VEDANTA BODH

BY

SWAMI AKHANDANAND SARASWATI

Blessings
Shri Vishnu Kumar Gaggal has been coming to me for the past
forty years or so. Apart from his own questions placed to me, he
has listened to discussions and discourses, and read my writings
on Vedanta. He has put in considerable time and effort to
compile a comprehensive collection of the various aspects of
this vast school of thought.
My heartfelt blessings to him. May the contents of this book
remove all avidya and bring Mukti to him and all genuine
seekers.
Vrindavan
6. 9. 1984.

Akhandanand Saraswati

Index
Part 1 Adhikari nirupan
Chapter 1.

Topics

Mumuksha is rare in a humans life.

1. It is rare to get a human birth
2. It is rare to get mumuksha
3. It is rare to get the refuge of a Mahatma.
Chapter 2
Brahmvichar the method of fulfilling mumuksha.
1. The rising of mumuksha.
2. Different methods for fulfilling the mumukshu.
3. Moksha through Brahmvichar only.
Chapter 3
The requirements for Brahmvichar Sadhan Chatushtaya and Chitta
Shuddhi.
1. The Gnan of the Upanishads.
2. Sadhan Chatushtaya.
a) Vivek
b) Vairagya
c) Shat-sampatti
d) Mumuksha
3. The straightforwardness of the eligible person.
4. Bhakti for obtaining Moksha.
5. Thought about the Sadhan.
6. Chittashuddhi.
Chapter 4
The four boundaries of Vedanta.

1. Adhikari
2. Vishay
3. Prayojan
4. Sambandh
5. Removal of doubts regarding the anubandh
Part 2 Guru upasadan
Chapter 5
Guru upasadan
1. Why is a Guru needed?
2. How to take refuge in the Guru
3. The characteristics of a Sadguru
4. What we should do when we get a Sadguru
Part 3 Brahmavichar se poorva kuch gnatavya
Chapter 6
Some things to know
Chapter 7
Adhyas nirupan
1. Establishing adhyas
2. Jada aur chetan
3. Upadhi aur visheshan
4. Vishay-gnan ki prakriya
5. Adhyas vishayak shanka samadhan
6. Agnan aur Brahmvichar
7. Characteristic of adhyas
8. Laxan-vishayak shanka-samadhan
9. Khyati-prakaran
10. Adhyas ki sambhavna
Chapter 8
Adhyas aur vyavhar
4

1. Praman-prameya vyavhar ke mool mein adhyas

2. Praman-vichar
3. Shastra agnani ke liye hai ya gnani ke liye?
4. Nishkarsh
Part 4 Tvamm-padarth ka shodhan
Chapter 9
Prakriti-purush vivek
1. Kshetra aur kshetragnya
2. Kshetra ka vistaar evam pancheekaran
3. Prakriti evam purush ka vivek
Chapter 10
Deha-trayasaakshi-vivek
1. Sthoola shareer
2. Sookshma shareer
3. Kaaran shareer
4. Dehatraya sakshi
Chapter 11
Atma ke swarup ke sambandh aneka mata
1. Charvak mata
2. Indriya ya prana Atma hai
3. Mana Atma hai
4. Buddhi Atma hai
5. Shoonya Atma hai
6. Poorvamimansa evam nyaya ka mata karta-bhokta-sansari
7. Sankhya-yoga mata bhokta purush Atma hai
8. Upasak mata karta-bhokta-sansari-parichinna tatha Ishwar ka
niyamya chetan jeeva Atma hai
9. Vedanta mata

Chapter 12
Panchakosh-sakshi-vivek
1. Panchaosh avatarana
2. Annamaya kosh evam annamay purush
3. Pranamaya kosh evam pranamaya purush
4. Manomaya kosh evam manomay purush
5. Vigyanmay kosh evam vigyanmay purush
6. Anandmay kosh evam anandmay purush
7. Panchkosh-sakshi
Chapter 13
Avastha-traya-sakshi-vivek
1. Teen avasthyein evam unke abhimani
2. Turiya Atma
3. Jagirt-purush aur jagrit-avastha ka abhimani
4. Svapna aur sushupti tatha unke abhimani
5. Atma ka pratham pada vishva, virat
6. Atma ka dvitiya pada taijas, hiranyagarbh
7. Atma ka tritiya pada prana, Ishwara
8. Pragya ka sarvakaranatva
9. Avasthatraya ka samanvay Atma (sakshi) mein
10. Atma chaturth pada sakshi, Brahm
Chapter 14
Ahamartha evam shuddha sakshi (tvam-padartha) ka vivek
1. Ahamartha evam samvidatma (sakshi)
2. Beej aur jeeva
3. Jeeva ka shuddha swarup svayamprakash bhramsukh (akhand
sacchidanandaghan Atma)
Part 5 Tat padarthaka shodhan
Chapter 15
Ishvarattva ka vichar 1
6

1. Brahm ka tatastha lakshan jagatkaran

2. Jagatkaranatvake sambandhmein anek mata
3. Karyakaranaateeta Brahm Scchidanandki drishtise vichar.
4. Brahm sarvagya, sarvashakti, sarvaantaryaami hai iska artha
5. Brahmki sarvavyaapakataaka varnan
6. Ishwara aur pragya
Chapter 16
Ishvarattva ka vichar 2
1. Brahm ka doosara lakshan shastrayonitva
2. Ishwarake sambandhmein pramaan - shastra
Part 6 Virodh-parihar
Chapter 17
Vedantaka samanvay
1. Vedaki apaurusheyataka abhipray
2. Chhandogyopnishad (Samaveda)
a) Sad-vidya
b) Bhoma-vidya
c) Chid-vidya
3. Brihadarankopanishad (Yajurveda)
a) Yagyavalkya-Maireyi samvad
b) Madhu-vidya
c) Antaryami Brahm
4. Eytareyopanishad (Rigveda)
5. Mundakopanishad (Atharvaveda)
6. Samanvay sambandhi kush shanka samadhan
Part 7 Eykya bodh
Chapter 18
Mahavakya vivek
7

1. Pada samanvay
2. Vaad prakriyen
3. Ekya paddhatiyan
4. Tattvamasi
5. Aham Brahmasmi
6. Pragyanam Brahm
7. Ayamatma Brahm
8. Ekya sadhak yuktiyan
Part 8 Vedanta ka sadhan aur fala
Chapter 19.
Vedanta ka sadhan aur fala
1. Sadhan aur fala
2. Nirvivad satya
3. Jeevanmukti
4. Videhamukti

Glossary

VEDANTA BODHA
Part I
Chapter I
The Desire For Mukti is rare
Bhagwan Shankaracharyaji Maharaj has stated that three things
are rare in the lives of creatures.
1. Manushyatvam being born a human being.
2. Mumukshutvam wanting to be free of the cycle of
rebirth.
3. Mahapurushasanshraya surrendering to a Mahapurush.
Durlabham trayame`vaitad de`vaanugrahahe`tukam,
manushyatvam mumukshutvam mahaapurushasanshrayah.
(Vivek Chudamani)
1. The Rare Good Fortune of being born a Human.
It is by the Ishwaras Grace that we get a human form. This is
evident when we consider how small a percentage humans are,
compared to all the other species in the world. There are many
reasons why it is so rare to be born a human being.
The word manushya means, a child of Manu. Manu is a
person who does manana thinks deeply about metaphysical
matters. Manus wife was shraddhaa (faith). That means, a
being who has been born with faith and the ability for profound
thought, is called a manushya; a human being.
Or else, manasaa seevyati iti manushyah one who builds
relationships mentally, is a manushya. This is why a human
being gives thought to the cause and effect, and understands the
original cause of Creation and Dissolution, and obtains the
realization that they are the one Brahman.
9

There are four kinds of living beings in creation udbhija,

sve`daja, andaja, and pindaja (also called jaraayu). The udbhij
are those who break through the surface layer of the soil, like
trees. They have one kalaa (portion) of che`tanaa
(consciousness). The svedaj are born out of liquid matter, like
lice and bed bugs. They have two kalaas of consciousness. The
andaj are born from eggs, like birds; they have three kalaas of
consciousness. The pindaj or jarayu are born in a sac, like
the two legged humans and four legged animals. Animals have
four kalaas of consciousness but humans have five.
In humans, the Satpurush (evolved Saints) have six kalaas, and
the jeevan mukta (liberated Mahatmas) have seven kalaas.
When a jeevan mukta has eight, nine, or ten kalaas, he is called
an Avatar.
A human being can live with even one kalaa of consciousness,
or two, three, or four kalaas, but he is established as a human
being only if five or more kalaas have developed in him.
The Parabrahm Paramatma is our own svaroopa (essence). It is
believed that He has three bhaava (characteristic qualities): Sat
= pure existence, Chit = pure consciousness and Anand = pure
bliss. It is only when these three expand in a human being that
five or more can develop in him. The expansion of these three
bhavas is possible only in humans, and that is why a human
birth is considered to be a rare and excellent gift of Bhagwan.
The expansion of karma (action) is in the expansion of Sat. The
expansion of Gnan is in the expansion of Chit, and the
expansion of sukha (perfect comfort) is in the expansion of
Anand. The expansion of karma, Gnan and anand is far greater
in humans than in other species. The worlds civilization and
culture are witness to this. The expansion continues, and will
continue in future. That is why it is a rare privilege to be born
as a human being. As a human, we have the capacity to free
ourselves from the worlds bondage, sorrow, and wrong-doing.
10

Plants and trees take in their food from below, and grow
upwards. They are called urdhvasrota in the Shastras. Prakriti
(the Ishwaras power of Creation; Nature) has given them lots
of scope for evolving further.
Birds and animals take food from the front and throw it out
from the back. They are called teeryaksrota. The svedaj lice,
bedbugs etc are also teeryaksrotas. Humans, however, are
adhahsrota - they take in food from the top and throw it from
below. The learned people have concluded that this indicates
that Prakriti has evolved the human species to the highest limit
possible. Now, it is up to the humans to develop themselves.
Humans are the only species to have the capacity to develop
their intellect to an extent that they become one with the
Parameshawara. No other species has this capacity. That is
another reason why the human form is durlabha (rare).
You can experience absolute bliss in a human form. You can
experience the totality of Gnan, and obtain eternal life. The
avinaashee (indestructible) Ishwara, the poorna (whole)
gnaanasvaroopa (the essence of whom is Gnan) Ishwara, the
poornaananadasvaroopa (the essence of whom is absolute
bliss) Ishwara can manifest in your heart. That is why a human
form is granted by the Grace of the Ishwara.
We cannot obtain a human birth by choice. We are not free to
choose the form we get. A human form is given to us because of
the punya (spiritual merit acquired by good deeds) of past
births, and the Grace of the Ishwara. Therefore, being born a
human is durlabha (rare). There are men as well as women in
the human race, and each has their own special qualities. The
Ishwaras Grace is on both, since both are human beings. Both
are gifted with sadbuddhi (the intellect that guides you towards
what is right).
The Shrimad Bhagwat says that the Ishwara created a variety of
forms using His maayaa (power of illusion). He created plants,
11

worms, animals, birds, insects, etc, but did not feel satisfied. It
was only when He created the human being that He was
satisfied. Oh, I have created a form that has the capacity for
brahmaanubhooti (experiencing the Brahman).
Srishtvaa puraani vividhaanyajayaatmashaktyaa,
vrikshaan sareesripapashoon khagadanshamatsyaan,
Taistairatushtahridayah purusham vidhaaya,
brahmaavalokadhishanam mridamaapa de`vah.
(Shrimad Bhagwat 11. 9. 28)
The fact is that all the different species can have the
experiences given by their senses, but the mechanism that gives
us the knowledge of the Ishwara who is beyond the range of
the senses is given only to human beings.
No other species practice saadhana chatushtaya. Sadhan
Chatushtaya are the four methods that are essential for spiritual
progress. They are vive`ka, meaning discrimination, viaraagya,
meaning detachment from worldly considerations, shat
sampatti, meaning achieving control over the three internal and
three external tendencies, and mumukshaa, meaning a desire to
be free of the cycle of rebirth.
None of the other species can listen to the Veda Shastras. There
is no possibility for them to develop the vritti (mental
inclination) for aham brahmaasmi - I am the Brahman, which
is the mahaavaakya the ultimate statement of the Vedas.
Therefore, no other species has the capacity to have a direct
experience of the Brahman, or obtain Tattvagnan
(enlightenment). Tattvagnan is the Gnan about the essence of
the Brahman, that the Atma and the Brahman are one, and that
this essence is the substratum upon which everything is
superimposed.
It is a great kindness on the part of the Ishwara to have given us
a human form. The purpose of this form is to obtain Tattvagnan

12

since only we have the ability to do so. All other abilities are
common to all species.
2. Mumukshutvam is Durlabh.
The second rare good fortune is to be a mumukshu as well as a
manushya. A mumukshu is a person who wants to be free of the
cycle of rebirth. The Avadhoota Gita has a shloka that is also
given in Khandankhandakhadya.
Eeshavaraanugrahaade`va punsaamadvaitavaasnaa,
mahaabhayaparitraanaa dvitreenaamupajaayate`.
(Avadhoota Gita 1. 1)
It states that it is only by the Ishwaras grace that a vasanaa
(avid desire) for advaita (the non-dual Atma or Brahman) arises
in the heart of a human being. This desire saves us from many
causes of fear, but it rises only in a very few people. Similarly,
the Gita also says that hardly one in a thousand strive to obtain
the Ishwara, and of those, hardly one in a thousand obtains
Tattvagnan.
Manushyaanaam sahasre`shu kashchidyatati siddhaye`,
Yatataamapi siddhaanaam kashchinmaam ve`tti tattvatah.
(Gita 7. 3)
Mumuksha means a wish for Moksha, Mukti; liberation from
rebirth and all worldly sorrow. The urge to be free of everything
you are bound by, is called mumukshaa moktum ichhaa
mumukshaa. A person who has this wish is called a
mumukshu.
What are the things that bind you? The fact is, you are not
really tied to anything. What are your bones attached to? What
has tied up your hands and feet? These are all mental bonds.
Your mind has become habituated to binding itself to something
or other. Nobody gets tied to any vishaya (sense object). The
mind does not remain free of imagined sense objects, and that is
13

why it seems to be bound to the external objects that are similar

to the imagined ones.
Both the vishays and the bonds are imagined. Wealth has never
tied itself to you; your mind has tied itself to wealth. Wealth
does not even know who its owner is. The bonds with other
people are also imagined.
We believe vishays to be Satya (a truth that cannot be negated),
and we think that these objects give sukha-dukha (pleasurepain). Because of this, we develop raaga-dve`sha (attachmentaversion), and this perception gives birth to relationships. This
is the cause of our bondage. When a person believes that there
is sukha in being bound to a person or object, the desire to be
free disappears.
What is it that we actually want to be free of? We have no wish
to be free of our house, people, land, or wealth. We want to be
free of the dukha that comes through them. We want to be free
of sorrow, and catch hold of happiness and the things that give
pleasure.
Mumuksha begins at the point when a person starts to
discriminate between the sukha-dukha that come naturally.
Whenever something appears to be a cause of sorrow, we want
to give that up. And, whenever something seems to be a cause
of pleasure, we want to obtain it. The objects that seem to be a
source of happiness are transient. They give a temporary
pleasure that turns into dukha when it ends. Thus, when
vairaagya (detachment from worldly considerations) starts with
sorrow and short-lived pleasures, that is when actual mumuksha
begins.
There is a desire to be free, first from attachment to material
objects, and then from people and relationships. This is the
avara-vairaagya (inferior detachment) in which mumuksha first
manifests.

14

After that, there is a desire to be free of the antahkaran (fourfold

mind) in which desires exist. This is the shuddha (pure)
vairagya, which is the essence of vairagya.
Raga-dvesha abide in the antahkarana (fourfold mind). If the
causes of our attachments-aversions are cut away, the bonds of
raga-dvesha are also cut away. There is a story in the Yoga
Vasishtha. Vrihaspati the Guru of the Devtas told his son,
Kacha, Do tyaaga (renounce), to obtain paramaananda
(supreme bliss). Kacha wandered as a mendicant for a year, but
the tyaga was insufficient. Then he threw away even his danda
and kamandalu (staff and vessel carried by Monks), and tried
everything else he could think of, but he did not obtain
paramananda. Ultimately Kacha said, I will burn this body of
mine in a funeral pyre. Vrihaspati caught his hand. No, my
child! This is not called tyaga. Chittatyaagam viduh
sarvatyaagam. That means, when you give up your chitta
(mental movements), that is sarva tyaga renouncing
everything. No jeeva (Atma attached to a body) can be Mukta
(liberated) without renouncing the chitta. Therefore, the desire
for chitta-tyaga is true mumuksha.
The Ishwara can be experienced only when the mind is
absolutely free of any worldly thought. Hence, it is only by
Bhagwans Grace that mumuksha rises in the mind. When the
Ishwara wants a person to merge into Him, He Graces that
person with a desire for chitta-tyaga. That is why mumuksha is
durlabh.
4. Mahapurushasanshraya is Durlabh.
What makes mumuksha successful? It is the sanshraya (taking
refuge) of a Mahapurush (liberated Saint). Obtaining a
Mahapurushs shranaagati (taking refuge in a Mahatma by
surrendering to him) and aashraya (shelter; protection) is also
extremely rare.
15

The question is, How can we be free of sorrow? There are

some saadhana (efforts/methods for spiritual progress) that
give temporary relief from sorrow. You can get involved in
some vihit karma (activity recommended by the Shastras); do a
Yagya, or some other ritual of worship, etc. As long as you are
engrossed in some good activity, you will forget your sorrow.
Another method is to imagine you are embracing someone who
is very dear to you it may be your wife, a Devta, the Ishwara,
or someone else. Let your mind dwell upon them. Your sorrow
will be forgotten instantly. Go into a Samadhi. You will not
think about your sorrow while you are in a Samadhi. You can
even take a sleeping pill and forget your sorrow while you
sleep.
However, these are all temporary measures. They cannot satisfy
a mumukshu because they do not endure; they give no lasting
happiness. All they do is to spread a feeling of sukha that is
artificial. Samadhi breaks after a while. Your focusing on a
loved one, taking a sedative, or doing a Yagya brings a shortlived relief, and then the dukha returns. None of these provide a
lasting sahaj sukha.
Sahaj sukha means paramananda supreme bliss. It is not
merely an absence of dukha or removal of misfortune. It is the
direct experience of the unadulterated, natural state of
happiness that is our own essence. It is the saakshaatkaara
(direct personal experience) of the paramananda that remains
unaffected by time, space and matter.
Samadhi contains only an absence of dukha; it does not give
sahaj sukha. Samadhi does not have the capacity for the
experience of paramananda. The peace of deep meditation is
not Moksha; nor is it a method for obtaining Moksha.
Upasana is a loving tendency. In upasana, Mukti is obtained by
the kripaa (Grace) of the one we worship. It does not make us
independent of our Ishtadev (chosen form of worship). The one
16

who gives Mukti can also take it back. Mukti obtained by

karma is also temporary. As soon as the power of the karma
wanes, the strength of Mukti also wanes. This principle is
accepted in the Purva Mimansa school of thought, and also by
Swami Dayananda.
Thus, karma, upasana, and Yoga Samadhi are incapable of
removing sorrow on a permanent basis. The Buddhists believe
that Moksha is of four kinds nirvaana, mahaa nirvaana, pari
nirvaana, and ati nirvaana. These are actually levels of mental
states.
Some Seers believe that Moksha is obtained after death. Some
believe in krama mukti (Mukti attained step by step), and some,
in sadyo mukti (instantaneous Mukti). Some believe in jeevana
mukti, meaning, being liberated in this very life. The Mahatmas
said, My brothers, you are creating divisions in Mukti! Mukti
removes all divisions. It is aatmabodha knowledge about the
Atma. Why do you make divisions in it?
I asked Shri Udiya Babaji Maharaj, Is jeevan mukti better, or is
vide`ha mukti (being unattached to the physical world) better?
The very thought of both is amangala (inauspicious), he
replied. We are Mukta as we are, when we are, where we are.
Our movements are called paramaananda, our natural
brightness is called chaitanya (consciousness), and our
existence is called the Brahman that is the adhishthaana
(substratum of everything).
The fact is, a total removal of dukha can not be experienced as
something that is separate from the aatma-chaitanya the
consciousness that is the Atma, and the substratum of
everything. The Atma is Sacchidananda, it is ananta (infinite),
and it is sahaj paramananda a natural state of bliss.
Therefore, Moksha is another name of the Atma.
The Atma is the essence of Moksha. This is revealed when
avidyaa (ignorance; nescience) is removed. This knowledge
17

involves no physical effort; nor does it make us dependant. We

obtain the object that is our own Atma, and always with us. We
do not obtain any new condition, object, or situation.
It is agnaana (lack of Gnan) that makes us think that the Atma
is bound. Gnan shows us that it is always mukta (liberated).
That, which is established by agnan is actually non-existent;
and that, which is obtained by Gnan has always been with us.
Thus, there is no bondage in the Atma. Moksha is its nature, its
essence.
The conclusion of mumuksha is, therefore, the establishing of
Moksha, and the conclusion of Moksha is obtaining the Gnan
that Moksha is the essence of the Atma. This Gnan is not a part
of karma, upasana, or Yoga. It is a part of establishing that the
Atma is not bound, and what its essence actually is. The proof
of this includes the Mahavakyas of the Vedas, which give the
eternal wisdom that is free of the faults of bhrama (faulty
understanding), pramaada (forgetting what we know is right),
karanaapaatava (being dogmatic), and vipralipsaa (urge for
getting importance), etc. This is possible only by taking the
sharana (refuge) of a Mahapurush, and by no other method.
People who want to make money associate with successful
businessmen. Lawyers and doctors work under their seniors, to
gain experience and build up their careers. In contrast, you wish
to obtain Brahmgnan, but dont want to associate with the
Mahatmas who have Brahmgnan. Why do you feel shy to keep
the company of the Mahapurush?
Do you want to learn the Gita on the radio? Do you want to
recline comfortably on a sofa at home, while the radio
commentator explains the Gita to you? Why is that? Isnt it
because this does not upset your arrogance? Pandering to your
ego is one thing, and obtaining Moksha, or paramananda, is
altogether a different thing.

18

The meaning of mahaa purusha sanshraya is to give up your

ego and surrender to a Satpurush (enlightened Saint). You have
to give up all pride about your power, beauty, wealth, caste,
learning, intelligence, position, etc, and take refuge in the
Teacher.
Aachaaryaaddhayaiva vidyaa viditaa saadhishtham praapati
(Chandogya Upanishad 4. 9. 3) only the vidyaa (knowledge)
obtained from an Acharya is established. This is the proper
method of getting Tattvagnan.
Sa
vigyaanaartha
gurume`vaabhigachhe`t
(Mundaka
Upanishad 1. 2. 12) surrender to the Guru, if you want to
obtain Tattvagnan. You cannot obtain Tattvagnan by taking
tuitions at home. When a Guru is given money to come to your
house to teach you, his importance is reduced and yours is
increased. Nor will Vedanta (the purport of Vedanta) come out
of the shlokas. Mahapurushasanshraya means total submission
to the Guru.
Somebody asked a Mahatma, Maharaj, how is Gnan obtained?
He replied with a counter question, How do you light a lamp?
The wick of an unlit lamp is touched to the wick of a burning
lamp, and the lamp is lit. Similarly, if there is a Mahapurush in
your life, the obstacles that hamper your spiritual progress will
be removed. The body of a Mahapurush emits subtle vibrations,
like soothing moonlight, or a gentle fragrance, and we
automatically develop the eligibility for sukha (happiness) and
Satya (the ultimate Truth).
When we start going from the small towards the immense, it is
a sign that Bhagwan who is the biggest is pulling us towards
Him. It is a sign of His kripaa (Grace). To think that all that
happens should be to your liking is not a sign of Bhagwans
kripa. We should understand that kripa is showering upon us
when things begin to happen that connect us to Bhagwan. Thus,
the first link that connects us to Bhagwan is a human birth, the
19

second link is to develop mumuksha, and the third link is to

surrender to a Mahapurush.
Any connection love, understanding, or physical proximity
with a Mahapurush brings great good fortune. Shankaracharya
Bhagwan had a disciple who knew nothing. He was not
educated. He would wash Shankaracharya Maharajs loincloth
and fill water in his kamandalu (a vessel carried by Monks),
follow him wherever he went, and stand with folded hands.
One day, Bhagwan Shankaracharya was seated in bhajan
(singing devotional songs; loving meditation). The other
disciples started to make fun of this simpleton. He felt very hurt
and dejected. He went to Shankaracharya Bhagwan with a
heavy heart, and bowed down.
Who are you? asked Shankaracharya Bhagwan.
What do I know about who I am? said the disciple.
Shankaracharya Bhagwan put his hand on the disciples head.
Gnan flooded into him, and he cried out
Naaham manushyo na cha de`vayaksho,
na braahmanah kshatriyavaishyashoodrah,
na brahmachaaree na grihee vanastho,
bhikshurna chaaham nijabodharoopah.
I am not a human being, nor am I a Devta or Yaksha. I am not
of the Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya or Shudra castes. I am
neither a Brahmachari (celibate), grihee (married householder),
vaanaprasthi (retired person who turns towards Bhagwan) nor a
Sanyasi. I am the essence of Gnan, the nitya (eternal), shuddha
(pure), buddha (enlightened) Brahman.
People were amazed to see this miracle. This is the kind of
fame that Mahapurush sanshray has.
Chapter II
The Method For The Fulfillment of Mumuksha Brahma
Vichar.
20

1. The Rising of Mumuksha.

This human form is a rare gift that has been given to you. It is
the mould in which the Paramatma gets filled. In this form, you
have been given a mirror in which the Parabrahma Paramatmas
reflection can be seen.
Even in the human form, it is difficult to grasp the principle of
the Shrutis (Vedic verses) that are beyond the sphere of karma
(actions), and bhoga (sensual experiences). This understanding
is the mother of mumuksha.
What is happening is that in spite of getting the rare good
fortune of being born as a human, most people spend their lives
in accumulating more and more karmas and bhogas. This brings
only dukha, and still people have no inclination to let go of
worldly considerations! Their inclination is to forget their
problems temporarily, quarrel over trifles, and boost their
vanity. Their aasthaa (faith) in the asat (that, which is not the
Satya) is strengthened. That being the case, why should they
grasp the Satya, the Atma that is the Brahman, and can never be
negated?
A person whose intellect is caught by illusions is trapped. A
monkey slipped its paw into a jar buried in the ground. There
were nuts in the narrow-necked jar. The monkeys fist
broadened as soon as he caught hold of the nuts, and it could
not pull it out of the jar. The monkey refused to let go of the
nuts, and was caught.
Oh, this stupid mind! You go into this world to get something,
and get tied up with so many bonds! How dependent you are!
The sukha of a woman, of wealth, family, etc are all things that
enslave you. How can anybody who does not object to being
ruled by others make any effort to obtain the supremely

21

independent Paramatma? Mumuksha will not awaken in his

heart.
Have you ever considered whether that, for which you sweat
and toil is Satya, or whether it is a mirage? Can you tell us
whether the worldly objects and achievements of millions of
people down the ages gave them sukha-shaanti (happiness and
peace)? No, it did not. It is as though people have become
intoxicated by karma and bhoga. Na sham-shaantiryayaa iti
nashaa that, which does not give sukha-shanti is called
nashaa (intoxication; addiction). You are nitya-shuddhabuddha-mukta (eternal, pure, enlightened, and free), and yet
you believe yourself to be subject to death. You believe yourself
to be a paapee (sinner), punyaatmaa (a person who has spiritual
merit). You are free, but you believe you are bound to the
world. This is nashaa.
The Vedas say, If you obtain the knowledge about Satya in this
life, it is very good; else your life has been a great waste.
Iha che`dave`deedatha satyamasti na che`dihaave`deen mahati
vinashtih. (Kena Upanishad 2. 5)
You were given an intellect to enable you to unite with the
Paramatma, but that was not achieved. You were given desire to
obtain paramaananda (supreme bliss). But you failed to obtain
it.
This life of yours was a staircase leading to a state of being
undying, everlasting; but you did not climb up the stairs. This is
like committing suicide. It is like killing yourself. You do not
even know your real Self, who you really are. To not know
yourself is aatmaghaata (suicide). You are killing yourself, no
one else, because you have caught hold of asatya (that, which is
not the Satya). Or, you can say that asatya has you in its grip,
and you are unable to break free.
You believe the unreal to be real. You believe that, which
belongs to another, to be yours, and what is yours, to belong to
22

someone else. You consider sukha to be dukha, and dukha to be

sukha. What could be more foolish than that?
2. The Different Methods for the Fulfillment of Moksha.
In that case, what should we do? Should we memorize every
sentence of the Vedas and Shastras? Should we develop the
ability to give eloquent discourses on the Vedas? Should we
undertake ritual worship of the different Devtas described in the
Veda-Shastras until they manifest before us? Should we spend
our lives doing good deeds recommended by society and the
Shastras? Should we cultivate Samadhi? What is the method by
which we can be free of asat, remove our foolishness, awaken
mumuksha, and obtain Moksha?
Shri Shankaracharyaji Maharaj says, Do whatever you want,
and go on doing it for as long as you want, but unless you
obtain the experience that the Atma and the Brahman are one,
you cannot obtain Moksha in even a hundred cycles of Time.
Vadantu shaastraani yajantu de`vaan kurvantu karmaani
yajantu de`vataah,
aatmaikyabhodhe`na
vinaa
vimuktirna
sidhyati
brahmshataantare`pi.
(Viveka Chudamani 6.)
It is the principle of the Upanishads that Mukti cannot be
attained unless you obtain Gnan (enlightenment). Death can be
overcome only by obtaining this Gnan. There is no other
method.
Rite` gnaanaanna muktih.
Tame`va
viditvaatimrityume`ti
vidyate`yanaaya.
(Shvetashvara Upanishad 3. 8)

23

naanyah

panthaa

The question is, what do you want to attain, and what do you
want to be free of? The truth is that you wish to attain eternal
life, the Gnan about Satya, the natural state of supreme bliss
that is independent of any external factor, and is the essence of
self-realization.
You want permanent freedom from stupidity, death, suffering,
and dependence. You want to be liberated from poverty,
inadequacy, dependence, and deterioration.
In other words, what you want is Moksha. If your desire for
Moksha has been awakened, you will not be able to attain it
until you experience the oneness of the Atma and the Brahman.
Everything you do has to be done for obtaining this experience.
Even when people become Pundits of the Shastras, it does not
mean that their vaasanaa (avid desire) for wealth and bhoga is
satiated or removed. Learning increases abhimaana (vanity,
pride, arrogance). It can be a means for earning wealth by
giving good discourses, but it cannot give Moksha. Similarly,
Vedic rituals like Yagyas, and the worship of Devtas can give
you worldly sukha and lofty realms after death, but they cannot
liberate you from your attachment to sukha and your
dependence on the objects that give sukha. Nor can they
remove the bhraanti (faulty understanding) of believing
yourself to be an individual, separate from others. Therefore,
they cannot give you Moksha.
Going into a Samadhi, or meditating on your Ishtadev (chosen
form of worship) can give a temporary escape from the things
that agitate your mind, but they do not remove kartrittva (the
feeling of being the doer of the action) or bhoktrittva (the
feeling of being the one who experiences pleasure and pain).
Nor does it negate the interactive world, or the subtle ego of
individuality. Therefore they cannot be a means for Mukti
either.

24

People who are staunch believers in Dharma (instituted

religion) say, Do Dharma here, in this world, and you will get
the fruits either in Swarga or in your next birth. This happiness
is imagined. It is not Moksha.
The upaasaka (people who believe in loving worship of a
chosen form) say, Do the upasana of your Ishtadev here, in this
world, and you will get the sukha of being engrossed in
Bhagwan in this life, and obtain paramananda when you go to
His divine realms after death. Obtaining this sukha is not
Moksha.
The Yogis say, Go into a Samadhi, and you will reach a state of
kaivalya (where only I remains as the witness). All sorrow is
destroyed in this state. According to them, this is Moksha, but
this Moksha does not remove the impression that the world is
real and contains sukha. Therefore, bhoktritva is not removed;
nor is the feeling of being an individual, separate from others.
Then, how can this remove dependence and agnaana
(ignorance)?
In Tattvagnan, our svaroopa (Self, essence, true form) is
Moksha. We think Moksha is yet to be attained, but that is our
bhrama (mistaken understanding). Moksha is not created by
Dharma, upasana, or bhakti. Nor can it be established by Yoga.
Moksha is our own swarup, as it is. It was the same earlier, and
it will be the same in future, and it is our essence now. Due to
our faulty intellect, it seems to be hidden, covered up, invisible.
To establish Moksha we have to strive to obtain Tattvagnan by
shattering the veil of nescience and realize that we are Mukta.
Shattering the veil of nescience is called aavarana-bhanga in
Vedanta.
All our bonds are created because of bhram. Gnan removes the
bhram and gives Mukti. This is the principle of Vedanta. In
bhakti, Moksha is obtained by Bhagwans kripaa (Grace), when
bhakti is done with the proper intellect. Even the dharmaatmaa
25

(those who believe in the ritualistic Dharma) accept that

Moksha cannot be obtained by proper understanding only;
sadaachaara (proper behavior and decent habits) and religious
rituals are also necessary for obtaining Moksha. The Yogis say
that a proper understanding combined with the proper practice
of Yoga leads to a state where the aspirant obtains Mukti. It is
also a fact that each of these groups has a different concept of
samajhdaaree (proper understanding). That being the case, the
Mukti attained through these methods is also of different kinds.
The Mukti of the Jains is when the liberated Atma sits on the
siddha shilaa - the rock of successful detachment purified and
effulgent. The Mukti of the Buddhists is the death of the
antahkaran (the fourfold mind composed of the emotions,
intellect, inclinations and the subtle ego of individuality).
According to the Sankhya philosophy, a person gets Mukti
when he becomes totally aloof and unattached.
According to the Purva Mimansa philosophy, the disappearance
of the relationship with the interactive world is Mukti. The
concept of Mukti in Christianity and Islam is similar to that of
our books on Dharma and upasana. A persons karmas (deeds)
and vishvaasa (faith) play a major role, and the person gets the
Grace of a Master, son of God, or Avatar; and then he goes to
Swarga, Bahishta, or the realm of the form he worships.
Vedanta says that Moksha is when the veil of avidyaa
(nescience) is removed, and the Atma is revealed as the
Brahman, and also the substratum of everything.
Christianity and Islam are founded on faith. Dharma and Yoga
are based on paurush (personal effort). The path of bhakti is
based on the Grace of Bhagwan, and the path of Vedanta is
based on vichaara (profound thought).
It is quite simple. If, in spite of getting a human form and the
requisite intelligence, you dont try to obtain Moksha, you are
being cruel and unfair to yourself. The first task of a wise man
26

is to try to liberate himself. What preparation do you need for

this? The preparation is to let go of the belief that sukha is
obtained from external objects.
Sanyas does not mean donning saffron robes and going into the
forest. Sanyas is the giving up the belief that sukha comes from
the fulfillment of desires.
If you are engrossed in efforts to obtain sukha from worldly
means like living in a good place and getting tasty food, you
will remain engrossed in such efforts all your life. Neither will
the variety of objects ever end, nor will your desires.
Furthermore, how will the mistaken concept of obtaining sukha
from things that can never give enduring sukha ever be
removed? You are rejecting the sukha of the Paramananda who
abides in all hearts. He is the param-aananda the supreme
bliss, the inherent joyfulness of the Atma; and you seek sukha
in external sense objects! What a mockery! Can you hope to
obtain sukha from the things that rot and die? You have never
tried to taste the pavitra (pure according to the Shastras) Ganga
of the sukha that flows in your heart; instead, you chose an
expensive external wine! You want sukha, but not the sukha of
the immutable essence of bliss?
Then, my brother, you have to first understand that you should
do the sannyaasa (renunciation) of your wish to obtain sukha
from the outside world.
After that, you should take the sharana (refuge) of a
Mahapurush (enlightened Saint). He will show you the path to
Mukti. He will be your Guru. A Guru is one who can reveal the
Paramatma to you. You ask him, Where is the Ishwara? He
will point to his chest and say, Here. You ask him, Who is the
Ishwara? He will point to you and say, You are the Ishwara.
That is why a Guru is also called De`shika. De`shini is a
finger, and one who uses it to give Gnan is called a deshika. If
asked, What is Mukti? When, and where is it? the Guru points
27

his finger and says, Mukti is now, it is here, and it is your

essence.
What should the Guru be like? He should be a Sant and a
Mahatma. A Sant is one who is filled with sanmaatra (the
essence of Sat); he is unattached to any external objects or
considerations. A Mahatma is one who has united with the
mahaanatam (greatest of all) Brahman. A Sants viewpoint is
that everything is the Brahman without attributes.
You should go to such a Guru and surrender to him. Consider
him to be great, and yourself to be small, and learn form him.
You should successfully absorb the teachings he gives.
Nobody else can do saadhanaa (effort for spiritual progress) on
your behalf. Tyaaga (renunciation) is your own Dharma, and
the Sacchidananda Brahman is your own essence. Nobody else
can make the effort and obtain these for you. The desire for
shakti-paata (when a competent Guru induces a spiritual
experience with a touch) is a dream of people who are too lazy
to make an effort for themselves.
One Mahatma told me, Very well; you will be able to do
Bhagwans bhajan. He did shaktipaat on me, and Bhagwans
name started coming automatically in a steady stream. Then it
stopped. When I complained, the Mahatma said, How long do
you expect me to sit on your tongue and do bhajan on your
behalf?
Sadhan, bhajan, and tyaga have to be done by us, for our own
spiritual progress. This is not a path for people who are lazy and
forget what their duty is. It is a different matter to study Vedanta
and a different matter altogether to do shravan (listen to
absorb).
The sanshaya (doubts) about the pramaana (proof) and the
prame`ya (that, which is established) are to be removed. The
natural faults of understanding are also to be removed. This is
done by a personal effort of nididhyasan.
28

When you undertake a serious study of Vedanta, you have to

understand that the main principle of Vedanta is that the Atma is
the substratum upon which the world is superimposed.
Everything that is superimposed, including your body and
mind, is mithyaa. Mithya means a relative truth, life a ripple in
water. You need to do nididhyaasana (bring repeatedly to mind
the fact that only the Atma is Satya), to be able to overcome the
fluctuating effects of the world on your mind.
If you are sinking in the sea of the interactive world, you will
have to lift yourself out of it. Your physical form is composed
of the pancha-bhoota (the five elements earth, water, fire, air
and space), and the kaarya (effects) that rule you are the five
praana (life spirit; vital energy), etc. To consider them I and
mine is to sink into the sea of the interactive world in which
we are born.
Lift yourself above the superimpositions. The word, uddhaara
means to raise up someone who is falling, and not let him fall
again. The Atma is nitya, shuddha, buddha, mukta (eternal,
pure, enlightened and free). Neither does it fall, nor is it
uplifted. When the mind thinks it has done something wrong, it
is patita (fallen), and the person thinks, I am a patitaatmaa
(sinful). When, the person does things he believes to be good,
he feels, I am an utthitaatmaa (I am uplifted). Therefore, the
meaning of do your uddhara yourself is, use your intellect to
understand that you are the pristine Atma. Dispel the false
impression of being a body or mind, and establish your Self in
your essence. Dont let yourself become agitated by worldly
factors. Dont scatter yourself in trifles and the illusionary
world.
You have scattered your Gnan some in the laboratory, some in
books, and some in your domestic Guruji! Your life is also
scattered in the bank, the shop, and your home. Curtail this
scattering.
29

How can this scattering be stopped? For this, a staunch

nishthaa (unshakeable conviction) has to come into your life.
And that is, that you will accept only the Satya and nothing
else. And, Satya is that, in which there are no paaramaarthik
(pertaining to the ultimate Satya) differences. That means, your
entire life must be channeled towards obtaining the experience
of the paramaartha-satya (supreme Truth), as instructed by
your Guru.
This nishtha has a natural consequence an anaasakta jeevana
(a life free of attachments). A person whose life flows towards
his goal will not be obstructed on his path. When a persons
spiritual progress is blocked, it is a sign of aasakti (attachment
to worldly objects). When a person perceives sukha in any
object, and considers himself to be the bhokta of the sukha, he
cannot help getting attached to that object. Asakti is born when
a person feels that worldly objects are real, and that they give
pleasure. He also feels that he is the one who enjoys these
pleasures. To get stuck to someone, somewhere, at some time is
called aasakti. However, for a person who is gatisheela
(progressing towards his spiritual goal), the place, time, and
objects keep changing. So then, where, when, why, and to who
will he get attached?
Asakti is of four kinds: karmaasakti, falaasakti,
kartrittvaasakti, and akartrittvaasakti.
Karmaasakti is when you believe that you can get sukha by
some karma. My brother, just let sukha come; why are you
being rigid about which doorway it comes from? Welcome your
husband, whichever vehicle he comes in. You get bound by
karma when you get attached to actions. The pre`rnaa
(motivation) of doing karma comes between the kartaa (doer)
and the karma (action); and the karmafala (fruit of the action)
comes between the karma and the bhoktaa (the one who
experiences the fruit). When the motivation gives sukha, then
30

the person is unable to retain his equanimity for the karmafala.

