the bonds of sansara would be possible by acquiring brahma jnaana and
experiencing brahmaanubhooti not merely by repeating aham brahmaasmi: I am Brahman. Without slaying all
enemies, without acquiring power over all land, simply by declaring that one is a King, one does not become a King.

To dig up a treasure in the earth one has to trust the truthful man, dig and then remove the boulder to find the
treasure. By merely declaring "here is the treasure" one does not get the riches unless guided and taught by a
competent guru and practising manana and dhyana etc. atmatattwa cannot be experienced.
aaptoktim khananam tathopari silaapakarshanam sweekritim
nikshepah samapekshate nahi bahi shabdaistu nirgachchati
tadvadbrahma vidopadesha manana dhyanadibhir labhyate
maayaakarya tirohitam swamamalam tattvam na duryuktibhih  67

The Action of the Learned Ones

So, the learned ones must go about individually to work for liberation from the bonds of sansara. O learned disciple!
Your question is good.

That is acceptable to those knowing shastras deeply.

This has deep and subtle meaning. This is worth knowing by all those aspiring to get mukti. Listen to me carefully. By
listening to this you would get liberation.

The reason for mukti (salvation)

The first requirement for moksha is attaining vairagya (non-attachment etc.) for things fleeting, anitya. Then
renouncing all karmas and acquiring eminence in the shamadi shatkam. After this the muni must spend time in
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listening to vedanta and go on contemplating on it (manana) along with dhyana.  Those who take to this as habit
would surely acquireparamananda in this world itself and enjoy the bliss of nirvana. This means that he gets liberated
becoming jeevan mukta.
majjasthi medah palarakta charma
twagaahwayair dhaatu bhirebhiranvitam
paadoru vaksho bhuja prushthamastakai
rangairupaangairupayukta metat
aham mameti prathitham sareeram
mohaaspadam sthoolamiteeryate budhaih  74, 75

Sthoola sareera (Macro Body)

The body is made of sapta dhatus, seven substances. marrow, bone, brain, flesh, blood, skin and the organ of touch.
Along with these there are legs/feet, thighs, chest, shoulders, back, head organs. There are upaangas too like the
eye etc. this body is the base of all moha, enticement and attraction. Scholars call this sthoola sareera.

Sky, air, fire, water and earth are the five elements. In micro form each mixes with the four others and get the
condition ofpancheekarana. Then they become the reason or cause for sthoola sareera. For these elements sense
perceptions are sabda (sound) sparsha (touch) roopa (appearance or form rasa (taste) and gandha (smell). These
are called the fivetanmatras. For the jeeva, the bhokta, these become vishayas to give comfort (sukha).

Ajnaanis, ignorant one's, develop attachment to these vishayas. This attachment is an unbearable bond which binds
them. Thus bound, they would be going up the higher worlds and going down the under worlds. The very karma they
perform would lead them up and down.
ya yeshu moodhaa vishayeshu baddhaa
ragoru paashena sudurdamena
aayaanti niryaantyadha oordhwamuchchai
swakarmadootena javena neetah  77
In this world with anuraga, attachment, for sound the deer, for the elephant, for form and appearance the locust, for
taste the fish and for smell the bee would be drawn into suffering and death. If attachment to one sense leads to
death, what should be the lot of a human being drawn by all the five!

These vishayas (sabda etc.) are more deadly than the most poisonous black cobra.

Only the one who tastes poison would be killed. Attraction to attachments would kill all.

Attraction and enticement to vishayas is very powerful. It is not easy to give them up. Only the one who is rid of that
bond would be liberated from sansara.  Though one is a scholar and master of the six shastras,  unless one is free
from that bond, he cannot get liberation.

Even a mumukshu who attempts to cross the ocean of sansara is dragged by vishayas which are like a crocodile. But
the one who really kills that crocodile can cross the ocean.
vishayaakhyo graho yena suvirakhtya raosina hatah
sa gachchati bhavaambhodheh paaram pratyooha varjitah   82
The way of vishayas, sense attractions, are crooked. The one who goes into them with contaminated buddhi would
have to face shocks and blows at every step.

He would even be killed. The good and the noble- minded follow the guru and act according to their intelligence and
reach the goal. This is the truth which needs to be known.

So, sishya! If you wish to get salvation, keep vishayas away like poison.

Honour and treat with love the noble qualities of compassion, forgiveness, joy, peace, restraint, rectitude and
patience as nectar. Practice them intensely and treat them as guides and masters.

Bonds are there because of the ajnaana from earlier births. Liberation is necessary. It is your immediate duty to free
yourself from the bonds. The one who thinks the body to be the most valuable wealth and spends all his time
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nurturing it would only be killing himself. The one while nurturing his body wishes to get self-realization is like one
holding a crocodile (thinking that it is a log) to cross the flood. Attraction to body itself is death for an aspirant. The
one who wins enticements and attractions called moha alone is worthy of salvation.

So, learned one! Give up your moha for wife and children, riches and position. Munis who shed moha  and conquer
the manas would acquire the world of the Supreme Being and merge into him.
moha eva mahaamrutyuh mumukshorva puraadishu
moho vinirjito yena sa
mukti psdadamarhati 87
moham jahi mahaa mrityum dehadaara sutaadishu
yamti tad vishnuh
yam jitva munayo yaanti tadvishno paramam padam 88

The Nature and Quality of sthoola sareera

Sthoola sareera made up of skin, flesh, ligaments, brain, marrow and bones is filled with urine and faces. This is
worthy of blame. This is born according to the karma in the previous birth by the panchee karana, or unification of the
five elements. This sareera experiences joy and grief in the state of wakefulness.

Jeeva takes in the beauties of things through sense organs. He experiences them personally with a feeling of
identification. (taadatmya) For the one in grihastha ashram, this body is necessary like a home to carry on the
business of life. The body thus is the basis for living.

Dharmaas - The Foundations of the Sthoola Sareera

These bases are three: birth, old age and death. Height, weight etc. are related to this body. So are the four stages of
life like childhood etc. The various rules relating to the castes and terms relating to honour and infamy are related
only to sthoola sareera.

Indriyas, senses
Sense organs are called jnanendriyas because they take in sound, sense of touch, sight etc. These go about in
various deeds or performance of acts. Those that act are karmendriyas like mouth, tongue, eye etc.

The Sense Inside - Antahkaranam

According to the functions they perform the four are called antahkaranam: they are manas, buddhi,
chittam and ahankara. In experiencing the vishayas, sensory objects, for attraction and repulsion the basis would
be manas. As per the form and nature of things, padardhas the decision about them is caused by buddhi. 'Me', 'my',
myness-ego sense all these can be called ahankara. That which reminds the thing- is chitta.

Though an ornament is made of gold, it is known by the shape gold takes like ring, necklace, bracelet etc. Though it
is all water, water in the glass, water in the pot are used to refer to the same water. Though prana is one-
basically vayu, or air, according to its various forms and funtions vayu is called prana, apaana,
vyana, udana and samaana.

Sookshma Sareeram
i) Mouth etc. are Karmendriyas ii) Ear, Skin, these are Jnanendriyas: these are five. iii) The five vayus like prana etc.
iv) The elements like Earth, Air, Water etc. v) Antahkarana. These are four: manas, buddhi,
chittam and ahankara. vi) avidya 'ignorance' vii) Kamam, desire and viii) karma. These eight are called 
puryashtatkam. This is also calledsookshma sareera  or linga sareera.

This is made up of the unification or compounding of the five elements this is calledpancheekarana. This makes us
experience the fruits of actions, karmaphala. It is because of one's ajnaana. This is without beginning, anadi. This is
the base for the Jeevi. Base is upadhi.
vagaadi pancha shravanaadi pancha pranaadi
panchabhramukhani pancha buddhyaadya vidyapi cha
kaamakarmanee puryashtakam sookshma sareeramaahuh 98

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 idam sareeram shrunu sookshmasanjyitam lingam tvapancheekruta bhoota sambhavam
savaasanam karmaphalaanu bhaavakam swaajnaanato anaadi roopadhibhirtmanah 99
For this sookshma sareera the base is the state of dreams. In dreams only this sookshma sareera operates (shines).
In this state buddhi alone experiences the feelings of the body in the wakeful state.
Making buddhi its upadhi, base, pratyagaatma witnesses the acts in the dream. It would not be laved by
the karmas, acts, performed by buddhi. Sopratyagaatama would the remain as asang, unattached. As instruments
like a chisel help the carpenter, for the activities of chidatma this ling sareera would be an instrument. Even
then atman is asanga, unattached.

Blindness and efficiency are the dharmas, qualities of the eye. So also of the ear are the ability to hear or deafness.
All these are related to the senses but they do not belong to atman. Atman is unattached.

Hunger and thirst are the dharmas of prana.  Inhalation and exhalation are the activities, karmas, of the prana.

In the body eyes etc., are sense organs. Since they are light reflected in buddhi, they have the ego-sense. This the
scholars call ahankara. This has the feeling or affection that, 'I' am the doer, 'I' am the eater etc. This ahankara with
the three gunas of satwa rajas and tamas would have the three states: wakeful state, dream state and deep-sleep
state.

When things are favourable one feels "I am happy: I am comfortable". When unfavourable one feels 'I am grief
stricken'. Comfort and grief are the dharmas of antahkarana.These do not belong to atman which
is anandaswaroop, the form of bliss.

It never has any grief. The deep sleep state is without any vishayas. Then the bliss, the form of atman, is
experienced. That the form of atman is ananda (bliss) is proved actually, and also as an experience down the ages.
The latter is anumanapramaanas, a proof that is believed. Even the Veda says so while acclaiming.
pratyakshamaitihyamanumanam cha jaagrati.

Maya
The power, shakti, of Maheswar is called maya that is moolaprakriti, basic nature. That has no beginning: it
is anadi. It comprises the trigunas, satwa, rajas and tamo gunas. It is imagined by the learned one according to its
'doing' kriya.
avyakta naamnee paramesha shaktir anadya vidyaa
trigunatmikaa paraa kaaryanumeyaa sudhiyaina maayaa
yayaa jagatsarvamidam prosooyate 110
That is neither sat nor asat : nor is it a blend of the two. It is neither different from Eshwar nor the same. It is neither
broken nor whole. It is not made of limbs-nor is it without limbs. It is wondrous. It has an indescribable form.

When it is known to be a rope definitely the bhranti that it is a serpent disappears. In the same way then one learns
that it is pure and second to none and just one.

When brahman is realized this maya is destroyed. The trigunas are also the doing of maya.

Diversifying power - Vikshepa shakti

This shakti is related to the doing/act of rajo guna.  This is the power that drives the entire creation. Love and hate, joy
and grief are all owing to this diversification.

The dreadful desire and anger (kama and krodha) and the arishadvarga, deadly enemies are the dharmas of rajo

guna. It is because of this that a human being goes about his doings, acts, deeds. This rajo guna is the cause of the
bond of sansara - sansara bandha.
vikshepashaktee rajasah kriyaatmikaa
yatah pravrittih prasrutaa puranee ragaadayosyah
prabhavanti nityam duhkhaadiyo
ye manso vikaaraah kaamakrodho 113

lobhadhambhaabhyaasooyaa ahankaarershyaa
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 matsaraadyaastu ghoraah dharmaa yete rajasah
pumpravriti rasmaadetattadrajo bandhahetuh 114
Power that is covered: Avarana Shakti
This relates to tamoguna. Because of this, one thing 'appears' as another. This is the base for man to get
into sansara. While avarana shakti create sansara with the form of birth and death, vikshepa shakti makes jeeva get
into that.
yeshaa vrittirnama tamo gunasya shaktiryayaa vastvava
bhaasate nyathaa saishaa nidanam purushasya samsruter
vikshepa shakteh prasarasya hetuh 115
Though one is a genius or a great scholar or a skilled one able to see minute things, if surrounded or enveloped
in tamoguna, he cannot realize atmashakti. He believes that the body and world which are asat as truth and lasting.
There after he follows the dharmas  related to things which are asat.

There are three qualities of avarana shakti. abhavana. Vipareeta bhavana and sambhavana viprati. Abhava is
thinking that there is no truth atma vastu. (It is not believing in atman) To believe that the asat, the body etc., are
himself is vipareeta bhavana. To doubt Veda's declarations and the messages of the guru is sambhavana
vipratipatti. Vikshepa shakti would not allow one with avarana shakti to have his own way. It would hurl him
into sansara.

Ajnaana, (ignorance) aalasyam (delay) Jadata  (inactivity) nidra (sleep)pramadam (carelessness and  moodhatva 

(obtuseness) are the qualities of tamas.

One with these qualities would never be able to realize atman. He would be just like a column, a Pillar like one which
has the nature of sleep only.

Quality of mixed Sattva - Mishra sattwa gunam

Sattva is pure like clear water. When Sattwa  dominates and along with it rajas and tamo gunas are there in it slightly,
a linga sareera is formed. In the shuddha tattwa atman is reflected. Just as the sun illumines all, in this shudha
sattwa reflecting the atmabimba illumines the jad body.

Refraining from self-praise nor being showy, proud and arrogant, having principles like yama (restraint) and good
qualities like shraddha and bhakti (commitment and devotion) fearlessness and purity in sattwa are divine
qualities. Mishratattwa is the quality deciding that the body etc. which are asat are not him. Experience of the atman,
peace beyond understanding, contentment and commitment to paramatma are the qualities of shuddha tatwa. The
one having these qualities would enjoy and experience bliss.

When the three, sattwa, rajas and tamas, gunas are in equal parts, it is called avyakta. This is the karana

sareera for atman. This would surface and be apparent in the dream-state. In this state the nature of sense and the
behaviour of buddhi would coalesce in the atman.
avyaktametat trigunairniruktam tatkaaranam nama
sareeramaatmanah sushutpiretasya vibhaktyavastah
praleena sarvendriya buddhi vrittih  122
In this deep-sleep state all kinds of knowledge of things would be totally destroyed. Buddhi stays only as a seed. The
one in that state stating that he has not experienced anything is common knowledge.

The Nature of non-atman

anaatma swabhaava: sthoola sareeram, the ten senses and the five types of manas and the five elements and the
universe upto avyakta are all considered anatma. Maya and its activity, that is, from mahat to deha, the entire
universe is considered asat. This is anaatma. This is like a mirage.

The form and shape of paramatma

Now, I'll tell you about the form and shape of paramatma. The one who knows this would be free from the bond
of sansara. He would experience only Brahman and nothing else.

There is one base for nitya, the everlasting, eternal, without beginning. That is paramatma. That is witness to all the
three states.
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It is different from the five sheaths. In all the three states, buddhi and its activities, sat and asat and "I" are all known
by that.

It sees all personally. No sense can perceive it. But that can not be made consious by anything else. That is all
pervasive. It can not be pervaded by any. All that is irradiated by atman only. Simply because of it (the atman), the
body, senses, manas, buddhi and other things behave as if activated by somebody else.
yasya sannidhi maatrena dehendriya manodhiyah
vishayeshu swakeeyeshu vartante prerita iva 131
Only by this paramatma which is ever the form of jnaana everything is being known right from  ahankara   to  deha, 
all vishayas, griefs and joys.

This paramatma is stationed in all Beings, jeevas.

Its seat is the heart cave (hridaya guha). That "inward moving", antaryaami, that paramatma is the most ancient. That
is a continuous single flow of the experience of bliss. That is second to none. That can be known only
throughjnaana. It is with the inspiration of atman that speech and praana are activated. In maya, parmatma with great
effulgence illumines the entire universe. It is like the sunlight. Paramatma knows all that the senses, body
andpraana are doing. Like fire, that has acquired iron, it follows all. It does not move. It does not have any change.

Atman is not born; it does not die It does not grow or deteriorate. It does not change. It is ever present. It is inside,
coalesced in the body. Even then like the sky in the pot it is not touched by it. That means paramatma does not have
any change.

Paramatma is different from prakriti or ajnaana. It is distinct, from vikriti or the world. Its nature is pure jnaana,
shuddha jnaana or chaitanya.

While being both formless and having form it irradiates everything. It stays witness to buddhi in all three states. O
disciple! Learn that when you restrain you manas on things you stay cheerful. With your own buddhi thus trained you
learn that your own form is paramatma. You cross over the ocean of sansara which has the waves of birth and death.
Be accomplished and fulfilled attaining brahmtva.

The cause of the bond of sansara

For man sansara, the bond, means having the belief that the anatma, body, is atman. This occurs because
of ajnaana. This is the cause for the grief of birth and death. Because of this alone man believes that he is the body
and sustains it as a spider spins and protects the web with form, taste etc. of vishayas. He is serving it and sustaining
it.

Friend ! the stupid one owing to ignorance thinks what is not as something that is. He sees one and takes it to be
another. Because of ajnaana, in the rope he sees the serpent thereafter many outward things happen. For this
reason ajnaana itself is becoming a bond.

Atman which is perfect, everlasting, and inspiring as jnaana shakti is covered by the tamo guna as avarana shakti like
the sun hidden by Rahu at the time of eclipse. Owing to this ignorance, he believes that his body is atman, his real
self. Then the vikshepa shakti of rajo guna binds him and puts him to grief, pain and suffering.

The crocodile of maha moha swallows the atma prana of the man. With buddhi that is full of tamo guna, he
experiences great woes. He goes about floating and sinking in the ocean filled with vishayas in deceitful and crooked
ways.

The row of clouds engendered by the sun becomes flashy and covers the sun himself. In the same way the ego
sense, ahankara born in man covers atmajnaana. While the sun is covered by thick clouds, the wind becoming
powerful bothers them. In the same way the dense tamoguna covering atman makes vikshepa shakti which puts
the ajnaani to various kinds of tribulations. Thus aavarana and vikshepa cause the bond if sansara to man. Being
attracted to these, he believes that he is his body.

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The Tree of sansara
For the tree of sansara the seed is ajnaana. To think that the body is atma is the little sprout. The love and affection
for sensations are the leaves. Karma waters the plant. The groups of senses are the top; sabda etc., the vishayas are
flowers. Various griefs that result from deeds are the fruit of the tree. The jeeva the eater of the fruit and as such a
blind.
beejam sansriti bhoomijasya tu tamo dehaatmadheeram kuro
raagah pallavamambu karma tu vapuh skandho savah shakhikah
agraaneedriyasanhatischa vishayah pushpaani duhkham phalam
naanaakarma samudbhavam bahuvidham bhoktaatra jeevah khagah 147

The Bond of anaatma

Owing to ajnaana the bond is formed with sareera  the body, which is anatma. This bond is natural and has no
beginning, anadi, which has always been and which would always be. That causes taapa, heat, This bond, formed
owing to ajnaana, cannot be cut off by either instruments or incantations; by word or fire. It would not go off even by
the performance of a million deeds. This is possible only through the grace of Eshwar. With the sword
of viveka, discrimination between atman and anaatman, the bond of anatma can be cut off. For the one who has
commitment and dedication to the declarations of the Veda, a devotion to dharma in his deeds would come. Without
dedication or, nishtha, themanas is not cleansed and sanctified. Only for the one with clean and
pure buddhi the jnaana, about paramatma would come. Only with such jnaana, sansara would be destroyed at the
very root.

The water in the well that could be descended into would be covered with moss (or water weed) would not shine. In
the same way, atman, which is overed by the five sheaths would not be effulgent. That moss should be removed for
the clean water to be seen. Then only the water of the well would quench the thirst of man and give comfort. Only
when the five sheaths are removed the burning flame of atman shines as pratyagaatma. For that reason, the learned
one should make a distinction between atman and anatman.

Only with that would he be able to realize that he is the form of sat chidananda and feel its bliss.

Just as the tip of the sacred sacred grass is nipped off, unless the pratyagatma is detached from  asanga  and 
akriya of all other things, the real scene cannot be seen. The real one is the form if pratyagaatma. Then only one is
liberated from sansaara and the cycle of birth and death.

Annamaya Kosha - Physical Sheath

The sthoola sareera is born of anna (food). This lives because of anna and without it, if perishes. This body which is
made of skin flesh, bone etc., and full of urine and faeces cannot be clean and ever be pure atman.
dehoyamanna bhavanonnamayasthu kosah
chaanneeva jeevathi vinashyati tad viheenah
twakcharma maamsa rudhiraasthi pureesha raashir
naayam swayam bhavatumarhati nitya shuddah  157
This body does not exist before birth. After death too it would not be. It stays for a short while; it quickly undergoes
change. It is made up of limbs. It is inactive and is just to be seen like a pot. How can that be atman which knows all
the vagaries of the body!

The body has limbs and organs. It may live in the absence of some of them. But atman has no limbs. Its power is not
to be destroyed. For that reason also body cannot be atman. Atman is the controller, organiser, niyaamaka. It
appoints all. Body is appointed by atman. Atman is witness to all the stages of life and activities. It is independent,
autonomous. It is self-born. Deha, body is not.
The body made of flesh and bones and a bag etc. is foul. How can it be atman which is a sakshi, witness to
all? Ajnaani, the ignorant one, thinks that 'he' is the body. But the learned one knows what is what and makes a
distinction between atman and body, the anatma. He realizes that he is the form ofpratyagaatma. The one with
the jnana relating theatman and anatman is a mahatma who realizes that he is paramatma. He says and
believes: aham brahma smi.

Ajnaani!; shed your buddhi which makes you think that you are the sthoola sareera with blood, flesh, bones etc. Your
obtain buddhi in the all-pervasive unity of brahman, unless one sheds the illusion that asat, the senses etc., and the
Page 18 of 40
body are not brahman, even a scholar cannot obtain liberation. Even though he understands vedanta and visualises
it, he would still be not liberated.

The sareera, body is like a shadow; an image in a mirror and something that is seen as in a dream! Won't you ever,
even for a moment; believe that the body is atman. Don't think that you are the sareera. To believe so is the seed for
grief. That is the reason for grief in sansara. If you shed that illusion you would not be born again.

Pranamaya Kosha - Vital Sheath

Along with the five karmendriyas sense organs, prana makes up pranamaya kosha. It is because of this annamaya
kosha gets the feeling of 'I'. Filled with anna it appears in all karmas, or, deeds.
karmendriyai panchabhiranchitoyam
praano bhavet pranamayasthu kosah
yenaatmavannamayonna poornaat
pravartate sau sakala kriyaasu 167
Even this annamaya kosha is not atman. This is just a form, a mutation of air. It goes in and comes out as air. It never
has any likes or dislikes. It cannot know either itself or anything else. It has no independence. It is always dependent.

Manomaya Kosha - Mental Sheath

The five senses of perception and manas together are called manomaya kosha, mental sheath. This sheath causes
the feeling of 'I' and 'my'. This creates the differentiations of various signs and symbols. This is very powerful. It
occupies the pranamaya kosha  completely.
jnaanendriyani cha manascha manomayah syaat
kosho mamaahamiti vastu vikalpa hetuh
sanjnadi bedha kalanaakalito baleeyam
statpoorva koshamabhipoorya vijrumbhate yah  169
This fire called manomayam is roused by the five ritwiks of jnanendriyas. The sense perceptions provide the ghee for
increasing the flames. The tendencies, vasanas acquired over the earlier births are the sacred faggots to kindle the
fire.

Avidya is not different from manas. Manas itself is ajnana. That itself is the reason for sansara. If it is destroyed
all sansara would be destroyed. If it flashily erupts sansara would be uncontrollable. In a dream where there is
nothing, Manas creates everything that is experienced in the dream. Even the state of wakefulness, is the explosion
of the manas. In deep sleep manas is destroyed. There would be no sense of anything. Then everyone says. "I know
anything."So, for man sansara is just a creation of the manas. It does not exist in reality.

Wind brings in the cloud. It is only with the wind that it is driven away somewhere. In the same way, manas creates
affections, likes and dislikes and with that rope it binds man as an animal is bound. It is manas again that frees him
from the venomous vishayas.
dehaadi sarva vishaye parikalpyaragam
badhnati tena purusham pashuvadgunena
vairasyamatra vishavatsuvidhaaya paschaa
denam vimochayati tanmana eva bandhaat 175
For this reason the cause for the bondage or liberation of man from sansara is manas only. It is the cause for the
contamination of manas which is the season for bondage. Manas has no connection with the three gunas  and so is
pure and becomes the reason for salvation or liberation (mukti or moksha).

With the increase of viveka and vyragya, manas gets cleansed and leads to liberation. The mumukshu (seeker) with
intelligence and expediency should first consolidate and strengthen the quality of this viveka and vairagya.

The tiger of manas would be on the move in the wilderness. Good people and those who seek moksha  should not go
into the wilds. Manas creates many things to experience both in the wakeful and dream states. Things related to the
body like caste, and the stages or states of life like Brahmacharya, (celebacy) etc., the various species of birds and
beasts and the qualities like tallness or shortness, various deeds, (karmas) and their fruit all are the creation of
the manas.
manah prasoote vishayanseshaan
sthoolatmanaa sookshmatayaa cha bhoktuh
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 sareera varnashrama jaatibhedhaan
gunakriyaa hetuphalaani nityam 179
Unattached and the form of chit, is atman. Manas is the thing that draws one with moha and binds one with the
senses, pranaas and gunas while performing reaping the fruit of karmas, it is the manas that makes one think that
they are real.