When the fruit of the action is pleasant, it creates attachment,
and when it is unpleasant, it creates aversion. This is falaasakti
aasakti (attachment) for the fala (fruit) of the action. When
karma is prompted by the wish to do ones duty, please
Bhagwan, or use the opportunity to do a good deed, the person
can experience sukha everywhere. There is no falasakti in this.
Kartrittvaasakti is attachment to karma any karma. In this, the
person finds himself unable to stop being active. He feels a
compulsion to keep doing something or other. And
akartrittvaasakti is when a person justifies being idle, saying
that the Atma is the akartaa (not the karta).
Let the objects of the senses remain, and carry on doing the
things that should be done, but let there be no attachment. Then,
you will not get stuck anywhere, and you will reach your goal.
Two factors are essential for a mumukshu.
1. Satyanishthaa faith in the Satya
2. Anaasakti-yoga yoking yourself to the Supreme and
detaching yourself from everything else.
These two are essential for getting Moksha. There are some
other factors, apart from these, that are also vital for obtaining
Moksha. They are:
3. Paanditya learning; discrimination
4. Dhairya the ability to hold on to what is right
5. Sannyaasa renouncing all worldly considerations
6. Aatmaabhyaasa the habit of reminding yourself that you
are the Atma.
The intellect that discriminates between Sat and asat is called
pandaa, and a person who has this vivek is called a Pundit.
This knowledge is needed for mumuksha, because if it is
lacking, a person may believe the asat to be the Satya. Panditya
(learning) is not memorizing the Shastras or give impressive
discourses on them. Naayamaatmaa pravachane`na labhyo na
31

me`dhayaa na bahunaa shrute`na (Mundaka Karika 3.2.3).

This Shruti states clearly that this Atma is not obtained by
pravachan (giving discourses), me`dhaa (the right intellect) or
listening to talks.
Dhairya is the ability to endure both sukha and dukha with
equanimity. If a person lacks this ability he will either have a
heart attack or lose his balance. Such a man becomes a tyrant. I
want this woman; I want that pleasure. His demands keep
increasing. His actions become uncontrolled.
Similarly, when a man is unable to endure dukha, be beats his
chest, laments bitterly, and becomes insane with grief. He may
turn into an antisocial, have a heart attack, and die.
Samadukhasukhadheeram somritatvaaya kalpate` (Gita 2.15)
a person who retains his equanimity in sorrow and joy is a
dheera purusha. Only such a person is eligible for receiving the
amrita tattva (the essence, the elixir that bestows immortality).
If you become intoxicated by worldly gains and start crying at
worldly losses, how will you do aatma-chintan (think about the
Atma)?
A person who has vivek and dhairya should turn towards sarvakarma-sannyaasa (giving up all actions motivated by worldly
considerations). This is a purushaartha (human endeavor).
Having no interest in, or inclination for, anything except
obtaining Moksha is called sarva-karma-sanyasa. Let effort
and endeavor be there in your life, but not for obtaining
anything temporal. Strive only to obtain your natural poornataa
(wholeness), for your Mukti.
When you listen to the purport of the Shastras from your Guru,
it is called shravana. After listening, you have to think about
it deeply, with a positive attitude. This is called chinatan.
When you think about how you can overcome the obstacles in
the path of spiritual progress, it is called manan. When
shravan and manan flow in an unbroken rivulet, like oil, it is
32

called nididhyaasana. Negative thoughts are rejected in

nididhyasan, and positive inclinations flow in a steady stream.
This shravan, manan, and nididhyasan is called
aatmaabhyaasa.
Adhyas means repetition. What do you repeat in life? Your
house, shop, money, friend, enemy these are the anaatmaa
(not the Atma) things that you keep thinking about. The habit of
dwelling upon the anatma has filled your life. Atmabhyasa is
needed for removing the habit of focusing on the anatma.
You have to keep reminding yourself, I am the nitya-shuddhamukta Brahman. I am the unattached Atma. I am an uninvolved
witness of this world. Practicing this creates aatma-bala (inner
strength; the strength of the conviction that you are the Atma;
not the body or mind). This removes bhram (false
understanding). The false belief that the world is a permanent
reality cannot be removed merely by telling yourself that you
are an uninvolved witness in all that happens.
Question: You talk about sarva-karma-sanyasa, but the Shastras
strongly advocate doing karmas. And then, since Bhagwan has
given us the indreeya (senses) surely, they are given for doing
karma and bhoga?
Answer: Yes, the Shastras do advocate karmas, but you should
understand the purpose. Bhagwan has given us feet, but are we
to go on walking? Should we not get some rest, too? My
brother, Bhagwan has given us feet as well as sleep. He has
given us senses and organs of action, but He has also given us
an intellect so that we can discriminate between pravritti
(activity) and nivritti (withdrawing from activity). Activity and
withdrawal are to be understood and used judicially.
The Shastras advocate karma, but the purpose of karma is
chitta-shuddhi purifying the mind. Our chitta (state of mind)
33

has become sullied because of paapa karma (sinful actions),

indulging in improper pleasures, ego, and a lack of right
understanding that influences our behavior. Our mind is
inclined towards the asat and the jada (insensate objects). It
believes dukha to be sukha, and bondage to be freedom. It
dreams of obtaining enduring happiness through luxuries.
Moha (delusion) has made the mind focus on the body and ego.
People are satisfied with small things and lack principles. In
short, they are caught in the impurities of karmas, desires, and
disturbances.
Thus, the rules of the Shastras regarding karma help us to uplift
our mental state and make it free of the faults that hold us back
from developing the habits that help us attain Moksha. By
following the teachings of the Shastras a person develops a
natural propensity for Gnan.
People shoot at a target, but they have to make sure that the gun
is clean. In the same way, the fourfold mind is an instrument
that has to be aimed at Moksha. It has to be purified if you are
to hit your target.
The karmas instituted by the Shastras are meant to free you
from adharma (that, which is contrary to Dharma), desires, and
ego. However, once the mind is purified, you have to give up
karmas to destroy karmaasakti (attachment to work) and
kartritvaasakti (attachment to the feeling that you have to do
your duty).
Karmas done at personal whim strengthen the ego, but when the
karmas are done at the command of a Sadguru (Guru
established in the Sat) and Sat-Shastra (the Shastra that
propounds Satya), it destroys the ego. It opens up the original
fount of inspiration within us.
3. Moksha through Brahmvichar.

34

The mind in which mumuksha rises is a mind that becomes

pure. When there is a natural inclination for thinking about the
Atma, the mind is automatically purified. The next step is
sarva-karma-sannyaasa, because the purpose of karma, which
is to purify the mind, has been achieved. Moreover, Moksha
cannot be achieved by even millions of karmas; it can only be
achieved by vichaara (deep thought), since it is avichaara (lack
of thought) and agnaana (lack of Gnan) that give the feeling of
being bound and being a separate being.
It is a strange fact that our Atma is Moksha, and it is nityashuddha-buddha-mukta
(eternal-pure-enlightened-liberated),
but we dont know it. Had Moksha been some other,
somewhere else, or at another time, it may, perhaps, been
obtained by some karma or bhaava (feeling). However, if it was
separate, it would not be nitya (eternal), nor would it be
paramaananada svaroopa the form of supreme bliss.
Had that been so, who would have wanted Moksha? Had it
been obtained by the destruction of the antahkaran, and had the
Atma also been destroyed when Moksha was obtained, it would
have been something very fearsome. A mumukshu wants only
that, which is nitya, is the essence of Gnan and supreme bliss,
and his own Self.
That, which is our own Self, is eternal, and the essence of
supreme bliss appears to be some other, impermanent, and full
of sorrow. The reason for this is agnan. As soon as Gnan is
obtained, agnan is removed, and the real form of the Self is
revealed. Therefore, as soon as a mumukshus mind becomes
pure, the only duty left for him, is to strive to remove his agnan.
Bhraanti (wrong understanding) is an inclination caused by
agnan. It is established by avichar lack of thought. An
inclination for Gnan is required to remove bhranti; and such an
inclination can only be cultivated by vichar.

35

A man mistakes a coiled rope for a snake, and feels afraid of it.
The cause of his fear is his bhranti; not the rope. He feels upset
that a snake has come into his house. He picks up a stick and
starts beating it. This action cannot remove his fear of the
snake. His fear will be removed automatically as soon as he
realizes that there is no snake. What he thinks is a snake is
actually a coiled rope. Similarly, karmas like yagya daan
tapa (worship of the sacred fire, doing charity and asceticism)
cannot remove agnan from your life. Nor can Samadhi give
Moksha. Agnan will be removed when you do vichar, and
understand that what you fear is not real; it is an illusion.
Agnan hides the essence of the Atma in the same way, and
gives you a faulty understanding. You think that you are a
human being, a Brahmin, a married householder, a jeeva (Atma
attached to a body) who is a karta and bhokta. You identify with
your body. All these impressions are natural, and they cannot be
removed by any karma, feeling, or Yoga. This brahnti can be
removed only by shravan, manan, and nididhyasana (vichara)
that are in keeping with the Shatras, and told to you by your
Guru.
Therefore, the principal duty of a mumukshu is to accept taking
refuge in his Guru, and to be alert about giving thought to the
fact that the Atma and the Brahman are one. This is the only
method for obtaining Moksha.

Chapter III
The Ingredients Needed For Brahmvichar.
(Sadhan Chatushtaya and Chitta-shuddhi)
36

Rare as it is for a human to have mumuksha, it is even more

rare for the mumuksha to be earnest and intense. People want to
be free of bondage and get supreme bliss, but they want to get it
the way they obtain other objects. They do not believe that
Moksha is the essence of the Atma and that it seems to be
unattained because of agnan.
How can Moksha exist without the Atma? The Atma seems to
be something that is separate, but is, in fact, the Brahman,
unaffected by space, time or matter. The desire to obtain the
Moksha given by Gnan is extremely rare. This is the form of
true mumuksha. The mumuksha given by Gnan cannot be
obtained by any karma, bhaava (feeling) or avasthaa
(condition; state). The only way it can be obtained is to think
about the oneness of the Atma and the Brahman. This vichaara
(deep thought) is the subject of Vedanta.
1. The Gnan of the Upanishads.
The descriptions given in the Vedas are divided into two parts.
The first part is called the vidhi vibhaaga (the section of
instituted karmas). It contains the rules for our life and actions.
Living according to these rules removes our vaasanaa (avid
desires), spreading sukha-shaanti (happiness and peace) in our
lives. Thus, this part of the Vedas decides what we should do
and what we should not do. It is dominated by words, because it
is the words that the law sees.
The second part of the Vedas investigates the yathaartha vastu
(the real object; the Brahman), but the method of investigation
is different from worldly methods. The things of this world are
known through the senses, mind, and intellect; but the one who
obtains Gnan cannot be known through the senses, mind or
intellect.
37

Each of our five senses establishes the object of its own golaka
(area of knowledge), but none of them can know the entire
object. Even their combined knowledge does not reveal
everything about an object, because we can only recognize
something if we have prior knowledge about it.
Even in this, the kaarana-kaarya (cause-effect) can be known
only by the buddhi (intellect). The methods of anvayavyatire`ka (mutual relation of cause and effect; exclusion, a
negative inference) are used to obtain knowledge about the
kaarya (effect) and kaarana (cause). Kaarana is that, in which
an object is created and in which it is dissolved; and karya is
that which is created. Or you can say that that, without which
nothing can exist, but which exists even if there is nothing else,
is the kaarana. However, this karya-kaarana creationdissolution happens in the presence of the buddhi, and buddhi
itself is created, and it dies. That being the case, the attempt to
obtain Gnan about the saakshee (the Atma; the uninvolved
witness) who reveals the buddhi, through the buddhi,
experience, or thought, is futile. The sakshi is the drashtaa the
one who sees; he cannot be the drishya that, which is seen.
Even if the sakshi wants to see himself, he can use the method
of identifying with the mental inclinations, and see, I am
ahamasmi but he will remain the witness. He can never
experience I do not exist. When he is in the waking state, he
will experience I exist. This mental inclination can also be
present in the dreaming state, but not when he is in the deep
sleep state.
Thus, the svaroopa (form; essence) of the sakshi is separate
from the feeling I exist, and also I do not exist. Whether the
sakshi is ananta (endless) or saanta (having an end), vibhu (allpervading), or parichhinna (separate), adviteeya (non-dual), or
svadviteeya (having duality) cannot be known by any logic,

38

proof, or by the sakshi himself. Vedanta is needed to obtain the

Gnan about the true form or essence of the sakshi.
All the paths of upaasanaa (loving worship of a chosen form)
focus predominantly on the vaktaa (speaker), and therefore, the
statements in upasana are based on shraddhaa (faith). The
Upanishads, however, are not dependent on the person who
makes the statement; they are formed predominantly on the
topic that is being described. What is important is that the
subject is Satya; the speaker is nor important.
The greatness of the Vedas is not established by a sentence like
Agnirhimasya bhe`shajam fire melts ice, because that is
common knowledge, seen by all. We dont need the Vedas to
tell us about the things that are obvious, or known by
instruments. The greatness of the Vedas is that they explain the
things that cannot be known through observation and
experiments. There is no scope for faulty understanding, or
forgetting our instinctive knowledge about what is right, in the
exposition of the Vedas. Nor is there any scope for cheating or
being cheated, in the Gnan given by the Vedas.
The Vedas show us the Brahman. The Brahman is present
everywhere, at all times, and in everything; yet it is also
separate from everything. It seems to be different and separate,
but there are no divisions or fragments in the non-dual essence
of the Brahman. I, you, and they do not exist separately in
the Brahman, because the Brahman is indivisible. It cannot be
the object of anything.
The only way the Brahman can be experienced, is through the
process of ne`ti-ne`ti not this not this of the Upanishads.
This method discards everything that is not the Atma, showing
that the Atma is the Brahman. That is why the Vedas are the
only means of establishing that the Atma and the Brahman are
one, and enable a mumukshu to develop the capacity to
experience this. The Seers have made the tradition of the
39

Upanishads, which are the purifying portion of the Vedas, and

are called Vedanta the conclusion of the Vedas.
The meaning of upanishad is, brahmavidyaa knowledge
about the Brahman. Brahmavidya is obtained by going to the
Guru and learning it from him. Upa + ni + sad = Upanishad.
Upa means upasangamya to present yourself to the Guru in
the proper manner, prepared to serve him sincerely. Ni means
nishchaye`na to squeeze out everything that is drishya (seen,
as being separate from the I who sees), and the triple factors
of the gyaataa (the knower), gnaana, and gye`ya (that, which is
known). Sad means the Gnan of the unchanging Atma being
one with the non-dual Brahman. This vidyaa (knowledge;
understanding) is called the Upanishad.
The root sad also means, to destroy, or, gati, meaning Gnan.
Therefore, upa means, to sit very close to the Tattva (essence)
that ni, meaning the annihilation of the perception of the
interactive world and its bondage, through knowing the ultimate
existence. That is the vidya called the Upanishads. That
portion of the Vedas in which the Brahman is established, and
the one who establishes are both described is also called
Vedanta since the Upanishads are the conclusion of the Vedas.
This is the part of the Vedas that points out the Satya (the
ultimate Truth that can never be negated; pure existence), and
the main thrust of this portion is the importance of its meaning.
The words, the one who speaks, and the language used are not
important.
Thus, the brahmaatmaikya bodha the realization that the
Brahman and the Atma are one gives us Gnan about the object
that is Satya. It also removes our conviction that the sansaara
(interactive world) that is the root of all our sorrow is not Satya;
it is mithyaa a relative truth. We are thus liberated from
everything that binds us in this world. This is also the svaroopa
(form; essence) of Moksha.
40

If you think yourself to be the karta, it means that you should

do punya karma, not paapa. If you think yourself to be the
bhokta who experiences pleasure and pain, you should get
sukha, not dukha. If you think that you are the drashtaa (the
one who sees), the asanga saakshee (uninvolved witness), it
means you are far removed from raga-dvesha. However,
Vedanta does not say that you are a sakshi; it says that you are
the Brahman. Which means, you are infinite. All the things that
are seen in you are mithya.
When the illusionary fragmentation and faulty understanding of
the world are removed, the person becomes free of the various
causes that create conflicts in this world. He rises above the
dogmas of different religions, Sects, partiality for the State or
Country, and ideologies like communism, socialism, etc. When
he obtains the realization that he is the non-dual Brahman he
becomes a citizen of not only one universe, but he feels one
with all Creation that is created by the Ishwaras Maya (power
of illusion). In this state, there is no residue of ego,
competitiveness, or raga-dvesha.
To live a life of such liberated inner peace, free of any taint or
distortion, or paapa-punya, it is essential to know, Who am I?
Once a person has obtained Vedanta Gnan, his life becomes
straightforward and natural. It contains no artificiality or
worldly cunning. There is no thought of being unjust or harbor
ill-will. There is only inner peace. The purpose of Vedantavidya is to become completely free of dependence. Once a
person obtains this vidya, Dharma-karma cannot take him to
Swarga-Narak. Not even the Ishwara can compel him to go
anywhere. The Vedas cannot give him any commands about
anything. The jurisdiction of the Vedas applies only to people
who consider themselves to be the karta, and a person is ruled
by the Ishwara as long as he is caught in Maya-Prakriti (the
Ishwaras powers of illusion and Creation).
41

The Ishwara does not control the chaitanya (pure

consciousness) that is His essence; He controls the upaadhi
(superimpositions on the substratum of the Brahman that are
connected to something). The jeeva believes himself to be tied
to I and mine because of the antahkaran (fourfold mind;
subtle body) that is superimposed on the essence. The Ishwara
rules the upadhi according to the good and bad actions of the
jeeva. The Ishwara accepts to rule over the jeeva when the jeeva
identifies with the body, mind, and action that are upadhis. The
Atma is asanga (unattached), and therefore, has no connection
with any of these.
This is how Moksha is obtained, with the realization of the
oneness of the Atma and the Brahman. Being with the Guru and
thinking about the Brahman is the method by which a
mumukshu with a shuddha (pure) antahkaran obtains Moksha.
A person can give thought to the Brahman only when he has
jigyaasaa (a desire for knowledge) about the Brahman.
Improper behavior is the karma-mala the impurity of karma.
Raga-dvesha is vasanaa-mala the impurity of desire. The
restlessness of the mind and faulty understanding are aavarana
veils of nescience that hide the Satya. All these are signs of an
impure antahkaran, and they need to be removed, if
Brahmagnan is to be obtained.
2. Sadhan-chatushtaya.
We also have to give thought to the saadhana (method for
spiritual progress) that must be inculcated our daily life, before
embarking on Brahmvichar. Certain ingredients need to be
gathered before we can obtain the fruit of our efforts. This fact
is accepted unanimously. Just as you need a wick, oil, and
matches before you can light a lamp, you need some special
ingredients to light the lamp of Brahmagnan. This gathering of
42

qualities is called sadhan-chatushtaya the four sadhans in

Vedanta. A person who has developed these qualities is a prime
candidate for Vedanta.
Sadhan (method) according to the saadhya (that, which is to be
obtained), and saamagri (the ingredients needed) according to
the saadhanaa (effort for spiritual progress), have to be
acquired if the sadhanaa is to succeed. Here, the sadhya is
Moksha, the sadhana is Brahmvichar, and the samagri is
sadhan-chatushtaya.
When we say that the essence of Moksha is the removal of
sorrow and obtaining Paramananda, we do so because of the
accumulation of vasanas and our turning towards the one,
indivisible essence. The fact is that Moksha is the revelation of
the Atma-tattva that happens simultaneously with the removal
of avidyaa (nescience). Therefore, the goal is the removal of
ignorance and the method is Brahmvichar.
Sadhan-chatushtaya is the group of four methods: a) vivek, b)
vairagya, c) shat-sampatti and d) mumuksha.
(a) Vivek means to discriminate, to separate. The ability to
examine worldly interaction is called vive`ka. The word vivek
comes from vichira-prithagbhaave`. When two things have got
mixed up, and need to be separated, the ability to recognize and
separate them, is called vivek. Here, nitya (eternal) and anitya
(transient) have become mixed. Satya and mithya have become
mixed, sukha and dukha have become mixed, and che`tan (pure
consciousness) has become mixed with the jada (insensate).
This is why a vipareeta buddhi (contrary intellect) has come
into our life.
We are the Sacchidananda (Sat = pure existence, Chit = pure
consciousness, Ananda = pure bliss) Parabrahma, but we think
that that we are a body that is asat (not the Sat), jada, and
43

subject to different kinds of suffering. Our physical body is a

part of this interactive world. The interactive world is a relative
truth composed of suffering and insensate objects, but we think
it to be a Satya that is everlasting and filled with happiness. So,
before pondering deeply upon the Brahman, it is essential to
have vivek about what is nitya and what is anitya; what is Sat
and what is asat; what is sukha and what is dukha; what is
chetan and what is jada; what is the indivisible whole and what
is a fragment; what is the kaarana and what is the karya, etc. All
these must be defined and clarified. Their different
characteristics have to be understood in order to get vivek and
use discrimination. An urge to know as well as an acute
observation are required for this.
One is drishya (that, which is seen) and one is the drashtaa (the
one who sees). Everything that is known through the senses,
mind, and the intellect is drishya. It is the vishaya (objects of
the senses). All that is seen is this, and the one who sees is the
I. It is clear that the drishyas are many, destructible, subject to
change and fleeting; but the drashta is always remains
unchanged. Neither the visible nor the invisible can be
experienced without the drashta, but the drashtas existence is
independent of the objects, both seen and unseen. Thus, the
absence of the things that are seen the drishya is always in
the drashta; and this feeling the absence of the things that are
seen is a part of the drashta. The drishya is a superimposition
on the substratum of the drashta, and therefore, it is mithya. The
drashta, however, is Satya.
I repeat; the drashta is the form of Gnan, and therefore it is
chetan. The drishya is the object of Gnan, and therefore it is
jada. The jada has many forms and is destructible; it cannot be
sukha. Nor can sukha be experienced as something that is
separate from the illuminating consciousness. Therefore, the

44

drashta the Atma is sukhasvaroopa (the form of sukha), and

the drishya is dukharoopa (the form of dukha).
There are many kinds of vivek in Vedanta. One is the drashtadrishya vivek that has just been described. Other viveks are the
nitya-anitya vive`k that describes the eternal and the transient;
the sat-asat vive`k that describes the Satya and that, which is
not the Satya; the kaarana-kaarya vive`k that describes the
cause and effect, the sukha-dukha vive`k that describes
happiness and sorrow, the adhishthaana-adhyastha vive`k that
describes the substratum and the superimpositions, etc.
The Shrutis (Vedic verses) tell us to observe this world we live
in. Anything that is created by some action is anitya, and
destroyed in time. In the same way, realms like punyaloka that
are attained after death due to meritorious deeds, will also be
anitya.
Tad yathe`ha karmachito loka ksheeyate`, e`vame`vaamutra
punyachito lokah ksheeyate` (Chandogya Upanishad 8. 1. 6).
When a learned person examines these factors, he develops
vairagya for karmas. He loses all interest in working to obtain
fleeting worldly pleasures. How can the eternal Moksha be a
result of actions that can only give a temporary fruit?
Pareekshya lokaan karmachitaan braahmano nirve`damaayaat
naastyakritah kritah krite`na. (Mundaka Upanishad 1. 2. 12)
Whatever is created by karma is anitya, and whatever is seen
will be destroyed ultimately.
Yatkritakam tadanityam. Yad drishtam tan nashtam.
All that is superimposed upon the substratum that is the only
Satya, is subject to destruction. Everything that is perceived is
anitya.
Yadadhyastam tadanityam. Yatprateetam tadanityam.
The Vivaran Prasthan and the Bhamati Prasthan are the two
books that are well known for being helpful in understanding
the Vedanta-vidya and grasping the knowledge of the Vedas.
45

There is no difference in the principle, but there is a difference

in the methods recommended for people at different levels of
eligibility. The Acharya (Teacher) of Vivaran Prasthan is Shri
Sureshwaracharya, who was a disciple of Shri Shankaracharya
Bhagwan. The Acharya of Bhamati Prasthan is Punditpravar
Shri Vachaspati Mishra.
According to the Vivaran Prasthan, Brahmagnan is obtained
just by shravan listening to the Gurus exposition of the
Vedas. Therefore, they include the sat-asat vivek and karyakaarana vivek, in the vivek that is the first step of sadhanchatushtaya.
According to the Bhamati Prasthan, Tattvagnan (which is also
called Brahmagnan) is obtained only after the person does
sharavan and then manan-nididhyasana. They consider vivek to
be complete only when a person obtains tyaaga-vairaagya
(renunciation and detachment), and learns to discriminate
between the nitya and the anitya.
Shri Shankaracharyaji Bhagwan says, The Brahman is the
Satya and the jagat is mithya. Reaching this conclusion is itself
the nitya-anitya-vastu vivek, because it is the ability to
discriminate between the objects that are eternal and those that
are transient.
Brahm satyam jagannmithye` tye`vam roopo vinishchayah,
soyam nityaanitya vatsuvive`kah samudaahritah.
(Vivek Chudamani 20-21)
That is why sat-asat vivek and karya-kaarana vivek should be
considered within the vivek of the sadhan-chatushtaya.
What is Satya, and what is mithya? Only an indication of this is
given here. In Vedanta, the characteristic of Satya is,
abaadhyatvam satyatvam that, which cannot be negated in
any place, time, matter, or state, is called Satya. Nobody can
experience, I do not exist. Therefore the true meaning of I is
the Satya.
46

There are other opinions, like, Satya is that, which is present in

the kaarana-avasthaa the causal state. Or, That, which has
no beginning and no end, is Satya. Or, That, which is the
object of the proof, impossible to refute, but not the object of
establishing anything else, is Satya. None of these are very
helpful in enabling us to obtain the direct experience of the
Satya that is the oneness of the Brahman and the Atma. The
Vedantis call this experience the brahmaatmaikya-bodharoopa
satya. Moreover, these theories are faulty, so there is no need
for them to be discussed here.
What are the characteristics of asatya, or mithya, given in
Vedanta? That, which glimmers as real on the support of its
own absence, is mithya svaabhaavaadhikarane`
bhaasamaanatvam mithyaatvam. That means, the thing you see
is not real; it is mithya, a relative truth. For example, you are
walking on the road and you see a figure wearing saffron
colored clothes. You think it is a Mahatma and go forth eagerly
to meet him. When you go near, you see that it is actually a lady
wearing a saffron colored sari. You perceived a man in a figure
that was a woman. That means, you saw a man where no man
existed. The man was a mithya perception. When you realized
that it was actually a woman you saw, your false understanding
was destroyed. The bhram (false understanding) was in your
mind, and the Gnan about the truth was also in your mind. That
is why, Gnaana-nivartyatvam mithyaatvam that, which is
removed by Gnan about the truth, is mithya. This is the
characteristic about mithya, and Gnan is the principal factor in
this. The first is dominated by chetan, and is a prame`yapradhaana lakshana the characteristic that is universally
accepted, and the second is a pramaataa-pradhaana lakshana
the characteristic in which the one who proves is predominant.
During the deep sleep state, the meaning of I is the Atma, but
this does not refer to the jagat; which means, the jagat
47

glimmers like a mirage in the I, in which it does not really

exist. That is why the jagat is mithya, a relative truth, in I, the
Atma.
Even in the process of srishti (Creation), the Chandogya
Upanishad
says,
Sade`va
somye`damagra
aaseet
e`kame`vaadviteeyam. The Brahman existed before the world
was created. And, Yato vaa imaani bhootaani jaayante` ye`na
jaataani jeevanti yatprayanti abhisanvishanti tad vijigyaasasva
tad brahm (Taittareeya Upanishad) the world is created and
sustained by the Brahman and it dissolves into Him. This
establishes that the Brahman is Satya and the jagat is mithya.
Different principles have different interpretations of vivek. In
the Shri Ramanujacharya school of thought, vivek means
discrimination regarding pure and impure food. What is
shuddha-ashuddha (pure-impure according to the Shastras)? In
their opinion, your mind will become shuddha if your intake is
shuddha, and your mind will become ashuddha if you eat food
that is ashuddha. Their definition of shuddha food is that no
ashuddha ingredient should be added to the food, that the vessel
in which the food is cooked should be shuddha, the condition of
the person who cooks it should be shuddha and the money by
which the food is bought should also be shuddha.
The Yoga Darshan and the Sankhya school of thought have the
drashta-drishya vivek. It begins with the vivek of sukha-dukha,
and concludes in the Gnan of the absolute difference between
the drashta the one who sees and the drishya that, which is
seen. According to them, the future dukha is to be given up, and
sukha is non-existent. Kutraapi kopi sukheeti (Sankhya
Darshan 6. 7)
Dukha also comes from the raga and dvesha that are the result
of getting attached to whatever gives sukha, and aversion for
whatever blocks it. Dukha is also caused by vritti (mental
inclinations) of the Sattva-Raja-Tama gunas, the three mental
48

tendencies that fluctuate between peace and wisdom,

restlessness,
stupor
and
delusion.
Parinaamataapasanskaaradukhaigunavrittivirodhaachch
dukhame`va sarvam vive`kinah (Yoga Sadhan 15). The fact is
that as per the theory of the Bhamati Prasthan, sukha-dukhavivek is included in the vivek of the sadhana-chatushtaya.
Those who give importance to Dharma (instituted religion)
have the vivek of Dharma-adharma (that which is Dharma and
that, which is contrary to Dharma). We should separate the
vivek of Vedanta from this vivek, to understand both clearly.
b) Vairagya (detachment).
The result of vivek is to come to a conclusion. If you give
thought to something, but come to no conclusion, what does
your discrimination achieve? The body is asat (destructible),
anitya (impermanent), jada (insensate) and dukharoopa (a form
of sorrow). I am its saakshee (uninvolved witness), sat (I
exist), nitya (everlasting), che`tan (consciousness), and
anandaroopa (the form of bliss). This conclusion is vivek. The
conclusion that the Brahman is the Satya, and the world is
mithya, is vivek. This vivek concludes in the definite Gnan that
whatever comes into us will go out again. Whatever is not in
the present, will be created and destroyed. Whoever is not I,
will come and go. Anything that is caught and brought from
another place will leave. Whatever is born in time, will die in
time. If we obtain anything that is separate from our I, it is
certain to leave us one day. Therefore, any place, time, or object
that is obtained or created by karma will be destructible.
A person who wants to know the Brahman becomes
disinterested in all the objects and situations of this world and
the next. This lack of interest is vairagya. Kim naama
vairaagyam? Adridharaagadve`shavattvam. Vairagya is a laxity
49

of raga-dvesha; to have neither friendship nor enmity for any.

However, vairagya does not mean anger or disgust. The ragadvesha in our life should be very weak. Our life should have the
strength of aatmabala (the strength of the Atma), not of ragadvesha. This is achieved by vive`ka-nishthaa (a staunch faith in
vivek). You should have nishtha that the Atma is separate from
the body, and the Parameshwara is separate from the world.
Vairagya comes when we get this staunch faith.
Vairagya does not mean staying naked or living under a tree.
You can know that you have vairagya when a state of
tranquility pervades your mind, cravings are reduced, and you
inclination for worldly activities wanes. Your ability to tolerate
and forgive increases, and your faith in your Guru, the Shastras
and the Ishwara increase.
To have aasthaa (faith with reverence) for anything that is not
the Atma is against vairagya. The characteristic of Vedantas
vairagya is to create anaasthaa (lack of astha) in anything
except the Atma, even in Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh (the Creator,
Sustainer, and Destroyer of the world), Samadhi (achieved by
practice), and Swarga-Narak (Heaven-Hell). This makes the
person Atma-nishtha, firm in the conviction that the Atma is the
non-dual Brahman, and the substratum of everything. To
become Atma-nishtha you have to give up nishtha for all other
things.
In Dharma, a person has vairagya for adharma, and raga for
Dharma. In bhakti, a person has vairagya for everything except
the Ishwara, and raga for the Ishwara. In Yoga, a person has
vairagya for the effect of the three gunas, and in Vedanta, a
person has vairagya for everything except the Atma.
In the Bhakti Shastra there is a close relationship between
vairagya and bhakti. In Tulsidasjis opinion, Gnan and vairagya
are the eyes of bhakti. Gnaana viraaga nayana uragaaree
(Ramcharitamanas). The Bhagwat says that Gnan and vairagya
50

are the sons of bhakti. Aham bhaktiriti khyaataa imau me`

tanayo matau, gnaanavairaagyanaamaanau kaalayoge`na
jarjarau. (Bhagwat Mahatmya 1. 45).
Some people believe that vairagya is the result of bhakti, and
some like the people of Vrindavan believe that vairagya is
an ornamentation of bhakti. However, there is no dispute in the
fact that bhakti is dear to Bhagwan. Shri Vishwanath
Chakravarti has described the vivek of vairagya in Madhurya
Kadambini.
The Acharyas of Yoga Darshan say that vairagya is of two kinds
apara vairagya and para vairagya. Apara vairagya is to be
disinterested in everything that is seen and heard, including the
sensual pleasures of this world and the next.
Drishtaanushravikavishayavitrishnasya vasheekaarasangyaa
vairaagyam (Yoga Darshan 1. 15). Para vairagya is when the
person obtains Gnan about the difference in the Purusha (the
Ishwara) and Prakriti (Nature), and loses interest in the three
gunas. Tatparam purushakhyaate`rgunavaitrishnyam (Yoga
Shastra 1. 16)
There are four sub-divisions of apara vairagya yatamaana,
vyatire`ka, e`ke`ndriya and vasheekaara.
Yataman is to block the senses from going towards the sense
objects, by meditating on the fault of indulging them.
Vyatirek means to reach a state of mature impartiality and to
develop the capacity to gauge the extent of the faults that have
been removed, and the ones that are yet to be removed.
Ekendriya means to retain a subtle raga for the sense objects
even after they are given up externally.
Vashikara means an absence of external indulgence and no
subtle raga for any divine or earthly sense object.
Vairagya is not developed by merely having the knowledge that
everything except the Atma is anitya transient. Vairagya is
strengthened when a person realizes the faults in the anitya, and
51

the dukha it brings. It is a great Grace of Bhagwan when He

gives vairagya. The incidents in life that give vairagya to us are
a great and rare good fortune. Vairagya that lacks strength does
not last. An insipid vairagya lacks the strength to give up the
undesirable and grasp the vital. If you are not able to hold on to
Satya and give up all that is described as asatya, it means your
vairagya is weak. A weak vairagya can not lift you up to the
Gnan that the Brahman and the Atma are one. Only the vairagya
that is convinced of the faults of asatya is strong.
Vairagya is not asangataa (to remain aloof; unattached).
Asangata is the Dharma of the Atma, whereas vairagya stays in
the mind. Asangata is reflected in the mind that is inclined
towards vairagya, but a virakta (one who has vairagya) is not
the saakshee (the Atma in the individual, who observes without
getting involved). A person who has vairagya has to observe
impartially and also have the capacity to renounce. Shri
Shankaracharya
Bhagwan
says

Ihaamutrafalabhogaviraagastadanantaram (Vivek Chudamani

19).
Also,
Tadvairaagyam
jugupsaa
yaa
darshanashravanaadibhih,
de`haadi
brahmaparyante`
hyanitye` bhogavastuni (V. Ch. 21- 22.)
After getting vivek, vairagya is the second saadhana (method)
for becoming unattached to the fruits of karmas that can be
given, either in this world, or in the realms after death. Vairagya
is the state of being indifferent to everything, starting from this
body, to the land of Brahma. This indifference is developed
through darshan (different philosophies), shravana (guidance
by the Guru), and other methods.
You see all the things that happen in this world, and hear about
them. What is it, that doesnt happen? Husbands and wives
quarrel with each other; greed induces parents to sell their
daughters. Understand what goes on behind the scenes. You

52

will feel disgusted with this world of ours. You will understand
its inherent faults. This is vairagya.
Understand the crooked and hypocritical nature of people and
obtain vairagya. Everything in this world keeps changing
love, faith, associates, etc. The body grows from childhood to
youth and then old age, but cravings remain ever-young. What
is there, in this world, that is worth indulging in? Nothing! Raga
increases with bhoga; the more a person indulges in sensual
pleasures, the more skillful he becomes in finding new ways of
obtaining sensual pleasures. Bhogaabhyaasamanu vivardhante`
raagaah kaushalaani che`ndriyaanaam (Yoga Bhashya 2. 15).
Bhoga is not possible without imposing on others.
Naanupahatya bhootaani upabhogah sambhavati (Yoga
Bhashya 2. 15).
C. Shat-sampatti.
The wheel of vairagya has six are` (spokes). When they move
firmly, the wheel of vairagya moves forward. In other words,
when vairagya is fully developed a mumukshu obtains these six
inner riches called the shat-sampatti. (Shat means six;
sampatti means wealth.) They are the third item in the sadhanchatushtaya. The shat-sampattis are: Shaanto, daanta,
uparatistitikshuh samaahito bhootvaa aatmanye`va aatmaanam
pashye`t (Brihadarankya Upanishad 4. 4. 23). That means,
shaanti (mental peace), dama (sense-restraint), uparati
(disinterest in worldly pleasures), titikshaa (stoic endurance),
shraddhaa (faith with reverence), and samaadhaana (being free
of doubts and worldly urges). A mumukshu should cultivate
these six, and see the Atma in his own Atma.
1. Shama, or shanti.