For a man to think that the body etc. which are anatman as atman, the cause is manas. Manas is the basic reason for
the aviveki, the one without viveka, to feel the grief of birth and death and the faults of the gunas. For this reason,
great sadhakas say that manas  itself is avidya. So, to obtain or attain moksha one should get his manas cleansed by
severe practice and austerities. If the manas is pure, getting moksha would be easy - a gooseberry in the hand.
When one has aspiration and interest only in moksha, one should give up all affection and attraction
for vishayas. One should relinquish deeds with desires. One should listen to and follow the precepts of vedanta and
the teachings of the guru. One should be committed and dedicated to sravan, manan. Then only can one be able to
keep the rajoguna away from him.

Even the manomaya kosha cannot be atman. This has a beginning and an end. This evolves. This is grief ridden.
This is the reason for experiencing vishayas. Paramatma is always a seer, a drashtha. Thus seen by him
this kosha disappears. So how can the seer, the paramatma, be seen? Never, he can never be seen.

Vijnanamaya kosha - Intellectual Sheath

Jnanendriyas and their actions with egosense and buddhi become the vijnanamaya kosha. This is the cause
of sansara.
buddhirbuddheendriyai saardham savruttih kartru lakshanah
vijnanamaya koshah syat punsah sansarakaranam  186
The chaitanya that follows the three states (like jagradavastha) along with its reflection is considered vijnanamaya
kosha. This is the vikara (variant) of prakriti which has the three gunas. This sense makes one feel that he is the
doer, the actor etc. with the influence of this kosha he feels that he is learning and feeling the shape and nature of
things through the body and the senses.
anuvraja chchitrapratibimba saktir
vijnaana sanjnah prakriter vikarah
jnaana kriyaavaanam hamitya jasram
dehendriyaadi shvabhimanyate bhrusham 187
The image of the chit is whithout beginning, anaadi.  This is of the form and shape of ego sense (ahankara)  This is
referred to as Jeeva. This conducts all the affairs and activities. According to the vasanas brought down from the
earlier births, it performs meritorious deeds (puna karyas) and sinful ones, (paap karmas). It undergoes and
experiences the fruit thereof. This one is born in several yonis (genitals of the female).

That means he takes various births. He goes into the upper worlds, and the lower ones. He goes on experiencing the
fruit of the actions (karmas). All the three states and all the experiences of joy and grief are his.

This kosha has the affection that in the ashram dharmas, karmas and gunas that they are his. Since it is closest to
the paramatma, it has extra rediance. For this reason this is the upadhi (base) for the Jeevi. For this reason, it has
the buddhi that it is the atman and behaves in the way it does.

They one with vijnaana would appear as prana in the heart as ajyoti. Though atma is kootastha, since it
has vijnanaamaya kosha as upadhi or base, it is both the doer and the eater, karta and bhokta. Though it has neither,
since it is in that base, it feels the two.

Since it identifies itself with buddhi which is a mirage, for this lapse or dosha it is called separately
as Jeevatma. Though a form of clay, clay and pot are given different names.

In the same way the all-pervading paramatma is spoken of as jeevatma. With contact with upadhi, paramatma with
the qualities of upadhi shines with the dharmas of upadhi. Agni does not have vikaras,  changes. But when it is with
iron it gets the angularities of iron. In the same way though paramatma has a single form. According to
the upadhi, with its nature, it is differently referred to as jeevatma. Shishya's Pariprasna, Questioning

Page 20 of 40
Sishya asks thus;
"For paramatma the idea of Jeevatma may be caused by illusion or something else. Avidya that is the base
for paramatma c!is without beginning and is indestructible. Then the Jeevatma bhava that has come to Atman would
bring along the idea that sansara too is nitya. If that is so, since sansara cannot be removed, guruji, how I can get
liberation fromsansara?"

Gurujis statement
"Young man! your question is proper and relevant. Listen carefully. That which is created by avidya can never be
stable. Paramatma is asanga, unattached. He is formless and without kriya, action. For such there can be no
attachment with vishayas, things or objects. To think that there is a relation is bhranti, illusion. Blackness of the cloud
is only abhranti, isn't it?

By himself Paramatma is a visionary, a seer, qualityless and deedless. Pratyagatma is the embodiment

of ananda, bliss. His jeeva bhava comes only because of the illusion of buddhi. Paramatma  does not have jeeva
bhava at all. When illusion is removed there is nothing that is different from paramatma. As long as bhranti is there
with unreal knowledge,mithya jnaana, by accident, there is the expanding jeevana bhava. When illusion is gone
the bhava is gone too. Only because of illusion there appears a snake: when it is gone there is only a rope. As long
as illusion is there only avidya and its activities would appear to be anaadi, without beginning. With Jnaana emerging
this avidya disappears. The experience in the dream is there only till one does not become wakeful. With
wakefulness, the experiences are destroyed.

Though 'anaadi', avidya is never nitya. Nitya is ever present and everlasting. The earlier feeling of ghata (pot) is
also anaadi. When ghata comes the earlier feeling is obliterated. In the same way avidya too is extinct
after jnaana comes.

Owing to the connection of buddhi with upadhi (base) in the atman the quality of jeeva is well imagined. So, there is
no jeeva without atman. Only through comprehensive knowingness, samyag jnaana the illusive knowingness would
be destroyed. Shruti accepts that samyag jnaana is the knowingness of the oneness of (or the unity
of ) jeeva and brahmaand not the performance and observance of karmas (deeds). Samyag jnaana is obtained only
with the viveka (realization and discrimination of atma and anatma). For this reason it is important to know what
is prayagatama and what is jeevatma.

Water in slush would be unclear. If the slush is removed, the water is clear. In the same way atman would be
effulgent if there are no flaws in it. If asat is not there, pratyagaatama would appear clean and radiant. For this
reason ahankara (ego-sense) etc. need to be rejected. Then the form of sat, atman would be resplendent.

For this reason vijnanamaya kosha (Intellectual sheath) is not atman. The changeful jada is considered to be limited

to only one avarana, covering. That is drishyam, visible. It is seen in many forms. So, the intellectual sheath
is anitya. So it can never be atman.

Anandamaya kosha -  Blissful sheath

Anandamaya kosha is said to be an expanded reflection of ananda. With tamoguna its body gets blown up. Its quality
is to like and be liked. This feeling comes when a thing dear is accessible. In the meritorious (punyatmas) this would
appear in experiencing punya  (merit).
If only there is body, without effort, it would make one experience bliss.
ananda pratibimba chumbitanurvrutti stamojrumbhitaa
syaadananda mayah priyadi gunakah sweshthartha
laabhodayah punyasyanubhave vibhaati krutinaamaanandaroopah swayam
bhootva nandati yatra saadhu tanubhrunmatrah prayatnam vinaa  209
This kosha would be felt most in deep sleep state. In the other two states there would be some joy. This kosha  too is
not atman. This is not so since this has for its upadhi, (base) tamoguna. This is a variant ofprakriti. This accrues
because of meritorious deeds. This comes because of various mutations.

Thus considered with the support of several vedantic statements, none of the koshas can be atman. If all these are
thus gone, only that which remains as a witness with the form and shape of jnaana can only be
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considered atman. This is self-effulgence. It is different from the five koshas. This is witness to the three states. It is
free from the six mutations,vikaras like birth, growth etc., it is niranjan, pure and worth knowing by the learned ones
as being ever blissful.

The Disciple  - Shishya's question

Asks the shishya thus:
Crown of gurus! if I am to reject the five sheaths as the result of illusion or mithya, everything etc. too would appear
as non-existent. If it so is there anything in him that the learned one has to know?

The preceptor's answer

Explains thus the guru,

"O! Learned one! You spoke the truth: you have become skilled in thinking of atman. Realise now with your
sharp buddhi that paramatma is one who sees egosense and of mutations. He is the one who knows all. He is one
who cannot be seen by anybody too.

If something is seen by anybody he would be a witness to that. It is not possible to be a witness to something not
seen. In that case there could be no witness. Paramatma is he or that which is seen by Paramatma  alone. So he is
witness to himself or itself. That is parambrahmam. That is Pratyagaatma. Nothing other than that. It is not different
fromPratyagaatma.

What appears as very clean in all the three states. and the one which appears as 'I' inside, the one who sees
all vikaras (mutations) and egosense always remains in the form of bliss. Then realize that it is your form and shape
in your heart.
jagrat swapna sushuptishu sphutataram yo sau samujhrumbhate
pratyagroopataya sadaahamahamityantah sphurannekathaa
nanaakaara vikara bhajina imaan pashyannaham dheemukhaan
nityananda chidamatnaa sphurati tam viddhi swametam hrudi 219
The stupid sees the reflection of the sun in the pot and thinks that it is the sun. In the same way an ajnaani  sees
the jeeva in upadhi called buddhi and thinks that he (chidaabhas) is atman. The learned one capable of
discriminating what is atman and what is anatman, leaves both the reflection and the pot and looks at the sun in the
sky. He realizes that the sun above is neutral and making both the pot and the image in it shine. But the sun alone is
self-shining. In the same way, the learned one gives up both the body and the buddhi along with the jeeva, the
reflection of chaitanya and sees the Pratyagaatma in the cave of buddhi, buddhiguha. In the same way he realises is
that he is of the form of atman and the seer of atman and the solid, undivided form of jnana. He knows what
is atman and what is not atman. He knows that sat makes everything shine and that it is all pervading. Thus he
becomes solid bliss one who has no death and the one who is without sin and rajoguna. He sheds all grief. He is not
afraid of anything. For the one who aspires to get liberation, there is no other way of getting liberation except realizing
his self.

Experiencing the sameness (abhinnatva - quality of not being different)-that capacity - is the cause for liberation
from sansara. The learned ones attain brahman, the second to none experience of the form of solid bliss. The one
who realises and experiences the abhinnatva or sameness would never get into sansara again. So it should be learnt
he himself isbrahman and is in no way different from brahman.

The form of brahman

Brahman is true: it is the form of jnaana, endless, eternal, pure, and transcending all. It is self-born; ever living, form
of bliss absolute, nor different from pratyagaatma; ever shining and the form of sat. There is nothing from it
separately. It is non-dual. When paratattwa is known, there would be nothing else in the mind or memory.
Only brahman is seen all round, everywhere. The entire world in different forms and shapes is seen only because
of ajnaana. But even that is brahman that is without imagination.

What is made of clay is only clay. It is not different from clay. Pot is always in the form of clay. There could be no pot
different from clay. The name 'pot' is a creation of 'mithya' illusion. Can anyone show a pot removing the clay from it!
This is impossible. So only ignorance, ajnaana creates pot. In fact what there is only clay. In the same way wherever
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that comes from the form of sat, brahman is sat, that is brahman only there is nothing that is different from it.

If there is anyone who says there is something different from it, it means that he is an ajnaani. It is like talk in a
delirium.

A uniquely best declaration in the Atharvana Veda says very clearly that the "Universe is brahman. Brahmai vedam
vishwamidamsarvam”. So this entire universe is only brahman. In rope-serpent illusion, rope is adhisthana-serpent is
the ascribe. The two are not different there are no two things. In the same way brahman is adhisthna. The universe is
only an ascription something that is not real. So the universe and brahman are not different. They are the
same (ashishthara is the thing, the ignorance of which causes bhranti, illusion).

If the universe were sat what is said about brahman "satyam jnaanam anantam brahma” in the Veda would go waste.
The Veda is valid for all time. Secondly, the declaration would become non-standard. Thirdly, Parameshwar who
gave vedas would be faulted with an allegation of being untruthful. Great minds do not accept any of these.

Eshwar who knows and is brahmatattwa declared that He is not in the beings and He is not among them. The Gita 9-
45 asserts: ‘matisthaani sarvabhootaani na chaahamteshwva sthitah na cha matsthaani bhootaani’. According to this
too the all-pervading brahman is second to none. There is nothing that is different from it. If this universe were real or
true in the deep sleep state it should be obtained. But it is not obtained. So the universe is asat (not true, not real). It
is only illusion. It is like the rope appearing as a serpent. Is it possible for the non-existent thing to have being? So,
there is no universe different from brahman. To appear different is illusion. Only brahma which
is adhishthana appears as universe only awing to illusion.

For the one in illusion that which he sees in illusion is only brahman. The shell of the pearl which appears as silver is
only a shell-not silver. So what is shown as the universe is only brahman, the form if sat. The universe ascribed in
brahma is only there in name.

Thus brahman is sat, second to none, pure. Brahman is called jnaana, flawless (niranjan), without beginning or end,

calm and peaceful, without action and the form of perpetual bliss absolute. It does not have any differences created
by maya. It is permanent, everlasting, certain and without any dependence or relation to anything. It
is aprameya,immeasurable, incomprehensible, inconceivable, beyond human understanding. It has no form or shape.
It is without a name, it is inexhaustible self-effulgent. It is beyond the triputi of the knower, and thing to be known and
knowingness, jnaata, jneyam  and Jnana. It is purely indivisible chit. It is paratattwa.  Only the most learned know or
realize this. It is impossible either to have or leave it or leave it. It cannot be obtained through
either manas or vak (speech). It has no beginning and no and. It is only the perfect effulgence par excellence.

Justification of the declaration tattwamasi

'Tat' and 'twam' are explained by 'abhidavritti' as the forms of brahma - as jeevatma and paramatma.  Chandhogya
upanishad clearly posits that they are one. It teaches that you are the parabrahman. The glow-worm-the sun the king-
the servant, the well-the sea, the atom-the-all have different dharmas. So too jeevatma and paramatma. In the actual
word meaning they are not a union but in substance their unity is possible.

The incompatibility or inconsistency (virodha) is created because of upadhi (base). In fact they are not different. For
Eshwar upadhi is maya. For the jeeva the five sheaths which are responsible for avidya are the upadhi. If
the upadhis are removed, there is no difference between the two. If the Kingdom of the king and the weapon of the
soldier are removed they are the same.

‘Athadita a adesho netineti’ says the veda. By this and by logic the 'difference' between Eshwar and brahman is
rejectable. The difference is created and not true. It is like the serpentine quality in the rope, or, like the world
obtained in a dream. Jeeva in Eshwar too is not real. The most important thing is to realise that the universe is a
creation of illusion and infact it is not different from brahman.

The unity of jeeva and Eshwar is obtained only because of the quality. To obtain the form of absolute bliss the
difference of jahad and ajahad lakshanas alone is needed. Looking at a man seen somewhere at some time and
saying that the he is Devadutta can be established only when the time, place difference is removed. Than only can he
be taken as Devadatta. In the same way only when the chaitanya alone in jeeva and parameshwar is taken then unity
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becomes clear. The learned ones take only chaitnya to establish that the two are only one. Many mahavakyas, grand
declarations, in the Vedas teach the oneness or unity of jeeva and brahmatma.

When we prohibit the asat as per the statement in Brihadarayaka Upanishad “asthoola manmahraswa madeerghama
lohita masneham", it becomes clear that atman is self-obtained and like the sky unimaginable. So, the seen body
etc., are only illusion. One has to leave the feeling that that is me. With a pure buddhi, one should realize that he
is brahman, the indivisible form of jnana.

A pot made of clay etc., are not different from the clay. In the same way the body etc. that have come from  sat or the
world too are part of it. There is nothing apart or different from sat. That sat are you and by yourself you
are brahman. So, disciple! You are brahman; tat twam asi. You are the brahman, second to none.
mrutkaryam sakalam ghataadi satatam mrinmaatrevabhi tah
tadvat sajjanatam sadaatmakamidam sanmaatramevaakhilam
yasmannasthi satah param kimapi tat satyam sa aatmaa swayam
tasmaat tatwamasi prashantamamalam brahmaadvayam yatparam 253
That the country, place time, matter; the seer one who sees are all mithya, illusion is clear. In the same way the body,
the senses, prana, ahankara etc. are all asat mithya, illusion. So you are parabrahman, peaceful, flawless,
and brahman with none second.

The explanation of the vakya - tattwamasi

Brahman is far and different from sea, race, caste, clay etc. It has no name, no form or shape, no guna (attribute) or
flaw (dosha). It transcends time and place. Such brahman are you. Keep thinking we that you are that brahman.

It in the wakeful state too the world is there owing to ajnaana. Above all it is not to be seen or felt-it can be seen by
the eye of jnaana alone. You are that. Pure, solid, chit, without beginning or end. You keep thinking, contemplating
that. It, the brahman, is free from the six oormis like hunger and thirst, grief and attraction and birth and death. It is
contemplated in the heart by the yogis. It cannot be imagined or felt by the senses. It is to be 'known' only
through buddhi. It is flawless. You are that brahman.

You are that brahma, the resort and refuge of the illusion-created world and the deeds there in, it is different
from sat and asat. With no limbs or organs, incomparable, and perfect. You are the brahma with neither birth nor
death, no mutations or vikaras. It is stable like a huge water body without waves and unattached and unbounded.
Contemplate on that brahman. It is above karya and karana, cause and effect; it is totally independent, autonomus.
Contemplate this in your heart.

You are that parabrahma, with no alternatives, it is no small thing; it is ever living; unique; it transcends everything. It
is ever lasting. It would not get diminished. It is unexpendable and the form of comfort. It cannot be measured. You
contemplate on that brahman. You are that. Just as gold is called a bracelet ring etc. by different names for different
shapes it is just gold. Sat  also appears different with various names (gunas) owing to bhrama illusion. It is actionless
by itself. That is brahman and contemplate that: you are that.

It is one and only thing and it excels, transcends all; it ispratyagaatma, and it has only one sat that is bliss. It has the
quality of atman: it is sat, truth, and the comfort of chit. Contemplate on that: you are that.

Brahman, thus described, is to be contemplated by you. By that you would get jnaana immediately accessible like the
water in the cup of you palm. Realize the pure tattva as jnaana. This shines like a monarch both in the public and the
army. You seek refuge in that paratattwa. You coalesce everything in the atman. Your own form, in you.

In buddhi guha (the cave of buddhi) there is a unique brahman for sat and asat. That is TRUTH; the transcendent,

param and second to none. Shishya!
The Three Tendencies - vasanatriyam
Even though one experiences brahman, the effort of the tendencies (vasanas) acquired down the births is very
strong. This is without beginning, anadi. The tendency that 'I' am the doer 'I am the one who experiences', if it is
there, that would be the cause of the person's bond to sansara. With a deep commitment, withdrawing the powers of
senses inside, one has to feel that he is pratyagaatma, and try to get rid of the tendencies. The munis, accomplished
ones, declare that mukti is to be rid of vasanas.
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The feeling that the body etc. is mine is adhyasa. The body etc., are anatma. The learned one with dedication,
staying in his form of atman should be rid of this adhyasa.

aham mameti yo bhaavo dehaadavanatmani

adhyasoyam nirstavyo vidusha swatmanishtaya 269

Realising that pratyagaatma that is witness to buddhi and its nature, is your own form and staying in the realization
that that is the very brahman, give up the feeling of atman in anatma.

There are three kinds of vasanas, tendencies, lokavasana, dehavasana and shastra vasana. Leave the  adhyaasa 
that results from these. As long as these tendencies are there, there could be no jnaana.  Philosophers tell us that
these are iron shackles to our feet. The one who frees himself from these would obtain mukti liberation.

If a piece of sandal wood remains in water for long bad smell would cover it. It loses its fragrance. But if it is to be
ground on a grinding stone, the extermal bad smell would disappear. It smells fine as earlier. In the same way the
difficult-to-shed vasanas spoil the perfume of the tendency or fragrance of the atman. With the friction of prajna (the
feeling thatjeeva and Eshwara are one and the same) the bad smells would be lost. The fragrance
of atman becoming once again pure manifests.
yadha yadha pratyagavasthitam manah
tadhatadha munchati bahyavasanah
nissesha mokshe sati vasanaanaa
maatmanubhutih pratibandha shoonya 277

The manas of Yogis is always steady in the atman. For that reason destroy your  vasanas.  Remove 
adhyaasa. With satwarajogunas tamoguna would be destroyed. Rajo gunam would be destroyed by satwaguna.
Misratatwas would be destroyed by shuddha satvam. Determined that the body would sustain prarabda karma, be
steady. Courageously try to get rid of adhyaasa.

You drive away adhyaasa, by constantly contemplating the fact that you are not jeeva but parabrahma. The speed
of vasanas creates adhyaasa. By the knowledge of vedas yor own experience and your skill, realize that you are all
in all and get rid of adhyaasa caused by the vasanas. For the one dedicated to atman either taking or leaving a thing
even to a small extent would make his deed unfruitful. Stay undeviatingly steady in your atman always. Reject
your adhyaasa.

By declarations like taattwamasi the knowledge of the unity of jeeva andparamatmawould get reinforced. To make

youjeevatma live strongly in brahman destroy your adhyaasa. You have to restrain you manas till the feeling that you
are your body is completely destroyed and your adhyaasa is given up totally.

O! Learned one! jeevatma andjagat are both created like things seen in deep sleep. They are not real. Till this feeling
is destroyed, consciously restraining your manas, you get rid of your adhyaasa. Contemplate on the atman without
any laxity in your approach. Won't allow any word relating to the unreal world enter your mind.

With your father's sperm and the mother's ovum, your body is made. It is full of faeces and flesh. Leaving at afar,
be brahman and make your life worthy. O, muni! As you coalesce the sky in the pot with the sky in the firmament let
your jeevatma lose itself in the paramatma. Be neutral and unconcerned with your form and contemplating nature
ofbrahman. Paramatma is self-effulgent. It is the base of all. Obtain that in your manas leave both the pindanda (your
body) and brahmanda (comprising the four worlds) considering them both as pots filed with excreta. The 'I' feeling of
the body be kept in the ever conscious sadanand, in brahman and leave the linga sareera, or the physical body.
Becomeparabrahma.

Like the reflection of the palace in the mirror, this world (jagat) is abhas. But the parabrahma is yourself. This
realized, you would be successful. Your real form is sat It is shapeless; unacting; jnaana, the ultimate bliss. Get into
that condition leaving the body. That is like the costume worn by the actor.

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All that we see is only mithya, that would be destroyed in a trice. That is not truth. Saying that that is 'me' is
meaningless. Ego is momentary. If one thinks that he knows all, how can be attain jnaana?

For things like ahankara, ego sense, pratyagaatma  is witness. That is seen clearly in deepsleep state. The Vedic
statement "ajonityam" clearly states that pratyagaatma is without beginning and that is uniquely distinct
from sat and asat. This pratyagaatma knows all the six vikaras, mutations, like birth upto death. For that reason if it is
eligible to know that it is without change. vikara rahit.

In desires, in dream, in deep sleep ahankara mentioned earlier is being seen as really noexistent. For this reason,
shed the feeling that the body is you for it is made up of blood, flesh etc. Leave that egosense that all that is you.
Realize that the solid jnaana form is not affected by the three time as past, present and future (trikaalas). That form
of jnaana is your pratyagaatma. Note that it is your form and attain peace. Leave your affection for the body and
things like caste, race, clan etc. that depend upon it. Leave also the doership, experiencership etc. that belong to the
body. Become the form of solid undivided sukha, comfort.

Ahankara-Ego sense
There are several hurdles for man to be the reason for getting entangled in the bonds of sansara. The main reason
among these is ego-sense or ahankara. That is the first mutation, or, vikara. As long as atman has a relation with the
evil egosense there would not be even the slightest desire for salvation. Only the one who frees himself
from ahankara would be able to attain his original form of pratyagaatma. That is pure like the moon; perfect and full,
self illuminating and everlasting, absolute bliss. This body is obtained from buddhi which lost viveka owing to the
pervading tamoguna. When the feeling that the body is nine is totally destroyed the idea would dawn that one is the
bondless, shackleless brahman.

Brahmananda, Absolute Bliss is a treasure. That is guarded by a powerful serpent called ahankara, egosense,

entwining it. For this serpent the three gunas  are the most dangerous hoods. These have to be chopped off
with jnaana as laid down by the Veda. Only the one who does that is capable of getting the treasure of great comfort.

brahmananda nidhirmahaa balvantaahankaara ghoraahinaa

samveshtyaatmani rakshyate gunamayaischandai stribhirmastakaih
vijnaanakhya mahaasinaa shrutimataa vichchidya seershatrayam
nirmoolyahimimam nidhim sukhakaram dheeronubhoktum kshamah 303

Even if there is a little poison in the body, there would be no complete good health. In the same way even if there is a
wee little bit of ahankara, the yogi would not get salvation. Only when the yogi gets rid of ahankara  totally along with
its various alernatives, he would atttain to the state of 'aham brahmasmi” You have to shed the idea of 'I' and 'me'
-feeling 'I' am seeing, 'I' am doing etc. This would be in several various variation several shapes. It would just cover or
cloud your atmaswaroopa You are pratyagaatma, the form of sukha, joy, you have acquired sansara birth, grief, old
age etc. only because you have ahankara and attraction and attachment to anatma forms like the body etc.

You are the form of sat; second to none, full of chit,  master and lord if all. You are the embodiment of bliss; endless
fame; one without mutation or vikara. For one like you sansara is only adhyasa. Nothing else. Ahankara is like a thorn
in the throat for the one eating. That is like an enemy. You have to slay it with the sword of your jnaana.