53

By dwelling repeatedly on the dosha (faults) of the objects of

the senses, a mumukshu develops renunciation, and his mind
becomes focused on its goal. This is called shama or shanti.
In other words, shama is having vairagya from mental
vacillations and distortions like kaama-krodha (lust-anger), and
the fleeting pleasures they give. For a grihastha (married
householder) who is also a mumukshu, even the vihita (instituted;
permitted) desires and anger are to be given up. Shama is not possible
unless vairagya is strong. Shama is mental health; it is the antidote for
vikaara (mental distortions like anger, greed, lust, etc).
2. Dama or daanti (self-restraint).
To stop the gnaane`ndriya (sense organs) and karme`ndriya (organs of
action) from going towards their objects, and to reverse their
inclinations so that they become established in their own spheres, is
called dama.
Dama is the power to keep your senses controlled. The curtailing of
senses indulging in wrong activities is done by Dharma. A brahmajigyaasu (one who wants to know the Brahman) should control even
those desires that are sanctioned by Dharma.
You may be permitted to look at an attractive woman, but when the
mind is not allowed to go out through the eyes, it is the summit of
dama; whereas stopping the mental desire to see, is called the abhyaasa
(practice) of dama. It is clear that dama is the follower of shama, and
shama is the final development of dama. Therefore, dama is also the
ripening of vairagya. Dama means vairagya of the indreeya (senses).
3. Uparati (disinterest).
Uparati means vairagya from excessive karmas. It is not that we should
not do any worldly activity, but we should keep ourselves occupied with
karmas that benefit society. So much so, that even rituals like Yagyas
are an obstacle in developing uparati.
A mumukshu who has shama and dama is bound to have uparati,
because uparati is the fruit of shama and dama. The eleventh canto of
the Shrimad Bhagwat has a story about Bhagwans Hansa Avatar. The
story shows that even a Devta as elevated as Brahmaji became
engrossed in excessive karmas and, as a result, he was unable to answer
54

the metaphysical questions of the Sanakadi Rishis. Naabhyapadyata

karmadheeh (11. 13. 18). Then, how can ordinary people remain
unaffected by excessive karmas?
People develop a habit of working continuously, getting bhoga, reading,
and thinking. They start with some curiosity and begin to enjoy these
activities. Later on, they cannot do without some activity or other. They
cannot live without the support of naama (name), roopa (form), vastu
(object), vyakti (person), paristhiti (situation), and karma (activity).
Thus, the habit of being dependent on any external support is an
obstacle in the shanti of the vritti (mental inclinations). A person whose
antahkaran has shama and dama finds vritti to be a burden; and vritti
supported by external factors will be even heavier to bear. Thus, the
superior uparati given by vairagya is that the minds inclinations should
not be supported by external factors. Baahyaanaalambanam
vritte`re`shoparatiruttamaa (Vivek Chudamani 24).This uparati has
vairagya for karma, bhoga, and form.
4. Titiksha (stoic endurance).
The vritti to accept with equanimity all the dualities we encounter is
called titiksha. Sahanam sarvadukhaanaamaprateekaarapoorvakam,
chintaavilaaparahitam saa titikshaa nigadyate` (Vivek Chudamani 25).
When a mumukshu calmly endures all dualities, like hunger-thirst,
cold-heat, sukha-dukha, respect-disdain, etc, it is called titiksha. It is
one thing to suffer pain, and another thing to understand it and endure it
with the proper attitude. Titiksha should contain the attitude of doing
tapa (asceticism). The Chandogya Upanishad says that titiksha is a
great tapa E`tadvai paramam tapah. The main vairagya in titiksha is
for the body.
The meaning of the word titiksha is, to arouse our shakti (power;
strength). To tolerate, or endure, is the method to awaken the dormant
inner powers. If you want to arouse your power of speech, practice
mouna (stipulated periods of silence). Dont get involved in arguments
and dialectics; remain silent. The power to refute their arguments will
awaken in you. If it happens that nobody gives you food for one day, go
hungry, but dont ask for food. A platter of food will be offered to you
the next day, and your digestion will also improve. Whatever comes, let
it come. Dont waste your energy in bickering over trifles. Just tolerate
55

them peacefully. Your chitta-vritti (mental inclinations) are for dwelling

in the Paramananda Brahman, not for lamenting and grumbling about
your difficulties and discomforts.
5. Shraddha (faith with reverence).
Vairagya for abhimaana (pride; vanity) is called shraddha. People are
proud of their high lineage, wealth, learning, tapa, etc. When you feel
shraddha for someone, that abhiman is broken. To believe that what is
said by the Vedas, Shastras, and Guru is Satya, is shraddha. A person
who has abhiman cannot absorb Gnan easily. He is so hardened
mentally, that in the first place he is disinclined to listen to anyone.
Even when he does listen, the sermon does not leave a deep impression
on his chitta (state of mind). The sanskaara (subtle subconscious
impressions) of Gnan have little or no impact on a mind hardened by
pride. A mumukshu should never have the pride, I know everything.
Why should I ask anyone? Or, I will ask someone of my own level.
The Beloved is unseen, the path is not clear. Under the circumstances
there is no other method, apart from shraddha.
That, which is Sat (the Satya) is also called shrat. The letter r is added
to Sat to hide the Sat. The buddhi that has the capacity to grasp the
Satya is called shrat+dhaa = shraddhaa. The satya-vastu (the object
that is the Satya; the Atma) is obtained only by shraddha.
6. Samadhan (removal of doubts).
A jigyaasu (one who wants to know the Brahman) may have shama,
dama, uparati, titiksha and shraddha, but that does not necessarily mean
that he does not have flights of fancy, day dreams, or high ambitions. It
happens quite often that along with the enhancement of the
mumukshus personality and the inner powers, he gets allured by the
various siddhi (supernatural powers), and has a mental conflict about
whether he should cultivate these, or proceed towards his goal of
Brahmagnan. Such a state of mind is scattered.
Conversely, when a mumukshu has a tranquil and stable state of mind
that rests in the shuddha (pristine) Brahman, that state of mind is called
samadhan. Sarvadaa sthaapanam buddhe`h shuddhe` brahmani
sarvathaa, tatsamaadhaanamityktam na tu chittasya laalanam (Vivek

56

Chudamani 27). It is also called the Samadhi of Vedanta. Samadhan is

when the mind is at peace, free of doubts and clear about its goal.
These six sadhans are actually six aspects of one sadhana. It is like the
one che`tan (consciousness) that becomes vision when used by the
eyes, sound when used by the ears, and so on. Similarly, the state of
emotional peace is shama, peace of the senses is dama, peace of activity
is uparati, peace of the body is titiksha, peace of mind is shraddha, and
peace in decision-making is samadhan.
Remember that this shaanti (peace) comes from within the saadhanaasaamagree (the ingredients needed for spiritual progress), and therefore,
it is different from the shanti that is the essence of the Brahman. The
shanti of the Brahman is connected to its non-dual essence, so it does
not oppose anything. On the other hand, the shanti of shama opposes
mental distortions, the shanti of dama opposes sensual temptations, the
shanti of uparati opposes excessive activity, the shanti of titiksha
opposes physical reactions, and the shanti of shraddha opposes pride.
The shanti of samadhan opposes indecision and mental vacillation. The
fact is that the foundation needed for Brahma-vichar is a natural shanti.
The Shruti (Vedic verse) says
Naavirato dushcharitaannaashaanto naasamaahitah,
naashaantamaanaso vaapi pragyaane`nainamaapnuyaat.
(Katha Upanishad 1. 2. 24)
A person who has not given up sinful actions is tempted by sensual
attractions, and lacks peace of mind. He cannot obtain the Atma by a
powerful intellect alone.
Naavirato dushcharitaat means a person whose behavior is contrary to
the rules of the Shastras. A person whose actions flout Dharma has
overwhelming desires and cravings that induce him into wrong actions.
If such a person starts doing Brahma-vichar how can you be sure that he
will not be deluded into thinking the abrahma (that, which is not the
Brahman) to be the Brahman? Therefore, the karma of Brahma-vichar
should not be adharma (that, which is contrary to Dharma).
Dushcharita means mala (mental impurity); which also means one who
does wrong, has a sinful intellect, and a desire for things that are
contrary to Dharma. A seeker of the Satya should renounce all these.
Naashaantah means one who lacks shanti. A person whose restless
senses create ashaanti (lack of peace) is not eligible for Brahmagnan.
57

Naashaantah also means a person who does not have dama. Such a
person cannot give up excessive activity; nor can he be mentally at
peace if he forces himself to remain inactive. The cause of this is a
paapa-buddhi (an intellect prone to wrongdoing), combined with a lack
of self-restraint, and strong attachments and aversions. A turbulent mind
lacks the capacity for tyaga. Such people succumb easily to desire and
anger. A strong aversion to a principle or individual results in their
giving up Satya.
Naasamaahita means a person who does not have samadhan, and
cannot free his mind of the turbulence caused by attachments and
aversions.
Naashaantamaanasah means a person whose mind is not at peace, who
has no shama. Such a person can not do Brahm-vichar. It is possible for
your mind to be ashaanta (lacking peace) even after obtaining
samadhan, because you may give greater importance to obtaining
supernatural powers, rather than obtaining the Gnan of the Atma and
the Brahman being one. The temptation of siddhis often lures a
mumukshu away from his goal.
Those who have the four dosha (faults) mentioned above can not do
Brahm-vichar properly. All these faults can be removed by developing
shat-sampatti. A sharp intellect can argue and refute, but it cant reveal
the Brahman to you unless you have cultivated the shat-sampatti.
Dialectics have no goal or stability. Logic can be used for both sides of
an argument. The conclusion reached today can be reversed tomorrow
by new arguments. That is why the Shrutis of the Katha Upanishad (1.
2. 24) and Brahma Sutra (2. 1. 11) both state that theological arguments
are not proof. Vedanta gives greater importance to Mimansa or
worshipful vichara than to dialectics.
D. Mumuksha (the desire to be free of the cycle of rebirth).
Mumuksha is the last quality of the sadhan-chatushtaya. It has been
described earlier.
The bonds of this world are created by agnan, starting from ahankaara
(pride) to the identification with the body. All these are imagined bonds,
and are cut away by the Gnan of our svaroopa (essence; true form). The
desire to cut away from these imagined bonds, give up worldly
considerations, and be free, is called mumukshaa. Moktum icchaa
58

mumuksha (Vivek Chudamani 28). To be free of the subtle ego of being

an individual, and identify with the body and everything related to it, is
the desire for Moksha, or mumuksha. I belong to nobody, and nobody
is mine.
The doorway to Gnan will remain shut as long as you have the feeling,
This is my antahkaran and I have an antahkaran. Identification with
the body or mind resides in the intellect, so the one and only way
method for obtaining it is to obtain the Gnan of our swarup.
A person who wants to obtain Moksha by some karma has a weak
mumuksha. One who wants to obtain Moksha through the upasana of a
Devta, using methods like japa (ritual chanting), tapa (asceticism),
homa (ritual fire worship), etc has mumuksha of a middle level. A
person, who wants to obtain Moksha by obtaining the realization of his
swarup, and get enlightenment, is a mumukshu of the highest level. The
awakening of this level comes only by guru-kripaa (the Grace of the
Guru).
Swami Rama Tirtha has given an example. A Sadhu went to the
Himalayas. He saw a crowd gathered outside a cave. Some of them
were doing japa with a maalaa (rosary), some were praying with folded
hands, some were doing homa (fire worship), and some were doing
meditation. When asked, one man told him, Ghosts, ghouls and spirits
live in this cave. They catch hold of whoever goes inside. It is utterly
dark in the cave. We are praying to the Devta of darkness to go away.
Another man said, We are doing homa andhakaaram bhasmee kuru
svaahaa may the darkness be destroyed by this sacred fire. A third
man said, we are meditating on light, to establish that there is only
light; no darkness.
The Mahatma smiled. Look, my brothers, he said. This darkness will
not be dispelled by your folding your hands, doing homa, meditating
and imagining. Light a torch and follow me into the cave. The darkness
will be dispelled.
They lit torches and followed the Mahatma into the cave. They killed
the snakes and other wild animals that were inside. They realized that
there were no ghosts, ghouls or spirits there. It was all the illusion of
Maya.
Light dispels darkness, and Gnan dispels agnan and the bonds created
by agnan. No other effort is required.
59

3. The saralataa (straightforwardness) of the adhikaaree (eligible

candidate).
Only a person who has vivek, vairagya, shat-sampatti and mumuksha is
an adhikaaree a prime candidate for Brahmagnan. These sadhans
(methods) are nine in all, but the shat-sampatti is actually the ripening
of vairagya, so there are only three main sadhans vivek, vairagya and
mumuksha. Even in these, vairagya and mumuksha are the principal
methods. The difference in the level of the aspirants is because of the
strength or weakness in their vairagya and mumuksha.
People who have sadhan-chatushtaya will certainly obtain Brahmagnan,
but even those who have little or no part of sadhan-chatushtaya need
not lose hope. They can give deep thought to the Brahman, with
eagerness to obtain the Brahman. By listening to discourses on Vedanta
and associating respectfully with Brahmagnanis, vairagya and vivek
will awaken in them.
It is not proper to say that only a person who has cultivated sadhans is
eligible for Brahm-vichar. According to the Gita, even the lowliest
sinner can sit on the boat of Gnan and cross over the sea of this world.
Api che`dasi paape`bhyah sarve`bhyah paapakrittamah, sarvam
gnaanaplave`naiva vrijinam santarishyatsi (Gita 4. 6). Those who have
punya (spiritual merit) and shraddha are certainly eligible for Gnan.
This proves that every human being is eligible for Vedanta-vichar
(giving thought to the philosophy of Vedanta). Who is there, who does
not desire to obtain Paramananda and be free of misfortune?
It is not given in any Shastras about how long a sadhak (spiritual
seeker) should have the requisite qualities before doing Brahm-vichar.
If he gets them even a half-minute before doing Brahm-vichar, his
agnan can be removed.
You leave your house and go to your Guru for an hour, to listen to
Vedanta. This shows that you have some vivek and vairagya in your
heart. At your Gurus place, there are no luxuries, or scope for sensual
indulgences, and no material advantages. You sit quietly and listen.
Thus, you have an inherent shama, dama, and uparati within you. You
sit on the ground, enduring the heat and the cold thus, you have
titiksha. You give up your abhiman when you sit at a lower level thus,
60

you have shraddha. And, no manoraajya (flights of fancy) is possible

during Satsang (spiritual discourses); that is samadhan.
The desire for Moksha is awoken when you listen to Vedanta. That is
mumuksha. Thus, listening to Vedanta at your Gurus house
automatically brings sadhan-chatushtaya into your life. If you make it a
daily routine to go for Satsang, this sadhana will be enduring. Then,
what is so surprising if a person obtains Tattvagnan (knowledge of the
essence of the Brahman) by going to Satsang regularly?
4. Bhakti as a method for Moksha.
There is one concluding point on this subject. Every sense organ has its
own unique capacity. For example, the eye can see and the ear can hear.
It is not possible for anybody to experience the form of an object
through his ears he can see only with his eyes. Nor can he hear with
the eyes; he has to hear with his ears. But there is a common kaarana
(cause) in all the senses, and it is called the mana, meaning, the mind.
None of the senses can give information about their respective objects if
the mind is absent. People say, My mind was wandering; I did not hear
what you said. Or, My mind was elsewhere. I did not see it, etc.
Anyatramanaa abhoovam naadarshamanyatramanaa abhoovam
naashraushamiti manasaa hy`va pashyati manasaa shrinoti
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1. 5. 3). So, just as the senses cannot
function properly without the mind, there is a common factor in the
sadhan-chatushtaya that makes all the methods successful, and without
which they all become unsuccessful. This method is a common
requirement for all methods, and is called bhakti (loving devotion).
Mokshakaaranasaamagryaam
bhaktire`va
gareeyasee,
svasvaroopaanusandhaanam
bhaktirityabhidheeyate`
(Vivek
Chdamani .32).
Bhakti means a loving nishthaa (staunch faith with reverence) that I
will definitely obtain Moksha. Nobody can obtain Moksha unless they
have a firm desire and determination for it. The inclination or wish
comes first. It is followed by shraddha, preeti (strong affection), and
then pravritti (activity). It is a fact that Moksha is not to be created; it
already exists. What we have to obtain is the Gnan that it not only

61

exists, it is our essence. However, we must have a strong desire for

Moksha and then proceed to obtain the experience of being liberated.
Bhaago bhaktih bhaag means portion. It is written in the Yajur Veda,
E`shat e` rudra bhaagah (3. 57) O Rudra, this is your portion. Thus,
on one side is this sansaara (interactive world) and on the other side is
Moksha. Those who say, O Moksha, I am your portion. I do not want
the sansara, have bhakti for Moksha. O Ishwara, I am not the portion
of my brother, caste, or religion. I am Yours. That means, I am
allocated to the fund of Moksha; not to the fund of worldly bondage.
This decision is called bhakti.
Vivek that contains a desire for Mukti (Moksha) is called bhakti. Or, the
vivek that has the desire for Mukti is called bhakti. Bhakti brings into
our heart the svaroopa (form; essence) of the one we have bhakti for,
and creates vairagya for everything else. It must be remembered,
however, that bhakti cannot give the Gnan that the Atma and the
Brahman are one. Bhaktis task is to transform the antahkaran (fourfold
mind), and the task of Gnan is to destroy the agnan about the Tattva
(essence). Their departments are different. Bhakti is the vivek of the
vyakti (individual). Similarly, Dharma and Yoga also reside in the
individual Aham the I of each individual. This is not Tattva-vivek.
The stability of the vritti (mental inclination) is nishtha; hence, bhakti
gives solid nishtha whereas Tattvagnan destroys agnan. If a person were
to become mukta (liberated) without bhakti, he would complain all his
life that his vritti is not steadfast. Therefore, bhakti is very important in
the saamagri (ingredients) of saadhanaa (effort for spiritual progress).
Naradaji has described bhakti, to offer up the entire worldly interaction
of life to our object of worship, is bhakti. Tadarpitaakhilaachaarah
(Narad Bhakti Sutra 4. 65). And, to feel acute distress when we forget
Bhagwan, is bhakti. Tadvismane` paramavyaakulate`ti (Narad Bhakti
Sutra 1. 19).
Shri
Shankaracharya
Bhagwan
says
that
bhakti
is
svasvaroopaanusandhaana the investigation of our essence.
If we combine both definitions we can say, To extract ourselves from
the fund of the sansara and give ourselves to totally to the fund of
Moksha; to investigate the oneness of the Atma and the Brahman as
explained by our Guru, and feel extreme agitation at the delay in

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obtaining this experience, is bhakti. The word anusandhana used here

means to aim our arrow at the bulls eye.
The eligible mumukshu should develop the sadhan-chatushtaya, take
the sharana (shelter; refuge) of a Brahmanishtha (one who is
established in the Brahman) Sadguru (Guru who is established in the
Satya), and strive to fulfill his mumuksha.
5. Sadhan-vichar (giving thought to the methods for spiritual progress).
The question is, what is the saadhana (method) for obtaining the
knowledge that the Atma is the Brahman? What should we do to get
this Gnan? What should we give up, and what should we accept? Which
dhyana-dhaaranaa (meditation, bringing the mind repeatedly to the
object of meditation) should we do? How can we attain Samadhi? Are
Samadhi and these methods needed at all, for Brahmagnan?
One opinion is that any state, condition, or Gnan obtained by karma
will be temporary. If Brahmagnan is obtained as the fruit of some
sadhana, the Moksha it gives will not be permanent. An anitya
(impermanent) Moksha cannot be the purpose of Vedanta. Therefore, no
other sadhana is needed to obtain Brahmagnan; Gnan itself is the
sadhan.
Then, what is the conclusion?
I accept that Moksha is the swarup of the Atma, and the Gnan that the
Atma and the Brahman are one cannot be obtained by any sadhana.
However, I ask you, how did you get the Gnan that the Atma cannot be
obtained by sadhana? For this Gnan to rise in your antahkaran, it was
necessary to prepare the antahkaran. You must first understand what
you get from sadhana and what you get from Gnan.
Sadhan is done to obtain the saadhya (that, which you desire). The
sadhya is absent before it manifests, and it is absent after it is destroyed,
because that is the nature of sadhana. However, the object that is nityasiddha (the Atma that is established and eternal) is obtained only by
Gnan.
Sadhan gives an anitya (impermanent) sadhya, but Gnan gives that,
which is eternal and established. This is the difference between sadhan
and Gnan. That, which already exists, is unavailable because of agnan.
As soon as you obtain the knowledge of its existence, it becomes
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available to you. Gnan merely removes agnan; it does not create

anything new.
In obtaining the knowledge of the object the Atma no other sadhan
is needed as proof, except Gnan. Just as you need good eyesight to
establish the beauty of a person or object, you need only the Mahavakya
to experience the Brahman. The Mahavakyas are the ultimate statement
of the Vedas, like Tattvamasi, explaining that You (the Atma) are That
(the Brahman). For this Gnan, you need no karma, upasana, or Yoga
Samadhi, or anything else.
A diseased eye is cured by medicine that removes the infection,
enabling the eyes to see clearly; but medicine does not give eyesight. In
the same way, the antahkaran is infected by the impurities of external
action and mental distortions. Only when it is purified by sadhans can it
have the inclination to understand the proof of the Mahavakyas. This is
why a sadhan is required. Rogaartasye`va roganivrittau svasthataa
(Mandukya Karitka, Shankar Bhasya).
A person who wants to obtain Gnan of the Brahman should understand
fully that the purpose of all the sadhans given by the Shastras is the
purification of the antahkaran. It is only in a pure antahkaran that the
vritti to gather the qualities needed for Moksha arises. Brahmagnan is
not awakened directly. The inner sadhans should be accepted as
medicine; not as good health. The sadhan is given up once the disease is
cured. The I (Atma) that exists before doing the sadhan and after the
sadhan is given up, remains unchanged. The only change is the removal
of agnan and simultaneous obtaining of Gnan.
The advaita tattva (non-dual essence) is never obtained by any sadhan,
because it always exists, it is always with you. What needs to be done is
to remove the bhram (faulty understanding) that the nitya-praapta (the
eternally available) is apraapta (unavailable), and this is why you need
Gnan. If you are afraid that you will get lost in the wilderness of Gnan,
you can use some methods to remove the obstacles on your path.
Sadhan is not mean to show the Brahman to you, it is meant to organize
and clarify the proof.
Vedanta does not give you something you dont have. It tells you, You
are the poorna (complete; whole) Brahman. This Gnan removes all
your weaknesses. Good health is your nature. Rogaartasye`va
roganivritau svasthataa (Mandukya Karita, Shankar Bhasya). Due to
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some causes you have been overcome by a madness that made you
believe, I am the de`ha (body). I am a de`hee (owner of the body). I am
subject to being cut up and beaten up, and disease. Remove these
causes (agnan), and you will have nothing more to attain. Just recognize
the diamond you have. Use sadhan to remove the things that prevent
you from recognizing it.
People obtain information about sadhans from books and Pundits, but
the profound significance of sadhans is known only to experienced
Mahapurushas who have given their entire lives in doing sadhana. So,
the decision regarding the right sadhana for any individual should be
made by a Mahatma who has experience about these matters.
Apart from Brahmagnan, Vedanta accepts four classes of sadhans. Our
actions have an effect on our antahkaran, and so some actions are done
for purifying the antahkaran. They are called karma shodhaka
saadhana. Some sadhans are meant for removing raga-dvesha that
have their origin in actions of past lives. They are called kaaranashodhaka saadhana. Even after the vaasanaa (avid desires) have
become weak, the intellect remains full of doubts about ourselves, the
interactive world, and the Brahman. The sadhans for removing these
doubts are called padaartha-shodhaka saadhana. Finally, even after
obtaining knowledge about the supreme state the pada padaartha the sadhak fails to experience the Mahavakyas (that the Atma and the
Brahman are one) because the intellect is not awoken fully. Therefore,
the vritti that gives the experience is called the saakshaat saadhana in
Vedanta.
Understand this through the example of a gun. The rule is that four
things are important in hitting the target.
1) The muzzle of the gun should be clean.
2) The gun should be loaded.
3) The eye, muzzle and target should be in aligned in a straight line.
4) The trigger should be pulled.
Here, the karma-shodhaka saadhana is like cleaning the gun, the
kaarana shodhaka saadhana is like loading the gun, the padaartha
shodhaka saadhana is like taking aim, and the saakshaat saadhana is
like pulling the trigger.
There are four other names for these, which are more commonly used.
Karma shodhak sadhan is known as paramparaa saadhana, karan
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shodhak sadhana is known as bahiranga saadhana, padartha shodhak

sadhana is known as antaranga saadhana, and sakshaat sadhana is
known as parama antaranga saadhana. We will discuss this further.
1. Parampara sadhana (karma shodhak sadhana): When the relationship
between an object and an action is improper like stealing, adultery,
misbehavior, etc there are specific sadhans for their correction which
have been handed down from generation to generation. For example,
aste`ya (not taking what belongs to another), brahmacharya (chastity),
aparigraha (not accumulating more than you need), etc. These are
called parampara sadhan. Dharma, upasana and Yoga are in this
category.
Mental and physical self-restraint and karmas like Yagyas are called
Dharma. To do your duty is Dharma, but Dharma is based only on the
Shastras. The activities instituted by the Shastras are Dharma, and the
activities forbidden by the Shastras are called adharma. Adherence to
Dharma destroys adharma. Dharma keeps our actions under control. It
shifts our life from the path of vasanas and sets us on the path of doing
what is permitted by the Shastras. In every society, and for every
individual, there is a Dharma that must be followed, in order to remove
adharma and purify the antahkaran, and this is why Dharma comes
under the category of a parampara sadhana in Vedanta.
Upasana is a sadhana that is helpful for Dharma, but it is also an
independent parampara sadhana. Dharma is enhanced when upasana is
added to it; and a dhaarmik (follower of Dharma) has a natural
propensity for upasana. Upasana results in an increased Sattvaguni
(lofty and uplifting) desires, and reduced Tamoguni (lowly and deluded)
and Rajoguni (mixed) desires. When the desires are pure, the actions
are also naturally pure. That is why Dharma and upasana are both
parampara (traditional) methods in Vedanta. Upasana is at a deeper
level than karma, because it is a mental action whereas Dharma is a
physical action.
External activity in Dharma, internal activity in upasana, and lack of
activity nivritti in Yoga. The karta is obvious in Dharma, secondary
in upasana, and anonymous in Yoga. Dharma, upasana, and Yoga are
achieved by actions, and the state they achieve are also of actions and
therefore transient. That is why karma, upasana and Yoga are accepted
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as karma-shodhak sadhans for obtaining Brahmagnan. Since they are

actions, they remain in the external world, but their fruit is given in the
antahkaran.
2. Bahirang sadhan (karan-shodhak sadhan): vivek, vairagya, shatsampatti and mumuksha are the sadhan-chatushtaya (group of four
sadhans). They have already been described. They are called the
bahirang (external; which can be seen outside) sadhans. They are more
antarang (internal) than the parampara sadhans, but more external than
shravana-manana-nididhyaasana (listening, meditating upon and
bringing repeatedly to mind), so they are included in the bahirang
sadhans.
The sadhan-chatushtaya are considered karan-shodhak sadhans because
they destroy the faults of the antahkaran, like lack of vivek, attachment
to sensual indulgences, etc. The antahkaran that contains the faults has
to be cleansed, so these methods are internal, done in the antahkaran. In
this, there are no external objects, actions, or feelings. These sadhans
are nivrittiroopa (forms of withdrawing from worldly considerations).
Nivritti (lack of action) is not separate from its adhikarana
(substratum), but even so, it only purifies the antahkaran; it does not
give Gnan about the essence of the object (the Atma). This is why these
are also called bahirang sadhans.
3. Antarang sadhan (padartha-shodhak sadhan): to do shravan of
Vedanta, then manan, followed by nididhyasan comes within the
antarang (internal) sadhans. Their target is the Brahman. In Vedanta, the
word pada means the padaartha (object; substance). Tattvamasi
Vedantas ultimate statement means You (the Atma) is That (the
Brahman). There are two words in this: Tat (that) and Tvam (you).
The Tat-padartha is the Ishwara who is the Creator of this world, and
the tvam-padartha is the jeeva (Atma attached to a body) who is the
kartaa-bhoktaa sansaaree (the one who does the action, gets its fruit,
and is of this interactive world) and parichhinna (separate). The word
asi informs us that Tat and tvam are one.
Shravan is listening to the exposition of Vedanta from the Guru with
the method of the sadsampradaaya (a religion based on the Satya) and
establishing that Tat and tvam are not two; they are one.

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After doing shravan the spiritual seeker has to give profound thought to
the Brahman, using the arguments of the bhe`da (differences) and
abhe`da (lack of differences). This is called manan. After that, he
comes to the conclusion that the Brahman is non-dual (Advaita). He
repeatedly rejects the mental inclinations that are contrary to this. This
is called nididhyasan. The ripe state of nididhyasan is the Samadhi of
Vedanta. The Samadhi of Yoga is either a parampara sadhan or else it
can be included in the shat-sampatti and accepted as samadhana; which
makes it a bahirang sadhan. (This will be elaborated further at the
appropriate place.)
Shravan, manan, and nididhyasan are not direct methods for obtaining
Gnan. They are called antarang sadhana because they point out the
Satya vastu (the object that is Satya the Atma or Brahman).
Are there no differences in the Brahman, or do differences exist in the
Brahman? This doubt, regarding the proof (given by the Vedas that
establish the non-dual Brahman) is removed by shravan.
Manan removes the fallacy of the intellect that says we are separate
from the Brahman, and abhe`da (not being separate) with the Brahman
is not possible. The Vedas are the pramaana (proof) of the Brahman;
they establish the non-dual nature of the Brahman. Therefore, the Vedas
are the praman, and the knowledge of the non-dual Brahman is the
prame`ya (that, which is proved).
Thus, the doubts regarding the proof are removed by shravan, and the
doubts regarding that, which is proved, are removed by manan.
However, even after these are removed, the false belief that the body,
this world, and the objects in it, are Satya, and separate from the
Brahman remains. This false belief is called vipareeta buddhi
(wrong intellect). This fault of the buddhi is removed by nididhyasan.
Shravan is, itself, enough for the sadhak, who has already overcome the
obstacles on the spiritual path, to achieve enlightenment, because the
Atma is something that is experienced directly. Shravan gives the Gnan
that the Atma is aparoksha (a direct experience; not known by the
senses). When the vastu (object) is paroksha (unseen), shravan gives
only the paroksha Gnan (Gnan about the things we cannot experience in
this life, like Swarga), and other sadhans are required to obtain these
objects.

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The Brahman is always aparoksha because it is our own Atma. Avidyaa

(nescience) never existed in the Atma; it does not exist now, and it will
not exist in future. Shravan removes the false impressions of avidya, but
a sadhak whose doubts and false understanding have not been dispelled
cannot obtain Gnan by only shravan. He needs to do manan to remove
the false understanding.
4. Sakshat sadhan: to not know that we are the non-dual Brahman is
agnan. The Gnan that destroys agnan completely is the sakshat sadhan
a visible method for spiritual progress. It is the fruit of all the sadhans.
There are many Mahavakyas that tell us that the Atma is the Brahman.
For example, Aham brahmaasmi (I am the Brahman), Ayamaatmaa
brahm (This Atma is the Brahman), etc. The intellect that is free of
doubts, and inclined to hold on to this ultimate truth is called the
sakshat sadhan the sadhan that gives the direct experience of Gnan. It
is also called the brahmaakaara vritti the inclination that takes on the
form of the Brahman. If a person is fully eligible for enlightenment,
shravan is enough to awaken this inclination in him. Or else, he may
need to do manan and nididhyasan also. This vritti (mental inclination)
destroys agnaanavritti the inclination towards nescience, and merges
into its own refuge, the self-effulgent Brahman.
People who dont know Sanskrit can obtain the sakshat sadhan through
an enlightened Guru who has experienced the Mahavakyas and can
explain the subject in their own language. To be told that the Atma,
Paramatma, and the jagat (world) are one, is not enough. A spiritual
seeker has to follow the guidelines to purify his karma, kaarana (organs
of action), and padartha (matter; objects) to succeed in his quest.
These are the three parampara sadhans Dharma, upasana, and Yoga.
They are all included in the phrase nishkaama karma, which means,
karma done as worship.
There are four bahirang (external) sadhans the sadhan-chatushtaya,
and three antarang (internal) sadhans shravan, manan, and
nididhyasan. And, there is one sakshat sadhan mahavaakyajanya
pragyaa the intellect given by the Mahavakyas. All these contain the
nine sadhans for removing avidya. In these, nishkama karma and the
sadhan-chatushtaya are for purifying the antahkaran, and the rest are for
obtaining Gnan.
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5. Chitta Shuddhi (purifying the state of mind). A mumukshu whose

antahkaran is pure is eligible for Vedanta. We will now give a little
thought to the methods for purifying the antahkaran. The Shruti says,
Aahaarashuddhau sattvashuddhih (Chandogya Upanishad 7. 26. 2),
meaning, the antahkaran is purified when the intake is pure. Shri
Shankaracharyaji Maharaj says that aahaara (intake) means, ahniyata
ityaahaarah shabdaadivishayagnaanam. All knowledge that is
absorbed by a bhokta through his senses sound, feel, appearance,
flavor and fragrance is aahaara. When the senses are permitted to
absorb only the objects that are pure, that is ahara shuddhi. So, when
the senses are allowed to indulge only in pavitra (pure according to the
Shastras) sense objects, without over-indulgence, the antahkaran
becomes pure.
Shri Ramanuja Acharya Maharaj says that ahara means food. Three
kinds of shuddhi (purity) is needed in our food. The first is that the food
item should be within the group that is considered shuddha by nature.
Meat, onions, garlic etc are impure by nature. The second point is that
the vessels used for cooking should be pure, and no impure ingredients
should be added to the food. It should not be contaminated by the touch
of a used, unwashed spoon, etc. The third point is that it should not be
cooked by a woman who has her monthly periods, or by someone who
is unhappy. The food should be bought with clean money; money that is
honestly earned and rightfully yours.
Those who believe that the antahkaran is purified if the sadhak eats pure
food, lay great emphasis on the food being pure in every way. Among
all the different kinds of purity, the most important is the purity of the
money with which the food is bought. A person whose wealth is pure, is
pure. The purity of washing with clay and water is not the real purity.
Another opinion is that the antahkaran is purified by karma. Actions
create sanskaara (subtle subconscious impressions), and sanskaras
create vaasanaa (avid desires). Therefore, if we give up doing or
wanting what is forbidden, and do what is instituted, the state of mind
will become pure. The difference in these two opinions is that the
antahkaran of a person who is seated in the annamaya kosha (the sheath
of the gross body) benefits more from pure food, and the antahkaran of
a person who is seated in the praanamaya kosha (the sheath of the
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fourfold mind, or subtle body) benefits more from right actions. He

must keep in mind that even when he does the work that is right, he
should feel no aversion; he should have a feeling of inner satisfaction
and sense of purity. Yatkarma kurvatosya syaat paritoshontaraatmanah,
tatpra yatne`na kurveeta vipareetam tu virjaye`t.
The third opinion is that when the chitta vritti (mental inclination) is
pure, the antahkaran will also become pure. The antahkaran is
vigyaanamaya (composed of knowledge) and vaasanaatmaka
(composed of desires). It seems pure when the desires are pure.
Therefore, they feel that the antahkaran is purified by upasana.
Fifty percent of our desires, all the wrong ones, are eliminated by
Dharma. In upasana, only a desire for the Ishtadev (chosen form of
worship) is left; the rest drop off automatically.
The fourth opinion is that of Yoga, when the sadhak subdues all vasanas
and goes into Samadhi. The mind is emptied of all thought. If there are
no objects in the mind, there can be no impurities either. Faults and
impurities exist only when the antahkaran has objects. Lust can arise
only if the mind thinks of a man or woman. Greed can arise only if the
mind thinks of wealth. Hatred can arise only if the man thinks of his
enemy. There is no lust, greed, or attachment in a mind that has no
thoughts. The sadguna (good tendencies) are free of sense objects.
Celibacy needs no man or woman, so Brahmacharya (celibacy) has no
sense objects. In the same way, santosha (contentment), peace, and lack
of attachments have no object to tempt them or lead them astray. The
fact is that the shuddhi (purity) of the antahkaran lies in just one
sadguna shaanti (peace; absence of agitation). Shanti is given
different names, like Brahmacharya, santosh, etc to describe the dosha
(faults) they remove. For example, Brahmacharya is the shanti of lust,
and santosh is the shanti of greed.
The fifth opinion is that the antahkaran is not created by either the food
intake or the praana (life spirit), or vaasanaa (avid desires). The mind
has no substance. It is neither outside the body nor in the heart. Na
baahye` naapi hridaye` sadroopam vidyate` manah. There is no need to
make any effort for it. Yadarthapratibhaanam tanmana
ityabhidheeyate` - the perception of objects is called the mana (mind).
The che`tan (consciousness) that sees the objects of the senses as being

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separate and different, is called the mind; and the mind that is free of
the feelings of being separate is called che`tan.
Therefore, the perception of a pure antahkaran is called antahkaran
shuddhi and the perception of an impure antahkaran is called
antahkaran ashuddhi. We should think only about the shuddha (pure).
Shuddha means that, in which nothing else is mixed. Therefore,
meditating on the non-dual Brahman is the antahkaran shuddhi.
Your antahkaran is naturally shuddha. As long as you think about the
Paramatma, your antahkaran remains shuddha. It becomes ashuddha as
soon as you start thinking about the world. It is not that you need long
practice for purifying your antahkaran, because thinking about the
Paramatma purifies it instantaneously. The antahkaran is chintan
(thinking) and nothing else. Thus, as soon as your thoughts turn to the
Paramatma your antahkaran becomes pure and you become eligible for
listening to Vedanta.

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PART II

GURU UPASADANA

Chapter IV
The Anubandh-chatushtay of Vedanta.
(The four connected factors in Vedanta)
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If you wish to understand the purport of a book, is essential to know

four interlinked factors about it. These are, adhikaaree, vishaya,
prayojana, and sambandha; and they are called the anubhandhachatushtaya. Who is the adhikaaree (entitled; eligible) to listen to
the Upanishads (Vedanta)? What is the vishaya (subject)? What is the
prayojana (purpose; need) for the Gnan of the Upanishads? And
what is the sambandha (connection; relationship) of this book to the
vidyaa (knowledge), is what we wish to analyze here.
1. Adhikari. Even though every human is entitled to ve`daanta
vidyaa (the Gnan of Vedanta), the primarily eligible person is one
whose antahkaran has been purified by the parampara sadhans
(Dharma, upasana and Yoga), and the bahirang sadhans (vivek,
vairagya, shat-sampatti and mumuksha). In this, there is no
consideration of gender, varna (the four sections of society) like
Brahmin, Kshatriya etc, aashrama (the four stages of life) like
Sanyasi, Grihastha etc. The eligibility does not depend on whether
a person is rich or poor, learned or illiterate, etc.
Whoever wants to obtain Moksha, which is the fruit of the Vedantavidya, should have given up the impurity of desires (or wishes to
give it up) through nishkam karma. He should have purified his
desires through upasana, and removed the disturbance of mental
inclinations by Yoga. He should also have used vivek to separate the
Satya from the transient, obtained vairagya and the shat-sampatti that
is the result of a ripe vairagya. He should also be eager to listen to
his Gurus discourses on Vedanta. When a person has cultivated
these, even to some extent, he becomes an adhikari for Vedantavidya.
Inclination and capacity combine to create eligibility. There are many
competent people, like lawyers and scientists, who are highly
intelligent but have no inclination for Moksha. And there are many
people who have shraddha, hear about Moksha, and want it, but lack
the capacity for vivek or tyaaga (renunciation). Both these types are
ineligible for Vedanta.

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The opinion of the Mimansa philosophy on who is eligible for karma

is, Arthee samartho vidvaana shaastre`na aviparyudastah. Look at
four things to decide whether a person is eligible for some karma.
(1) Does he want to do that karma and get its fruits or not? (2) Does
he have the capacity to do that karma or not? (3) Does he understand
the method of doing that karma or not? (4) Do the Shastras give him
sanction for that karma or not?
If he is an arthee (has the desire), samarthee (has the capacity),
vidvaana (has learning), and the sanction of the Shastras, he is
eligible for that karma. However, regarding Gnan, it is enough to
have the desire for Gnan and the capacity to absorb it. It is enough if
he has a desire for Moksha and has the capacity for vivek, vairagya,
etc.
2. Vishay (subject). The subject ascertained by all the Vedas is the
Gnan that the Atma and the Brahman are self-effulgent and one.
Two types of vaakya (statements) for this are found in the
Upanishads.
(1) The vakyas where the Atmas essence being the Brahman are
described separately. The technical term for these is the
aavaantara vaakya.
(2) The vakyas that describe the oneness of the Atma and the
Brahman. The technical term for these is mahaavaakya.
The statements that refer to the body, sadhan, the fruit of the sadhan, or
the Creation-Sustenance-Dissolution of the world, all come within the
category of avantar vakyas, because their purpose is the purification of
the Atma (in the individual), which is the tvam-padartha, or the
Ishwara-Brahman, which is the Tat-padartha. Avantar vakyas are
helpful in establishing the Mahavakyas.
The Poorva Mimansa Shastra by Maharshi Jemini has analyzed the
karma-vibhaaga (portion related to instituted karmas) of the Vedas.
This contains shaasana (the law) and anushaasana (discipline). There
is an arrangement of rewarding people who adhere to Dharma and
punishment for those who dont. The goal is to establish Dharma and
upasana in peoples lives. Therefore, the statements that are related to
karma and upasana come into the category avantar vakyas.

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The portion of Gnan in the Vedas is called the Upanishads. The Uttar
Mimansa (also called Vedanta Darshan) written by Vyasji analyses the
statements related to Gnan. This portion contains the Gnan of the satyavastu (the object that is Satya), the Brahman.
Gnan is also of two kinds vritti gnaana (an inclination for Gnan) and
siddha gnaana (Gnan about the Brahman, who can never be negated).
Vritti Gnan removes agnan. The Siddha Gnan contains no feeling of
activity or withdrawal. The Gnan obtained from the Mahavakyas
removes the feeling that the Atma is separate from the Brahman. When
this agnan is removed, the natural Gnan of the Atma is Moksha.
Moksha is the ultimate fruit; it gives no other fruit.
3. Prayojan (purpose). The Upanishads prayojan is to establish
Moksha. To think that the Atma is not the Brahman is agnan. It is
because of agnan that a person gets the faulty understanding, I am a
jeeva (Atma attached to a body). I am a karta and a bhokta, a sansaaree
(of this interactive world), and parichhinna (separate). This faulty
understanding is removed by obtaining the brahmaatmaikya gnaana
(the Gnan that the Brahman and the Atma are one).
When agnan is removed, the only thing that remains is the Atma that is
the form of the Brahman, and that is called Moksha. When this
Moksha is achieved, all misfortunes are removed. The mumukshu
obtains paramaananda (supreme bliss). This is referred to by different
names, like paramaatmapraapti (obtaining the Paramatma),
eeshvarapraapti (obtaining the Ishwara), bhagavatpraapti (obtaining
Bhagwan), aatmasaakshaatkaara (getting the direct experience of the
Atma), etc. This is the purpose of Vedanta.
4. Sambandh (relationship; connection). Moksha or the Paramatma
is obtained by the knowledge that the Brahman and the Atma are one.
This knowledge is the subject of the Upanishads. Therefore, the
relationship between the Upanishads and Moksha is that of the one who
establishes, and that, which is established.
The Paramatma is obtained by Brahmagnan, therefore, the Upanishads
Vedanta are a parampara sadhan for obtaining the Paramatma. The
truth is that Brahmvidya (knowledge of the Brahman) does not reside in
any book, shloka (verse), or vaakya (statement); it resides in the buddhi.
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The books are accepted as a parampara sadhana because they awaken

the buddhi.
Misfortune (death) cannot be removed without Brahmagnan. A jeeva
can cross over death only by knowing that One Paramatma. No other
Gnan will suffice. Furthermore, a person can overcome death only by
Gnan, not by any other sadhan like karma or upasana. This is stated
clearly in the Upanishads.
Tame`va viditvaatimrityume`ti naanyah panthaa vidyate`yanaaya.
(Shwetashvara Upanishad 3. 8)
It may be considered a possibility that someone succeeds in covering up
the sky, but there is no possibility whatsoever that dukha can be ended
without knowing the Paramatmadev. Yaa charmavadaakaasham
ve`shtayishyanti maanavaah, tadaa de`vamavigyaaya dukhasyaanto
bhavishyati (Shvetashvara Upanishad 5. 20). A person is freed of all
bondage once he knows the Paramatmadev. Gyaatvaa de`vam
muchyate` sarvapaashaih (Svetashvara Upanishad 1. 8). It is the
clarion call of Vedanta that Kaivalya (a state of non-duality) is achieved
only by Gnan. Brahmgnan is obtained through the Upanishad Shastra,
and by no other method. Shaastraadinaiva janyam.
5. Removing some doubts about the Anubandha.
(1) Doubt: People believe that giving thought to the Vedanta-vidya,
reading or hearing about it, are all useless. The reasons for this
are:
(a) There is no eligible person who has cultivated the sadhanchatushtaya. People want to be free of anartha (misfortune), but not
through Brahmgnan. Anartha can indeed be removed through karma,
upasana, or Yoga, but the jeeva, who is the karta-bhokta, remains.
Brahmgnan, however, destroys the perception of being a jeeva, an
individual.
(b) People want paramanand, but they want to experience it the way
they experience sense-objects. The paramanand of Brahmgnan has
no subject or object.
(c) Everybody desires the sukha that can be experienced by the
senses; but nobody can want Brahm-sukha because it cannot be
experienced by the senses. Hence, the desire for Moksha does not
arise in anybody.
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(d) Even if we accept that a person is a genuine mumukshu, it is

extremely difficult for him to have succeeded in cultivating the
sadhan-chatushtaya. Thus, when there is no real adhikari (eligible
person) for the Vedanta-vidya, all talks on this subject are futile.
Samadhaana (clarification): What is anartha? Anartha is all that is
asat, jada, and a form of dukha. The Atma-vastu (the object that is
the Atma) is the only artha (good fortune). That is why the seed of
anartha will not be destroyed unless and until a person experiences
that the Atma-vastu is the paripoorna (whole, complete) Brahman.
To not know that the Atma is the Brahman is the root cause of all
anartha, and the Vedanta-vidya is the only method by which it can be
removed.
Karma, upasana, and Yoga remove dukha immediately. Experience
tells us that no state induced by karma lasts forever. Upasana gives
an imaginary sukha that replaces dukha, and Yoga blocks the vritti
that experiences dukha. However, all these break down in time, and
dukha cannot be rooted out completely by any of them.
That being the case, neither can dukha be negated, nor can the
existence and importance of the factors that cause it be denied.
Therefore, the vivek of the Atma (that is the essence of sukha) is not
possible either. Even if Sankhya-vivek does establish that sukha
resides in the Atma, this Atma-sukha will be present for a limited
period of time, unless the mumukshu gets the realization that the
Atma is indivisible and Prakriti (Nature) is mithyaa (a relative truth).
This is Vedanta!
If sukha existed in objects, separate bhoktas would be needed. The
feeling of sukha abiding in sense-objects is a false impression caused
by agnan. It is the Atmas sukha that glimmers in a heart filled with
desires, when a desire meets its object. Agnan then projects the sukha
as residing in the object. The fact is that the vishayee (one who
indulges in sense objects) experiences his own sukha the sukha of
his own Atma but believes that it comes from the coveted object.
The Atma-sukha is reflected in the vritti (mental inclination), but the
person thinks that the sukha came from the fulfillment of his
inclination. This can happen in the waking state or the dreaming
state. It can also happen in a state of Samadhi, when the person
experiences a shaanta-vritti (feeling of utter peace), and even in the
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deep sleep state, when the mind is free of inclinations. The Atma is
the form of sukha it is sukhasvaroopa and this knowledge is
called paramanand, because as soon as this Gnan arises, all sukha
becomes aatmaananda (the bliss of the Atma).
It is not proper to say that people want only vishay-sukha (sukha
obtained through sense objects), because what people really want is
sukha. Otherwise, they would not want to take sleeping pills and get
the sukha of a deep sleep that contains no sense objects. It is sukha
that people want. In their experience, sukha comes when they get the
objects they desire. When they listen to discourses on the Upanishads
and hear about the Brahmsukha, the paramanand also called
Moksha they may desire the sukha of Moksha.
Every person wants sukha that is everlasting, available everywhere,
from everybody, obtained effortlessly, and sukha they are aware of.
It may be through a vishay (sense object), or without a vishay. Such
an extraordinary sukha is what is called the Brahmsukha, or
paramanand, or Moksha. Therefore, what every person actually
wants is Moksha-sukha, but because of agnan, people seek it in
objects that are destructible, fragmented, and separate from their own
Self. Thus, from the viewpoint of Vedanta, every human being is a
mumukshu, whether he knows it or not.
Regarding the question of whether there are people who have
sadhan-chatushtaya or not, it is quite true that they are a small
minority, but certainly there are several earnest mumukshus. There
are four kinds of people in this world vishayee, paamara, jigyaasu,
and mukta.
The vishayee are those who adhere to the Shastras and indulge in
permitted pleasures in this world and in Swarga. They do Dharma to
build up their punya. They are not interested in the fruit of Vedanta,
so they are not eligible for Vedanta.
The paamar are people who are engrossed in worldly pleasures,
whether they know anything about the Shastras or not. They are not
eligible for Vedanta either, since they lack the capacity to make the
effort.
The mukta (liberated) are already enlightened and liberated. The
question of their being eligible does not arise.

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That leaves the jigyasu. Only they are eligible for Vedanta. A jigyasu
is a person who has the urge to know the Satya. A jigyasu doesnt
give much importance to the vishay-sukha obtained from senseobjects. Jigyasus see that all worldly pleasures and accumulations
end in dukha. They see the body as the fruit of Dharma-adharma
done in the previous lifetime. The cycle of rebirth, caused by
Dharma-adharma cannot be ended unless raga-dvesha ends. Ragadvesha is founded on the false idea that you are a separate being, a
karta and a bhokta. That is why it is not possible to eliminate ragadvesha without obtaining the Brahmatmaikya bodha (the Gnan that
the Brahman and the Atma are one). The perception of being separate
and a karta-bhokta is because of not knowing that your Atma is the
Brahman. And so, those who have jigyasa are definitely eager to
obtain the Vedanta-vidya. This makes it clear that discourses on
Vedanta are definitely fruitful.
(2) Doubt: The purpose of Brahm-vidya is to establish Moksha, and
this is achieved by the Brahmatmaikya bodh. However, is this
Moksha nitya (everlasting) or anitya (transient)? If it is anitya, we
should have vairagya (detachment) for all that is anitya; there is no
need for an anitya Moksha. If Moksha is nitya, it cannot be obtained
by sadhana, because no sadhana is needed to obtain that, which is
always with us.
If you say that Brahmgnan is certainly meaningful, then that is
possible only when bondage is established by agnan. However, since
the Atma is the Brahman, it is ridiculous to establish that it contains
agnan and the bhram (mistaken understanding) caused by agnan. The
fact is that the Atma is not the Brahman, as experienced naturally by
every one of us, and the Shastras also show it to be separate. The
jeeva has limited knowledge; he is separate, and of this world. The
Brahman is all-knowing, non-dual, and all-powerful. Bondage is also
experienced by every person; so it is Satya, and cannot be destroyed
by Gnan. It needs karma-upasana-Yoga. Hence, the vichaara (giving
thought) of the Brahm-vidya is meaningless.
Samadhan: Moksha is nitya, but the descriptions given in the
Shastras are not useless. Moksha is the Atmas own svaroopa (form;
essence) it is not any other. We are not bound to anything. Bondage
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is imagined; it is a bhram. Reflect a little and see how many people

you have been bound to, since your childhood till now, but are no
longer bound to them.
You got bound to wealth; it went away. You thought you were bound
to your wife, son and friend, but things changed. When these things
come into your life, you think you are bound to them, but we are as
we are; nobody can bind us. These things come and go like dreams.
Moksha is our natural state. These imaginary bonds are an obstacle
to our attaining Moksha, our natural essence. Sadhan is needed to
remove faulty understanding, and that is why the Shastras are
fruitful. No sadhan is needed to create Moksha. Had it been needed,
Moksha would also have been anitya.
Bhagwan Shankaracharya says, Rogaartasye`va roganivrittau
svasthataa svasthataa (good health) is our natural state, but if any
external or internal factor makes us ill, we should take medicine to
remove the illness. We were healthy before the roga (illness) came,
and we will be healthy again when it is removed. Similarly, Moksha
is our natural state. We need the Brahman to remove the bhram that
we are bound. Brahm-vichar is needed to obtain Brahmgnan. The
Shastras are a form of Brahm-vichar, and therefore, we need the
Shastras. All the sadhans described in the Shastras are helpful in
attaining Brahmgnan. This has been discussed earlier, in the sadhanvichar.
The straight question is, Are you dukhi (unhappy) or not? If you
dont consider yourself to be dukhi, there is no need for you to do
any sadhan. A healthy man does not need medicine; medicine is
needed for someone who is ill. If you feel, I am unhappy, well,
nobody gets attached to dukha! You should do the sadhan for
removing dukha. To get sukha and never get dukha is a universal
desire.
If you want to know about someone else, you will have to depend
upon what people say or write about that person, but if you want to
know about yourself, you dont need to depend on anyone else. Your
experience tells you about yourself. Now just think is it written
anywhere that you are dukhi? Or, are you the saakshi (witness) of
your dukha? It is certain that you are dukhi because you experience
dukha, but the rule is that the witness is separate from that, which is
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witnessed. Then, if you are the sakshi of dukha, how can you be
dukhi?
Nobody can be dukhi without vikaara (mental distortion). Vikara
means rotting, changing from one state to another. We are dukhi
because what we had has changed. That, which is subject to change,
is not the sakshi; there is no change or distortion in the sakshi. The
buddhi (intellect) changes thousands of times in a day, fluctuating
between dualities like likes and dislikes, sukha and dukha, mine and
yours. I am the sakshi of the thousands of forms assumed by my
buddhi. Therefore, I am nirvikaara (not subject to change).
Moreover, dukha does not exist in the nirvakara.
Then where did dukha come from? This dukha is accepted as real
because of faulty understanding and because of agnan.
Pragyaaparaadha e`va e`sha dukhamiti yat. That, which we call
dukha, is a fault of our understanding.
If a trader sees only one days accounts and laments that he has made
a loss, it is his mistake. Our Atma, the sakshi, is timeless. It is
eternal. We do not see that it is the nitya-shuddha-buddha-mukta
(eternal-pure-enlightened-liberated)
Brahman.
We
calculate
everything on the basis of the body we have. This is the fault of our
understanding.
If dukha was not caused by agnan, it could not be removed by Gnan.
The rule is that anything caused by agnan is not real; nor is that,
which is removed by Gnan. People mistake a coiled rope for a snake
because of their agnan about its being a rope. The snake is destroyed
by the Gnan that what looks like a snake is actually a coiled rope. In
the same way, the sakshi who does not know that his real form is the
Brahman, experiences dukha, a feeling of being separate, having
limited knowledge, etc. All these experiences are destroyed as soon
as he gets the experience that he is not a jeeva; he is the Brahman.
Therefore, dukha and other feelings are not Satya; they seem real
because of our bhram. According to Vedanta, even the Gnan that
removes bhram is imagined, and so is the Gnan that removes avidya.
Things that are imagined are removed by other imagined things!
Whatever may be the object you describe, you will have to say, This
is what it seems to me. There is no other term you can use, whether
it is the cause of Creation, the form of Dissolution, the Ishwara,
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Prakriti (Nature), or anything else. Bondage and Moksha are both

perceptions; so are sukha and dukha. When we believe this
perception to be real, we become sukhi or dukhi (happy or sad).
The perception of differences bhe`da is caused by the conviction
that the perceptions are real. Then, we consider some things to be
good and some things to be bad. We begin to like the good and
dislike the bad. We want what we like and dont want what we
dislike. We become so immersed in the different perceptions that
they seem Satya, and we get bound by raga-dvesha. The Atmadev is
always shuddha and the essence of bliss.
Regarding ananda (bliss), establish five things firmly in your mind.
1. Anand has no kaarana (cause), meaning, anand is not created. The
anand that is created is destructible. Therefore, anand is nitya
(eternal).
2. Anand has no kaarya (cause), meaning, anand is not created. The
anand that is created is destructible. Therefore, anand is nitya
(eternal).
3. Anand has no opposite, the way dukha is the opposite of sukha. In
that sense, anand is different from sukha. Anand is non-dual,
whole. It contains no feeling that is different in any way.
4. a . Anand contains no subtle differences or grades. It is always
one and the same, regardless of the source it comes from. It is not
that the anand of eating spicy feed is different from the anand of
eating sweets. Different objects seem to give different kinds of
pleasure, but anand is always one.
4. b. Anand does not have degrees like less anand and more
anand, heavy or light anand, etc. The seeming differences are because
of the individuals inclination at different times; not in the anand itself.
5. Anand is never paroksha (unknown; unseen). It never exists in an
unknown state, meaning, it is never hidden by agnan. Anand is the
most desirable object for everybody. It is anand that everybody really
loves. That, which you love the most, is your anand; and what we
love the most is our Self. The characteristic of pre`ma (pure love)
given in the Narad Bhakti Sutra is, Tatsukhe` sukhitvam to be
happy in His happiness. Sukhitvam refers to the Atma; Anand is no
other. You, yourself, are anand.

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Now, think where the purushaartha (human achievement) is. You,

yourself, are your purushartha. There is nothing else, except your
Self, that you have to obtain; and your Self is always with you. The
problem is that you are not conscious of this. This is your mistake. If
you become conscious of this fact, dukha will be removed and you
will obtain Moksha. Through Gnan you seem to obtain that which
has always been with you, but which you never knew.
You wore a bangle and forgot about it. You began to search
everywhere for it. A knowledgeable person told you, That, which is
on your wrist, is the bangle you are looking for. You felt happy to
have found the bangle! The bangle was not really lost; it seemed to
be lost. You did not really get it; you seemed to get it. It is the same
with our svaroopa (essence; true form). The quality of our essence
its being the Brahman seems to have got lost, and as a result, we
perceive ourselves to be subject to death, sorrow, ignorance, and
bondage. If a Sadguru uses the statements of Vedanta to explain,
This Brahman is you, the Atma, it will seem that you have obtained
the Atma and become free of all worldly bondage. This is Moksha.
How did this agnan come into us? It came because of the duality of
the prapancha (interactive world). Prapancha means a web of five.
The five senses have spread a net, and this is that prapanch. The
prapanch is in us, but it seems separate, outside, and real. And, what
is the Atma? The Atma means I. Wherever it is possible for you to
get the bhraanti (false understanding) of I, it is referred to as the
Atma. I means this gross body, but people also call this body
mine. If you think about the dreaming state, the gross body will
become mine, and if you think about the deep sleep state, it will
become mine, too. If you think of the shuddha aham (the pure I),
the saakshee (uninvolved witness), the kaarana shareera (causal
body) will also become mine.
Four meanings are given to the Atma:
Yachchaapnoti yadaadatte` yachchaatti vishayaaniha,
Yachchaasya santato bhaavastasmaadaatme`ti kathyate`.
That, which pervades all objects, shows all objects, gathers up all
objects into itself, but never changes, is called the Atma. All four are
in us, and the Atma is anand-swarup. It is the form of bliss.

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When someone wants to get an anand that is separate, he needs

karan (organs of action) and indreeya (sense organs), but nothing is
needed to enjoy the anand that is our natural form. Na tasya
kaaryam kaaranam cha vidyate`. (There is no effect, nor cause, in
pure anand.) Neither is there any vritti (mental inclination) like
serenity, excitement, form, or formless object. It is the Atma that
reveals all the mental inclinations and therefore, no instruments or
faculties are required to experience the Atma, and nor is any effort
needed.
Dukha and bandhan (bondage) come into the pristine Atma because
of agnan, because of a mistake. The mistake is not the Atmas
mistake; it is the mistake of the manushya the human being. The
human being has become agnaanee (ignorant; lacking Gnan)
because he has developed identification with his body. If he removes
this mistaken understanding, he, himself, is the form of anand.
This disease, this feeling of lacking, this death, etc are something
other than me. They can destroy something of mine. They are
destroying what is mine. Thus, to believe something to be separate
from our I is a bhram (faulty understanding). This is the interactive
world of dualities. The mistaken understanding should be rectified.
The purpose of sadhan is to rectify our mistake. As soon as the faulty
understanding is rectified, the person regains his normal healthy state
of mind. The purpose of sadhan is not the creation of our svaroopa; it
is to absorb the Vedanta-vidya and experience our non-dual essence.
The seeming reality of the prapanch cannot be removed by karma,
upasana, Yoga, and other sadhans, because the dvaita prapancha (the
world of dualities) is caused by avidya. Only vidya can remove
avidya.
Dukha is of two kinds one is a paucity or excess of objects, and the
other is a change in the state of mind. Even in this, the philosophers
say that it is not the object that give sukha-dukha. Sukha-dukha is
caused by our feeling of a relationship with the object, and this
comes from avidya.
There are five vishay (sense objects) sound, feel, appearance,
flavor, and fragrance. They do not create sukha or dukha. The
vishays are created by the five elements earth, water, fire, wind and
space and none of them create sukha-dukha. At the root of these is
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the taamasa ahankaara (the lowest form of the universal feeling of

identity), but even that is not the cause of sukha or dukha.
None of the five senses give sukha or dukha, nor do the pancha
praana (five life spirits). The ahankaara (subtle ego) that controls
them is not the cause of our sukha-dukha. All these are natural. The
buddhi (intellect) merely understands that this is sukha and that is
dukha; it is not the cause of the sukha-dukha. Similarly, Prakriti
(Nature) does not give sukha-dukha either. Neither Prakriti, nor any
of her branches give sorrow then, where does sorrow come from?
The answer to this is that dukha comes from nescience, ignorance,
lack of understanding, and foolishness. We become unhappy when
we feel something is not right.
The feeling of being a separate individual remains even when a
person sleeps. We breathe when we sleep, our blood circulates, our
hair and nails grow, and our food is digested. This feeling of
individuality is not the cause of sukha-dukha; the cause of dukha is
asmitaa (pride; vanity). The Atma is che`tan (pure consciousness). It
is the drashtaa (the one who sees), whereas ahankara is a part of
Prakriti. When we fail to discriminate between the drashta and the
drishya (that, which is seen), and in spite of being the essence of
consciousness become one with the ahankara caused by Prakriti, it
is because of avidya.
Then, we begin to believe that ahankara is our natural form, and this
feeling is called asmitaa. This is the chidjad-granthi the granthi
(knot) that ties the chit (consciousness) to the jada (insensate). And,
this knot, caused by asmita, results in raga, dvesha and abhinive`sha.
Abhinivesh means identification with the body. It is one of the major
causes of kle`sha (anguish; suffering).
The fact is that raga-dvesha give dukha. A child buds and blooms,
like a flower. We impose our I upon it. We developed raga for what
the child found pleasant, and dvesha for what the child found
unpleasant. We became so immersed in the raga-dvesha that we
began to consider our body, son, and house to be one with our I.
This identification with the body is abhinivesh. Thus, the cause of
our dukha is lack of vichaara (deep thought). We have become so
lost in avichaara (lack of profound thought) that we have forgotten

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that our natural form is mukta (liberated); that it is the drashta, and
separate from the drishya.
According to the Yoga Darshan, there are five causes of dukha
avidyaa, asmitaa, raaga, dve`sha and abhinive`sha. The Yogis tell us
to destroy this family of avidya through vive`ka (discrimination).
This can be achieved by blocking mental inclinations. This process is
called chitta-vritti nirodha blocking the inclinations of the mind.
When a person goes into a Samadhi, the drashtaa (one who sees) is
established in his own essence. He realizes that he is not connected
to what happens in the world. The Yoga Darshan says that dukha and
kle`sha (sorrow) come from avidya, so if you remove avidya, you
will be free from sorrow. However, the sansaara (interactive world)
is a part of Prakriti, and will remain as it is. The world created by
Prakriti gives neither sukha nor dukha.
The Vedanta Darshan (school of thought) says that Prakriti is of two
kinds one is the jeeva srishti (creation of an individual person) and
the other is the eeshavara srishti (creation of the Ishwara). The earth,
the five elements, the subtle forms of matter like sound, feel,
fragrance, appearance and flavor the senses, the antahkaran, men,
women, all other species, etc are the Ishwara-srishti. The world
created by the Ishwara does not give dukha.
However, the jeeva (Atma in the individual) creates a world that
gives dukha, because of the feelings of this is I, and this is mine;
this is not me, and this is not mine. The Taittariya Upanishad says,
Aanandaaddhaye`va khalvimaani bhootaani jaayante`, meaning, all
beings are made from aananda (bliss). Then, anand is the matter
from which the Ishwaras creation is made.
Creation has come from anand, it abides in anand, and it will merge
into anand. Aanando brahme`ti vyajaanaat. Aanandaaddhye`va
khalvimaani bhootaani jaayante` aanande`na jaataani jeevanti
aanandam prayanti samvishanti. (Taittareeya Upanishad 3. 6).
Therefore, Creation is a form of anand. What happened is that the
jeeva apportioned things as belonging to himself and others, and that
became the jeevas creation, and a cause of dukha. The human never
gave proper thought to the Satya. This omission of vichara is avidya;
it is agnan.

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The avidya of Vedanta is different from the avidya of the Yoga

Darshan, which says that the Ishwara, jeeva, Prakriti, and avidya are
anaadi (eternal; without a beginning). Vedanta does not believe
Creation to be made of atoms or Prakriti. Vedanta refutes the idea
that there is any other cause of Creation. The world is created by the
Ishwara, but this is an adhyaasa (an illusion superimposed on the
substratum of the Brahman). The indication is not in accepting that
the world was created; the indication is in refuting any other cause.
From the angle of the Tattva the essence; the Brahman the world
has not been created at all.
If you say that the world was created by karma, the question arises
whether karma came first or the world came first. If karma came
first, who would do the karma if there was no body? If they were
created simultaneously, it cannot be a matter of cause and effect. To
say that both are anadi does not allow for the possibility of cause and
effect either. Therefore, they are imagined to be beyond time. The
anadi Brahman is real, but the anadi kaarya-kaarana (effect and
cause) are imagined. This must be accepted as the only logical
possibility.
Sankhya and Yoga say that the dukha in this world is caused by
avidya, but Vedanta says that this world is created by avidya. We
accept the existence of the world as being separate from our Atma,
because of our agnan about the adhishthaana (substratum), the
Brahman, which is also the Atma, pure existence, pure consciousness
and pure bliss. The world loses its semblance of reality as soon as a
person gets the realization of the Atma being the Brahman in
essence. You think that you are separate because you dont know that
you are the Brahman.
Regarding kaala (time), the conclusion of the Vedas is that the past is
anaadi (without a beginning), and the future is ananta (endless). In
between the anadi and the anant comes your lifespan of fifty or a
hundred years. What portion in time is your life, in proportion to
eternity? It must be accepted that these few decades of ours are
fleeing incidents.
In the same way, your gross body occupies a certain amount of
space. What is the significance of that much space, within the
immensity of infinite space? If you consider the expanse of the many
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universes that exist, they are mere perceptions. If you see it from the
viewpoint of the causal existence the sattaa (pure existence) that is
the kaarana (cause) then, there can be no fragments in the poorna
sattaa (the wholeness of pure existence), because if anything exists
separately, the wholeness will become fragmented; it will no longer
be whole. Therefore, it is because of our agnan about the anant that
we believe in the existence of millions of universes.
Now, see something more. The eyes are the proof of the appearance
of what we see. The mind is the proof of the eyes. The buddhi is the
proof of the mind, and I am the proof of my buddhi. I am the
saakshee (witness) of the presence of buddhi, and also the absence of
buddhi. Space, time and objects are all perceived by the buddhi. All
intellectual perceptions are like dreams; they are mithyaa (relative
truths). In Samadhi, the mind is tranquil. There is no perception of
the world. The world is perceived only in a restless mind.
Are the perceptions of the mind of a madman Satya, or are they
mithya? The world is absent from the mind when the person is in a
Samadhi or in a deep sleep state. It is only when he is awake or
dreaming, that the world exists for him. That being the case, the
world is a perception. It is drishya (that, which is seen), vikaaree
(subject to change) and separate; and it is removed by Gnan. Hence,
it cannot be established as real, neither from the viewpoint of Satta,
nor Gnan, nor as being timeless.
The interactive world is not even created by the adrishya (the unseen
fruits of karmas), because that, which is not seen, cannot be
perceived. The interactive world exists only from the viewpoint of
agnan, and agnan can only be imagined when a person has avidya.
Thus, although the interactive world has no real existence, a human
being has to imagine avidya on the strength of his experience of his
own lack of Gnan; that is, his own agnan.
The Brahman is Gnan-swarup. One who knows himself and also
others, is called Gnan-swarup. However, no other exists, so who will
the Brahman know? He will know Himself, but the Brahman is
infinite. If He knows Himself fully, He will know where He ends. It
is the nature of the Brahman to know, and it is the nature of the anant
to not be known. Just as it is the nature of the eye to see, and the
nature of the sky to not be seen fully. As a result, the sky seems blue,
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and we see the horizon. In the same way, Gnan is the essence of the
Brahman, and to be unseen is His nature. Being gnaana-svaroopa
(the essence of Gnan), He cannot be the gye`ya (that, which is
known), and He cannot not see. Since the swarup is not grasped by
the senses, it is understood in other forms, just as the colorless sky
seems to be blue. Thus, since the Brahman is unable to see Himself,
He sees Himself as many, separate, and insensate forms, even though
He is actually one, indivisible, and conscious; He sees Himself as
another.
De`vasyaisha
svabhaavoyamaaptakaamasya
kaa
sprihaa
(Mandukya Karika 1. 9). This is the Paramatmas svabhaava (innate
nature), so, it is not an offence to be seen in this manner. Gnan is the
opponent of agnan, not of bhaava (awareness, perception). That is
why the awareness of Prakriti, and the prapanch created by Prakriti,
remains even after a person obtains Gnan. (Sankhya and Yoga
believe Prakriti and the prapanch to be eternal.) The only thing that
changes when a person obtains Gnan is that he is no longer deluded
by the faulty understanding that the world is Satya, and separate
from the Atma.
There is a reason for saying that the prapanch is a bhraanti (mistaken
belief). Bhranti comes in as soon as a person thinks that there is any
coming and going in the Gnan-Brahman. When a person thinks that
Gnan rides upon an inclination of the antahkaran, and goes to the
realm that is proved, it becomes a bhraanti. Bhramanam bhraanti
bhramana (to go somewhere) is bhraanti, because Gnan is not
restricted by space, time, or matter. It is not that Gnan is here for a
while and goes elsewhere later. It does not become idam (this) in
one object and aham (I) in another. That is why faulty
understanding comes when a person believes that Gnan comes and
goes.
The ne`tra-vritti (inclination of the eyes) touches an object and
returns, and then the person obtains Gnan about that object.
Similarly, if Gnan rides upon a vritti to go to some object, but does
not return, the person will not know about the gye`ya (the object of
knowledge). Only if the vritti returns, will the person obtain
knowledge about the object of Gnan.

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The Gnan that returns is a vipareeta (contrary, reverse) Gnan.