You enjoy the bliss of ruling the empire of atman which appears very clearly to you. Divert your manas  from things
like anatma and ahankara. Be without any reaction, without any action in the feeling of the bliss of
the atman shedding all affection for vishayas.

The Power and Sway of vasanas

Even though ahankara is chopped off, if the manas  merely touches it, it would became powerful again. Just as the
cloud in the rainy season is spread in many directions, ahankara rouses many intentions sankalpas. For this
reason ahankara has to be reined in. Don't ever leave a chance for attraction towards vishayas. Just as water makes
the lemon tree break into bud, vishayas and thoughts about them, would become a reason for the sprouting
of ahankara again.

The one who thinks the body is he would be one with several desires. The one who believes that he is not his body
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would never be one with desires. Bedhabuddhi,  the feeling of discrimination, is fostered by attachment and attraction
to vishayas. It becomes the cause for sansara. If karya activity grows, the seed grows. By destroying activity the seed
would be destroyed. So activity needs to be restrained. Karya means the desire for vishayas. This karya, activity, has
to be destroyed. With desire removed vasanas would be removed. If vasanas grow vishaya chintana, desire for
things and attraction grows. If there is increase of karya, increase of desire for vishayas, man cannot find liberation
fromsansara.

Yati has to sever the bonds of sansara and for that destroy vasana and karya too which increase desires and
attachments. Thinking about things, experiencing things would increase vasana. For this reason, in all the three
states, of wakefulness, of dreams and of deep sleep, efforts must be made to nip, cut off vasana, vishaya
chintana and bodily, external experience. In every thing, everywhere one should be able to see only brahman. If the
feeling that everything is brahman is strong all the three mentioned above would be destroyed.

When the experience of Vishaya is destroyed chinta  would be destroyed. By that vasana would be

destroyed. Moksha is a state where all vasanas are destroyed. That is liberation.

kriyaanaashe bhave chchintaa naashosma dwaasanaa kshayah

vaasanaa prakshayo mokshah sa jeevanmukti rishyate 318

Though there is a dense darkness, when the sun rises it is totally dispelled. If the inspiration relating to sat  grows, the
darkness of ahankara and vasana would be destroyed. The group of untoward things done in darkness too would
disappear. When the feeling of absolute bliss is attained there would be no bondage to sansara. There would not be
a whit of grief also. Both would be destroyed.

Even though there is the bond of karma, destroy the visible world totally. perfectly. Have faith that you
are brahman. Solid bliss. Both externally and internally attain restraint and pass your time.

Unforceseen mischance Pramaad
While one is in brahman one should not nap. Sanat Kumar the mahatma, son of Brahma said
that pramad is mrityu, death. For ajnaani while experiencing absolute bliss there could be no great untoward thing
than this pramad or mischance. From this mischance there would emerge moha, from moha ahankara and because
of that sansara and finally grief.

One may be a learned person. If he sits facing vishayas because of weakness in buddhi, as a loose woman draws a
lecher, he would be drawn into the experience of vishayas. Thick moss would not be stable. It would soon spread. In
the same way ifprajna is away from facing parabrahma, maya would engulf man. When the manas is away from the
ultimate object or goal, like bull rolling down the stairs, it would fall down at great speed. Manas, when gets
into vishayas, would meet with a free fall. It goes on thinking of experiences and because of this man would be drawn
into sansara. He would fall very low and would never try again to attain brahman. For one who knows brahman and
one having the discrimination of atman and anatman there could be no greater death than pramada. The one who
in samadhi, a state of trance, restrains all senses and manas, attains siddhi, fulfillment, soon. For that reason, O,
Learned one! Concentrate your manas on atman and be ever alert.

The one who while alive attains brahmatva, would attain the state of brahman even after death. He would be scared
by seeing anything other than brahman. Yajur Veda says:

jeevato yasya kaivalyam videhe cha sakevalah

yat kinchit pashyato bhedam bhayam bhrooteyajuh shrutih 330

If a learned man ever sees even a whit of change in parabrahma he would be scared. He is afraid of seeing anything
other than brahman. Hundreds of declarations in the Veda prohibited in several ways the body and the related things.
The one who feels that he is the body is the one who has performed prohibited deeds. His antahkarana is blemished,
flawed and stained. He would experience a series of griefs. The one who is interested to apply all
his manas to paramatma would be free from the bonds of sansara. He would constantly get the experience of his
own form, brahmatattwa. Those who are interested in applying the mind to the body etc. which is asat would be
destroyed. This difference is seen readily between the thief and a gentleman.
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The one who has restraint of his senses should shed the idea that 'he' is the body, which is the reason for all
bondage and sansara. He must experience the oneness of jeeva and brahman, the condition of sameness between
him and parabrahman. It would make him enjoy the bliss supreme since he himself is brahman. The commitment and
dedication tobrahman relieves him of the grief of the visible world. Taking the manas  to visible external things would
lead to the growth of foul smell. With the vivek of atman and anatman, external attractions, vishayas should be given
up. One should connect the manas with the Supreme Being. Then he would be able to see Him. By seeing Him
worldly bonds would be snapped. None who accepts the declarations of the Vedas and
has viveka of sat and asat would not care for the body etc. which are anatman! The ignorant one does that but not
the jnaani.

There is mukti or salvation for one who identifies himself with deha and related things. For the liberated ones there
would be no feeling that the 'body' is the person. For the one in sleep, there would be no wakefulness. For the one
wakeful there would be no dream state. The reason is that the two, wakefulness and sleep relate to two
different gunas.

The one who sees himself in all and everything (that is the brahman) and leaves everything else and stays in the
indivisible, perfect and full parabrahma, would be the one liberated from the bonds of sansara.

antarbahih svam sthira jangameshu jnaanaatmanaadhaaratayaa vilokya

tyaktva khilopaadhir akhandaroopah poornaatmana yah sthita yesha muktah 339

There could be no other way for liberation from sansara than the experience of the person that he is
himselfparabrahmam in every way. The implication is that svatma bhava is the only way. This bhava would be
obtained when nothing is seen and the feeling of deha  is not accepted or felt. This leads to the thinking that all
is brahman. The manascoalesced in the atman, always and ever, would make this feeling possible.

If one indulges in experiencing the external, visible world and goes on acting accordingly it is not possible for the
person to resist taking these in. The implication is that for the ajnaani it is not possible to leave the feeling that the
body is he and he is the body. Only those, who have given up all and everything relating to karma and dharma and
are devoted toatman and those who know atman and desire only the bliss of atman, would be able give up the. Only
for such, bliss is possible.

Samadhi
For the one who recapitulates and contemplates, for the samnyasi, the Veda prescribes samadhi. "shanto daanta
uparati sthitishu samaahito bhootvaa aatmanyevaatmaa nam pashyet". The idea is the one who has  shama,  dama, 
uparati and titiksha and who stays in samadhi, would visualize and see paramatma  in himself.

Even for the learned ones the destruction of the feeling that the body is atman is not easy. This is not possible for
anybody except those in nirvikalpa samadhi. This is so because vasanas are attached since many births.

The power of shifting called vikshepa shakthi takes man and joins him with moha which is a form if ahankara which is
related to avaranashakti, the power of enveloping or covering. Later with their gunas he is thrown into sansara. It is
difficult to overthrow this power. This is possible only when the power of covering, avaranashakti is overthrown,
without leaving even a bit of it. Only when the sight (drishthi) and the scene (drishya) are clearly divided,
the avaranashakti around the atman would be destroyed by itself. Drik is sight. It is pratyagaatma.

Everything else that appears like the body etc. and the whole world is drishya, appearing because of superimposition
or adhyaasa. When the two-fold division is experienced, the enveloping cover dies. When it is dead the manas would
not stray into the illusory anaatma. Then without hurdles, the atman vastu, would be experienced without doubt.

Clear and difinite knowingness, jnaana, the specific, exact discriminating power, nityanitya vastuvivek  divides the
nature ofpadarthas, things or matters. Along with that it severs the connection of moha created by maya. Thus
through viveka when one gets liberation, the sansara would be destroyed along with the seed (beeja).

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 samyagvivekah sphutabodha janyo
vibajya drig drishya padarthatattwam
chinatti mayaakrita mohabandham
yasmaadimuktasya punarna sanskrutih 346

para (Eshwara) and apara (jeeva) are not different. The fire of jnaana teaches this and burns the entire forest. For the
one who has advaitanubhava (the experience if feeling that jeevatma and paramata are not two but only one advaita-
monism there would be no seed of sansara- no more birth or death and thus total liberation, mukti, is obtained.

With atmadarshan, the realization of atman. 1. The enveloping, covering power is destroyed 2. mithyajnaan, the idea
that the body etc. is everlasting, nitya is destroyed 3. grief from the expansive power is destroyed. The one who feels
that the rope is a snake realizes that there is no snake and what there is, is only a rope. By this the three cited above
become possible. moha, mithyajnaana and bhaya (fear) all are gone.

Owing to the combination (samyoga) with fire the lifeless iron gets several forms and is referred to by several names.
In the same way with the combination of buddhisat (pratyagatma), it expands in the forms of roopa, rasa etc. of sense
perceptions. Avaran shakti  is the function of buddhi. Mithyajnaan and vikshepashakti are its functions as well. All the
three are asat, mithya, illusion. They are like seeing the serpent in the rope; like those experiences in a dream; like
feeling various sankalpas in the manas. For that reason beginning from ahankara up to deha, the body,
all vishayas are the mutations, vikaras of the prakriti  with the three gunas, satva, rajas and tamo. They would be
changeful and cannot be considered as atman, which is not changeful.

Ataman is nitya, permanent and true. It is second to none; indivisible and the form of chit. It is witness to buddhi etc. It
is unique transcending both sat and asat.  It is to be known only through jnaana. It is worth realizing. It is the form
of pratyagatma. Even solid bliss. The learned one realizes that it is his form of atman, his own. Liberated
from deha etc. which are anatma, he would get peace that surpasses all understanding.

When in stable samaadhi and when the feeling of non-duality is obtained the heart cord of ignorance or ajnaana is
severed. Parmatma is second to none. It has no unique qualities. The idea of 'you' and 'I' comes only because of the
flaw in buddhi. For the one in samadhi, all alternatives would be destroyed.

The yati with shama and the other fine qualities of shamadi shatkam, while in samaadhi feels that he is all - since he
is experiencing the feel of all atmas, all alternatives that occur because of the darkness of ajnaana would be burnt.
Thus he would be deedless, and without any alternatives. So he is joy and comfort only.

shantodaantah paramuparatah kshaantiyuktah samadhim

kurvannityam kalayati yatih swaswa sarvatma bhavam
tenaa vidyaatimira janitaan saadhu dagdhva vikalpaan
brahmakrityaa nivasati sukham nishkriyo nirvikalpah 356

Those in samadhi and coalescing all senses and chitta alone with the idea of 'my' in the pratyagaatma, alone are
'liberated' ones from sansara. Listening to the statement aham brahmasmi and thinking that one is brahman is
useless. Such can not get liberated.

Though paramatma is only one, in different upadhis it obtains differences. When upadhis are removed it remains

one. Then it would be experienced as an indivisible one. So the learned one should be in nirvikalpa samadhi to
destroy the upadhis. The one in brahma with dedication becomes brahman. The insect always contemplating
becomes the bee. In the same way, the yogi contemplating the parmatma, with concentration and dedication would
obtain paramatma tattwa.

Paramaatma is very small and it cannot be obtained through learning. It can be obtained by the learned one who has
no raga or dvesha and who is in nirvikalpa samadhi only. Gold refined would lose all impurities. In the same
way manas with dhyana cleanses itself from all impurities and obtains the true nature, yadardha tatwa.

With intense practice, contemplating aham brahmasmi and experiencing the same one can attain nirvikalpa samadhi.
His manas would lose itself in brahman. The samadhi state would enable one to experience absolute
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bliss. Samadhi severs the cord relating to the vasanas. All karmas would be destroyed. Without effort bliss is
experienced.

Hundred times efficacious is manan than shravan and nidhi dhyasa a hundred thousand times more useful than that.
Beyond all these the most unique is nirvikalpa samadhi.

shruteh shatagunam vidyaanmananam mananaadapi

nidhidhyasam lakshagunamanantam nirvikalpakam 365

With nirvikalpa samadhi, brahmatva is obtained clearly and fully. This is the only way for obtaining brahmatva. The
movements of manas are unpredictable. Jnaana mixes easily with all things which we call anatma. Be one with
restrained senses and keep your manas streadily on pratyagaatma  with all vishayas quietened. Seeing brahman,
destroy the darkness caused by avidya, which is without beginning.

Yoga Sadhanas
Maunam (silence), aparigraham, not accepting any thing offered, freedom from desire and greed staying alone-all
these need to be made a habit. This would be the first gate to Yoga, chitta vritti nirodha, restraint of the ways
of chitta.

By being alone one would be preventing the senses straying in all directions. Dama is the way for restraining chitta.
With shama, vasana, the form of ahankara, would be destroyed. With vasana gone, one can feel absolute bliss. So
the Yogi or muni must try and restrain chitta.

Yekantasthitirindriyoparamane heturdamaschetasah
samrodhe karanam shamena vilayam yaayaadaham vasanaa
tenaananda rasaanubhootirachala brahmee sadaa yoginah
tasmat chitta nirodha eva satatam karyam prayatnaan muneh 369

Let your vak, Speech, coalesce in manas and manas in buddhi and buddhi in chaitanya. Then let it be absorbed

in paramatma and obtain the absolute bliss. When the senses, pranas and buddhi, which are upadhis, are combined
with manas, the Yogi gets the feelings associated with those upadhis. For this reason the muni has to take care that
the manasdoes not combine with those upadhis. With such a nivrutti, detachment, one gets comfort relating
to upasanti, a kind of relief. Then one would be immersed in experiencing absolute bliss. Only for the one with
pure vairagya would it be possible to give up the activity of the internal and external senses. He would leave these for
the sake of obtainingmoksha. Only one steady in brahman can sever all connection with these senses, internal and
external.

O! Discriminating one! Viveki! To get to the top of the palace of moksha, there are two wings as for a bird to fly; one
is vyragya and the other is jnaana. Without these things one cannot fly so high. For one who has total vairagya,
nirvikalpa samadhi is possible. With that only sturdy jnaana comes. Only for the one who knows atmatatwa, liberation
from the bonds of sansara is possible. Only for such, permanent joy and comfort come along with the experience of
the brahman, brahmanubhuti.

There is nothing more comforting than vairagya for a yogi. When this is joined with jnaana of the atma, one would be
able to experience the empire of bliss. This is the gateway for permanent, true liberation. For that reason do not have
an idea of attaining only moksha but always be conscious of the highest goal, of obtaining parabrahma.

Sever or snap desire and greed for poisonous vishayas. Those bring only death. Shed the affection that this is my
caste, my race, my 'ashram' etc. Keep away karmas relating to them. Show prajna in pratyagatma. Don't be under
the delusion that body etc., are atman. You are a visionary. You are pure. By nature you areparabrahma, second to
none.

ashaam chindi vishopameshu vishaye shveshvaiva mrutyoh smrutih

tyaktvaa jaati kulaashrameshvabhimatim munchati duratkriyah
dehaadaavasathi tyajatma dhishanam prajnaam kurushvaatmani
twam drashtasyamalo si nirdvaya param brahmaasi yadvastutah 378
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Keep the manas steady on your goal, the parabrahman. Keep steady the senses in their proper places. Keep your
body stable. Don't pay attention to the condition of your body. Get union with brahman. Full of brahman,
with manas undivided, in your manas enjoy absolute bliss to your heart's content. What good are the empty illusions!

lakshye brahmani manasam drudhataram sansthapya bahyendriyam

swasthaane vinivesya nischala tanuschopeksha deha sthitam
brahmatmaikya mupetya tanmayatayaa chakhanda vrittyannisham
brahmaananda rasam pibaatmani mudaa shoonyaih kimanyairbhramaih 379

Thinking of things anatma as filthy; only a cause for grief: think only of pratyagatma, the reason for mukti in the form
of bliss. That pratyagaatma is self- effulgent. It is witness to indriyas etc. It is always brightly shining in vijnanamaya
kosha contemplating paramatma. Without having the idea that there is something other than brahman, clearly know
that that is your form. Making this feeling strong, shed ahankara and relating it to atman in the wrong way. Ego sense
is like a ghatam, pot, or cloth. Don't be interested in them, ignore them.

You have to experience the undivided, whole parabrahma  gradually absorbing all jnaana in pure antah karana. The
body, senses, prana, manas and ahankara are created by ajnaana when they are separated from their upadhis, you
can see the undivided full sky of paramatma.

In a pot, vessel, needle-and hundred other upadhis stays the sky. But then away from these, the sky, remains second
to none. It is in no position to be in different ways. Like that sky is pratyagaatma. It is pure, absolute and different from
'my' etc. Right from brahman down to a blade of grass all upadhis are unreal. So you have to see paramatma, which
is one, undivided and your own form without fail.

This universe is created only by a bhranti, an illusion. With viveka, bhranti  is destroyed. Then the universe would
appear as brahman. It is only because of bhranti that a rope appears as a serpent, When bhramti is removed the
"serpentness" would disappear. It remains a rope that it is. When one has nityaanitya viveka everything is revealed
as brahman. When illusion is removed, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and this whole universe would be You only. That is-
you are parabrahma. There is nothing that is not parabrahma.

All is that.
In this whole universe, above, below in the East and West North and South what is is yourself. Paramatma it is. The
waves, foam and bubbles are all water. In the same way, starting from the body upto ahankara all is chit. It
is brahman that is pure and second to none.

What speech and manas reveals is all sat. Everything in creation that is in the form of maya is sat. There is nothing
different from sat. The vessel, the pot and the huge pot are all clay. Is any of those different from clay? Intoxicated by
maya one says 'I'.

While arranging kriyas the shruti tells us that there is no duality and it asks us to get-rid of adhyasa caused by

illusion, bhranti. The implication is that there is nothing that is different from paramatma.

Parabrahma  is pure like the sky. It has no alternatives. It has no limits. It has no movement at all. It does not undergo
any change. It is empty within and without. It is second to none. Such parabrahman are you. Is there anything else
worth knowing? Where else is more that is to be said about paramatma? Jeeva is in itself parabrahman. Right from
the atom upto this universe it is parabrahman only. Brahman is second to none, says the shruti or Veda.
Those jnanis who declare aham brahmasmi left everything that is bahya outside, when they attain brahmatwa they
would be in the form of absolute bliss. This is definite, absolutely certain.

vaktavyam kimuvidyate atra bahudhaa brahmaiva jeevah swayam

brahmai tajjagadaa paraanu sakalam brahmaadwiteeyam
shruteh brahmaivaahamiti prabhuddhamatayah santykta bahyaah sphutam
brahmeebhooya vasanti santata chidaanandaa tmanaiva dhruvam 395

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The sthoola deha is full of excreta and then pranamaya - full of praanas is linga deha- in both greed is fostered
by ahankara, egosense, leave that; shed that. Be brahman knowing that you are the pratyagatma which is everlasting
true, and one with the form of bliss, as described by Veda. So long as one feels that this corpse-like body is 'him', he
is impure. He would obtain or suffer grief from others. He would have birth, disease and death. Later he suffers in hell
also. The one who feels that he is pure, stable, and the form of parameshwar, would be liberated from sansara. This
is what shruti, the Veda, told us. By rejecting the thing ascribed in him, the conviction comes that he himself is full,
second to none, actless parabrahma.

When the body and the workings of chitta are lost in parabrahma, the body and universe, nothing appears.
Everything shines as brahman. Then any alternative remains only as a word. To say that the one and second to
none brahman has the universe is an untrue, artificial statement. How can there be any difference in
the parmatma which is without change, without form and without any uniqueness. There is nothing like drashtha,
darshan and drisyam in parabrahman.

How can there be any difference in paramatma which is full, complete, like the ocean in the end of the kalpa (a great
length of time comprising many yugas) Everything loses itself in paratattwa. In that how can there be difference?
Difference is impossible in paratatwa. Does any one see difference in the deep sleep state where there is
only sukha(comfort). When brahmajnaana is obtained in nirvikalpa brahma there is no universe at all. Is it not that the
serpent is visible in the rope during all the trikaalas, (past, present and future time). Would there be a single drop of
water in a mirage? The duality or difference is only maya. The Veda tells us that what the ultimate is only non-
duality, advaita. In the deep sleep state only advaita is being experienced. Only scholars in sciences (shastras) say
that brahman is different from the universe etc. ascribed to superimposed brahman. But this is not true. Serpent in
the rope, water in the mirage and silver in the pearl shell are all caused by bhranti. This alternative is only because
of chitta. If there is no chittathis would not arise. So keep your chitta steady in pratyagaatma.

The learned one sees in his heart the paripoorna, complete, parabrahma. This is always the form of jnaana. It is just
the form of absolute bliss. It has no limits. It is always open. This has no desire, it is nireeha. It is pure like the sky.
This has no prakriti or vikruti, nature or abnormality. It transcends imagination. It is absolutely neutral (samarasa). It is
a detail of an experience relating to the inner understanding. It is far removed from all bonds. It is obtained from the
declarations in the shruti (the Vedas). It has no old age or death. It is the form of things when all the alternatives
remove themselves. It could be stated that it is the stable water body. It has no name; it appears when all mutations
and all thegunas are subsided. This is permanent, peaceful and second to none.

See the resplendent, magnificent paramatma keeping your antahkarana on him. Paramatma is your own form. Try
and snap bonds with sansara which has foul smells. Make your masculine birth meaningful. Contemplate on the
absolute bliss in your own heart. If you do so you would not be drawn into sansara again.

The body follows man like his own shadow. That is only appearance. It is not true. The body is formed for
experiencing karma. The learned man keeps that body aloof, as he would a corpse. He would not accept the body
again. Obtain the form of the true, pure jnaana. Keep aloof this body which is made up of filth. It is revolting,
disgusting. The knowing one, jnaani would rout it out along with the vasanas  of the earlier births is the fire
of nirvikalpa parabrahman, the absolute reality with no alternative. After that he would be in his own Natural form
of jnaananda-the bliss of knowingness. He would obtain unity with the brahman. The cow cannot see whether the
garland in her neck is following her. In the same way, the knower of tattwa, who is the form of bliss with all the
wanderings of his chitta coalesced in brahman would not turn around to see if the body tied to his form is following
him or not. When once realizing the  brahman, who would want a body! The fruit of an accomplished and fulfilled yogi
is to just experience bliss in the manas and outside.

The fruit of vairagya is jnaana. The fruit of jnaana is uparati, withdrawing the senses from their pursuits. The fruit
of uparati is to experience his own form of bliss. One after another these should fellow, otherwise the earlier ones
would be useless. If jnaana  is not obtained vairagya, if uparati is not obtained jnaana, if shanti is not
obtained, uparati  are futile. When there is escape from the experience of vishayas, absolute contentment comes.
That is one's own self: incomparable bliss.

The present, ready, fruit of the knowingness of atman, atmatatmajnana is to be unaffected by the grief being
experienced. When ajnaana (ignorance) envelopes, many types of disgusting deeds are done. Once enlightened,
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how can a jnaani perform any such deeds! The fruit of jnaana is to be freed from asat. The fruit of ajnaana is getting
into pravritti,the nature of the senses and the trigunas. One can clearly see the difference between
a jnaani and ajnaani in the way each looks at the mirage. Jnaani knows it as unreal. What more could be a fruit for
his jnaana? The ajnaani believes that the mirage is real and gets enlarged. When the ajnaana grandhi is destroyed,
when there are no desires, what does anyone desire! Nothing would draw him into sansara.

The ultimate goal of jnaana is not to have a liking for a thing that could be experienced. For Yogi's uparati the goal is
the non-repetition or, cessation of chitta vrittis (the wanderings of chitta).

Brahmajnaani -The one who knows atman

Brahmajnaani is rare. Such a one experiences endless fruit of his merit (punya). He gives up the knowledge of the
external things. He experiences brahman and nothing else. He believes that the world around is what he has seen,
like one who is always asleep or a like boy. Such a great person is highly revered in this world.

brahmaakaaratayaa sadaa sthitatayaa nirmukta baahyarddhadhee

ranyavedita bhogya bhogakalano nidraaluvadbaalavat
swapnaa lokita lokavajjagadidam pasyan kvachilladdhdhee
raaste kaschidamanta punya phalabhugdhanyah sa maanyo bhuvih 426

Yati is a sthitaprajna who would experience only bliss all the time without deeds and without change keeping
his manas coalesced in brahman.

Jeevan mukta -The one liberated alive

Prajna is said to be the chitta vritti that is immersed in the feeling of unity of the jeeva and brahman. The one who
obtains that always is the one liberated while being alive.

brahmaatmano shoditayoreka bhaavaavagaahinee

nirvikalpa cha chinmatraa vrittih prajneti kathayate
saa sarvadaa bhavedyasya sa jeevanmukta ishyate 428

The one in whom prajna is stable and steady and the one who always enjoys absolute bliss and for whom world is
worth forgetting is called jeevanmukta. Leaving all experience of the sense in the wakeful state
coalescing buddhi in pratvyagatma and being ever wakeful is a  jeevammukta. His jnaana is free from all vasanas.
He is the one whose sansara, the bond with the external world is cooled down. Though learned, he is without
learning: though he has chitta, he is free from it. His chitta would not go about its usual wonderings.