Vipareeta Gnan means that whatever you see is contrary to Gnan.
This is bhraanti-gnaana. This dvaita-prapancha (the interactive
world of dualities) is made of avidya, but seems Satya. When a
person obtains the advaita Gnan (knowledge about the non-dual
essence of the Brahman), he stops believing the interactive world to
be Satya.
The meaning of Brahmgnan is anata vishayaka vidyaa (knowledge
about the infinite Brahman). As soon as you obtain Gnan about the
anant, you will know that your perception about being separate from
others is a bhram. Nothing is created or destroyed, because the sadvastu (the object that is pure existence) is neither created nor
destroyed. Bhagwan Shri Krishna says Naasato vidyate` bhaavo
naabhaavo vidyate` satah. (Gita 2.16). That, which is Satya is never
destroyed, and that which is not, does not exist. He negates both
birth and death. The asat (that, which is not the Satya) cannot create
the Sat, nor can the Sat create the asat. The creation and dissolution
we see are perceptions, but they are not real, since they are
anirvachaneeya (that which is beyond verbal definition). We believe
them to be real because of avidya, and get bound. Therefore, when
we obtain the vidyaa (knowledge) that there is no avidya in our
essence, the Moksha that is always with us is established. This is the
purpose of the Vedanta-vidya. [When even the prapanch is not Satya,
how can the duality of the jeeva and the Ishwara the Brahman be
real? All differences are in the prapanch, and depend upon it for their
existence. Even so, the oneness of the jeeva and the Brahman is the
subject of Vedanta, so nothing more on this topic is written here.]
3. Doubt: We should not do Brahm-vichar because vichar is done
when there is a doubt. The Brahm-swarup is given clearly in the
Shastras; there is no ambiguity about it. If you say that the vichar is
not about the Brahman; it is about the Brahman and the Atma being
one, vichar is still not necessary, because the oneness is also
established by the Shastras. If you say that vichar is necessary
because of the adhyaasa (superimposition caused by conditioning)
blocking the experience of this oneness, you should first establish the
adhyas. Only then can you give thought to this.
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Clarification: Very well. Adhyas is to believe something to be other

than what it is. Anyasmin anyaavabhaasah adhyaasah
(Brahmasootra Shankara Bhashya). It is to mistake an object for
something else, because of lack of proper knowledge.
Atasminstadbuddhih
abhyaasah
(Brahmasootra
Shankara
Bhashya).That is why adhyas is called bhram, or bhraanti.
Adhyas is caused by agnan. To not know that the Atma is the
Brahman is agnan. To believe the Atma to be a jeeva, who is ruled by
the three gunas, is adhyas.
Adhyas is established in peoples minds because of aham-buddhi
(the intellect that makes a person feel separate). Adhyaasoham
buddhisiddhah. This is a book, and I am its drashta. I am separate
from this book. This is obvious. But, if the drashta begins to feel, I
am this book, will it not be a bhram? It is the same regarding this
body made of bones, flesh and skin. This body is separate. It is
drishya (that, which is seen), and I am the drashtaa (the seer),
separate from it. Everybody knows this, and yet they identify with
their body. This feeling is contrary to Gnan, and therefore, it is an
adhyas. Furthermore, it is created by aham-buddhi. Then, what
objection can there be, for doing Brahm-vichar?
Doubt: No, Brahm-vichar should not be done in spite of this. The
Brahman always Is. He exists now, and will exist in the future. We
(the Atma) have also always existed and we will always exist. The
oneness of the Brahman and the Atma is stated clearly in the
Shastras, so there is no point in doing Brahm-vichar.
Clarification: It has been explained that even though this is explained
in the Shastras, we are not fully convinced due to agnan. The Shruti
says, Tattvamasi, meaning, You the Atma, are That the non-dual
Brahman that is undivided by space, time or matter. And yet, the
experience of everybody is that he is a body that is born, grows older,
and deteriorates, and that he will die one day. We feel certain that we
are a Hindu, Muslim, or Christian; that somebody is our enemy, and
somebody is or friend. We are not at all conscious of being the Atma;
then, how can we be the Brahman? The Shruti may state clearly that the
Atma and the Brahman are one, but this is contradictory to our

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knowledge about our daily lives. That is why it becomes a subject of

doubt, and makes Brahm-vichar necessary.
The sun is many times bigger than the earth we all know that but it
seems much smaller when we look at it. When we think abut this, we
realize that this is an illusion caused by the distance. Similarly, Brahmvichar helps us to realize that our perception which is contrary to the
Satya is caused by the superimposition of the antahkaran, and our
faulty understanding. If the interactive world that is the effect and the
cause of it are proved to be mithyaa (a relative truth), then the
contradictory perceptions would be completely removed. That is why it
is definitely our duty to do Brahm-vichar.
The Shruti says, You are the Brahman that is pure consciousness. The
people of the sampradaaya (religious sects) say, You are a Hindu,
Muslim, or Christian. The Dharmiks (staunch believers of instituted
Dharma) say, You are a jeeva, a paapi-punyaatmaa (sinner-having
spiritual merit). You will go to Heaven or Hell. The sansaaree
(worldly) people say, You are the body, the karta and the bhokta. The
people who do upasana say, You are the servant of the Ishwara, His
friend, His child, and His beloved.
What, then, are you? Is the Shruti correct, or are any of the other
opinions correct? Vichar is necessary to remove this doubt.
Let us put aside what the Shruti says. A child comes and tells you that
you are not the body; you are the Brahman. If his words are contrary to
your experience, will you give a thought to what he says, or not? If a
child comes and tells you that your food is poisoned, will you eat it
without giving due consideration to the possibility? Thus, vichar is
essential.
The Shruti is never contradictory to the pratyaksha (direct experience).
Shri Shankaracharya Bhagwan, himself, says that even if hundreds of
Shrutis combine to state that the pot in front of you is not a pot; it is a
picture, it will not be accepted as proof. However, with regard to the
Atma being the Brahman, this contradiction is clear. Yet, it cannot be
said that the Shrutis statement is false, so we have to think about how
the principle of the Shruti is correct and what we experience is not
correct. This makes Brahm-vichar essential.
It has also been stated that the great purpose of Brahmgnan is Moksha,
meaning, relief from all misfortune and obtaining paramaananda
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(supreme bliss). The root of misfortune is de`haadhyaasa the adhyas

that we are the body. After the body is born, our lack of Brahmgnan
leads us to identify with the body and mind.
Because of this identification, our mind gets filled with a lot of garbage,
and this becomes the cause of much misfortune and suffering. This
sorrow is destroyed completely by Brahmgnan. Death, birth, uniting
and parting, Heaven and Hell all kinds of dukha are ended when a
person gets Brahmgnan.
All worldly problems cause suffering, and Brahmgnan removes them
all. It is not that adverse situations dont come into our life, but the
antahkarans tendency to feel happy or sad ceases. That makes it clear
that there is a need for Brahm-vichar.
Dukha is present in your life because you are not able to let go of
things. For example, wealth, son, husband, body, or your good name.
Either things want to leave you, or else you want to leave them, but
cant. There is something that binds you to them, and that is the cause
of dukha. This is the chidjad-granthi; the knot that ties the conscious to
the insensate, ties the drashta to the drishya. Everything in this world is
turning into the past with every passing moment, but you want things to
remain in the present. This is the knot in your life. In spite of being
che`tan (consciousness), you refuse to let go of the inanimate. In spite
of being the drashta, you are caught by greed for the drishya. This is the
fount of the dukha in your life.
Brahmgnan is a block that prevents dukha from rising, even when
multiple causes of dukha come into your life. Brahmgnan is a sword
that cuts away all the nescience, desire, and karma in a human beings
life, making him free of dependence. The Mundaka Karika (2. 3. 8) says
that when a jeeva comes to know that Paramatma, his chidjad-granthi is
cut asunder, all doubts are removed, and karmas cease. Bhidyate`
hridayagranthishichhadyante` sarvasanshayaah. Ksheeyante` chaasya
karmaani tasmindrishte` paraavare`. (Mundaka Karika 2. 3. 8)
How is the granthi (knot) created, in the first place? It is created by
adhyaasa (superimpositions), or bhram (faulty understanding); and
bhram comes from agnan. Because a person does not know that the
essence of his Atma is aananda (pure bliss), he starts to seek it
elsewhere.

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To do that, he first comes into the buddhi (intellect). There, he gets the
information that anand may be found in the fulfillment of the
inclinations formed by the sanskaara (subconscious impressions) from
past lives. The search then comes to the mind and the senses. He
develops the ability to indulge in sense objects. This is the second halt
on the journey in search of anand.
After getting knowledge about the pleasure of sensual indulgences, the
person starts doing karmas to obtain anand. He tries to get close to the
things that give sukha, and push away the things that give dukha.
After that, the seeker of anand gets the sukha of the subtle ego of being
eligible for sukha, and the vanity of having obtained it. This is the third
halt on the journey for anand.
The fourth halt is falaroopa - the form of the fruit. After obtaining
sukha, the bhokta is surrounded by subtle subconscious impressions
called sanskaras given below.
1) Sukha is in the vishay (object). Objects are the form of
sukha.
2) To obtain vishay-sukha is true purushartha (achievement).
We certainly want vishay-sukha.
3) Anyone that blocks sukha is an enemy and anyone who
helps us to obtain it is a friend. This is how raga-dvesha is
created.
4) I am the karta and the bhokta. I am a separate individual. I
am a jeeva who is dependent, and I am a part of this
interactive world. This is the bhram that is created and
strengthened.
To not know that the form of the Atma is anand is agnan. The journey
from the Atma to the vishay and back to the Atma, is bhramana (a
journey), it is bhram bhramanam bhraanti. It is this that creates the
granthi, the fourfold form of which has been described above.
Brahmagnan uproots and destroys the granthi. Agnan of the Atma
results in the intellect, mind, sense objects, getting or not getting
sensual indulgences, and the perceptions of sukha and dukha in the
Atma. All these are perceived where they do not exist. The limited is
seen in the infinite, the asat is seen in the Sat, fragments are seen in the
indivisible, and plurality is seen in the non-dual. Space, time and matter
glimmer on the substratum of their non-existence. Therefore, they are
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mithya, and the substratum of all these perceptions is the non-dual

Brahman that is not separated by space, time or matter.
It is to obtain Gnan about this substratum, the Brahman, that we do
Brahm-vichar. Merely, sitting in silence is not Brahm-vichar. Silence is
the basis for awakening vichara, but it is not, in itself, vichara. Agnan is
not destroyed by shanti, but by vichara, and the vichara should be about
the oneness of the Atma and the Brahman.
The Atma does not become the Brahman; it is the Brahman. The fact
that the Atma is the Brahman is hidden by agnan. When agnan is
destroyed by Gnan, the Brahman form of the Atma is revealed. That,
which is obtained by Gnan is already with us, and so is the object that
seems to be absent because of our agnan. Thus, it is established that the
Atma is the Brahman; what is removed is the faulty understanding that
we have not obtained the Brahman. This is why the Brahman cannot be
obtained by karma, upasana, or Yoga-Samadhi; it can only be obtained
by Gnan. There is no agnan in the Atma neither in the past, nor in the
present or the future. Therefore, the Atma is always free of agnan. Gnan
removes that, which has always been removed!
There are many Acharyas (Teachers) who do not accept agnan. They
refute agnan with a great deal of noise. For this, they describe a number
of upapatti (theories) like aashrayaanupapatti, vishayaanupapatti,
nimittaanupapatti, nivartakaanupapatti, nivrityaanupapatti, etc, but
even this leads to establishing the non-dual Brahman, because Advaita
(non-dualism) also says that agnan has no real existence. It is
undeniably the personal experience of every individual, I am an
agnani; I do not know the Brahman. They use this feeling to establish
agnan; and because the person does not experience the paramaartha
(supreme truth), he says that it is not there. Therefore, Brahmagnan
removes that, which is already removed. It does not remove an agnan
that is real.
5. Doubt: Does karma have a place in Gnan, or not?
Clarification: The areas of Gnan and karma are separate. Karma is not a
method for establishing that the Atma and the Brahman are one. Gnan
obtained through Brahm-vichar is the only sadhan for this. Even so, it is
impossible to banish karma from our life. It makes every aspect of life
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excellent to keep it within the boundaries of Dharma. Having clarified

that, we will separate them and examine the differences in them.
1) Karma is the nirmaana-vibhaaga (department of creation) and
Gnan is the pramaana-vibhaaga (department of establishing
things). If you wish to make any changes in yourself or in your
situation, or if you wish to experience the Satya that appeals to
you, you will have to take shelter in karma. On the other hand, if
you wish to experience Satya as it is, you will have to take refuge
in Gnan.
2) A person who has desires is eligible for karma, and a person who
is free of desires is eligible for Gnan. Those who want some
changes in their bhoga (indulgences) are eligible for Dharma, and
those who desire changes in their mental inclinations are eligible
for upasana. People who are eligible for Yoga-Samadhi are those
who wish to block their mental inclinations. Thus, those who are
eligible for Dharma, upasana, and Yoga are eligible only for
karma, but those who have cultivated the sadhan-chatushtaya are
eligible for Gnan.
The basic fact is that the person who does not wish to see the naked
truth wants the truth to be dressed according to his preference. Such
a person is eligible for karma. On the other hand, a person who is
prepared to shed all for the sake of the naked truth is eligible for
Gnan. Only a person who becomes naked (free of all worldly
considerations) can get Brahmagnan. Vaasanaa (desire) is vasan
(clothing), and nirvaasanataa (lack of desire) is nagnataa
(nakedness).
3) The motivations for karma are: having desires, a feeling of being
the kartaa (doer), belief that the action will give fruit, and faith in
karma (action/ritual).
The motivations for Gnan is to be free of desires, or doubts about the
statements of the Shrutis, and believing that Moksha is the fruit of
Gnan. There is no scope for such a person to think that he is the
karta, or believe in doing karmas and getting their fruits. Thus, the
motivations for Gnan and karma are totally different.
4) The swarup of karma and the swarup of Gnan are also
diametrical.
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A Karma depends on kartru-tantra (the science of action) while

Gnan depends on vastu-tantra (the science of the object). The
meaning of this is that the karta is free to do something, or do
something different, or do nothing. This is called,
kartun\makartumanyathaakartum. In Gnan, it is the gyaataa
(knower) who is dependent; Gnan is not governed by the gyata, it is
governed by the gye`ya (that, which is known).
You can pick up a watch, leave it as it is, or break it. You are free to
do any of these. However, you are not free to know that the watch is
any other object. The knowledge, that it is a watch, depends upon the
watch, not on you.
Similarly, you may do karma, upasana, or Yoga; or you may refrain
from doing any of them and do something else. The choice is yours.
The Gnan of the Atma depends only on the Atma. Therefore, the
agnan about the Atma is also established by agnan. The removal of
this agnan is Atmagnan.
B Karma is based on shraddha, and Gnan is based on proof. If you
wish to go to Swarga, you must have faith that you are eligible and
you are the karta of the Yagya that will result in your going to
Swarga. You must have shraddha that the Yagya will be successful.
You must have shraddha in the mantras that are chanted, in the
Brahmin who conducts the ritual, and also that Swarga exists.
However, no faith or belief is needed to see the clock in front of you.
All you need is to be able to see the clock. The proof is given by the
eyes.
C Repetition is essential in karma because the fruit of all karmas is
anitya (impermanent). Japa (ritual chanting), is, of course, repetition.
It is the rule of the Shastras that if japa is done in the recommended
quantity and manner, but the desired result is not obtained, the same
ritual should be repeated up to four times.
In upasana, the form of worship is focused upon repeatedly, to
awaken love for the Ishtadev (chosen form of worship). Abhyaasa
(habit; practice) is the main thing in Yoga. Karma (Dharmic rituals)
is done by the gross body, but upasana is a mental action. In Yoga, all
activity is stilled. The inactivity of Yoga is just the opposite of the
activity in karma and upasana.

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In karma and upasana, there is an anuloma-kriyaa (descending

action), and in Yoga there is a pratiloma kriyaa (action that is
contrary to natural order), but both are karmas. In Gnan, however,
there is neither an anulom, nor a pratilom kriya. Gnan doesnt need
repetition either, because no doubts arise once the object is
established. But, if, due to some reason, the Gnan is a bit shaky, it
may be necessary to repeat the method by which Gnan was obtained.
Shri Shankaracharya Bhagwans commentary on the Brahm Sutra
states, Aavrittih asakridupade`shaat (4. 1. 1)- the clear Gnan
occurs just once, dispelling the need for repetition.
(5) The fruits of karma and Gnan are totally different. Karma creates
the saadhya (desired object), but Gnan gives the saakshaatkaara
(direct experience) of the siddha vastu (the object that is always
established; the Atma). The object obtained by karma is created in
keeping with the sadhan, and is one of these five: utpaadya, aapya,
vikaarya, sanskaarya, or vinaashya.
Utpadya is like creating a new pot. Apya means something that
existed elsewhere, and is used by us now. Vikarya means something
that changes. For example, if you keep salt in a pot, the pot will
begin to melt after some time. Sanskarya is something that can be
refined. The pot is dirty. You clean it and paint it to make it beautiful.
Vinashya is that, which is destroyed. You hit an earthen pot with a
stick and it breaks. The breaking of the pot is the fruit of your action,
because the pot is destructible. Similarly, the fruits of all karmas
come within one of these five categories.
Now, see the fruit of Dharma, upasana, and Yoga. The fruit of Yagyas
done according to the Vedas, is Swarga, or some other celestial
realm. The fruits of worldly karmas also come within the five
categories mentioned above. The fruit of upasana is when the vritti
(mental inclination) becomes still and steady on the object of
worship. It is like a Samadhi, and is also temporary.
On the other hand, what you get from Gnan is something that is
already with you. Nothing new is created by Gnan. Gnan merely
removes the agnan about the object - the Atma. Hence, the fruit of
Gnan is not utpadya. Gnan always exists in the present tense, or it is
not apya. No object is changed by Gnan, so Gnan is neither vikarya
nor sanskarya. Nothing is destroyed by Gnan, so its fruit is not
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vinashya either. This makes it evident that Gnan is the direct

experience of that, which exists, which is the Sat.
Had Moksha been the fruit of karma, it would be something that was
subject to birth and death. It would be something separate; therefore,
it would be jada (insensate). Moksha is obtained only by Gnan, and
it is obtained as soon as the agnan about the Atma being the Brahman
is removed.
3. Doubt: Gnan is obtained by karma, and Moksha is obtained by
Gnan. Then, why is karma not accepted as a cause of Gnan?
Clarification: There is a difference between the Gnan that is obtained
by karma and the Gnan that gives Moksha. Imagine you want to
know about the beauty of Kashmir. You will have to go there
meaning, you will have to undertake the karma of going there and
absorb the beauty. After that, you dont need to go again and again to
know how beautiful Kashmir is. If your heart doesnt absorb the
beauty, you may even get a feeling of aversion to Kashmir. The fact
is that this is true about the knowledge of every object. This is true
regarding the knowledge of anything that is separate from our I, the
gyaataa (knower), and karma is needed to obtain what we want.
Furthermore, even after obtaining knowledge about objects, repeated
karma is needed to get Gnan about different things.
The Brahman that cannot be divided by space, time or matter, is the
Atma of all. Gnan about the Brahman is obtained by negating the
Gnan about objects being different and separate. It is a nirvishe`sha
(without attributes) Gnan. You dont need to go anywhere outside the
Atma, to obtain it. Once you have the Gnan, there is no need to
obtain it again and again, because nirvishesh Gnan does not create
raga-dvesha.
Karma is neither a method for obtaining Atmagnan, nor is it a fruit of
Atmagnan. The Atma is neither the karta of any karma, nor the fruit
of the karma.
If you say that negating the Gnan about the savishe`sha (with
attributes), is also a karma, that is not correct, because the Atma is
the substratum of everything. It is the refuge of the savishesh and the
nirvishesh. Therefore, the negating is also a form of the Atma. The
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prateeti (perception) and nivritti (removal) happen in the same

substratum. So, the Gnan of negation does not come under the
category of karma. Karma is present before the Gnan of the specific,
and also after its negation, but it is not necessary for Gnan of the
non-specific. The commentaries on the aphorisms of the Brahma
sutra, Atae`va chaagneenghanaadyanape`kshaa (Brahma sutra 3. 4.
25) and, Sarvaape`kshaa cha yagnaadishrute`h ashvavat (3. 4. 26)
make it clear that Gnan alone has the capacity to enable us to obtain
Moksha. The utility of karma is limited to purifying the antahkaran,
but it does not create Moksha.
When the Shastras mention karma being done after Moksha has been
obtained, it is for the purpose of social interaction. If someone says
that one can get Gnan from karma, Bhamatikara asks, Which kind
of proof is karma? The question is valid, because Gnan is obtained
only by proof.
Which kind of proof can karma give? Is it the pratyaksha (known by
the senses), anumaana (estimated), upamaana (through comparison),
arthaapatti (logic), anupapatti (incongruity), or e`tihya (a traditional
theory), sambhava (possibility), or che`shtaa (effort)? None of these
are given by karma. That makes it clear that karma is not a
pramaana (proof) at all. It is nirmaana (creating something). Karma
does not illuminate; it creates. It is useful for purifying the
antahkaran; that is its purpose. Gnan is the only sadhan that points to
the non-dual Brahman.
Bhamatikara says Vastusiddhih vichaare`na na kvachit
karmakotibhih. The vastu (object; the Atma) is established only by
vichara. Not even a million karmas can establish it.

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PART II

GURU UPASADAN

Chapter V

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Guru Upasadan (being with the Guru)

Uktasaadhanasampannastattvajigyaasuraatmanah,
Upaseede`d gurum praagnam yasmaad bandhavimokshanam.
(Vive`ka Chudamani 33. 34)
The jigyaasu (seeker of the Brahman) who has the sadhanchatushtaya and wants to know about the Atmatattva should
surrender to an enlightened Guru in order to free himself of all
bonds, and obtain Moksha.
1. Why is the Guru essential?
We must first give some thought about why a Guru is essential for
Vedanta-Gnan. A Guru is essential for obtaining Gnan about
anything, but when it comes to Brahmgnan, there is no other path
except the Guru. I will give you an example.
I had made friends with a boy when I was still a child. We
corresponded regularly, but did not meet for many years. One day, I
went to his house, behaving like an old friend, without telling him
who I was. He could not recognize me. He was most perplexed, but
too polite to ask outright who I was. Just then, somebody called me,
taking my name, and he realized that I was his childhood friend. He
embraced me warmly. I had been in front of him aparoksha (not
unknown) but it is one thing to see someone, and another thing to
know who he is.
Our Atma, which is the Brahman, is not paroksha (unseen, like
Swarga). It is not far away from us. It is always with us, whether we
sleep, stay awake, sit, or stand. It is always available. It can never be
separated from us, and yet we fail to recognize it. Had it been
possible to know it by being established in it, we would have known
it when we were in a deep sleep state, or in a Samadhi. That being
the case, we need someone who will help us to get Gnan about it.
Upaasanaa (loving worship) can help us to attain the paroksha
Ishwara. We can unite with Him for a short duration. Samadhi can be
attained through abhyaasa (practice). A successful sankalpa
(resolve) can provide objects or Swarga, but none of these can give
Gnan about the Atma. Studying the Shastras cannot give Atmagnan
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either. It is impossible to get the aparoksha gnaana (the direct

experience) of the Atma without the guidance of a true Guru. The
Chandogya Upanishad says, Aachaaryavaan purusho ve`da
(Chandogya Upanishad 6. 14. 2), only a person who has got a Guru
knows this. Aachaaryaaddhyaiva viditaa vidyaa saadhishtham
praapat (Chandogya Upanishad 4. 9. 3) the knowledge obtained
from the Guru is established.
The Atma cannot be obtained by listening to discourses, a high
intellect, or study. For this you need to have a Guru. Thus,
gurupasadana is an indispensable part of Vedanta.
2. How should we take the sharan (refuge) of a Guru?
Tadvignaanaartham sa gurume`vaabhigachhe`t samitpaanih
shrotriyam brahmanishtham (Mundaka Upanishad 1. 2. 12). The
sadhan-enriched seeker of the Brahman, who wants to know the
Brahman as the Atma, should take samidhaa (fuel for the sacrificial
fire) in his hand, and surrender to a Guru who is a knower of the
Shastras and believes in the Brahman. The words indicate that it is
for getting knowledge about the Brahman that the sadhak should take
samidha in his hand and take refuge in the Guru. A sadhak should
definitely go to his Guru. Abhigachhe`t means to go wholeheartedly.
If he claims to surrender totally, but has worldly goals, that is not
sharanaagati (surrender; taking refuge).
There should be total bhakti for the Guru. That means, a sadhak
should consider the Guru, Ishtadev (chosen form of worship), the
Atma and the mantra (incantation given by the Guru) to be one.
Yasya de`ve` paraa bhaktih yathaa de`ve` tathaa gurau
(Shwetashvara Upanishad 5. 23).
In Guru-sharanagati, the first obstacle is avishvaasa (lack of faith). A
suspicious person cannot surrender to a Guru. Avishwas always
causes dukha to the heart in which it exists; it cannot cause dukha to
the person who is doubted. If you feel that there is not a single
person in this world you can trust fully, the state of your antahkaran
is a cause for anxiety.
Agyashchaashraddadhaanashcha sanshayaatmaa vinashyati.
(Gita 4. 40)
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A suspicious person, who lacks understanding and shraddha for

anyone, will surely be destroyed. If your heart is free of distrust and
doubt, it indicates that your antahkaran is pure.
The second obstacle in Guru-sharanagati is abhimaana (pride,
arrogance, vanity). The Paramatma has no pride, He is beyond
maana (measure). He is beyond the limitations of time, space and
matter. He is paripoorna (whole, complete). It is we who have
abhiman. When do we get abhiman? It is when we make up our mind
about our worldly status, and put a measure to ourselves, like, I am
a Brahmin, I am learned, I am a Hindu, I am wealthy. I am a
tapasvee (ascetic), etc. This body, three and half arm-lengths high,
becomes our measurement.
The Shrutis say that whoever considers the Brahman to be separate
from himself will be destroyed. Naayamaa pravachane`na labhyo na
me`dhayaa na bahunaa shrute`na (Mundaka Upanishad 3. 2. 3). Can
a mountain be put into a sack made of rubber? Similarly, if someone
wants to fit the Ishwara into the boundaries of personal pride, it can
never be done. The Ishwara can be obtained only after pride is
removed. Abhiman is dambha (deceit; hypocrisy), and it can be
removed only by Guru-sharanagati.
Guru-sharanagati is essential. Anyone who wants to know the
Atmatattva, and the Brahmgnan that frees a person and gives
Moksha, should go and take refuge in his Guru. Guru-upaseede`t.
Upaseede`t means to go towards the Guru, facing him; not approach
him from behind. That is the proper etiquette. He should go at a time
when the Guru is relaxed. It is not proper that you go when you have
some spare time, and accost him when he is about to go to the toilet!
Abhimukh also means, I will listen to my Guru, whatever he tells me
to do, It is possible that your beliefs and convictions are not correct,
and what your Guruji says is contrary to them, but what is the need
to go to a Guru if you are not prepared to accept what he says?
Upaseede`t means to go to your Guru in a proper manner. One rule is
that you should not go empty handed. You should take something
that he finds useful, as a token of your shraddha. If a homa (fire
worship) is done at his place, take samidha in your hand when you
go. If Guruji is a virakta (a Mahatma who keeps no possessions),
take any item he will use, with a feeling of serving him.
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The other point in upaseedet is that your purpose should be clear. An

incident comes to mind. I had gone to Swami Brahmanandji a few
years before I took Sanyas, with the hope of taking Sanyas from him.
He had given me some instructions about how I should stay, what I
should eat, and what I must avoid. Then, two or three years later, I
went to him again. I saw the signboard at the Kumbha Mela, and
went inside. Now I have come, I said to him. Thus, the meaning of
upasana is, I have come now, because I want to get Mukti
(liberation) from all bondage, dependence on insensate objects, and
death. I want to obtain Tattvagnan.
The meaning of Guru-upasadan and Guru-upasati is, Upaseede`t
gurum praagnam yasmaad bandhavimokshanam. to present
yourself to the Guru with the purpose of becoming free of all worldly
bondage.
3. The laxana (characteristics) of a Sadguru (Guru established in the
Satya).
Shri Shankarachayaji Maharaj has said that a person should take the
sharan of a praagya (one who has an awakened intellect) Guru. One
kind of Mahatmas are the virakta; the Fakirs who keep no
possessions. It is a great punya to get their darshan and to serve
them. However, their consciousness is not on the worldly plane, so
they will not be able to help you in removing agnan. Moksha is not
attained by somebodys kripaa (Grace) or shaktipaata (an awakening
of inner power by a touch), etc. The antahkaran of a sadhak is filled
with agnan about the svaroopa (form; essence) of the Atma. He
believes himself to be a jeeva (Atma attached to a body). When he
hears the Mahavakya from his Guru, he gets an inclination for
obtaining the knowledge that the Atma and the Brahman are one.
This mental inclination will destroy his mistaken belief that he is a
jeeva. He will feel that he is the essence of the Atma. That is
Moksha.
Therefore, a person who desires Moksha should go to a Sadguru who
is a Mahatma, is praagya, meaning, who has Tattvagnan, is aware of
the world, and has the capacity to use words to explain the
Mahavakyas in a way that the disciple can grasp the meaning. He
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should be able to give the disciple a brahmaakaara vritti an

inclination for the Brahman. This is the form of Guru-kripa.
When kripaa (Grace) is bestowed on someone, it comes in a form.
For example, the kripa of the niraakaara (formless) Paramatma takes
the form of an Avatar. In the same way, the nirakara kripa comes into
our life in a form. The Brahmakara vritti arises in our life as the
descending of Guru-kripa. If Guru-kripa fails to give Gnan, it is
barren.
The Shruti states that a Guru should be shrotreeya (knower of the
Vedas) and brahmanishtha (having faith in the Brahman). A shrotriya
is a person who has full knowledge of the profound truths given by
the Shrutis, and guides the disciple according to these precepts. It is
not enough for him to be a Pundit of the Shrutis. Mere learning
achieves nothing beyond some worldly advantages. The Guru should
be capable of giving clarifications regarding all questions,
accusations, and doubts. Moreover, he should have nishthaa (staunch
faith with reverence) for the ultimate Tattva that the Shrutis establish.
That Tattva is the brahmaatmaikya bodha the direct knowledge
that the Brahman and the Atma are one. He should live this truth.
The Upanishads have divided the Brahma-nishtha into four kinds
brahmavid,
brahmavidvara,
brahmavidvareeyaan,
and
brahmavidvarishtha.
Aatmakreedah aatmaratih kriyaavaan e`sha brahmavidaam
varishthah (Mundaka Upanishad 3. 1. 4)
The person, who frolics in the Atma and is sukhi in the Atma, is the
superior Brahmgnani. The Sadguru should be brahmavittam (one,
whos Gnan about the Brahman, is of the highest level.) He should
be a person to whom even great brahmave`ttaa (knower of the
Brahman) come, to obtain nishtha for Brahmagnan. Such a Mahatma
is called Brahmavittam. One is the Brahmavid (knower of the
Brahman). A Brahmavittam is one in a million Brahmavids.
There are plenty of clever people in the world. Any number of name
plates are put up, announcing they are Shrotriya Brahmanishtha
Gurus. Simple people get taken in by them. Some characteristics are
given here, to help people identify a Sadguru. Shri Shankaracharya
Bhagwan has said:
Shrotriyovrijinokaamahato yo brahmavittamah.
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Brahmanyayuparatah shaanto niringhana ivaanalah,

Ahaitukadayaasindhurbandhuraanamataam sataam.
(Viveka Chudamani 34, 35)
The Guru should be shrotriya, free of sin and free of desire. He
should be a Brahmavittam, engrossed in the Brahman, be as calm as
the fire when the fuel is finished, be an ocean of mercy for all, and
the well-wisher of whoever takes his sharan.
1. The Guru should be shrotriya this has been described.
2. The Guru should be Brahmavittam this has also been described.
3. The Guru should be nishpaapa (free of sin). The characteristics of
a nishpaapa are that he never gets the feeling, I am dukhi. His
body may be rotting, he may not get food, lack proper clothes, and
have no companion. Dukha is the fruit of paapa, and, I am dukhi
is the inclination caused by the fruit of paapa. A person who is
free of sin does not have this inclination. The causes of dukha can
come to anybody, but to have the abhimaana (pride) of being
dukhi is a sign of a sinner.
Apart from this, the Guru never has any sinful desires, because he
never has the feeling of being a kartaa (doer of the action) or
bhoktaa (the one who experiences the good and bad fruits of
actions).
A person who has no relation with past sins, and no desire to sin in
future, is nishpaapa.
The biggest paapa is to mix up the nitya-shuddha-buddha-mukta
Atma (the Atma that is eternal, pure, enlightened, and liberated) with
the anitya-ashuddha-ahankaara (pride of being an individual who is
transient, and impure). This is the root of all paapa.
4. The Guru should be untroubled by desires, he should be
akaamahata. A person whose heart is wounded by kaama (desires) is
called kaamahata. A Sadguru is a person whose heart is not
wounded by desires; he is akamahata. A desire to obtain any object,
person, or situation that seems out of ones reach, is called kaama.
To want what you dont have, is kama. To want to hold on to what
you have, is called lobha(greed). To be angry with anyone who
comes in the way of your getting what you want, is called krodha.
All these are forms of desire.

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To want to live for a thousand years is the kama for time. To want to
go to Swarga or Vaikuntha (the land of Bhagwan Vishnu) is the kama
for space. The desire for some object is the kama for matter.
It is also a kaamanaa (desire) to think, I have given up these things,
and I have yet to give up these things. Or, Let such vritti (mental
inclinations) come to me and let these vrittis not come. A poorna
(complete) Guru has no vrittis or desires for any condition.
You must keep in mind that this is with regard to a Guru, not a
disciple. A disciple should obey the rules about what he accepts and
what he gives up. The mark of a complete Guru is that he does not
consider anyone anya the other, separate from his Self. He has
attained the akhandataa (unbroken totality) of the Atma, the
poornataa (wholeness) of his svaroopa (essence). There is nothing
left for him to attain. That is why a Tattvagya (one who has
Tattvagnan) has no desire that can wound his heart.
5.The Guru should be brahmanyuparatah. He should have no
interest in worldly considerations. He should be established in the
Brahman. This world has no interest for Guru, though he lives in it.
If the Guru is occupied with worldly activities, sits in a Samadhi, or
is immersed in meditating on Shri Radha-Krishna, he will not be of
much use to a jigyasu, because he will have no time to give sermons
or guide the disciple. The Guru should be awake to the world, not be
so immersed in unworldly thoughts that he cannot provide the
guidance his disciples need.
6. The Guru should be shaanto niringhana ivaanalah. The Sadguru
should be shaanta (serene), like a fire that has no fuel left and is
about to go out. The Guru is kritaartha he has achieved his goal.
He has no further duties of saadhana-bhajana (effort for spiritual
progress loving worship of Bhagwan), or attaining any state.
The simile given here is that is a fire that has not yet gone out
altogether. It smolders without giving out heat. There is no smoke.
The embers are covered with ash. If the disciple blows on it, it will
flare up again, or else the fire will go out. It is the disciples jigyasa
and mumuksha that revive the fire in order to get light and obtain
Tattvagnan. This is how the Guru should be shaanta (tranquil),
meaning, his inclinations need no objects. It is not proper to tell your
Guru, O Gurudev, please tell me what you think is good for me. In
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Gurujis eyes, all are the nitya-shuddha-buddha-mukta Atma. He has

no idea about your lifestyle; he knows that your Atma is liberated.
When you feel that you are suffering from agnan, dukha, jadataa
(lacking consciousness) and bondage, and you appeal to him to save
you from them, he will tell you, Oh, no! No! You are the Brahman
incarnate! There is not even a trace of agnan, dukha, jadata, or
bondage in you. This is where the Satsang (spiritual discourse) starts
with a series of questions and answers.
7. The Guru should be ahaituka dayaasindhu an ocean of
compassion for all. His compassion is natural and unmotivated. He
considers all to be his own svaroopa (essence). His compassion is
not prompted by the qualities or action of a person. He is not
concerned with the worldly status of his disciple. How does it matter
to him whether a person is rich or poor, learned or a fool, a sadhak or
not? His benevolence is universal. His mercy flows over whoever
has love for him.
8. The Guru should be a sharanaagata-bandhu a friend to whoever
surrenders to him. The sincere disciple who comes and bows before
his Guru becomes his sharanaagata (one who has seeks protection)
with an urge to obey his instructions. Such a disciple will obtain
good fortune. It is the characteristic of the Guru to accept him, and
give him abhaya (freedom from fear).
4. What should we do when we get such a Guru?
We should serve our Guru with humility and have love for him. We
should not find fault in what he says or does. We should fill our heart
with thoughts of his greatness and depend upon him for our salvation.
We should please him with our bhakti and sincere service.
It is not that he will give us guidance when he feels like it. That is right
and proper in the principle of bhakti, but in the principle of Gnan, such
an attitude is considered carelessness. It indicates a paucity of eagerness
for Gnan. A person who has an acute mumuksha and jigyasa will not be
able to endure delay in obtaining Gnan. Jigyasa gives acute anguish,
and unless a person feels this, it means that his jigyasa is not fully
awoken.