Though he has body that fellows him like a shadow, the  jeevana mukta has no egosense or myness.

Sthitaprajna is one who steadily establishes buddhi in aatman with vyragya. He lives ever in atmananda, the absolute
bliss of this atman.

vartamanepi dehesmin chaayaavadanuvartini

ahantaa mamataa bhaavo jeevanmuktasya lakshanam 432

A jeevanmukta gives up all connection with whatever has happened earlier. He would not think of the future.

He does not care for what is happenning to him: he ignores all. He sees everywhere, all around, paramatma alone.
He has no likes or dislikes for anything or anybody. He is neither excited nor depressed. His manas constantly stays
coalesced in experiencing absolute bliss. He does not have the awareness of either the external or internal. This is
the nature of a jeevan mukta. He is neutral (udaseen) unaffected by the body, the senses and all karma, deeds.

He is the one who knows by the statement of the Veda that jeeva is brahma. He is released from all bonds. He
is jeevan mukta. He does not have the feeling that he is his body or his senses. With prajna  he is aware of the fact
that there is no difference between pratyagatma and brahman; and brahman and the universe. He keeps total
equanimity either when being honoured or hurt. Like the flow of rivers ecoalesce in the sea, things and feelings get
into him with no trace of effort. They do not cause any change in him. Such yati is a jeevan mukta.
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For the one who knows brahma, brahmavetta, there is no sansara, worldly bond. If he were to have it, he is
no brahma vetta. The vetta would not be attached to anything external. He is in the world simply because of the
vasanas of the earlier birth. His vasana (tendency) is weakened by the awareness of brahman. Though a lecher, just
as one does not have such a feeling for his mother, when once brahman (bliss) is experienced, the vasana in him
becomes ineffectual, for one in nirvikalpa samadhi the awareness of the external may be there. In such the
experience of prarabda karma is there. As long as comfort joy etc. are experienced prarabda karma is believed to
exist. If a fruit is obtained, it means that 'deeds' are performed. There would be none who has not performed any
deed when one is awake and, all the deeds in the dream state are destroyed. In the same way, with the jnaana  that
'I' am brahman, the sanchita karma all the deeds done in all the previous births would be destroyed.

The acts done in the dream, good or bad, would not give heaven or hell. The yogi is un attached, asanga. He would
not have any relation to the acts in the future. He is like the sky, unattached to anything. Though the sky has
the upadhi of the pot it does not have the foul smell of the liquor. For the pot of liquor, pot is the  upadhi. In the same
way foratman, the body is  upadhi. But the properties of the body do not touch the atman. When an arrow is shot at a
target, the arrow has to give some fruit or result. It would hit the target. In the same way acts done
before jnaanodaya, the attainment of jnaana, would not die without yielding fruit. If one shoots an arrow at a cow
thinking that it is a tiger, it hits the cow. It does not stop midway even if it were to realize that it is a cow.

Prarabda karma, karma in the earlier birth is very powerful. Its fruit has to be experienced. Even
for jnaani experiencing it alone would make if weak and get extinct. With samyag jnaana, sanchita and agaami
karmas would be destroyed for those who live in unison with brahman always. None of the three karmas would touch
them. Such people becomenirguna parabrahma.

praarabdhambalavattaram khaluvidaam bhogena tasya kshayah

samyag jnaana hutaashanena vilayah praak sanchitaagaaminaam
brahmatmaikamaavekshya tanmayatayaa ye sarvada sansthitaah
steshaam tattritayam na hi kwachidapi brahmaivate nirgunam 454

Without identifying one's self with upadhi (without the feeling that the deha is 'I') when feeling aham brahmasmi would
be in the experience of the non-dual, one becomes a muni. For him, there would be no experience
of prarabdakarma as there would be no dream state in the wakeful state.

The one who wakes up from sleep would not get the feeling of having experienced the things with his body. In the
wakeful state he would be as himself only. He would not have the desire to justify that what he had seen or
experienced is real. He would not keep those things seen in the dream safe; he would not see that world again. If he
were to behave in favour of those he had seen in the dream, it means that he is not wakeful. In the same way one
experiencing brahman would stay as brahman always. He would not see other things. Like the thing seen in the
dream, for the one who knows brahman, taking or leaving food is only a memory.

This body is made by karma. Prarabda is created for that. There is no relation between prarabda and karma. Atma is
not built of karma. "Ajonityah" says the shruti meaning atman is true, everlasting and without birth. That is a wonderful
declaration, statement. For the jnaani who feels that he is brahman, there would be no prarabda karma. As long as
one feels that he is the body, there is this prarabda karma. Jnaani does not like the state of thinking that he is the
body. So one must stop saying that a jnaana has it. Prarabda karma for his body is also an illusion since the body
itself is an illusion. It is untrue; how can it, the body, be born? When it is not born how would it decay? In that case
how can there be  prarabda karma for the body which is asat?

With  jnaana, ajnaana  and its action too are destroyed. When this is said, how did body come? For those who doubt
like this the answer is: with external attitude shruti talks about prarabda karma but not to say that the body etc. are
true for the learned ones. The purport of the statement in the Veda is to show paramardha. If there were to be
no prarabda karma there should be no body for jeevan mukta. But he has body. The answer for this doubt is that
though he has body he has no illusion of the body. For the sleeping one, we think that is body but he does not have
that illusion.

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The proof of adviteeya
Brahman is paripoorna, full, complete. It has no beginning, no end, it cannot be measured, it is indivisible, it is one, it
is solid sat, solid chit, ever solid bliss ananda. It is pratyagatma, it is all around, without upadhi, without guna, micro,
with such atternative, ever peaceful and has a form that can not be proved. It is beyond the comprehension
of manas or speech. It is full of sat. It is self-born; pure, peaceful and invisible. The world seen in many ways is not at
all different from brahman.

Those who give up affection for vishayas, those who renounced the experience of vishayas, those
with shama  and dama are all yatis. They learn paratatwa very well and acquire unity with brahman and
obtain parama sukha, absolute bliss or comfort.

Upadesha - Teaching or message

O, Shishya! you too think about this paratatwa, about the atman your form of solid bliss, dispel the ajnaana in you
caused by manas and get fulfilled by getting liberation form sansara by attaining brahmajnaana.

See the atmatatwa with the eye of jnaana with a stable and pure manas while being in nirvikalpa samadhi.
The brahmatatwa you have listened about would not change. It is experienced. By getting liberation from the bonds
of ajnaana you would attain brahman which is the form of truth and jnaana, knowingness. In this matter
the upadesha of guru is a standard. Besides this the experience you will have in you innermost
feeling, antahkarana is a standard too.

Bonds of sansara and liberation contentment, worry, health and hunger are all known by experiencing personally.
The jnaana about these can only be imagined by others. Gurus too like the declarations and statements in the Vedas
would be neutral white teaching brahma tatwa the nature of brahman. The learned one must cross sansara with
the prajna, blessings from Eshwar's grace. The learned one must realize that he is the form of the
indivisible pratyagaatma and stay in the atman in great comfort and joy.

This is the essence of the statement of the Veda. The entire creation and jeeva too are brahman. Salvation
or mukti is staying in the indivisible parabrahman. The statements in the Veda are proof to determine that brahma is
second to none.

anta siddhanta niruktireshaa

hmaiva jeevah sakalam jagachcha
andha roopasthitireva mokshah
madviteeye shrutayah pramanam 479

With this kind of the guru’s teaching, with the proof in the declaration of the Vedas the sishya has calmed down his
senses, obtained atma tatwa and dedicated himself to atman. Having stayed thus in the atman for some time in bliss,
he said to the guru:

“Gurudev! Attaining unity with brahman, my buddhi, born of vishayas, got extinct. The senses have lost their use. I
am now not seeing the evident or the non-evident, pratyaksha or paroksha I experienced absolute bliss. I am not able
to describe how I feel.

“It is impossible to describe or consider the magnificence of this ocean of parabrahman which has been filled with the
streams of the nectar of bliss my own. Like hail absorbed in the sea, my manas lost itself and got submerged
in parabrahma. My manas being thus transported is full of bliss and comfort therefrom.

“Where did the world go? Who is taking it away? Where is it merging? It was visible in moment ago; now it is not to
be seen! what a miracle!

“In the ocean of parabrahman full of the indivisible whole nectar of bliss, there is everything that is to be taken,
grasped and held and nothing to be left out. In the same way there is nothing different from it, nothing unique than
that. I am not able to see anything here. I am not able to hear anything. I am not learning anything. I have become the
ever living form of bliss. I have become unique.

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“My salutations to the preceptor, the gurudev whose compassion flowed down to me as cool and thick moonlight
removing all my hardship, and whose grace it was that in a trice gave me the experience of the magnificent grandeur
of my own form of bliss. My salutation to the form of parabrahman in my guru, who is a constant ocean of
compassion, the embodiment of absolute bliss and a mahatma, a noble soul.

“Guroottama! Best of preceptors! With your grace I am fulfilled. I am accomplished. I have been liberated from
sansara. I could become the form of the ever blissful one. Now I am un attached, without body - with no signs of
either a male or a female. I am one without decay or destruction. I am the form of peace, I am endless and without
any fatigue. I am the deedless form of pure jnaana, just sadashiva. I am different from the seer, the listener, the
speaker, the one who eats or the doer. I am of the form of true, endless, limitless, unattached and the full shape of
bliss. I have no discrimination between the macro and micro worlds. But it illumines all. I am brahman, the ultimate,
the pure, the complete, the empty and second to none. I am incomparable, beginningless atmatatwa. I am above all
imagination and division of you and me, this or that. I am the second to none, brahman, the only everlasting nectar of
TRUTH.

“I am Srimannarayana, Srikrishna who slew Naraka the demon, Paramashiva who killed the demons of Tripura

and pusashottama too. I am the form and shape of solid, indivisible jnaana. I am witness to all. I am one who has
none above me to order me about. I am devoid of myness and egosense. I am in all living beings. I am the refuge,
resort as one known both inside and outside. I am the eater and the thing eaten, What appeared different earlier is
me only.

“From me many words emerge as waves with extraordinary movements of the air of maya the indivisible ocean of
bliss. Many of these waves rise and fall again from me into me. I am without any form any activities. It is only with the
super imposition of illusion there are feelings like micro and micro. That is something like creating time length liker
year, eon season in endless continuous TIME.

Ajnaanis (ignorant ones) condemnable for the flawed mati, attribute deha and the worldly supperimposing it
on parmatman. By such an act of attributing, brahman is not demeaned. The water flow in the mirage cannot irrigate
the dry land. I am one far from these creations or imginations like the sky. I am different from irradiating other things
like the sun. I am stable, unmoving like a mountain. I am endless like the ocean. I have no connection with body just
as there is no connection between the cloud and the sky. How can the states of wakefulness etc. be mine? The body
is upadhi; it comes and goes. That performs deeds and that enjoys or suffers the fruit as consequence. That lives and
that dies but I am ever like the great mountains always stable.

“I have no pravriti, changeful nature. Since I have no organs and I have no liberation too since I am not bound.
The paramatma, which like the sky is single, everlasting and pervading, does not perform any deeds. How can it? I
have no senses and so no changes of the six types. I have endless, everlasting bliss. For me how can there be paap,
sin or punya(merit)? Even the Veda says this: “ananvaagatam punyena, ananvaagatam paapena teerno hi tadaa
sarvaan shokaan hridayasya bhavati” (Brihadavanyaka Upanishad). It crosses all griefs relating to the heart without
having any connection with paap or punya.

When cool or hot water is touched they are not felt by the ‘purusha’ since it is the shadow that feels them. The
properties, qualities of witness do not touch the person who is a witness. The witness is without change, avikari; he is
neutral. While the lamp shines the affairs in the house take place. The deeds or the affairs do not touch the lamp. In
the same way the body functions are dipressed by atman. It is unique. They do not touch the atman.

“The sun is witness to all. But the karmas, deeds, do not touch him. When iron meets with fire, it becomes bright
owing to its quality of shining when heated to a particular extent. The probates (dharmas) of the inactive (jad) iron do
not touch fire (agni). When the serpent is superimposed on the rope, the properties or qualities of the serpent do not
touch the rope.

“I am not the doer not even the inspirer or motivator. I am not the eater: not even the person who makes one eat. I
am not the seen, not even the one who shows. I am self effulgent. I am atman which can not be described or directed
that it is like this. Ajnaanis seeing the image of the sun in the moving water say that the sun is moving. While

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in upadhi, in the  deha, one feels that he is doing, experiencing etc. but the atma does not feel it. Many mistake the
body for atman.