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When the Guru is relaxed, that is the right time for a jigyasu to go to
him and place his questions. Tadviddhi pranipaate`na pariprashne`na
se`vayaa (Gita 4, 34). Know that Tattva from a Tattvagya (one who
knows the Tattva). Prostrate before him let go of all pride and render
service, and then place your questions.
The subject of your questions should be the Atma. Ask, Bhagwan, I am
aware that I exist, but I dont know what I am, where I have come from,
and where I will go. Please explain to me what I actually am. I have
heard form the Shastras that the Brahman is the master of this creation.
What is the Brahman? Where is He? How am I connected to Him? I
dont know these things. Please tell me about Him. The Shastras say
that we cannot get Moksha without Brahmagnan. What is the swarup of
that Brahmagnan? I am in bondage. How can I get Moksha?
When you place your questions to your Guru, you must keep four
things in mind.
(1) The question should be on the subject about which you dont
have Gnan. You should not ask about the things you know
already. You should ask about things you believe, or have
heard, but which you have doubts about. It is forbidden to ask
questions merely for the sake of asking.
(2) You should not ask questions with a motive to create a dispute.
That will not solve any problem. The disciples questions and
the Gurus answers are not a shaastraartha (theological
debate). Ask a question, and listen to the answer. Then do
manana (give thought to it), and if any doubt remains, ask your
Guru about it.
(3) If you do not really want to understand or if you dont want
to follow the advice even after you have understood, dont ask.
(4) Dont ask for the sake of refuting what your Guru says.
It is quite possible that the Guru tests your level of spirituality. A sadhak
sometimes gets the mistaken impression of having attained a higher
level than he actually has. This is called alabdhabhoomikatva. It is an
obstacle in sadhana. That is why a Guru sometimes says something or
does something that will cut away false vanity. The disciple should
respectfully endure whatever his Guru says or does, and obey him
unquestioningly. If a person cant endure his Gurus insults, how will he
ever be able to cultivate the endurance to bear the insults and abuses of
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the world? How will he ever be sahishnu-titikshu (tolerant and

forbearing)? Without these qualities, he will not be able to progress in
life.
What are the first words a Guru says to a disciple who has come to his
sharan? My child, have no fear. Guruji starts with the fruit of Vedanta,
which is, Abhayam vai janaka praaptosi (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
4. 2. 4) O Janaka, you have obtained abhaya (fearlessness). It is not
that the world will no longer have union and parting, coming and going,
or death. All these will go on, but the fruit of Vedanta is to be totally
free of fear.
Shri Shankaracharya Bhagwan says that the Sadguru should grant
abhay at once to his disciple. Dadyaadabheetim sahasaa mahaatmaa
(Viveka Chudamani 43). The fact is that the dukha in our life is not
really dukha; it is bhaya (fear). Death is not the dukha; fear of death is
the dukha. Nobody experiences death. What you fear is losing the world
you have created. It is the fear of what will happen to your wife and
family, etc. Oh! What will happen? They were not yours to start with,
and they will not be yours later on. You believed them to be yours inbetween, and kept crying for them. A person who has tyaga-vairaagya
(renunciation and detachment) and asangataa (non-attachment) does
not fear death or dukha. For him death is a natural state. The world is
only an aabhaasa (illusion) in our Atma. It seems sweet because of our
agnan about the Atma, and this is why people feel sad to let go of it.
The fact is that there is no object called dukha. The vritti, I am
dukhi, is the form of dukha. Shoka (grief) is also dukha, and that is
why fear exists. Memories from the past are called shoka. All this is
fear, and the Sadguru is the one who turns bhaya into abhaya. He is our
greatest well-wisher.
The Sadguru does not think about the eligibility of the person who
surrenders to him. He does not meditate to see whether that disciple will
get Gnan, or Moksha. He is overcome with compassion, and he puts his
hand on the disciples head without a second thought. My child, do not
feel afraid. In his eyes, all beings are nitya-shuddha-buddha-mukta.
When a disciple describes his fear, agnan, and sorrow, the Guru sees
them as illusions created by agnan. He knows that they will be dispelled
by a single ray of Gnan.

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Regarding the eligibility, whoever takes the sharan of a Guru is

supremely eligible. Had he not been eligible, how could he have taken
refuge in his Guru? Future obstacles do not bother the Guru, because
his focus is always the Brahman in every being.
A disciple should be n the sharan of a Sadguru, he should be a
mumukshu, obedient to his Guru, and have a tranquil state of mind. His
mind should not be restless with thoughts of where he is to go and what
he is to do. This can only happen when there is no vikaara (distortion)
in the chitta (state of mind). Such a disciple is eligible for getting
sermons on the Tattva from the Guru.

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PART III

Some Information Before Brahmavichara

Chapter VI

114

Some Information
Some important and thought-provoking points are given below, that
will help in clarifying the message of Vedanta.
1. What is the bhava-saagara (ocean of the world) that you wish to
cross over? People hear these things and start believing that they
are drowning in the ocean of this world, even while enjoying life
fully. Give this some thought.
Shri Shankaracharyaji Maharaj says, Kartritvabhoktritvalakshanah
sansaarah. To believe yourself to be the karta of paapa-punya, and
the bhokta of the resultant sukha-dukha, is the sansaara (the
interactive world). The buddhi that tells you, I have attained this,
and I have experienced this; I have yet to get that and experience
that, is the sansara.
To believe in the reality of paapa-punya, Narak-Swarga, sukhadukha, and being a separate individual like a drop in the ocean is
the sansara.
Shri Vidyaranya Swamis opinion is that the personal world of an
individual is called the sansara. The entire expanse of I and mine
is the sansara.
If you were actually drowning in the bhava-sagar, Gnan could not
have saved you from drowning. It is a bhram (mistaken
understanding) of the intellect that you are drowning, and this bhram
is destroyed by Tattvagnan.
2. The upaaya (method) of swimming over the bhava-sagar is Gnan,
meaning, brahm-vichara (giving thought to what the Brahman is).
In Sanskrit, the word upaya means something that is used to
achieve a purpose, and is discarded when the purpose is achieved.
Therefore, the duration of Brahm-vichara is until you obtain the
brahmatmaikya bodha (knowledge that the Brahman and the
Atma are one.)
3. There is no road upon which a person can walk, to go to the
Paramatma. The jigyaasaa (wish to know) is the path. Tad
vijigyaasasva (Taittareeya Upanishad 3. 1)

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4. If you have the agnan of your I, you will have the bhraanti
(false understanding) of the other.
5. Bhaya (fear) cannot be removed by living in solitude or by staying
amid a crowd. Samadhi is solitude; karma is a crowd. Neither will
make you free of fear. Neither can pre`ma (pure love) make you
free of fear, because the fear of harm coming to the Beloved is
always present. Learning and worldly wisdom are also not able to
remove fear, since they contain the possibility of defeat, and
future uncertainties. It is not possible to be free of fear as long as
your intellect tells you that others are separate from you.
Dvitaayaadvai bhayam bhavati, a special kind of buddhi is
needed for a total removal of fear, but this should not be a buddhi
created by us. It should be in keeping with the Satya that is the
paramaartha (supreme goal; the Brahman). It is the buddhi that is
obtained by Vedanta. It is a buddhi that gives us the experience of
our svaroopa (essence; true form).
6. Vedanta-vichar is the only method by which a human being can
get param kalyaana (the supreme good fortune; Moksha). This
vichara is aroused by the shravana (listening with reverence) of
the Upanishads, Gita, and Brahma Sutra. These three are called
the Prasthan Trayee the three that give progress. The Gnan that
establishes differences is an illusion in the Gnan of Vedanta. There
are five kinds of bhe`da (differences): (1) Jeeva-Ishwara bheda.
(2) Jeeva-jeeva bheda. (3) Jeeva-jagat bheda. (4) Ishwara-jagat
bheda. (5) Jagat-jagat bheda.
7. To believe that the Brahman does not exist, and the Atma does not
exist, is foolishness, not Gnan. To believe that the jeeva-jagat and
Ishwara exist, but are separate, is ordinary Gnan. The sattaa (pure
existence) of all three is the same; it is the satta of the Ishwara.
The jeeva and the jagat merely seem to be different and separate.
That is the principle of Shri Vallabhacharya. To think that
Bhagwan is everything, everything is the Ishwara, is BhagwatGnan (the Gnan of Bhagwan). To think, I am everything, is the
Gnan of the Kashmiri Shaivas. And, to think, Nothing exists
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except the Brahman, is Vedanta-Gnan. Fear, sorrow, etc cannot be

removed totally without Vedanta.
8. Gnan does not destroy the world created by the Ishwara. It
destroys the dukha that is the result of the world created by us,
human beings, and our avidya. The factors that give joy and
sorrow remain, and continue to occur. They are experienced by
the senses, and the mind responds according to past experiences
of pleasure and pain. However, none of these are reflected in the
Atma, meaning, the feelings of I am sukhi, or, I am dukhi, do
not arise. This is Yoga.
Tam vidyaa dukha sanyogaviyogam yogasangitam (Gita 6. 23).
That, which is not connected to this world of dukha, is called Yoga.
9. Shraddha, bhakti, dhyana, and mumuksha are the saakshaat
saadhana (direct methods) for releasing us from the imagined
bondage of the body, caused by avidya. The decision of the goal
will be achieved by having shraddha for the Guru, Shastra, and
Satsang (spiritual discourses). Debates are futile unless they have
a purpose. The Parameshwara cannot be obtained by mere
dialectics. Dont go into theological arguments with your Sadguru
or a Mahatma. Have faith in his words, and do manana (ponder)
on them. Manan means favorable reflection. Shraddha should
remain until you get nishthaa (staunch faith with reverence).
Shraddha shows the way before you get the direct experience of
the Tattva, and nishtha points the way after it.
Bhakti means using your intellect repeatedly to meditate upon the
goal that you have heard about. Bhakti gives vairaagya
(detachment) for everything except your chosen goal, before you
have the saakshaatkaara (direct personal experience) of your
chosen form of worship, your Ishtadev. After sakshatkara, you
become totally detached from all other considerations, and you
obtain the extraordinary sukha of jeevan-mukti (being liberated in
this very life).
Dhyana makes a person fit for Tattvagnan before he actually has
the sakshatkara. Tattvagnan does not remove the feeling of bheda;
it removes the bhram (false impression) that the bhedas are real. It
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is one thing for the sky to seem to be blue, and another thing to
believe that the blueness is Satya. Vedanta-Gnan does not stop
anyone from being aware of the world; it removes the bhram that
anything in this world except the Brahman is Satya. However,
if a person does dhyana after obtaining Tattvagnan, he can
succeed in losing awareness about the world.
Mumuksha means the desire for liberation. Liberation from not
only every vritti (mental inclination) and vikaara (mental
distortion), but from the antahkaran (fourfold mind) itself. A
person who has real mumuksha is not satisfied with anything
small or great; he wants total freedom. That is the actual
mumuksha.
10.
The seven well-known steps to Gnan are the ripe states of
shraddha, bhakti, and dhyana. Shubhe`chhaa (a desire for the
good of all) has a predominance of shraddha. Vichaaranaa
(thinking about the Brahman) has a predominance of bhakti.
Tanumaanasaa (the stage of keeping the Brahman in mind in
everything we do) has a predominance of dhyana. These are the
three states that come before the sadhak gets the sakshatkara.
The fourth state is that of Tattvagnan. It is called sattvaa-patti.
After having obtained Tattvagnan, the aloofness caused by bhakti
and shraddha is the fifth state, called asansakti. The sixth and
seventh states contain nishtha (staunch faith with reverence) and
nivritti (withdrawal from the world by meditation). They are called
padaarthabhaavanee and turyagaa.
11. Vedanta accepts three kinds of dhyana.
(a) The samaadhaana (being free of doubts) of the group of external
sadhans, dhyana. Its swarup is dhyaanam nirvishayam manah
when no object comes to the mind, it is dhyana. This dhyana is a
method for purifying the mind.
(b) The nididhyaasana (bringing the object of meditation to mind
repeatedly) within the internal sadhans, is dhyana, in which the
anaatma vritti (mental inclination for everything that is not the
Atma) is rejected, and the flow of inclination for the Atma is
developed. This is not actually dhyana; it is the wish for dhyana. It is
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dhyaayateeva similar to dhyana, and extremely close to Tattvasakshatkara. It is didhyaasaa, not dhyana.
(c) The third dhyana is that of a Tattvagnani. He concentrates on not
allowing the thought, I am the karta-bhokta to arise, not allowing
any desire to arise, and in watching the Atma twinkle in his purified
antahkaran. This is the dhyana of a Gnani. Dhyana means the feeling
of the pulsating of the Paramatma.
12. The time needed for obtaining Moksha is as little as the time it
takes to snap your fingers. The only condition is that you desire
Moksha, only Moksha, and nothing else. Take a good look at your
desires. What is it that you really want? Wealth, honor, a position of
power, woman, man, or something else? In the womb of your desire
is the interactive world. Moksha comes into the womb that has no
worldly desires.
13. Bondage is due to avidya, and it is imagined that is the
principle of Vedanta. Bondage is because of adharma (that, which is
contrary to Dharma), and will be cut away by doing Dharma that is
the principle of Dharma. Bondage is because of forgetting the
Ishwara, and will be cut away by thinking of Him that is the
principle of bhakti. Bondage is because of forgetting our Atma, and
will be cut away by keeping in mind that we are the Atma that is
the principle of the Shaivas. Vedanta says that bondage is only the
agnan of the Atma. Lack of proper understanding is the only cause of
bondage. The Gnan of Vedanta will serve no purpose until you
accept this.
14. If you are bound, what are you bound to? You are bound to your
body. But, that is impossible! That, which is the substratum of the
totality of space, time, and matter, cannot be confined to a body that
is a few feet tall, weighs a few kilos and is a few years old. Yet, you
clearly feel that you are bound to your body. That being the case, it
must be acknowledged that there is a lack of understanding, some
foolishness in this feeling. Not knowing your own swarup causes this
imagined bondage, and knowing your swarup liberates you. The
meaning of this is that our swarup has neither bondage nor Moksha.
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15. What do you consider yourself to be? A Hindu, a human being,

or a jeeva (Atma attached to a body)? Or, a brother, husband, son, or
shopkeeper? And then, dishonest, a thief, a cheat, a deceiver, or a
murderer? It seems you dont think very highly of yourself. Bhagwan
has installed a machine in the antahkaran that records what we think
about ourselves. It does not record what others think about us.
Chitragupta (the recording angel of Yamaraj, the Devta of death)
plays this recording to Yamaraj. I am a paapi. I am a punyatma. I
have raga and dvesha. I am sukhi, I am dukhi, etc. This is being
recorded by you, yourself. This is putting your signature to your
deeds, isnt it?
You are not the I (subtle ego) that keeps changing. You are the one
who is present in all individual Is the Paramatma the supreme
Atma. The aham I is not changed by the changes of the body, place,
time, pride, and accumulation.
The Paramatma is separate, from a fragment to the whole. He is
neither alpagya (having a little knowledge), nor sarvagya (allknowing). He is gna meaning, the sentient soul. There are no
fragments, nor everything, in Him; and He is separate from both.
Who can know the sarvagya? How can a jeeva recognize the
Ishwara? All differences are due to agnan about the Atma. All faulty
understanding and bondage is because of agnan, so do vive`ka
(discriminate) between the Atma and the anaatmaa (that, which is
not the Atma). Then, the fire of Gnan will burn brightly and agnan
and the actions caused by agnan will be burnt to ashes.
16. In Vedanta, questions are not asked to satisfy jigyaasaa (the wish
to know the Brahman); they are asked to cut jigyasa away. The wish
for Brahmagnan can never be satisfied. When all questions are cut
away, and all answers are cut away, too, what is left is the I.
Koham who am I? That is the question. The answers are, I am
what I am, I am this, I am that, and, The Brahman is like this, the
Brahman is like that. He Is. Cut away these answers, too. What
remains even after this, is the I that is the Brahman. The Atma
being the Brahman cannot be experienced until all questions and

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answers are cut away. Duality has to be negated to establish nonduality. This is written in the first paragraph of the Advaita Siddhi.
17. It is written in the Vedas that Brahmins hope to obtain the
knowledge about the Brahman through Yagya, daana, tapa, fasting,
and the statements of the Vedas. Tame`va ve`daanuvachane`na
braahmanaah
vividishanti
yagye`na
daane`na
tapasaa
anaashake`na (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 4. 22). This wish to
know is called vividishaa. The fruit of all sadhans is that a desire to
know the Paramatma, is awoken.
Vividisha comes only to an antahkaran that is pure. What comes to
an impure antahkaran are desires for wealth, sensual pleasures, etc.
In these, there are divisions, like the wish to know, work and enjoy,
but these are no divisions in the wish to obtain the Paramatma.
18. Jigyasa for the Tattva means a wish to know the
anaaropitaakaara vastu the object that has no superimpositions,
meaning, the Brahman, or the Atma, that is free of any superimposed
forms, types, or preconceived ideas. What was I before I got a human
form? What existed before the world was created? Was the original
form of everything the same, or were there different forms? All these
are part of Tattva-jigyasa. Vedanta says that the only fruit of the
different punyas is that Tattva-jigyasa awakens in a persons heart.
Otherwise, life passes in earning, indulging, marriage, offspring,
social position and similar temporal goals.
Tattva-jigyasa is not why or how; that is the thinking of the
individual. The search for what is Tattva-jigyasa.
19. A person who thinks that habit will lead to getting bhakti for the
Paramatma is talking about labor. If a person develops bhakti
because of love, it becomes aasakti (attachment). When a person
does vichara the layers that hide the Tattva are removed one by one,
and the swarup manifests. This is far greater than Samadhi. What is
the use of a Samadhi that annihilates the intellect? A person should
be in a state of Samadhi with his intellect fully awake.

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20. That, which slips away, is the sansara; and that, which never slips
away, is the Atma. So, why be afraid to let go of the sansara?
21. There is independence in tyaga (giving up) and dependence in
grahan (acceptance). You are free to renounce anything in your
sadhana, but you have to depend on other factors when you accept
something in your sadhana. The path of Vedanta is the path of
renunciation. It does not depend on anyone or anything. All other
paths involve accepting something, and that leads to dependence.
None of the other paths reach the point attained by Vedanta.
22. Obtaining something is always gnaanaatmaka (known). So is the
fruit of upasana. Upaasanaa means, the method for obtaining the
Gnan of the experience of being close to the Ishtadev (chosen form
of worship). The method for creating the Gnan, I am with my
Ishtadev, is called upasana. So is the method for creating the Gnan,
I am in Vaikuntha. It is the awareness that will be created, not
space, time or matter. Similarly, the feelings of cause and effect on
karmas and their fruit sukha and dukha are also vritti (mental
inclinations) of that Gnan.
23. You are unhappy because you dont have certain things, but if
you think of how many people are happy even without these things,
your sorrow will be removed.
24. You will obtain Moksha only when you strive for it. You cannot
obtain Moksha by anyone elses effort. It is we who experience
bondage, and the cause is our own lack of right understanding. Our
hunger can only be satisfied when we eat, not if someone else eats on
our behalf. We have to relieve ourselves every morning; nobody else
can go to the toilet on our behalf. Similarly, when a mumukshu
wants to cleanse his mind of impurities, he has to give up the things
that sully it. A sick man has to take medicine. He will not be cured if
someone else takes it on his behalf. A person who suffers from the
disease of worldly considerations has to cultivate vairaagya
(detachment) by giving up worldly objects, to get the medicine of
Brahmagnan.
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25. The Atma is not the subject of any proof. It is the essence of
Gnan, and therefore, it is the saakshee (witness) of all forms, mental
distortions, impressions and types. To accept any gyaataa (knower)
and gye`ya (known) in the Atma is a vikar of Gnan.. Pure Gnan is
that, which is not connected to either the Aham (I) or the idam (this).
Gnan is an unbroken essence.
26. A person is not bound as strongly to the feeling of idam, as he is
to the feeling of Aham. The fact is, people become hypnotized by
their I. I am like this, and I am like that. I was this; now I am that,
etc. This (false) Gnan gives discomfort. To develop pride because
you are attached to this (the body) is the adhyaasa
(superimposition) that is at the root of all distress. Pride becomes sin
as soon as I gets attached to any object, and then it makes you
blind.
27. The entire subject of Gnan can be anything all of it is dvaita
(having duality). The Gnan-swarup the Atma; the Brahman is
advaita (non-dual). In pure Gnan, the duality of the knower and the
known, and the triad of the knower, the known and knowledge (the
gyata, gyeya and Gnan) are mithya a relative truth.
28. Karma is done externally. Action after action leads to the birth of
desires. Sanskaara (subtle subconscious impressions) are created by
past karmas, and they prompt new karmas. Karmas because of
kaamanaa (desires), and kamanas because of karmas this is the
sansara. We merged with the avidya and got the faulty impression, I
have done this and I gave done that.
Where did this bhram (fault impression) come from? It came
because we did not know that we are the Brahman. Avidya is the
root, and it results in desire. Desire results in karma, and the whole
cycle starts again. The jeeva is bound by the fetters of avidya,
kamana, and karma.
Since when is it bound?
This noose is anaadi it has no beginning in time. Unless we severe
it ourselves, who else can severe it for us? If we keep postponing the
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effort, countless births will pass unless and until we make the effort
and cut this noose. No Devta will help. In fact, the Devtas will try
their best to hamper your efforts, because they know that you will
rise above them if you succeed in obtaining liberation. You can be
free of all your worldly bondage only when you, yourself, want to
know yourself as shuddha-buddha-mukta (pure, enlightenedliberated).
29. Guruji will liberate me. My Ishtadev will liberate me. Such
thoughts make you dependent, and dependence is not Mukti
(Moksha). It is right to think on these lines, to develop your
shraddha, but Guruji can liberate only a person who is fit for
liberation. He can help you, but it is you, yourself, who has to cut the
bonds that bind you to this world. Who can liberate a person who
enjoys being bound?
30. The Mukti obtained by Yoga, karma, and upasana is like being
released on parole. The Mukti of Sankhya is, This (the body) is the
thief, not I. The Mukti of Vedanta is our natural state. All that needs
to be done is to free ourselves from the things that seem to bind us
because of our agnan and naasamajhee (lack of right understanding).
The Brahman that is implied when avidya is removed is called the
Atma, and that is Moksha. There is no other method for getting the
direct experience of this. All other methods are paramparaa saadhan
(traditional methods), not saakshaat sadhan (a method for direct
personal experience). Na karmanaa na prajayaa dhane`na
tyaage`naike` amritatvamaanashuh (Taittareya Upanishad 10. 10).
31. Brahmaatmaikya bodha (the knowledge that the Brahman and
the Atma are one) is not obtained by narrating or listening to stories,
examples, and episodes given in the Vedas. These become a way to
entertain ourselves. Serious philosophical thought is required for
Brahmatmaikya bodh. It is one thing to be learned, and a good
speaker, and another thing to be a thinker whose goal is Mukti.
Learning can provide a good livelihood, but not Moksha, because
learning takes refuge in pride and enhances it.

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32. Shri Shankaracharya Bhagwan has said, Your study of the

Shastras is futile unless you obtain the vigyaana (applied knowledge)
of the Param Tattva. And, the study of the Shastras is pointless once
you obtain the Gnan of the Param Tattva, because the purpose of
studying the Shastras is achieved. Avigyaate` pare` tattve`
shaastraadheetistu
nishfalaa,
vigyaate`pi
pare`
tattve`
shaastraadheetistu nishfalaa. Vivek Chudamani 61).
The Shastras are a huge forest of words. There are so many paths,
roads, objects and methods that a persons mind gets totally
confused. However if a Mahapurush who has Tattvagnan shows you
the path that is right for you, you will be saved from losing your way.
Shri Udiya Babaji Maharaj used to say, O my mind, dont go into
the forest of the Shastras. You will lose your way.
33. Somebody asked Shri Udiya Babaji Maharaj, Maharaj, what is
the svaroopa (essence; form) of the Ishwara?
Baba replied, Do you know your own swarup?
No, Maharaj.
You dont know the I that resides in this three and half arms
lengths of your body! It is a great audacity to talk abut knowing the
one who resides in countless millions of universes!
So, know your own swarup first.
How can this be done?
A lamp is lit by touching the wick to the flame of a burning lamp. If
you truly want to light the lamp of Gnan in your heart, let your heart
merge with the heart of a Gnani in whose heart the lamp of Gnan is
lit. Do not have a difference of opinion with him. Try to understand
his purport. Think on favorable lines.
34. Learn only as many words as you need to, to smite at and shatter
your agnan. Excessive use of technical words is nothing more than
an exhibition of vocabulary. Naanudhyaayaat bahoon shabdaan
vaacho viglaapanam hi tat. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 4. 21).
Vaasanaa (avid desire) for the body, public acclaim, and the
Shastras, are all obstacles on the path of Gnan.

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35. Aushadha (medicine) is what removes the dosha (faults) in the

body, but it should be suited to the disease and to the condition of the
patient. The patient must take the medicine as directed by the
physician. Only then will the disease be cured. This is the rule.
When the illness is agnan having the symptoms of bondage, fear,
and sorrow the patient is an agnani who has an antahkaran
(fourfold mind; subtle body). He is a mumukshu who has agnan, but
whose intellect is pure. For him, the only medicine is Brahmagnan.
However, Moksha cannot be obtained by just chanting Brahman!
Brahman!
The Brahman does not live in Swarga, so having shraddha for Him is
not enough. Nor does He live in Patala (a nether world) where the
thousand-headed serpent, Shesha Nag, holds the earth on his hood.
The Brahman does not drink amrita (elixir that gives immortality),
like Indra, the Raja of Swarga. The Brahman is such that He will not
remain the Brahman if you become separate from Him; He will
become jada (insensate), unconscious. If separated from the
Brahman, you will become a fragment, all cut up.
The aushadha of Brahmagnan is not for believing in, the way we
believe that Swarga and Narak exist. Nor is it for going to, the way a
bhakta goes to Vaikuntha (the realm of Bhagwan Vishnu) after death.
The Brahman is not experienced after death; we are to experience
Him in this very life. The Parameshwara is not only a subject of
faith; He is also a direct personal experience.
36. Pratyaksha means something that is experienced by the senses,
for example, this watch. Paroksha means something that cannot be
experienced by the senses, but is established in other ways. For
example, Swarga. Aparoksha means something that is neither
experienced by the senses, nor established by other means. For
example, sense organs like the eyes are aparoksha, Swarga is
paroksha, and the watch is pratyaksha. Mental distortions like desire
and anger, etc that abide in the mind, are also aparoksha; so are
sleep, sukha-dukha, etc.
And, what are we? We dont need sense organs to know ourselves.
We dont come and go, the way sleep comes and goes. We are
saakshaat aparoksha a direct personal experience; we just know
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that we exist. Something that is aparoksha, but lasts only as long as

the vritti (mental inclination) lasts like anger is called
aparoksha; but that, which remains as the saakshee (witness) of the
vritti after the vritti has gone, is called the sakshat aparoksha. That
is our Atma, it is our Self, and there is nothing that restricts the Atma,
and therefore, we are the Brahman.
This Brahmagnan is not for doing shraddha, japa, or smarana
(remembering); it is for experiencing the one Gnan that is present in
all the different kinds of Gnan we obtain. This is a watch, that is a
book, and this is a loud speaker. This is a woman and that is a man.
They are all separate objects, but the thing called Gnan is one. We
see three hundred men, but the eye is one. The eyes are two, but the
mind is one. The mind has many vrittis, and they keep changing, but
their sakshi is one; it is I the experience of the aparoksha.
37. Even in Vedanta, it is necessary to have vishvaasa (staunch
belief). Vishwas is of two kinds. The vishwas of Dharma etc remains
a vishwas until we die. It is only after death that we can know the
truth. However, there is another kind of vishwas that can be
experienced in this very life, and that is the vishwas we have for the
words of enlightened Mahatmas who tell us about the Ishwara. In
this, there is one difference between vishwas and anubhava
(experience), because an experience does not need vishwas.
A treasure trove in the form of parmaananda (supreme anand) is
buried in your heart. Have vishwas in this statement of the
Mahapurushas. The name of this treasure trove is the Brahman, but
this Brahman will not emerge at anybodys summons. To obtain it
you have to take guidance from a Sadguru and enter into your heart.
Remove the layers that hide the treasure in it. Obtain the knowledge
and firm conviction, this is my Self. That is enough. You will have
obtained the Paramanand.
38. What is the aavarana (covering) over the Atma? The fact is that
there is no avaran over the Atma. The Atma is the nitya-shuddhabuddha-mukta-Brahman. But, many things have been placed in your
mind unthinkingly, and that is the significance of the story given in
the Panchatantra.
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A large number of birds lived in a tree. A snake lived under the tree.
It would eat up the birds eggs. The birds held a meeting and it was
decided that a mongoose should be called to drive away the snake. A
mongoose was called, and the snake ran away. However, the
mongoose settled under the tree and began to eat up the birds eggs.
The plan of the birds achieved nothing.
Similarly, to remove the identification with the body, the Shastras
have suggested a number of methods. People try one after another,
but achieve nothing. The treatment goes on, but the disease spreads.
What you want is sukha. Somebody told you that you can get sukha
by developing vishay (sense objects). You developed the objects of
the senses, and got some pleasure, but it left a sanskaara (subtle
subconscious impression) that you are a vishayee (one who enjoys
the vishays), and will be sukhi if you continue to indulge in sense
objects. Getting bhoga (sensual indulgences), like others do, gave
less satisfaction than getting bhoga like a Raja. Getting bhoga like
Indra would be even better! What an unfortunate moment it was, that
made you a bhoktaa (one who experiences bhoga)! This is called
paapa. Everybody knows that it is a paapa to abuse, or beat someone,
or steal something; but they dont know that it is also a paapa to
think, I am a bhogi. This is a paapa of being dependent. It becomes
a covering that hides our true Self from us.
We dont know when we unknowingly came to the conclusion that
we are the karta. We became dependent on karmas. We developed
the granthi (an imaginary knot of agnan) that we will not get free of
bondage without doing karmas. And, the more karmas we do, the
more wrapped up we get in their coils, like the silk worm getting
imprisoned in its own cocoon. To believe yourself to be the karta is a
paapa.
Kartaapana-bhoktaapana (the ego of thinking you are the karta and
the bhokta) is paapa. It is paapa to believe yourself to be the one who
is born and dies. It is paapa to think that you have wandered in many
realms in many births.
You have been told, This is paapa, that is paapa, but you have not
been told that it is a paapa to believe yourself to be a paapee (sinner).
Your Self was covered with layer after layer of agnan. A mistaken
belief, of a snake called naasamajhee (lack of understanding;
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foolishness), was in your mind. A mongoose called another

understanding was called to remove it. A third understanding was
called to remove the second, and a fourth was called to remove the
third. Each time, the snake was destroyed, but the mongoose
remained. Oh! Paapa is neither a karta nor a bhokta. It is neither a
sansaaree (of this world) nor parichhinna (separate). You are not a
fragment or a slice; you are the whole. You are not a drop, you are
the ocean.
You are no ordinary object, but you have given up your right over the
treasure of paramaananda (supreme bliss; the Brahman). You did not
believe the elders, you did not strive to obtain Gnan, you did not
remove the layers of agnan that hid your Self, and you did not accept
the Brahman as your Self. Mukti is not obtained merely by wanting
it!
The Shastra did some adhyaaropa (superimpositions) to explain the
Atmatattva, and you believed that Shastra to be real. Then more
Shastras were made, to negate the adhyaropas in the previous ones.
In Brahmagnan what you have to understand is that the saakshee
adhishthaana (the witness who is also the substratum) of all the
superimpositions, and their negations, is our I, our Atma, our Self.
So, use your full capacity, vive`ka (discrimination), and strength, to
destroy the agnan that is your enemy.
39. Grade you bonds.
a) You are bound by dukha. You dont want dukha to come, but it
comes, and you can do nothing but endure it. If you enjoy the
sensation of being dukhi, it wont seem like dukha at all, and it
cannot be called bondage. If you find it painful to be ruled by your
Guru, and enjoy being bound by the arms of your paramour, you will
remain tied to her. You are welcome to this bondage. You can reject
Mukti for any number of eons in time. A person who has this attitude
is not a jigyasu; he is a sansari. Let him remain hung up in this
world.
b) You are bound by jadataa (insensate objects). You have got tied to
the gross objects of this world. The irony if this is that you are the
asanga-che`tan (the consciousness that is unconnected to the
insensate), and yet you believe yourself to be bound by the inanimate
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world. How can the detached consciousness be tied to the insensate?

The knot that ties the jada to the chetan is a false understanding. If a
tie has to be accepted, it is the conscious who can bind himself to the
insensate, not the reverse. And, only the conscious can free himself
from the bonds.
c) One great bondage is that dukha does not seem to be dukha. This
closes the door to Moksha.
d) You are bound by abhaava (lacking). Your wish is to never get
dukha, never feel dukhi. It is the concept of an ostrich to bury your
head in the sand and refuse to face reality. Losing consciousness
gives temporary relief, but it is not Moksha. It is, itself, a dreadful
bondage.
e) You are bound by your possessions, wealth, and family. Bandhu
(brother) + dhan (wealth) = bandhan (bondage). This is how the
renunciates interpret bandhan. The nirvikalpa samaadhi (where only
the awareness of I remains), or the nirbhram advaita (the non-dual
state that has no fallacies); the nirvikalpa Samadhi of Yoga is
different from the Advaita of the Vedas. Vikalpa means doubt and
duality, therefore, nirvikalpa means being free of doubts and faulty
understanding. In the Yoga Darshan, nirvikalpa Samadhi is when the
mind is so still that only pure consciousness exists. In Vedanta,
however, nirvikalpa Samadhi means the annihilation of doubt and
duality, by the Gnan of the non-dual Brahman, the Atma, that is the
substratum of everything.
A coiled rope that is burnt retains its shape until the ash is disturbed.
In the same way, the body of a Tattvagnani remains as it is, even
after he gets Tattvagnan. The reason for this can be called
praarabdha (fate created by past actions), the Ishwaras sankalpa
(resolve), or anything else. This is what happened to Arjunas
chariot. Karnas incendiary arrows had burnt it to ashes, but Shri
Krishnas resolve kept it unchanged until the Mahabharata war was
over.
g) The extraordinary sukha of jeevan-mukti (being liberated in this
very life).
When a person gets the direct personal experience of the supreme,
non-dual Tattva, the life of that Gnani is like a burnt rope that has

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retained its shape. He obtains the sukha of Moksha in this very life.
This is paramananda; it is supreme bliss.
The world seems full of sorrow when a person is in a state of agnan.
Being unaware of the world is also a state of agnan, because bhaana
(awareness) is our svaroopa (essence; true form). It is agnan when
we lose consciousness. To accept that the world flows on is also
agnan. The extraordinary sukha of jeevan-mukti is to feel, I exist. I
am conscious of this world, but I have no feeling of being a karta,
bhokta, parichhinna (separate), or attached to the world. Nothing
affects the anand of my swarup. This is the sukha of Moksha.
Vedanta is not meant to take you to Swarga, Vaikuntha, or a
Samadhi. Nor is it for making you a Mahatma in your next birth. The
purpose of Vedanta is that you experience being liberated in this very
life, on this earth, while in this body, here, and now.
The Brahmagnanis greatness is that he is neither elevated nor
lowered by anything he does or doesnt. E`sha nityo mahimaa
braahmanasya
na
karmanaa
vardhate`
no
kaneeyaan
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 4. 23) Jakshan kreedan
ramamaanah (Chandogya Upanishad 8. 12. 3). It is He who sits in
the body of a King and eats. It is He who is in Indras body and
indulges in the luxuries of Swarga. It is He who frolics with women.
The vignaana (applied Gnan) of all, through the Gnan of one (the
Brahman). Nothing is unknown to Him. He is the Master of all, the
enjoyer of all. He is no longer subject to the rules of Vedanta,
Dharma, society, or upasana. He has become free of animalism. This
is Moksha.

Chapter VII
Adhyas Nirupan (Ascertaining superimpositions).

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(I)
1. Establishing Adhyas.
The philosophy of Advaita (non-dualism) Vedanta is based on
adhyaasa (an illusion superimposed on the substratum of the
Brahman, caused by conditioning), therefore, it is vital to get a clear
idea about the form of adhyas before doing vichaara (giving serious
thought) to the oneness of the Brahman and the Atma. It is only on
the basis of adhyas that the bhraanti (wrong impression) that agnan
about the Brahman and the Atma is established. If agnan is not
established, the Moksha that is obtained by Gnan cannot be
established either, and there would be no need for Brahma-vichara.
At the very start of his commentary on the Brahma Sutra, Shri
Shankaracharyaji Maharaj has made some learned changes in the
earlier commentaries on adhyas. This article is based on his
commentary.
The meaning of the word adhyaasa is, something that is
superimposed upon the substratum of something else. All the natural
interaction in this world is based on adhyas, even though adhyas is
created by agnan. When a person obtains Gnan about the Satya, both
agnan, and the adhyas caused by agnan, are removed. How? This is
what we have to understand.
Adhyas is the basis of all worldly interaction, as the person who
interacts, and his svaroopa (form, essence) is hidden. There are two
kinds of perceptions the vishay (objects of the senses) and the
vishayee (the person who experiences the vishays). The vishays are
called idam (this; the body) and the vishayee is called the Aham (I).
This, that, you, and everything known through the senses, are
vishays. And, all that is experienced as the I is the vishayee. The
vishays are pratyaksha (perceived by the senses), like a pot or a
picture. The paroksha (unseen) are like Swarga and other realms, the
aparoksha (experienced directly, but not through the senses) are
emotions and thoughts.
The pratyaksha indicates this and the paroksha indicates that. The
aparoksha is experienced as something separate from the I, and so
it also indicates this. The objects like other people are perceived
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as being separate from our I, to such an extent, that even the body
seems to be idam (this) and mama (mine). However, another
person does not seem to be I or mine. On the rare occasion when
a person identifies with another, it is because of a strong attachment.
The vishays are many; we are aware of their bhaava (presence) and
abhaava (absence). However, the vishayee who is aware of all the
vaishays, is always one. In other words, the vishays are the drishya
(that, which is seen), and the vishayee is the drashtaa (the one who
sees). The drishyas are many, subject to change, and jada (insensate);
whereas the drashta is one, unchanging, and sentient. The drishyas
are dependent upon the drashta, but the drashta is independent of the
drishyas, because the drashta is the witness of both the bhava and the
abhava of everything that is seen. The absence of the drishya can be
experienced, but the absence of the Self can never be experienced.
Therefore, the drishya is anitya (impermanent) and the drashta is
nitya (permanent). Thus, the drashta and the drishya, the vishay and
the vishayee, have diametrically opposite properties, like light and
darkness. Even so, both are superimposed for the purpose of natural
worldly interaction.
I am a manushya (human being). This statement implies the
presence of the human form made of the panchaboota (five
elements), and the adhyas of it being my I. All interaction is
possible only after accepting the Gnan, I am a human being.
How can a drashta consider himself to be a karta, without having a
feeling of aham-mama (I-mine) for his body? How can he consider
himself to be a bhokta without identifying with his mind and senses?
Unless he has this sense of identification, he cant consider himself
to be the gyaataa-pramaataa (the one who knows and establishes),
either. Thus, a person identifies with his body, senses, and antahkaran
(fourfold mind; subtle body), and then with the wealth, family, etc
connected to them. This is how the aham-bhaava (feeling of
individuality) is created, without which interaction would be
impossible. In spite of this, the taadaatmya (identification) is mithya.
Tadatmya means, to accept the anaatmaa that, which is not the
Atma to be the Atma. Or, the merging of the Atma with the
anatma. This is adhyas.

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Question: How is adhyas at all possible if the vishay and vishayee,

anatma and the Atma, drishya and the drashtaa, are diametrical, like
darkness and light? How can one and many, the sentient and the
insensate, permanent and impermanent become an adhyas?
Answer: I also say that it should not happen, but it is obvious that it
does happen. Moreover, this is the root of all dukha and anartha
(misfortune). That being the case, we should certainly try to find the
cause for this. When the vive`ka (discrimination; the ability to
segregate) between the swarup of the two (vishay and vishayee) is
not done, it is the cause of avivek (lack of discrimination), meaning,
avidyaa (ignorance; nescience). It is due to this avivek that the
totally different vishay and vishayee seem to merge.
2. Jada and Chetan (the insensate objects and consciousness; the
sentient).
Some primary points should be clarified here. The first of these is
about jada and chetan. The vishays are jada, and the vishayee is
chetan. That, which knows itself and others, is chetan, and that which
knows neither itself nor others is jada. Chetan is self-effulgent, and
jada is illuminated by another. The drishyataa (being the drishya) is
jadataa (being insensate); and drishtatva (being the drashta) is
che`tanataa (being conscious). The drishya is jada and the drashta is
chetan. It is not that in Vedanta, the Dharma (rightness) of the chetan
is gati (movement or progress), and the Dharma of the jada is agati
(lack of gati). Nor is it that, which has indreeya (senses), is chetan;
and that, which has no indriya, is jada. Everything that is drishya is
jada, and the drashta is chetan. The vishays are jada because they are
drishya, and the vishayee is chetan because he is the drashta.
Is prakaasha (effulgence) the svaroopa (essence) of the chetan, or is
it a quality of the chetan? Prakash refers to Gnan, and Gnan is the
swarup of the chetan. It is not a quality that the chetan has. It is
called the prakaashaka (giver of light), or the gyaataa (giver of
Gnan), because of the upaadhee (name; title) of the vritti (mental
inclination). The characteristic of the chetan is, asanve`dyatve` sati
aparokshatvam, meaning, that, which is never gyaata (known), or
drishya, but remains aparoksha (experienced, but not through the
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senses) is chetan. This characteristic shows that the Aham (I) of

every individual is chetan. The Aham is the drashta of all; it is never
the drishya. And, since nobody can have the experience, I do not
exist, the drashta is nitya aparoksha (an eternal experience) of every
being. This Aham is called the vishayee because it shows the
vishays.
3. Upadhi and Visheshan (the superimposition and the attributes).
The second point is upaadhee (a name or title; a superimposition)
and vishe`shana (an attribute; adjective) that, which stays close
to something else and superimposes its own qualities upon the
other, or shows itself as being separate from the other object by
superimposition, is called upadhi. Upa sameepe` sthitvaa
aadhim upaadhih. The superimposed object is called the
upadhi. The superimposed is called the upahita, but the upadhi
does not penetrate the upahit. It is like a pot in space. It seems to
make a division in space, but the space inside the pot and outside
it, is the same. It is not a separate space. The pot is the upadhi,
while the space in it is upahit. In the same way, the math
(monastery) is the upadhi and the mathaakaasha (space inside the
math) is upahit.
All the seemingly separate spaces of the ghataakaasha (space
inside the pot) and mathaakaasha are because of the upadhi of the
ghats and maths. Therefore, the divisions in space are
superimposed. From the viewpoint of the essence of space, there
are no differences; they are names given to explain the
separations. Space is in no way affected by the pots and buildings
that seem to create divisions in it.
Another example is that of a crystal. The crystal is colorless, but it
seems to be red if a red flower is placed behind it. Here, the
upadhi of the crystal is the red flower, and the redness seen in the
crystal is upahit. The redness seen in the crystal is a
superimposition in its natural transparency; it is not an attribute of
the crystal. The crystal is colorless, even when it seems to be red.
Visheshan is just like upadhi. It stays close to the object it
superimposes its own quality on, creating the illusion that the
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other object has this attribute. The attribute enters into the object,
and so the vishishta (the object that reflects the attribute) is always
pervaded by the vishe`shan (attribute). For example, take a blue
lotus. Blueness is an attribute of the lotus, and the lotus is
pervaded by it. A blue lotus is different from a red lotus, but a blue
lotus cannot be separated from its blueness.
The question is, that in the vishayee form of the che`tan
(conscious) Atma, are the vishays the upadhis, or are they the
visheshans? To say that they are attributes is the outlook of
avive`ka (lack of discrimination, about what is the Atma and what
is not the Atma). It is vivek to say that they are upadhis. Since the
sense objects glimmer in the abhaava (absence) of their own
adhikaran (support), they are considered to be mithyaa (relative
truths). The sense objects, the physical body, the praana (life
spirit), the senses, mind, and intellect, the chitta (state of mind),
ahankaara (subtle ego of individuality), and the sanskaara (subtle
subconscious impressions) like sukha-dukha etc, are all upadhis
(superimpositions that seem real because of conditioning) of the
Atma.
It is because of these that an individual seems to be a vishayee
(one who experiences vishays), has a physical body, is the karta
and bhokta, the one who knows, etc. However, all these are
superimposed forms in the Atma. They seem to be real, but have
no real existence in the Atma. The Atma is kootastha (totally
unaffected by anything). Hence, even though they are the base of
natural worldly interaction, the superimpositions of the vishayvishayee are mithya.
If you accept a vishay to be an attribute of the Atma, Gnan cannot
liberate you from the cycle of avidyaa (nescience; ignorance about
the Atma). You may accept the seemingly real relationships
between the vishay and the vishayee as that of attributes and the
one who has the attributes, but the fact is that they are
superimpositions. They are not Satya. Only then can you obtain
the knowledge that the drashtaa (the one who sees) of the upadhi
is the same as the adhishthaana (substratum; the Brahman), and
the upadhi is actually mithya.

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The che`tan (pure consciousness) attached to a body, mind, and

senses, is called a jeeva. It is the jeeva that gets bound and
liberated by its worldly interaction. It gets bound by avidya, and
liberated by Gnan. The Atma seems to contain the reflected
images of the body, mind, and senses, but is actually mukta
(liberated). Therefore, the Atma is eternally free of adhyaasa
(superimpositions).
4. The Method of obtaining Gnan about the Vishay.
How does the vishayee know the vishays? Does he know them
through the vritti (inclinations) of the five senses, or only through the
vritti of the mind, or through direct personal experience? The
vishayee remains one and the same in all three. He experiences the
vishays through the inclinations of the senses when he is in a waking
state. He experiences them through the inclinations of the mind when
he is in the dreaming state, and he experiences the non-existence of
all the sense objects when he is in a deep sleep state. In the language
of Vedanta, aabhaasa (something that glimmers as real) is the Atma
that has attached itself to vritti. Therefore, the vishays perceived in
the waking state and dreaming state can be called aabhaasa-baasya
(illusions perceived as real), while the deep sleep state is saaksheebhaasya (perceived by the Atma that is the witness). What the
vishayee actually is, is the saakshee (witness). He is the selfeffulgent Atma that shows everything. The sakshi is not a dharmee
(one who possesses certain inherent characteristics), but is called a
dharmi because of the upadhi.
The vishays are known through the senses, while the vishayee is
known through belief. The Aham (I), however, is the shuddha
saakshee (pristine witness). The Aham is the sakshi of all the
pratyaya (things that are believed to be true), but it is not the ahampratyaya (what is believed to be the I); it is the witness of the
Aham-pratyay. Pratyay is created from all vishays. Pratyay means
the reflection of the vishay in the vritti. The sakshi identifies with the
pratyay and becomes a pratyay of the Aham-pratyay. Nobody can
become a pratyay of the sakshi (the Atma in every individual).

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In all the Aham-pratyays like aham baddha (I am bound), aham

muktah (I am free), aham manushya (I am a human being), etc the
Aham is the shuddha sakshi, whereas the pratyays of being bound,
free, learned, etc are related to the respective vishays. Thus, all the
different kinds of Aham-pratyay give us knowledge about the
superimposed forms of the shuddha sakshi.
When the vrittis take on the form of the vishay, it is called vrittivyaapti. Vritti-vyapti has two results. One is, Gnan about the vishay,
and the other is, the abhimaana (pride) of having this Gnan. The
second is called fala-vyaapti, and the person who has this abhiman is
called the vishayee. Since the persons abhiman is linked to some
vishay, the person is an aabhaasa (a perception that is not real), but
his essence is the shuddha sakshi. The Gnan of the vishays is idampratyayamoolaka (indicating this), while the Gnan of the vishayee
is aham-pratyayamoolaka (indicating I).
All the pratyays (superimposed beliefs)
are negated, but the Atma, who is the sakshi of them all, is the
abaadhya satya (the Satya that cannot be negated). The pratyays of
the waking state do not remain in the dreaming state, the pratyays of
the dreaming state do not remain in the deep sleep state, and those of
the deep sleep state do not remain when a person is awake. Thus, the
vishays known through these pratyays can all be negated because
they keep changing. The Gnan that is the essence of the vishayee
does not change, therefore, the vishayee Atma is Satya and can never
be negated.
The Atma exists. Nobody can experience his own non-existence, and
therefore, the Atma is Satya. The person who can experience, I do
not exist, is non-existent; but everybody experiences the presence or
absence of the vishays. Therefore, the vishays are asat (that, which is
not the Satya). The Atma remains unchanged, in all the three states of
waking, dreaming, and deep sleep; and also in the past, present, and
future, so it cannot be negated, but the vishays can be negated.
Being the knower, the Atma is che`tan (conscious), and, being the
known, the objects are jada (insensate). The vishay (object) is dear
only because of the Atma who is the vishayee. The vishayee is not
dear because of the vishays. Aatmanastu kaamaaya sarvam priyam
bhavati (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 4. 5) - everything is dear
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only because of the Atma. Therefore, the Atma is param priya

(supremely dear), and hence, it is aananda-svaroopa (the form of
bliss); whereas the vishays are dukha-svaroopa (the form of dukha).
Vishays are divided by space, time and matter, so they are
destructible. The Atma is the one who enables us to be aware of
space, time and matter, and therefore, it is ananta (infinite).
This is how the Atma (the vishayee), the Sacchidananda (Sat=pure
existence; chit=pure consciousness; anand=pure bliss) is ananta and
cannot be negated, whereas the vishays can be negated because they
are asat, jada, forms of dukha, and separate. The vishayee cannot
merge with the vishays, but because people fail to discriminate
between the two, they get the false impression that the Satya Atma
and the asat vishay are related. This is how the inherent
characteristics of the vishayee are mixed up in peoples minds,
creating natural interaction involving the aham (I) and the mama
(mine).
5. Answers to doubts about the adhyaasa (superimpositions caused
by conditioning).
Question: How did agnan come into the Atma that is the form of
Gnan?
Answer: I also say that agnan cannot come into the Gnan-swarup
Atma. However, every person gets the clear experience, I am an
agnani. Since agnan has no place in our swarup, it has to have come
from outside. The vishays are outside the vishayee, hence, the
jadataa (the quality of being insensate) is reflected as agnan in the
Atma. The Dharma of the vishay is superimposed on the vishayee,
and it is called agnan. This adhyas is not due to proximity, since the
vishays and the vishayees characteristics are diametrically opposite.
This is an ayukta-sthaneey-adhyaasa. Agnan is not possible in the
Atma, and vishays cannot have Gnan; yet agnan seems to be present
in the Atma, and Gnan seems to be present in the vishays. Avive`ka
(lack of discrimination) is at the root of this confusion.

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Question: Very well; if avivek causes adhyas, it will be destroyed by

the vivek about the drashtaa-drishya (the seer and the seen) of
Sankhya. That being the case, there is no need for Brahm-vichara.
Answer: In Sankhya vivek, the Satya-drashta merges with the Satyadrishya, creating two corresponding Satyas. In Vedanta, the drashta is
Satya, but the drishya is mithyaa (a relative truth), so there is the
vivek of Satya and mithya. Once the Satya is separated form the
mithya, the ayukta-sthaaneeya-adhyaasa (illogical temporary
adhyas) is removed forever. In Sankhya, however, the drishya is
accepted as Satya, so there is a possibility of adhyas being repeated.
When two Satyas are accepted, they are both separate and
incomplete, and adhyas is, therefore, not removed in Sankhya. This
makes it clear that Brahm-vichara is fruitful.
The Atma is Satya, therefore, the Atma exists, and will always exist.
The vishays are asat, therefore they have no real existence. Yet
people say, Vishays exist, and they will remain. It is we who will
not remain. The existence of the vishays is not the Atma-dharma
(not a natural part of the Atma). Vishays are perceived only because
of the self-effulgent Atma. The Atma is chit (conscious), and the
vishays are jada, but people say, The vishays are perceived, so they
exist; the Atma is not perceived, so it does not exist. Perception is an
Atma-dharma, not a vishay-dharma. Tame`va bhaantamanubhaati
sarvam tasya bhaasaa sarvamidam vibhaati (Katha Upanishad 2. 2.
15), meaning, everything is seen because of the light of the Atma.
The Atma is the form of anand, and the vishays are forms of dukha;
and yet people say, There is sukha in vishays. All these are
examples of the ayukta sthaneeya adhyas.
Sat, chit and anand exist in the paramaartha-sattaa (the supreme
existence that cannot be negated, the Brahman). That means, they are
the unchanging essential characteristics of the Atma. They are
perceived in the vishays as asti (existing), bhaati (perceived), and
priya (desirable). People believe they are in the vishays, because of
their avivek. This is adhyas.
The vishays have five characteristics asti, bhaati, priya, naama
(name) and roopa (appearance). The first three are the Atma-dharma.
The naam and roopa are vyavahaarik sattaa maatra (existing only
for the purpose of interaction). They are affected by space, time,
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individuals, society, etc, therefore, they are not the Tattva (essence);
they are mithya. Thus, it is the vishays that are mithya; the Atma is
Satya.
Now let us penetrate deeper into adhyas. Arthaadhyaasa (the
superimposition of material objects) and gnaanaadhyaasa (the
superimposition of knowledge) are the two main kinds of adhyas.
The superimposition of one object on another is arthadhyas, while
gnanadhyas is to accept that, which is superimposed, to be real. For
example, it is arthadhyas to think that the coiled rope looks like a
snake, and it is gnanadhyas to think that it is actually a snake. In the
same way, the superimposition of the body on the Atma is an
arthadhyas, and to believe that the Atma is the body is gnanadhyas.
When arthadhyas is combined with gnanadhyas, it creates
sambandhaadhyaasa (an illusion created by proximity). It is
arthadhyas to think, I am the body, and it is sambandhadhyas to
think, this body is mine.
At the root of all the adhyases mentioned above are avive`ka (lack of
discrimination), agnaana (lack of Gnan), avidyaa (nescience), and
the resultant illusion of the mithya being the Satya. Vedanta-vichara
strikes at the basic agnan, whereas other schools of thought only cut
away the branches of adhyas.
Question: If natural interaction is based on the adhyas of ahammama (I-mine), then a Gnani who has obtained Brahmagnan should
have no worldly interaction. This is a frightening state.
Answer: It is not so. The feeling of aham-mama for the body is born
at birth, and dies when the body dies. Therefore, they have a
vyavahaarik sattaa (they exist for the purpose of interaction). When
the vyavaharik satta is negated by Brahmagnan, the feeling of ahammama is also negated. The person realizes they are mithya.
Aham-mama remain as Satya in the life of an agnaani (one who
lacks Gnan), so the resultant fear, bondage, and dukha continue to
trouble him. For a Gnani, they are present, but negated. He continues
to interact in the world, but is unaffected by them. This state is not
frightening for a mumukshu. It is sukha.
Question: How did the Satya merge with the mithya?
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Answer: This is like asking how the sky became blue! You have
already accepted a number of points, like the sky is blue, the
blueness was created, and that someone created it. Now you ask how
the sky became blue.
The answer to this is that the sky is not blue the blueness is only a
perception. It is a guna (attribute) of te`ja (effulgence), and it has
been superimposed upon space. Similarly, Satya and mithya have not
really merged; the mithya is perceived in the Satya. The three tenses
have not been superimposed upon the Atma. The times of creation
and dissolution are perceptions.
Perceptions are not necessarily Satya. Nor is it necessary that all
objects that are mithya are perceived. In the blueness of the sky, in
the snake perceived in the rope, and in the silver seen in a sea-shell,
the blueness, snake and silver are perceived, but they are mithya. If
you say that blueness, snakes, and silver exist elsewhere, I ask you
which object, superimposed on the Brahman, can be considered as
being separate from the substratum upon which it glimmers? The
sanmaatra (Satya) is the Brahman.
6. Agnan and Brahm-vichara.
Thus, agnan about the adhishthaana (the substratum of everything;
the Brahman) is instrumental in all the adhyases. It is because of this
that the Satya adhishthana merges with the mithya adhyastha (the
object superimposed upon the substratum), and becomes the cause of
adhyas. This adhyas is mithya, meaning, it is anirvachaneeya (that,
which cannot be defined). It is also the cause of the adhyas the
feeling of aham-mama. This is the opinion of Shri
Sureshwaracharya. Mithyaa agnaaname`va nimittam yasya sah
mithyaagnaannimittah.
Mithyaa
shabdasya
anirvachaneeyavichatvaat (Vivarana Prasthaana). The opinion of
Shri Vachaspati Mishra is that the feeling of aham-mama is mithyagnan.
Mithyaagnaaname`va
nimittam
yasya
sa
mithyaagnaananimittah (Bhamati Prasthana). However, both
believe that agnan and adhyas are both mithya. Some points about
agnan are given below.

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(1)
(2)

(3)

(4)
(5)

Agnan has no cause; it is its own cause. Effort is not made to

establish agnan. Effort is made to remove agnan.
Agnan is anaadi (without a beginning in time) and saanta
(having an end in time). If agnan had an aadi (beginning), it
would not exist, because it would be absent before it was
created. Regardless of how old the agnan is, it is removed by
Gnan. Therefore, agnan has an end.
Agnan can be removed by obtaining the knowledge that the
aashray (shelter; refuge) and vishay (object) of it are one. For
example, I do not know the Brahman. In this experience, I
am the ashray of agnan, and the Brahman is the vishay. When
the Gnan I am the Brahman arises, the ashray and the vishay
are known to be one, and the agnan is ended.
Agnan is not an abhaava padaartha (an object that is absent).
Absence of Gnan is not agnan. Mithya-gnan is agnan.
The form of agnan is indescribable, because it cannot be
accepted as Sat or as asat. It is not Sat because there is no
agnan in the supreme sattaa (pure existence; the Brahman), and
it is not asat because it causes adhyas, resulting in bondage, and
experienced clearly. It cannot be the form of sadasat (Sat-asat)
because they are diametrically opposite, This is why Shri
Sureshwaracharya says that until a person obtains Brahmagnan,
agnan has to be accepted as something anirvachaneeya, and
continue to do Brahm-vichara.

Question: We should not do Brahm-vichara, because adhyas is

natural how can it be dispelled by giving thought to the Brahman?
Answer: Brahm-vichara should definitely be done, because it does
dispel adhyas, in spite of adhyas being natural. Vichara dispels
mithya-gnan. Mithya-gnan is to believe, This is I, and this is mine.
When you start thinking on the right lines about I and this, it
becomes clear that I is Satya, and this is mithya. Satya and mithya
cannot be related. This vichara leads to the arthadhyas this is I, and
the sansargaadhyasa (the adhyas in which the two seem one) this is
mine, being removed simultaneously. The fact is that Brahm-vichara
dispels gnanadhyas; the other two adhyases are not separate from
gnanadhyas.
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Adhyas is natural. The meaning of this is that adhyas exists only for
the purpose of interaction, and we should try to remove the belief
that it is Satya. This false belief can be removed by Brahm-vichara.
Adhyas is natural for an agnani, but a Gnani knows that it is mithya.
However, the adhyas remains the same for both the Gnani and the
agnani, as far as its presence in interaction is concerned.
Question: Isnt also an adhyas to think, I am the Brahman?
Answer: No. Aham brahmaasmi is not an adhyas. The aham (I) is
the form of the shuddha saakshee (the pristine witness; the Atma),
and the illusion of being a separate entity can only be removed by the
Mahavakya (ultimate statement of the Vedas), like Aham
brahmasmi. Had the Brahman been something separate, Aham
brahmasmi would have been an adhyas. This statement dispels all
the mistaken impressions about the aparichhinnataa (being
indivisible; wholeness) of the Aham. The sattaa (existence) of the
brahmaakaara vritti (mental inclination for the form of the
Brahman) is the same as that of adhyas, so the sattaa is not an
adhyas. This will be discussed further.
7. The Characteristics of Adhyas.
The question now, is, what is the lakshana (characteristic), and what
is the pramaana (proof) of adhyas? If adhyas is established by proof,
it becomes a satya padaartha (an object that is Satya). If so, Gnan
cannot dispel it. And, if proof cannot establish adhyas, it is an asat
padaartha (not Satya), then there is no need to dispel it. Brahmvichara is futile in both cases.
What must be understood is that adhyas is not an object of any proof,
but it is experienced by everybody. To think, I am an agnani, is a
common experience. Adhyas is the logical interpretation of this
experience. Nor can adhyas be called asat, since everybody
experiences it. It cannot be called Satya either, since it is dispelled by
Gnan. It is, therefore, something that is separate form both the Sat
and the asat. It is anirvachaniya, indefinable. The subject of a
persons adhyas is about his own essence being the Brahman, and
that is why it is removed by the brahmaatmaikya bodha the
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knowledge that the Brahman and the Atma are one. This establishes
the need for Brahm-vichara.
Vedanta does not say that adhyas exists in the Atma. According to
Vedanta, adhyas is the perception of the anaatmaa (that, which is not
the Atma) in the Atma.
What is the characteristic or definition of adhyas? It has been
stated earlier, that adhyas is the superimposition of the qualities and
natural properties of the vishay (objects of the senses) on the
vishayee (the Atma in the individual who experiences the sense
objects). The superimposition of the Dharma (innate rightness) of an
object that can be negated on another object, is adhyas. Adhyaaso
naama atasminstadbuddhi (Brahma Sutra Bhasya). This is an
extremely subtle definition given by Shri Shankaracharya Bhagwan.
He has also given another definition, Smritiroopah paratra
poorvadrishtaavabhaasah (Brahma Sutra Bhaasya), meaning,
adhyas is like the memory of something seen in the past, which is
superimposed upon an object that is present, and can be negated.
For example, it is adhyas when a coiled rope in a dark room reminds
you of a snake you have seen in the past, and this illusion is negated
by the Gnan that it is actually a rope. Similarly, the illusion of seeing
two moons in the sky by pressing one eye, is adhyas.
Perceiving an object does not prove it is Satya. Perceptions are of
two kinds the baadhita bhaasamaana (an appearance that can be
negated) and the abaadhita bhaasamaana (an appearance that cannot
be negated). The former is when something is seen, where its
absence is obvious. The objects that can be negated are called
mithyaa; not the objects that are not perceived. All the gross, subtle,
and causal objects in the world are bhaasamaana (perceived)
because they are thought to be asti-naasti (existing-not existing; realfalse). The ghata (pot) is, and there is no ghata both are known.
Therefore, a ghata is something you can see, but can be negated.
When the Vedas describe Creation and Dissolution, and call it a
baadhita bhaasamaana this is what it means. On the other hand, the
Atma, I, or the sakshi, is an abaadhita bhaasamaana, because it is
not possible for anybody to have the Gnan I do not exist. The
Brahman, the Ishwara, and the Paramatma are not different from the
Atma, they can never be negated.
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Avabhaasa is another name for that, which is baadhita

bhaasamaana. Avasanno bhaasah avabhaasah. Avasanno naama
gnaane`na yo hi baadhyate`.
The example of the adhyas of a snake that is actually a coiled rope in
a dark room needs some clarification. A few points are given below,
that are necessary for enabling these illusions.
(1) Darkness (2) a coiled rope (3) a knowledge of what a snake
looks like (4) a similarity in the shape of the rope and a snake.
When the rope cannot be seen clearly because of poor light, it
appears to be a snake. The person who sees it is reminded of a snake
and gets deluded. This delusion is called adhyas. The same
understanding should be applied to other superimpositions and
mistaken understanding. Ultimately, this jagat (world) is seen in the
Brahman, and the Aham-mama for the body is seen in the Atma.
Both are the same as the adhyas of the snake seen in the rope. Just as
the truth becomes obvious as soon as the room is lit brightly, the
bhraanti (mistaken understanding) about the jagat is removed with
the Brahmatmaikya bodh. Further clarifications are given below.
8. Clarification regarding Characteristics.
Question: The rope is real, and so is the snake seen earlier, else how
could the person be reminded of a snake? Thus, one Satya merges
into another in this adhyas. This is not a merging of the Satya with
the mithya, as stated in the previous example. Please clarify this
contradiction.
Answer: Only the memory of a snake is needed for this adhyas; not a
real snake. Anyone who has seen a real or artificial snake, or heard
the description of a snake, can get this adhyas. Similarity does not
require the object to be real. Moreover, a memory can also be of a
bhram (mistaken impression), a dream, or a magical object. That is
why when the adhyas is said to be like the memory of a snake, it
need not be a real snake. The meaning is the sanskaara (subtle
subconscious impression) of the past.
If you say that even the rope should not be considered Satya that is
not proper either. A bhram needs to be based on something that is
real. If there is no rope, what can be mistaken as a snake? Thus, it is
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only proper to say that in an adhyas, the Satya merges with the
mithya. The merging of two Satyas or two asatyas is not possible.
In every mistaken understanding, the adhishthaana (substratum or
base) is satya, and the adhyas is mithya. The substratum is perceived
and it cannot be negated; whereas the superimposition is perceived
but can be negated. All forms in all their variety, and the Gnan about
them, are proved to be mithya by the Gnan about the Brahman.
Question: The vishay (sense objects) and the vishayee (the Atma in
the individual who experiences the sense objects) are diametrically
opposite in their essence. They have nothing in common. Then, how
is their adhyas possible?
Answer: Their adhyas is not possible once a person knows the
essence of the vishays and the vishayee, but everything is possible in
agnan. Agnaane` kim dushshkam? One adhyas or bhram can
turn into another adhyas or bhram.
Question: When a rope seems to be a snake, the proof is given by the
eyes. The rope is proved to be satya. In this, the proof given by the
eyes is not connected to the rope that is proved to be real. The fact is,
that in every bhram the pramaana (proof) and the prame`ya (that,
which is proved) are unrelated. That is why the satya is mistaken for
something else. However, how can this relationship be absent in the
adhyas of the anaatmaa (that, which is not the Atma) being the
Atma?
Answer: The Atma is not a gross object that can be established the
way a rope can be established, so, the absence of a relationship
between the proof and the proved does not result in an adhyas. The
actual Gnan about the Atma is given by shabda-pramaana (verbal
proof), I am the sakshi of the de`hatraya (the three bodies gross,
subtle and causal). I am the unchanging Atma, the essence of Gnan,
the essence of the Brahman, indivisible and beyond the limits of
space, time and matter. This is the verbal proof. The bhram is, I am
the kartaa-bhoktaa-parichhinna-sansaaree jeeva (the doer, one who
experiences, separate, of this interactive world, the Atma in a body).
Both the shabda praman and the bhram reside in the intellect, but

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they cannot co-exist. Therefore, when avidya or avivek prevents the

intellect from the right understanding, then adhyas or bhram rises.
Question: If adhyas is smriti-roopa (the form of memory) why is it
not pramaana-siddha (established by proof)?
Answer: Vedanta does not accept smriti (memory) as proof. Memory
can also be about mithya objects. Memory and the objects of
memory can arise simultaneously in a dream, so how can memory be
considered a praman?
Praman means, abaadhita gnaana Gnan that can not be negated,
and the wonderful cause of this Gnan is the praman. Adhyas is a
perception that can be negated. Hence, it is an object that is
remembered. Thus, adhyas is not a Gnan that can be proved.
Thus, every word used to define adhyas has its own significance.
Smritiroopah paratra poorvadrishtaavabhaasah shows that an
adhyas is a Gnan that can be negated. Poorvadrishtaa reveals the
traditional, timeless handing down of sanskaras. Paratra reveals
that bhram has a substratum, and the absence of another in some
other thing. Smritiroopah dispels the belief that the jagat is Satya,
and establishes that adhyas is an indefinable form it is
anirvachaneeya and it serves the purpose of interaction. The
Chandogya Upanishad says that only the Sat the Brahman is
Satya. The names given to worldly objects are mere names. This is
the base of adhyas.
Another viewpoint is that paratra indicates another place, and
smriti indicates another time. That means, when an object that
belongs to another place and time is superimposed upon an object of
another place and time, the intellect gets deluded, and adhyas is
created. This means that the substratum upon which something is
superimposed, the place, time, and matter are all imagined; they are
not established by proof. That is the reason that Gnan about the
substratum removes adhyas, and even when the adhyas is perceived,
the adhishthana remains untouched and unaffected by the qualities
and properties of the superimposed object.
The perception of the idam (this, the body) in the Aham (I) is
arthaadhyasa (adhyas caused by mistaking the object), and the
perception is called gnaanaadhyaasa (adhyas caused by faulty
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knowledge). The apparent relationship between the Aham and the

idam is sansargaadhyaasa (adhyas caused by proximity). All these
adhyases become causes of more adhyases, and this is how the
worldly interaction goes on. For example, the agnan about the rope
that is mistaken for a snake, garland, or a crack in the floor, leads to
feeling fear, running out of the room, etc. Or, feeling pleased to find
a garland and stooping to pick it up. Or, ignoring the crack in the
floor and carrying on with your work. Or even trying to guess what
kind of a snake it is, beating it with a stick, or any other reaction. All
this is caused by the agnan of the rope.
In the same way, agnan about the Brahman and the Atma leads to
adhyas about the jagat and all it contains. This strengthens the
feelings of raga-dvesh. It makes you apply your mind to worldly
matters. All these are examples of how one adhyas leads to another.
All the sadhans except Brahmagnan replace one adhyas with another,
which is why they do not succeed in a complete removal of adhyas.
Brahma-vichara strikes at the very root of the agnan that is the cause
of all the adhyases. When agnan is destroyed, all other illusions
delusions, mistaken understanding due to conditioning, etc are also
destroyed. Even in Brahma-vichara, the ne`ti-ne`ti (not this not
this; the method of negating everything except the Brahman)
destroys gnanadhyas and sansargadhyas, while Aham brahmaasmi
destroys arthadhyas.
Question: In the common example of brahm, like the snake seen in
the rope, and the silver seen in sea shells, the substratums are the
rope and the shell. They are separate from the drashtaa (the one who
sees) who has the adhyas. But in the adhyas of the anaatmaa (that,
which is not the Atma) seen in the Atma, the substratum and the
drashta are one. The question is, how can this adhyas be possible in
the Atma?
Answer: The object, called the idam, is formed in space, time and
matter. Space is spread out, and time is imagined. The separateness
of space, time and matter is established by pratyaksha praman,
whereas their being anaadi-ananta (without a beginning or end in
time) is imagined. Even the cause and effect of matter are established
by estimation. Every jeeva has sanskaras subtle subconscious
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impressions about all these objects, their presence, and their absence.
The antahkaran (subtle body or fourfold mind) is formed from
sanskaras. Every being is born with this legacy. The fact is that the
chaitanya (pure consciousness) that is burdened with avidya caused
by sanskaras, is called a jeeva, and a vishayee. This is the Atmas
impure form, and the Aham of every being.
Because of avidya, the jeeva is unable to know its avachhinna
(separate) form, and so he is agitated by his sanskaras. He identifies
with his body, creating arthadhays, gnanadhyas, and sansargadhyas.
He believes the Ishwara, Prakriti (Nature) etc to be separate.
The truth is that the chaitanya seems to contain differences like
avachhinna (being separate) and anavachhinna (not being separate),
because of avidya. This avidya is removed by Vedanta-vichara,
leading to the removal of the false identification with the body, and
the faulty understanding of the world connected to it. Then, the
Ishwara no longer seems to be separate, and everything that seemed
separate is experienced as being one with the Atma that is the
substratum of all perceptions.
The principle is that space, time and matter have no existence in the
non-dual chaitanya, but the interactive world is seen as real, on the
substratum of that pure chaitanya, because of past sanskaras. It is like
something seen in a dream, or an illusion like the snake in the coiled
rope.
When did adhyas (a superimposition caused by conditioning) first
happen? That question is not proper. Adhyas is anadi, but is removed
by the Gnan about the adhishthan the substratum that is the
Brahman. Vedanta believes six things to be anadi, meaning, they
have always existed. They are: the Brahman, the Ishwara (the
Brahman with attributes), the jeeva, avidya, the relationship between
avidya and the chaitanya, and the differences in these five. Among
these, the Brahman is essentially anadi and ananta (endless). The
Ishwara is anadi by upaadhi (a superimposition connected to
something), and is accepted as anant. The jeeva is customarily
anadi-anant. The rest are customarily anadi, but are ended by Gnan.
9. Khyati-prakaran (the portion about the false impressions).