“The deha which is jad (lifeless) though immersed in water does not get wet. The property of water or earth does not
touch me. Wetting or staining would never attain me, the form of atman.

Doership, eatership etc. are all alternatives of buddhi only. I am not dual. In me, parabrahman, there are none of
these. There may be a hundred or thousand changes (vikaras) of prakriti. What have I, one the form of chit and with
no attachement, have to do with changes at all. The clamour of the cloud does not touch the sky. Does it?

“I am the advaita brahman  non-dual brahman. From the unmanifest to the gross body what appears as a result
of abhaasa is me. I am without beginning or end. I am equal to the sky. I am that which is the base for all the
universe, the one who irradiates all, present in all shapes and all and empty of all, true, everlasting, pure, stable and
one without alternative. I am that advaita parabrahman. In me all and everything made of maya would coalesce. I am
the form of pratyagaatma. I am that advaita parabrahma. I am not to be obtained with the jnaana of the senses.

“I am deedless, changeless, without organs or limbs, without shape, everlasting permanent-with no base, nondual,
one with all atmas, and all forms and shapes. I am the everlasting, absolute bliss, the form of undivided total jnaana.

“This is the grandeur of the empire of the self effulgent parabrahman, with the affluence of your wealth of compassion
I could obtain this. O great soul! My salutations to you! Salutations again and again! Noble preceptors! You have
awakened me from deep sleep; saved me from the cruel tiger of ahankara, ego-sense and this  sansara, the
wilderness through which I have been roaring about suffering all tribulations and enduring all kind of
“heats” taapaas and worries, gurudev! My pranams again and again. Your effulgence is form of sat. Solid chaitanya,
second to none. that itself is shining in the universe.”

Seeing the disciple thus bent offering obeisance on obtaining the bliss of self-realization, the moon of the guru,
extremely pleased spoke to him again.

Guru’s Words
“All this world is the flow of jnaana from the form of brahman: so it is brahman. You see everywhere with
you manas in all states only the sat. For the one who has the eye of jnaana there could be nothing else to see
except brahman. What is there for one who knows brahman to promenade in except sat. Which man would learn that
blissful experience for the empty things? Who would look at the picture of the moon, when the moon shines overhead
in glorious radiance. There could be no contentment in experiencing something which is asat. Grief too coud not be
driven away by that. Be always in great comfort experiencing the bliss of sat which has nothing as second.

“O, great mind! Be ever having the joy of the audience of joy own form of parabrahman and thinking of that and
enjoying the bliss therefrom spend your time. Creating or imagining the world in the indivisible form of jnaana,
the nirvikalpa parabrahma is imagining a city in the sky. So be the form of absolute bliss and always experience
absolute bliss in maintaining silence.

“The state where the buddhi is neutral is considered absolute peace, paramopashanti (Buddhi) is the reason for
creation of asat and all kinds of alternatives. Great men who have known brahman would always obtain the comfort
of ananda, bliss. There is nothing better than the best of experiencing ones own nectar of bliss obtained from
the jnaana ofatmananda, the knowingness of the absolute bliss. The learned muni takes it everywhere he goes and
lives happily even in the experience of bliss all the time.

“Restraining the chitta and knowing the tatwa, for the one who has been fulfilled, the great man would not have any
interest in place, time, seat or the rules of yama etc. When once one knows himself why any rules or niyamas? To
know a pot seeing it, why would one need rules? None would care for them when so accomplished. To
know paramatmanthe strength of pramana, standard, is necessary and nothing else.

“Rules regarding place and time are not desirable. Shruti, the Veda says the atman is self-effulgent. This is not
related to place, time and pure of the body etc. The conciousness that "I am Devadatta" does not require anything.
Without any consideration, the knowledge of atman would be available to the one seeking it.
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“The sun irradiates all. In the same way only the atman irradiates it. Anatma or asat. How can it irradiate the filthy
body etc.? Vedas, Shastras and Puranas, all are becoming meaningful and accomplished because of
the paramatma. Can these give radiance to the allknowing parabrahman?"

The state of the one who knows brahman

Paramatma is self-effulgent. It has limitless strength and power. It is immeasurable. It is the form of all experience.
Among those in the brahmavettas (those who know Brahman) the best is liberated from the bond of sansara only
after knowing the atman. He shines effulgently.

Brahmavetta, always drinking deep at the springs of absolute bliss would never be in grief owing to vishayas. He
would not feel joy either. He would neither be attached nor unattached. He would ever be playing in the form of his
own atman. He would even he contented and happy. The little kid would forget even hunger and be playing with his
favourite plaything. In the same way the knowing one of the atman would be above egosense and myness. He would
always be enjoying comfort.

Brahmavetta  without wretchedness or worry would eat what he gets by way of biksha charity. He drinks off the river.
He would be independent and without any limits of power. He would never be afflicted with fear. He would sleep in a
graveyard or a garden. He wears a cloth which is neither washed nor dried. He would go about naked. The earth is
his bed. He would be ever wandering in the streets of metaphysics. He would be ever playing in the parabrahman.

chintaashoonya madainya bhaikshamashanam paanam saridvarishu

swaatantrena nirankushaa sthitirabheernidra shmashane vane
vastram kshalana shoshanaadi rahitam digva astu shayya mahee
sanchaaro nigamaanta veedhishu vidaam kreeda pare brahmani 539

Giving up or shedding moha, following the desire of everyone, he experiences all the vishayas like a little child. He
would never reveal or show his feature of varna or ashrama. He would not share any interest in external matters.
Sometime he wears a cloth, sometimes he is goes about naked. He would be wandering about like a little boy, a
madman or a spirit.

digambaro vaapi cha saambaro vaa tuagambaro vaapi

chidambarasthah unmattavadvaapi cha baalavadvaa
pishacavadvaapi charatyavanyaam

The muni being in advaita paramatma would be experiencing desires without kama, desire. He would be content with
his own experience of atman. He is in the feeling and belief that he is all in all by and in himself. He would be
wandering or going about sometimes like an idiot, sometimes like a learned man, sometimes like a king in glory,
sometimes like a madman, sometimes calm, sometimes like one taking the way of a python and sometimes like a
very deserving man and sometimes like one insulted and sometimes like an unknown stranger.

kvachinmoodho vidvan kwachidapi maharaja vibhavah

kvachit bhraantah saumyah kwachidajagarachaara kalitah
kvachitpratree bhootah kvachidavamatah kvaashyavidita
scharatyevam prajnah satata paramaananda sukhitah

Even though without riches a brahmajnani would always be cheerful. Though aidless he would he very powerful. He
would ever be egalitarian; though he is unique though performing deeds he is one unacting. Though experiencing the
fruit of karma he is not the 'eater' - bhokta.

Though he has body he is like one who does not mind it. Though limited to the upadhi, the base, of his body he is like
one who is all in himself. Likes and dislikes, auspiciousness, and unauspiciousness, would never touch him. For
those with sthoola sareera and feel that they are their bodies, there would be joys and griefs.

For one who severs connection with body (ignores it) there is no fruit, either auspicious or inauspicious. Though the

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sun is not swallowed by Rahu, the ignorant, without knowing the nature of things, tell others that the sun is
swallowed. A brahmajnaani is one who does not consider that the body is he.

One who severs the connection with the body, like a snake skin would be slightly moving when the wind blows. The
flow of water takes a piece of wood above and below. In the same way the body of a brahmavetta is swayed as per
his deeds by God. The siddha, the accomplished one, who is freed from the bonds of body would behave like a
house holder while experiencing the fruit of his deeds. While undergoing the experience of the fruit of his actions, he
remains neutral. Though the wheel moves, the axle does not move. Like that the jnaani, is without any intention or
non-intention; drunk with the bliss of his own atman, he would just remain a witness without turning his senses
towards vishayas, sense attractions. In the same way he wouldn't divert his attention from vishayas either. He does
not have any concern or care for the fruit of his deeds.

Shedding goals and non-goals, he who lives only as parabrahma is Shiva Himself. He is the best
among brahmavettas, those who know brahman. He is the fulfilled one. One liberated from the bonds of body while
alive, when the upadhi of body is destroyed, he becomes brahman and enjoys brahman which has none second.
Though not donning the robes, just as he is a man, whether he has costume or not of an actor, he
remains brahman only.

The fall of the body of the brahmavetta

The yellowed leaf of the tree falls somewhere. In the same way the body of ayati who has become brahman
somewhere, sometime, falls down. His body has already been burnt in the fire of jnaana. There would no waiting for
the muni to wait for time or place or auspicious moment since he is already filled with bliss. The body made of skin,
flesh, excreta and urine is of no consequence at all.

Leaving the body is not moksha or attaining salvation. It is not even throwing away the appurtenances
like danda and kamandalu  of the seeker. Moksha comes, when the hridaya grandhi, heart cord, of ajnaana is
severed.

dehasya moksho na moksho na dandasya kamandaloh

avidya hridaya grandhi moksho moksho yatastatah 559

Would the tree get any fruit either auspicious or inauspicious if its leaf falls either in a drain, in a river at crossroads or
on the seat of Shiva? In the same way the destruction of the body with senses, buddhi  and prana is like the
destruction of a tree's fruit or flowers Atman is everlasting. It is the form of bliss: it cannot be destroyed. Atman is like
a tree which lives even if the leaves etc. of a tree die.

Prajnaanaghana is given as a description of atman in the Veda, indicating that it is true and everlasting. Though not
stated, the upadhi of atman, like body, is destructible. The Veda, while saying “avinashee vaareyamaatma”, declares
that deha etc. die, while atman has no decay. Trees etc. come out of mud and finally mix in the mud. In the same way
the body, senses, buddhi etc. are burnt in the fire of jnaana and become brahman again. Since it has come
from brahman it coalesces in brahman again.

As darkness coalesces in the sun’s radiance, all visible things lose themselves fully in brahman. When the pot is
broken into pieces, the sky becomes clearly sky. In the same way the body which is only an upadhi, after the body is
gone, the brahmavetta becomes brahman himself. Milk in milk, oil in oil and water in water are all miscible. The one
who knows atman loses himself in atman. He becomes atmans only. Thus, the body etc., the asat gone,
the yati becomes the form of brahmajnaani and would never get into sansara.

With avidya burnt, with awareness and jnaana of the unity with paramatman and along with avidya, his body too,
the yati becomes brahman. For such a one how can there be another birth?

It is only maya which creates bondage and liberation.

In fact they are not there in the atman. It is only bhranti that makes a rope a serpent and with that bhranti gone only
the rope remains. The covering of ajnaana, avarana is bondage. That being gone what remains is only liberation or
mukti. For that reason the elders said: avidyaastamaye mokshah saa cha bandha udahrutah. For parabrahma there
is noavarana. The Veda does not accept any. Both bandha, (bondage) and moksha (liberation) are untrue.
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Only moodhas, unknowing ones, superimpose the feature of buddhi or atman. When the cloud covers the sun, it is
like saying that the cloud has covered the sun. The atman is one- non-dual-unattached, everlasting! How can it have
bondage or liberation!

Seeing the bond of sansara or not seeing the bond both are the attributes (gunas) of buddhi. They do not
touch atman, the everlasting. There could be no creation of such things to the sky like paramatma, the one which is
second to none, endless, peaceful and so on as already described in several places.

Deluge, creation, bondage sadhaka and mumukshu, none of these are there. That is the absolute truth.

“O, disciple! This is the form of the entire theory of Vedanta. This is transcendental, most secret. I explained and
taught you this. Constantly contemplate on this, with a desire for liberation with your buddhi without any desire, being
free from all the defects of kali, this eon.”

Thus while the explained, the disciple with great humility offered him his salutations and obtaining his permission,
took his leave. the guru too totally immersed in the ocean of everlasting bliss went about sanctifying the entire earth.

Thus with a view to preaching all seekers and aspirants the comfort giving jnaana, the quality of atman is described
through the dialogue between the preceptor and the disciple. May all the yatis who have successfully washed off all
the effects in chitta, those who have no desire for the comfort of sansara, those with peaceful minds who are
interested in the declarations of the Veda grasp these.

This preaching of the most exalted and the holy Bhagawatpada is an ocean of nectar for those being scorched in the
way of sansara and suffering the pangs of thirst. This gives comfort. This reveals the non-dual state of brahman. It
gives moksha. It shines effulgently.

sansaaraa dhvani taapabhaanukirana prodbhoota daahavyadhaa

khinnaanaam jalakaankshayaa marubhuvi bhraantyaa paribrahmyataam
aatyaasanna sudhaambhudhim sukhakaram brahmaadwayam darshayam
tyeshaa shankara bharatee vijayate nirvaana sandhaayinee 582

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