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It would be helpful in understanding the form of bhram if we take a

look at Vedants khyaati prakaran. Different philosophies have given
different definitions about bhram.
(1) Asat Khyati
The maadhyamik Buddhists believe that the ultimate reality is a
vacuum. They say that the asat merges into the asat, in the object of
bhram. The asat rope is seen as the asat snake. Thus, the asat
prapancha (interactive world) merges with the asat Atma.
This point is against experience, because bhram has to be based on
the substratum that is Satya. Anyone who mistakes a rope for a snake
realizes his mistake when he gets the knowledge that what he saw
was actually a rope. He understands that the snake was mithya, and
the rope was real. Nobody gets the Gnan that the rope and the snake
were both false.
(2) Atma Khyati
The kshnik vigyaanavaadai yogaachaara Buddhists say that the
Atma, meaning the buddhi, is a momentary form of vigyaana
(applied Gnan; science). The same buddhi is a rope one moment and
a snake the next moment. Because of agnan, the buddhi that shows
the snake is superimposed upon the buddhi that shows a rope. For
example, the momentary prapanch superimposed on the momentary
Atma. However, the prapanch or Atma being momentary are contrary
to our experience.
(3) Anyatha Khyati
In the opinion of the Nyaya and Vaisheshik schools of thought, the
anyathaa (another, different) khyaati (appearance) is accepted as the
cause of bhram. According to them, the rope is satya and the snake is
a separate satya, but it is the fault of the eyes that a rope is mistaken
as a snake. Or, the rope is given an untrue designation.
(4) Akhyati
This is the opinion of the Sankhya and the Poorva Mimansa schools
of thought. According to them, neither the rope nor the snake is
mithya, but the Gnan that the rope is a snake is mithya. Poor
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eyesight, or darkness, is the cause of this false Gnan. In this, the

substratum of the rope is ordinary Gnan, and the snake is a smritignaana (Gnan about something remembered) caused by a similarity
of shape. Both Gnans are Satya, but avive`ka (lack of discrimination)
prevents them from being separated, and so the person thinks, this is
a snake. Vivek causes the rope to be given the designation of a
snake, and therefore, it is akhyaati. In this, the basic fault is that two
Gnans cannot exist simultaneously in the antahkaran. Seeing the rope
is pratyaksha-gnaana (Gnan obtained through the senses), whereas
the snake is a smriti-gnan. The smriti-gnan is negated. Therefore, it
cannot be said that both Gnans are Satya.
(5) Anirvachaniya Khyati
This is the principle of Vedanta. It has already been described. Agnan
about the rope creates the indescribable illusion of a snake, and the
rope is designated as a snake. This is an anirvachaniya khyati. For
example, the prapanch is the Atma, and Gnan about it is
anirvachaniya. The tamoguna-ansha (the portion of Tamo guna, the
lowliest of the three tendencies of Prakriti, that gives delusion and
grossness) of agnan, gives the perception of the prapanch. The
sattva-ansha (the portion of Sattva guna, the highest of Prakritis
tendencies, that gives peace and knowledge) gives Gnan about the
prapanch. The rajoguna-ansha (the portion of Rajo guna, the mixed
tendency) helps in enabling interaction in the prapanch. The Gnan of
the adhishthan destroys the prapanch and gnan about it, meaning, the
arthadhyas and gnanadhyas are destroyed. It also destroys the
interaction caused by the illusion of seeming realities. That means,
sansargadhyas is also destroyed.
In the opinion of Shri Shankaracharya Bhagwan, even if the causes
of bhram are different, it is accepted unanimously that every bhram
is because something seems to be something else. The cause of this
is agnan, avidya, and avivek.
Agnan is the abhinna-nimittopaadaana-kaarana of adhyas. (Abhinna
= not separate, nimitta = instrumental, upaadaana = basic matter,
kaarana = cause. The cause that is the basic matter as well as the
instrument of the object.) It is arthadhyas, gnanadhyas, and
sansargadhyas. The chaitanya is the refuge of agnan. The prapanch is
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seen in the Ishwara, and is seen by the jeeva. That is why Aham
brahmasmi shows that the Brahman, which is the substratum of the
prapanch, and the Atma, is one, thereby negating the prapanch.
Question: The Atma is one. No other can be superimposed on it.
Then how can there be so many jeevas?
Answer: Everything is possible in agnan. The adhyas of one in one is
also seen, like when you press your eye, the moon in the sky seems
to be two moons. This is how the jeevas seem to be many
10.The possibility of adhyas.
We now raise another question. In all the examples of adhyas, the
adhishthan and the adhyastha (that, which is superimposed) are both
outside. In the adhyas of the prapanch being the Atma, the Atma is
inside or behind the body, mind, and senses; while the prapanch
is outside. There are no similarities between the Atma and the
prapanch, so there is no possibility of adhyas.
The explanation of this is that there is no rule regarding adhyas, that
it can be seen only in what is in front of it, or outside. People who
lack vivek say that the sky is dirty or that it is clear. Even so, if
someone urges that both the adhishthan and the adhyastha should be
the vishays (objects of the senses), my response is that even the
pratyagaatmaa (the Atma experienced in the individual) is not a total
avishay (not experienced by the senses), because it is the vishay of
the asmat-prateeti (the perception of I being separate). As the
subject of the feeling of individuality, it is an aparoksha (direct
personal experience) felt by everybody, and it is also prasiddha
(well-established). Therefore, adhyas is possible in something that is
well-established.
The ahamartha (feeling of individuality) is visible at times and not
seen at times. It is visible in the waking and dreaming states, but not
in the deep sleep state, or when a person is unconscious. When there
is no awareness of the I, there is no awareness of dukha. This
shows that the ahamartha is at the root of all dukha. The mixed form
of Aham (I) and idam (this, the body) is the I that this body belongs
to. This is ahamartha, and at the root of all dukha. This is the main
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adhyas and the seed from which other adhyases sprout. Although it is
obtained from the unborn it is not a Paramartha (ultimate) Satya,
since it is dispelled by the oneness of the adhishthan of this and the
Atma that shows us the this.
The pundits say that adhyas is avidya. I am this de`ha (body), the
de`hee (owner of the body), jeeva, or some other object. This is
adhyas, and to believe it to be true is avidya. I am the Brahman
this knowledge is the vidyaa (right knowledge) that removes all the
adhyases described earlier. The Atma is the substratum of the vidya
as well as avidya. Therefore, the Atma has no connection whatsoever
with the adhyas caused by avidya; or the mental inclinations of being
the Brahman, caused by vidya; or the faults and good tendencies of
either.
Question: Adhyas is not in any object that is well-known, or totally
unknown. It happens when the person has limited knowledge. When
the room is dark, the rope is not seen clearly. The person first thinks,
There is something on the ground. Then he thinks, It is a snake.
This is bhram-gnan (a mistaken knowledge). If he had definite
knowledge that it was a rope, or if he has no knowledge at all, due to
blindness, then the bhram of a snake would not have been possible.
The Atma, however, is either known, or not known, so how can there
be bhram in it?
Answer: The Atma is self-effulgent. The characteristic of selfeffulgence is, asanve`dyatve` sati aparokshatvam. That means, to
be experienced always, in spite of not being the vishay of the mind
or the senses. The word asanve`dyatva indicates the possibility of
avidya and adhyas; and the word aparokshatva indicates the
presence of vidya. This is how the Atma becomes saamaanya
gnaana (knowledge common to all) and vishe`shatayaa agnaata (not
known in full); and in the Atma that is gyaataagyaata (knownunknown) the possibility of adhyas is present.
Because the self-effulgent Atma is ave`dya (not known fully) it
becomes the adhishthan of avidya. And, being aparoksha (a direct
personal experience) it becomes the adhishthan of vidya. That
means, the Atma is the substratum of vidya as well as avidya. A
jigyasu should keep in mind that if you think the Atma to be only the
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avishay (not experienced by the senses) of the mind and senses, then
avidya will settle in your mind. And, if you think, I, the Atma, am
svayamprakaasha (self-effulgent), and always aparoksha (felt by
every individual), then vidya will light up your intellect, and avidya
will be destroyed.
This is how the adhyas of the Atma in the Atma is established
without any doubts.
11. Conclusion.
Is adhyas itself avidya, or is it the kaarya (effect) of avidya? The
Bhamatikara believes in the former, and the Vivarankara believes in
the latter opinion. Vedanta accepts both opinions. Why should the
method become a cause of dispute? All differences are the result of
avidya, so even the difference between adhyas and avidya is caused
by avidya. Even so, it is helpful in sharpening the intellect.
To conceal, or cover up, is a characteristic of avidya. The
characteristic of adhyas is to show something that is different from
the real form of the object. Buddhi is absent during the deep sleep
state, so there is no adhyas when a person is fast asleep, but avidya
remains in this state, too. That is why the Atma is not revealed,
although only the Atma is present in the deep sleep state.
Both avidya and adhyas are present in the waking state. In Vedantic
literature, they are called aavarana (a covering), and vikshe`pa
(disturbance). The Mandukya Karika uses the words agrahana
(lack of acceptance) and anyathaagrahana (accepting something to
be something else). The difference of avidya and adhyas are
frequently found in literature as avidya and maayaa, moolavidyaa
and toolaavidyaa. The agnan that shelters in a jeeva is called avidya,
and the avidya that shelters in the Ishwara is called Maya.
Moolavidya covers up the shuddha chaitanya (pure consciousness)
that is clouded by Maya. Moolavidya is, to not know that the Atma is
the Brahman, and the kaaranamoolavidyaa is to believe the Atma to
be a jeeva.
To not know the rope to be a rope is kaaranamoolavidya, and to
think the rope to be a snake is kaaryatoolavidyaa. The different

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adhyases, like arthadhyas, gnanadhyas, etc have already been

discussed.
Avidya has anarthahe`tutaa and adhyas has anartharoopataa. Vidya
(right knowledge) removes both avidya and adhyas. To correctly
understand the object is vidya. The Gnan about the swarup of the
Atma and the conclusion about the Atma are simultaneous, because
the Atma is gnaana-svaroopa (the essence of Gnan). I am the selfeffulgent Atma, and alone am its Gnan. This Vedanta bodha
(knowledge of Vedanta) is called vidyaa. Avidya is removed by
vidya, and the removal is not separate from the adhishthan of avidya,
which is the Brahman. Avidyaa nivritti (the removal of avidya) has
no state. Just as the breaking of an earthen pot does not affect the
clay, the removal of agnan makes no difference to the Gnan-swarup
Brahman. Nivrittiraatmaa mohasya gnaatatve`nopalakshitah (Shri
Sureshwaracharya).
Adhyas is neither in the Atma nor in the anatma; it is in the buddhi.
Since it comes from avivek, it is removed by vivek.
Vidya only removes avidya; it does not remove interaction. Some
changes take place in the buddhi. It is not the nature of Gnan to make
changes in the object. Gnan merely destroys agnan about the object.
To come to the correct conclusion about the real forms of the Atma
and the jagat is also vidya.
So, my brother, do some thinking about this subject. The one who
climbed up, and what he climbed, is not you. There you are now
free! You believed yourself to be the owner of land, wealth, a body,
senses, and mind. How can you become free of all these, the sukhadukha they entail, and worldly bondage? What you have to do is to
let go of the feeling of being connected to them. Just understand this
once, very thoroughly. Know that your Atma is the Brahman, and
then your having a body will not mean that you also have avidya. On
the contrary, your intellect will find it amusing, because when you
say, I am a body, it will tell you that it is a sham to say that! The
buddhi always favors the truth. You may take a watch and chant a
hundred thousand times that it is a diamond, but your intellect knows
that it is not a diamond; it is a watch. The buddhi that is inclined
towards adhyas is deluded; it has lost its awareness. And, the adhyas

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that is contrary to the buddhi is also nirbandhak (liberating), because

its being mithya is certain.
Once a person knows the Satya, he cannot be bound by mithya
kartritva the false impression of being the karta and bhokta of the
fruits of karmas, rituals, etc. That, which is liberated in essence,
remains unchanged even when it seems to be bound. An enlightened
person may seem to be involved in worldly matters, and have
worldly reactions, but these are superficial illusions. The nature of
the Atma is shuddha-buddha-mukta (pure, enlightened, and free). It
may glimmer as the jeeva and the jagat, but it remains unaffected by
their good and bad qualities.
Does the rope become poisonous because it looks like a snake? Does
it acquire the ability to bite? Where the adhyas is mithya, the
adhishthan also seems to be mithya. Therefore, the characteristics of
the superimpositions have not the slightest connection to the
substratum.
Space is not present in your Atma, but it is seen, as in a dream. Your
Atma is timeless, but time glimmers as in a dream. Your Atma
remains untouched by the good and bad qualities of objects, but
objects bubble in it like things seen in a dream. That is the kind of
substratum you actually are the svayam prakaasha (self-effulgent)
Brahman! You are an asparshayogee (a Yogi nothing can touch). For
you, all these are things that never ever really happened. Just as a
Yagya done in a dream gives no punya, and a wicked deed done in a
dream gives no paapa, the paapa-punya of the waking state are in no
way connected to the pristine existence of your Atma, which cannot
be negated. That means sukha-dukha is not real. The Buddhists have
a shloka:
Nirupadravabhootaarthasvabhaavasya viparyayaih,
Na baadho yatnavatve`pi buddhe`statpakshapaatatah.
The vastu (object, the essence) remains as it is. Space is not cut when
sliced with a sword. Light does not turn into darkness when you shut
your eyes. In the same way, the Satya known by the buddhi cannot
be negated by any action, doer of the action, or fruit of any action.
You can harbor a delusion for four hours, or remain fast asleep, but a
moments Gnan ends the ignorance. You may be an agnani for a long
period of time, but as soon as you get the experience of being the
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Brahman, you are liberated forever. A person may have a hundred

thousand adhyases, but all of them are due to avidya. They have
absolutely no connection with your Brahma-swarup.
O Bhagwan! What an extraordinary leelaa (play) is this, that what
seems to be, is not; while what is (the Atma, which is the Brahman)
is a matter of direct experience, but is not experienced!
Birth and death are perceived, the working of the senses is perceived,
hunger and thirst, mental resolves and doubts are perceived, the
decisions and indecisions of the intellect are perceived, and facts and
falseness are also perceived. Being perceptions, they are not Satya.
Their existence, their being perceived and being desirable, are not
your existence, consciousness, and desirability. On the contrary, they
are reflections of your essence, the Sacchidananda (Sat = pure
existence, chit = pure consciousness, anand = pure bliss). So, remain
free of doubts. These perceptions of Maya (the Ishwaras power of
illusion) cannot touch you. You cannot become a bhoota (ghost) and
enter the prapanch, nor can the prapanch turn into a demoness and
attach itself to you.
It is a definite fact that the qualities of the adhyastha cannot pervade
the adhishthan. The infinite quality of the adhisthan, its being the
essence of Gnan and anand, can never pervade the adhyastha. So, be
happy and free of cares. This is the fruit of vivek. When a person
lacks vivek, he gets itare`taraadhyaasa, and anyonyaadhyaasa
takes place. That means, the adhyas of the dharma of the anatma, and
the adhyas of the dharma of the Atma in the anatma, takes place.

Chapter VIII
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Adhyas and Vyavhar (superimpositions caused by conditioning, and

interaction).
1. Adhyaasa (a superimposition caused by conditioning) is at
the root of the vyavhaara (worldly interaction) that is based
on pramaana-pramaya (proof, and that, which is proved).
Bhagwan Shankaracharyaji Maharaj has stated that the entire pramanprameya vyavhar whether it is worldly or Vedic is done by the
itare`taraadhyaasa that the Atma and the anaatmaa (that, which is not
the Atma) are one. Not only that, the Shastras that give the rules of
vidhi-nishe`dha (instituted and forbidden actions), and what leads to
Moksha, also use adhyas to induce people to do what is good and right.
Eating-drinking, sleeping-sitting, coming-going, work, etc, are all
worldly activities. Activities like ritual worship, singing hymns, doing
Yagyas and Sandhya Vandan, meditation and Samadhi, are all
encouraged by the Shastras. In all these activities, the Atma is first
accepted to be the doer, and then the one who possesses the indreeya
(organs of action) that are suited for these activities. Only then can
these activities be possible. Unless the feelings of I and mine are
superimposed upon the antahkaran, interaction is impossible. In other
words, adhyas is at the root of all interaction.
The Shrutis (Vedic verses) contain descriptions of the Atma being the
shrotaa (the one who hears), mantaa (the one who thinks) and the
boddhaa (the one who has the knowledge). This is also based on
adhyas. For Tattvagnan, we have to understand the Atma as being
separate from its pramaataa svaroopa (the form that establishes). The
Atma is called the pramata when it identifies with the pramaana (the
proof), and it is the pramata who becomes active in the activity of that,
which is proved. Therefore, the connection between pramaanaprame`ya (the proof and that which is proved) is a play of adhyas.
There is no vyavahaara (interaction) in the paramaartha (Supreme). All
interaction is done in the field of adhyas.
Adhyas is avidya. This proves that all the Shastras are meant for the
people who have adhyas. This need not startle the reader. It is written in
the Vedas, that the Vedas are created at the same time as the creation of
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the viraata-shareera (the universe; the physical form that is the

Brahman).
Tasmaad yagyaat sarvahuta richah saamaani yagyre`,
Chhandaansi jagyire` tasmaad yajustasmaadajaayata.
(Purusha Sookta).
The Taittareeya Upanishad says that the Vedas are considered to be a
part of the manomaya kosha (the emotional sheath, one of the five
sheaths of the subtle body that cover the Atma), and it can be negated.
Tasya yajure`va shirah (2. 3).
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says that the Vedas do not exist when
the Virat Purush sleeps. Tatra ve`daa ave`daa bhavanti (4. 3. 22).
The Vedas establish kartrittva (the feeling of being the karta), so the
adhyas is obvious. In the same way, the rules of vidhi nishe`dha, and
the rituals of Dharma, are all means for people who have adhyas.
Regarding the Shastras that refer to Moksha, the adhikaaree (eligible
person) is also one who has agnan, because only an agnani is bound.
The Moksha-Shastra is not needed for a Gnani Mahapurush. Whenever
the Shastras describe the actions of a Gnani, it is for the purpose of
passing their time, or the past habits of baadhita-anuvritti (interacting
even while knowing the world is mithya). The Gnanis speak about the
Shastras to help jigyasus.
2. Praman-vichar (giving thought to the methods of proof).
Question: If the Veda-Shastra is meant for people who have avidya,
how can it be the establishing factor?
Answer: The meaning of pramaana, given in Vedanta, needs to be
understood properly. The word praman means abaadhitaa gnaana
Gnan that cannot be negated. The karana (instrument) of that praman is
called pramaa pramaakaranam pramaanam. The eyes are the
praman of the ne`tra-gnaana (known through vision; seen). Other sense
organs, like the ears, nose, tongue, or skin can neither provide this Gnan
nor negate it. In the same way, the ears are the shabda-pramaana
(proved by hearing), taste is proved by the tongue, and texture is proved
by the skin. These five indreeya (sense organs) are called the
pratyaksha pramaana because they establish a direct experience of an
object. Shabda (sound), sparsha (feel), rasa (taste), roopa (appearance)
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and gandha (smell) are the vishay (objects) of the five senses. They are
called the prame`ya (that, which is proved). The person whose senses
absorb these vishays is called the pramaataa the one who proves.
The anumaana (inference) and upamaana (known by comparison)
methods of establishing something are based on pratyaksha praman,
because the senses experience them directly. Anumana follows
pratyaksha, and upamana shelters in it. If a person sees smoke in the
forest, he has the anumana that it is caused by a fire. His inference is
based on his experience of the smoke that rises from the fire when food
is cooked in his home, and is his pratyaksha gnaana.
In the same way, if someone says, Mohan is a tiger, it is an upamaana
(comparison). The man knows that Mohan is brave and the fearlessness
of a tiger is known to all.
Shabda pramaana (proof given by words) is about the objects that cant
be known through pratyaksha, anumana, or upamana. For example,
Varun Devta (the presiding deity of water) is sitting inside this pot of
water. This sentence gives the Gnan that cannot be obtained by any
other method.
Within shabda praman comes the e`tihya-pramaana (historical proof)
that tells us about past events. People who believe in the Puranas
believe in sambhava-pramaana (proof by possibility). This must have
happened, or, this will happen, is not Gnan. This could have
happened, is known from the Puranas.
The Shastra of Dharma accepts che`shtaa (effort) as a praman, because
in a drama, the actors gestures convey much that remains unspoken.
The followers of the Mimansa philosophy accept two more pramans.
Arthaapatti (logical conclusion) and anupalabdhi (proof by absence).
Both are the offspring of anumana. In these, the inference can be based
on the pratyaksha, or on something heard. When the meaning is not
clear, or is based on some ambiguity, it is an arthapatti-praman.
The anupalabdhi-pramaana gives the knowledge of all the things that
should be there, but are not there. For example, the absence of a ghata
(pot) is proved by the fact that it is not where it should have been. Here,
the absence is proved by direct observation.
However, everything is absent in the deep sleep state. This is not proved
by the direct observation of the senses; it is not pratyaksha praman.
Therefore, deep sleep is an example of anupalabdhi-praman.
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If someone says, Mohan is fat, but he doesnt eat lunch, it is an

example of arthapatti-praman. The logical conclusion is that Mohan
definitely eats other meals.
Ne`ha naanaasti kinchana is written in the Vedas, negating the
existence of multiplicity. This is an example of shabdamoolaka
arthaapatti (the logical conclusion based on words). The many can only
be negated if multiplicity is indeed mithya, and abhe`da (lack of
separateness) is Satya. Therefore, this sentence indicates that the Satya
is one and the many are mithya. Both are proved by arthapatti-praman.
The saampradaayik (people who adhere strictly to the rules of their
religious sect) consider the statements of their Teachers to be praman,
also. These are called, aapta-pramaana. Even among the apta vakyas,
there is a comparative value. The higher the status of the Teacher, the
greater the value of his words. For example, the Jains have three levels
of apta-vaakya (apta statements) the teerthankaara, the shraavaka,
and the adhye`taa.
The proof of the Vedas is different from these apta-vakyas. There are
two streams in the statements accepted as proof, in the Vedas.
1. The Vedas are proof because they are the words of the Ishwara.
2. The Vedas are proof because they give an authentic description of
the Ishwara.
The second stream contains the shansana (purification) of the Satya. It
contains enlightenment.
The first stream is focused on interaction, and the second stream is
focused on the paramaartha (Supreme achievement, Moksha). The
anushaasana (rule) is not independent. Its purpose is to make the
individual eligible for the direct personal experience of the Satya. The
rules are formulated for the purification of peoples minds.
The question is, by which praman can you get Gnan about the Ishwara
who is at the root of srishti (Creation)? The indreeya (senses) are the
pratyaksha praman , but they lack the capacity to know even their own
areas fully. How can they show the Ishwara who is paripoorna (whole,
the total, complete) and aparichhinna (not subject to fragmentation)?
The Ishwara is not the object of any one sense organ; nor can all the
senses combined show Him to us. You may say that you will use your
intellect and know Him through anupalabdhi, but this is not possible.
There is no support, gender, or refuge on which pratyaksha praman can
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be based, so even other pramans, like anumana, cannot give you any
Gnan about the Ishwara.
If you say that you will make your antahkaran (subtle body; fourfold
mind) so refined and sensitive that it will be able to perceive the
Ishwara, that is impossible. The first point is that it is difficult to make
the antahkaran free of the faults of bhram (faulty understanding),
pramaada (forgetting), kaaranaapaatava (having a shut mind), and
vipralipsaa (wish to be given importance), etc. It is seen that the
pragyaa (right thinking) of people has different levels. So, does the
pragyaa show the Ishwara, or does the Ishwara show the pragyaa? It is
clear that the Ishwara shows us the right thinking.
How will it be resolved ultimately, that the Tattva revealed by the
pragya is indeed the Ishwara? The only way this can be ascertained is if
the Ishwara shown by the pragyaa tallies with the rules that have been
established by the praman of the constitution of the Vedas.
Thus, the Ishwara is established only by the shabda praman of the
Vedas. The shabdas (words) of the Vedas, and the portion that purifies
the mind the Upanishads and the Mahavakyas that establish the
Atma being the Brahman, give us the proof. The other parts of the
Vedas, that describe the Brahman and the Atma separately, do not give
the Gnan about the Ishwara. The proof is actually in the
brahmaatmaikya vritti (the mental inclination that the Brahman and the
Atma are one), which is the meaning of the Mahavakyas like Aham
Brahmasmi.
Vedanta accepts six kinds of praman: pratyaksha (known through the
senses), anumaana (known through inference), upamaana (known
through comparison), arthaapatti (known through logic), anupalabdhi
(known though absence) and shabda (known through words). The fact
is, there are actually only two pramans pratyaksha and shabda. In
pratyaksha, the vritti (inclination) of the senses is the praman, not the
senses themselves. Shabda also depends on vritti, so ultimately, there is
only one praman, and that is vritti, whether it arises from a union of the
senses and their objects, or by shravana-manana-nididhyaasana
(listening to the Shastras, thinking about them, and bringing them
repeatedly to mind).
3. Are the Shastras for the Gnani, or for the agnani?
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We will now discuss about who this Moksha-Shastra is meant for. If it

for those who lack Gnan, how can it be a praman? The Shastra is the
praman that the Brahman and the Atma are one, but it is only through
sanshan (purification), and not through shaasana (ruling). The purpose
Moksha is desired only by the agnanis, and is established only by
Brahmatmaikya bodh (the knowledge that the Brahman and the Atma
are one). That is why a mumukshu gives thought to the Mahavakyas
when he still has agnan. Only then is its purpose fulfilled. It is only an
agnani who makes an effort to understand the Moksha-Shastra. For a
Gnani, it is merely the interpretation of his own experience.
The Shastra that gives the rules of vidhi-nishe`dha (instituted and
forbidden actions) is a praman because when a person follows it, he
becomes purified, and eligible for knowing the Satya. The Gnani has no
need to follow the rules of vidhi-nishedh, since he already knows the
Satya.
The interaction between the pramaataa (the one who proves) and the
prame`ya (that, which is proved), is not possible in the shuddha che`tan
(pure consciousness), because the shuddha chetan is non-dual. The
Upanishads say, Kim ke`na pashye`t, negating all interaction in the
bhoomaa (all-pervading Atma). When a person is ignorant about the
non-dual existence (the Brahman or the Atma), he gets the bhram that
matter exists in the sat-ansha (the part of Sat; existence) of the Atma,
and the karma is done in the gross, material world. In the chid-ansha
(the part of Chit; consciousness) of the Atma, he gets the bhram that he
is a jeeva (Atma attached to a body, the one who establishes), and that
the Ishwara is the refuge of all matter. In the aananda-ansha (the part of
Anand; pure bliss) of the Atma, he gets the bhram of priya-apriya
(desirable-undesirable) objects in the world. This feeling of something
being dear is, sometimes for the Ishwara, sometimes for a jeeva, or
some insensate objects, or even in mithyaa darshan (illusionary
objects). The truth is that nothing exists, and there is no anand, except
Gnan.
The upadhi (false designation; superimposition) of the karme`ndreeya
(organs of action) makes the Atma a karta. The upadhi of the mind
makes it a bhokta. The upadhi of the intellect and the gnaane`ndreeya
(senses) makes it a pramaataa (the one who establishes). All these are
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illusionary forms of the Atma. From the viewpoint of avivek, this is not
an adhyas; it is Satya. From the viewpoint of vivek, this adhyas is
natural, but it is mithya. From the viewpoint of a Tattvagya (one who
knows the Brahman) there is no object called Atma in the Atma only
the non-dual Atma is the Satya.
Thus, the purpose of the Shastras is to enable a person who lacks vivek
to obtain it. In the eyes of a Tattvagya, nothing exists that is separate
from the Atma, but even so, he has to identify with his mind and body
when he interacts with others. Worldly interaction is not possible
without identifying with the physical form that is superimposed upon
the Atma.
Interaction is based on the adhyas that the Atma has a body; else
interaction would not be possible at all. The Atma is asanga
(unattached), nirvikaara (unchanging), kootastha (unaffected), and
chinmaatra (pure consciousness). Vyavahaara (interaction) is wherever
adhyas is, as in the waking and dreaming states. There is no vyavhara
where there is no adhyas, as in the deep sleep state. All interaction is
based on adhyas. This is established by anyathaanupapatti (false
Gnan).
Question: Then, there is no difference in the actions of the Gnani and
the agnani. So, why is the Gnani given so much importance?
Answer: Shri Shankaracharya Bhagwan has given a revolutionary
answer to this question. He says that it is not only a matter of a Gnani
and an agnani, the actions of a vidvaana (learned person) and an animal
are also the same. Pashvaadibhishchaavishe`shaat. The difference is
in their outlook. For a Gnani, everything is baadhita bhaasamaana (a
perception that can be negated) and the Atma is an abaadhita
bhaasamaana (a perception that cannot be negated). For him,
everything is bhaana (awareness), and one with the Atma that is pure
consciousness). An agnani believes everything to be Satya, because he
has avidya. He considers the dukha, fear and bondage created by avidya
to be Satya. Animals have no independent viewpoint. They are slave to
natural impulses in the way they behave.
The similarity in the actions of animals, agnanis, and Gnani humans is
interaction based on adhyas, effort for what is favorable and escape
from what is unpleasant. A cow runs away from a threatening stick, and
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is attracted by green grass. A human whether he is a Gnani or agnani,

also wants to escape pain and discomfort, and is attracted to people who
are kind and speak with sweetness. The tendency to imitate or oppose
are also common to humans and animals. This is because of the Gnan
obtained by pratyaksha (direct experience of the senses) that leads to
the anvay-vyatire`ka gnaana (the Gnan that all are in the Atma and the
Atma is separate from everything).
Question: Animals dont have an intellect. Nor can they obtain
Brahmagnan, or do the rituals prescribed by the Shastras. A human
being is the most highly evolved of all species. He can do the Vedic
rituals, and obtain Brahmagnan. So, it is not proper to say that there is
no difference between the actions of a Gnani and that of animals.
Answer: In the explanation given above, it has not been said that
everybody behaves in the same way. The purport is that the manner of
their actions is the same. All of them act with adhyas (believing the
body to be mine), are attracted to the pleasant, and are averse to the
unpleasant.
It is not true that animals dont have an intellect. Every creature knows
what to do, to lead its own life. Eating, sleeping, fear and procreation
are common to humans and other species. They all have the intelligence
for this.
It is true that an animal cannot obtain Brahmagnan from the Shastras
that are meant for humans, but they can obtain it in their own language.
Nandi the bull of Shankar Bhagwan was a Tattvagya. Would it be
surprising if he gave Tattvagnan to another of his own species? So, it is
possible that an animal can obtain Brahmagnan from another of its own
kind. The example of Garudaji and Kagbhusundi (in the
Ramcharitmanas) is well-known.
It is undeniable that interaction based on the Shastras is meant for
humans, and no other species. Even among the humans only those who
have avidya are eligible for the Shastras, not the Gnanis who have
obtained Tattvagnan. A person whose avidya is not yet destroyed is an
agnani, even if he is an authority on the Shastras. He is subject to the
laws of the Shastras, and rightly so. However, the person who knows
the Brahman as his Atma never gets deluded by the world. The Shastras
serve no purpose for enlightened Mahatmas.
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Mumukshus generally discuss how a person should behave after

obtaining Gnan. I give you an example. You know this ghata (pot) to be
a ghata. Later on, you can keep it empty; fill it with Gangajal, liquor, or
water from the drain. You are free to do any of these. Your actions will
not affect your knowledge. In the same way, once a person knows that
his Atma is the Brahman, he can make his antahkaran (fourfold mind;
subtle body) go into a Samadhi, fill it with bhakti which is like
Gangajal, fill it with worldly activities which are like liquor, or break
the pot of the body or give it up. A Tattvagya is free to do any of
these.
Vyavahara is always according to the purpose. It is not related to Gnan.
What Shri Shankaracharya Bhagwan wants to convey is that the
behavior of a Tattvagya also depends on desires and adhyas, although
the adhyas has been negated.
Question: What objection can there be if we say that the vyavahara
recommended by the Shastras also applies to a Gnani?
Answer: The objection is that the Shastriya vyavahara is for those who
are eligible for it. A persons eligibility is decided after considering his
varna (class), aashrama (stage in life), age, gender, place, time, object,
inclination, ability, and knowledge of the method. It is also seen
whether the eligible person has the falasvaamitaayogyataa the
capacity to bear the weight of the fruit of the action.
That means, all the factors mentioned above are superimposed on the
Atma of the person who is eligible for Shastriya vyavahara. Otherwise,
he is not eligible.
A Gnani has no subtle pride of factors like varna, etc. He does not
consider space, time, and matter to be Satya. He is no longer eligible for
the daily or occasional rituals that are undertaken to fulfill some desire.
On the contrary, the eligible person mentioned earlier is his opponent.
Under the circumstances, the Shastras cannot be applicable for Gnanis.
Dont have any doubts that this makes the Shastras redundant, because
they are needed before a person gets Atmagnan. When people give up
the Shastras, and the vyavahara they recommend, before they have
obtained Brahmagnan, it becomes a cause of anartha (sorrow). It is like
giving up the staircase before you have reached the roof. The
aachaara-prakaarana (the portion dealing with behavior) of the
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Shastras is for purifying the character. The saadhan-samaadhiprakaran (the portion dealing with the things needed for Samadhi and
spiritual progress) is useful for shravana (listening to spiritual
discourses) etc. The Shastra lifts up the mumukshu from the vishays to
the indreeyas, from the indreeyas to the antahkaran, from the
antahkaran to the jeeva who is a karta-bhokta, from a jeeva to a
saakshee (witness), and from a sakshi to the brahmaatmaikya bodha the knowledge that the Atma and the Brahman are one.
A mumukshu who has avidya should superimpose upon his mind, the
Shastras that give the verbal proof that he is the pramaataa (the one
who establishes), and examine the prame`ya (that, which is proved).
The prameya is the Brahmatmaikya bodha, that the Atma and the
Brahman are one. By meditating on this, the mumukshu can obtain
saakshaatkaara the direct person experience that his essence is the
Brahman. After that, the concepts of proof and the one who proves, will
both be negated. This is why the Shastras are not futile; they are used to
help a person with avidya to obtain Gnan.
4. Conclusion.
The essence of this description of adhyas is that the feeling of Tatbuddhi (Tat = that, the Brahman) in the atat (that, which is not the
Brahman), is adhyas. Meaning, believing what is not the Brahman to be
the Brahman. Adhyaaso naama atasmistadbuddhih (Adhyas
Bhashya).Another way of explaining this is, to not know an object for
what it is, and to believe it to be what it is not, is adhyas. It is the
adhyasik form of the pure Atma to think that it is the karta, bhokta, and
pramata.
One form of adhyas is natural and the other is Shastriya. The naisargik
(natural) form of adhyas is the feeling of I mine for this body and
senses. Routine interaction is based on this, whether the person is a
Gnani or an agnani, a human or an animal or bird. The naisargik adhyas
is experienced as mithya when the person has vive`ka (can discriminate
between the Atma and the anatma), but the interaction based on this
adhyas continues, because it is dependent on the upadhi of the senses,
etc. The Shastriya adhyas is to remove the faults created by the natural

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behavior of people, and purify their antahkaran. Shastriya adhyas is no

longer useful once a person gets Brahmatmaikya bodha.
Naisargik adhyas is of two kinds dharma-adhyaasa and dharmeeadhyaasa. Dharmadhyas is to deposit the dharma (what is natural and
right) of the anaatmaa (that, which is not the Atma) on the Atma.
People feel happy or unhappy when their wife or children are happy or
unhappy. They feel sukhi-dukhi at the sukha-dukha of their class,
community, or country, because of the adhyas of identifying with them.
The body is also anatma, and the dharma of the body is also
superimposed on the Atma. I am fat. I am thin. I am dark. I am
standing. These are clear examples of the dharma of the body being
superimposed on the Atma.
In the same way, the dharma of the indreeyas is superimposed on the
Atma when people say, I am dumb. I am deaf. I am lame. I am a
eunuch. The dharma of the mind is superimposed on the Atma when a
person has the adhyas, I am full of desires. I am suspicious. I have
strong will power, etc. Here, you should apply the vivek that I is a
Tattva (essence) that has no dharma; and remain in that, which has
dharma. The dharma of the senses, mind and body etc should not be
superimposed on the Atma.
Question: When there is pain in the body, the mental inclination is,
naturally, I am in pain. How can this be denied?
Answer: It is not a matter of denying the pain; it is a matter of
understanding it. The sorrow or pain is present in the mind of the person
who experiences it. It is in the mind, whether it is about the pain in his
own body, or in someone elses body. The mind is annajanya (made
from food). The Chandogya Upanishad says, Ashitam tre`dhaa
vibhajyate`. That means, the food we eat is divided into three parts.
The mind is made from the superior part, the body is made from the
medium part, and the rest is thrown out. Different kinds of intoxicants
create different kinds of mind. The mind can be put to sleep with a
single injection. Mental and physical pain both sleep when the mind
sleeps.
Let the dharma of the mind remain in the mind, and let the dharma of
the Atma remain in the Atma. The saakshee (inner witness) is separate
from both the gross and the subtle bodies. He is the sakshi of dukha; he
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is not dukhi. When a person obtains Gnan, the mind, and the dharma of
the mind, are both sent to be mithya, and the person gets the realization,
I am the Tattva that is pure consciousness.
When a person realizes his svaroopa (pure essence; true form), the
mental inclination of being dukhi may linger, but he knows that it is
mithya. Past habits, or cultural adhyas may continue to influence him,
but he always remains aware of his swarup being untouched by them.
His Aham does not become dukhi.
What I want to clarify is that the mind experiences pain or dukha
and it covers up the Atma because of agnan. The result is the feeling, I
am dukhi. This is a dharmaadhyaasa (false belief caused by mixing up
the dharma of the body with the dharma of the Atma), and it is removed
by Gnan.
We will now discuss the adhyas of the dharmee (the one who has the
adhyas). The root of all anartha (suffering) is the false association of
the Atma with the subtle ego of individuality. This results in feelings
like, I am sukhi. I am dukhi. I am disturbed. I have desire, etc. This is
called aham-pratyaya the false understanding of Aham. The
pratyay is about the idam (this; the body), but by attaching them to the
Aham, it becomes an aham-pratyaya, like, I am rich. I am a father.
The sanskaara (subtle subconscious impressions) of the Shastras create
the aham-pratyays, like, I am a bhakta. I follow the strictures of
Dharma. I am a Gnani, etc.
The aham-padaartha (the substance that is I) is seen as the karta,
bhokta, and pramaataa (the one who establishes). This is the dharmee,
who interacts in the world. This is also called aham-artha. Ahamartha is something separate and the Aham the pristine sakshi, the inner
witness, the Atma is something separate. To believe the Aham to be
the aham-artha who interacts, is the adhyas of the dharmee. To know
the Aham to be separate from the aham-artha, and to understand that
Aham is the Brahman, removes the adhyas of dharma-dharmee.
This mind is a dharma-shaalaa (charitable guest house). Thousands of
idam-aham-pratyaya (false understanding of the Atma mixed up with
the anatma) enter it every day. We should become disinterested in them.
We should obtain the Gnan that the sakshi of all these pratyays is also
the substratum of the mind that houses them. This makes the whole
mind a relative truth.
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There is no need to remember the scenes that come on the screen of a

cinema. There is no need to worry about what will come on the screen
next. Just watch whatever comes. None of it is your I. None of it
belongs to you. Dont try to fight shadows, or get attached to them.
Dont get married to them and dont die for them!
This is how it is a common experience for everybody that the mithya
belief, which is natural, anaadi and ananta (without a beginning and
end in time) creates an adhyas in the Atma, making the individual think
that he is the karta and bhokta. This is the cause of all suffering. The
purpose of all the Upanishads is to remove this adhyas totally, by giving
the Brahmatmaikya bodh. The activity and goal of Brahm-vichara is
how the purpose of Vedanta can be achieved.
Therefore, let us commence on Brahma-vichara.

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PART IV

The Purification of the Tvam-padartha (the You)

Chapter I
Prakriti-Purusha-Vivek
(Discrimination of Prakriti, the Ishwaras power of Creation, and the
Purusha, the Atma in the individual)

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1. The Kshetra and the Kshetragya (the field and the knower of the
field).
The method of Brahm-vichara (giving thought to the Brahman) is that
we first give thought to What am I? A journey begins from where we
are, not where we wish to reach. The key of the vichara in the svaroopa
(essence; true form) of the Brahman is to give thought to the swarup of
the Atma. For this, it is necessary to have vivek that the I (Atma) is
separate from the de`ha-de`hee (the body and the owner of the body).
The other vivek needed is that the tattva (essence) of the pancha bhoota
(the five elements) that create the deha, and Prakriti (Nature; the
Ishwaras power of creation) is separate from the I. In other words, to
separate the Atma from the kaarya (effect) and kaarana (cause) that
results in the creation of the body. The I is the Purusha, and the deha is
Prakriti, or praakrita (natural; caused by Prakriti). This discrimination
is the Prakriti-Purusha-Vivek.
In the Gita Shri Krishna has called the prakriti-praakrita-de`ha (the
natural body made by the five elements) the kshe`tra (field) and the
purusha (individual person) the kshe`tragya (knower of the field). He
states that the Gnan about the kshetra and the kshetragya is true Gnan.
Idam shareeram kaunte`y kshe`tramityabhidheeyate`,
E`tadyo ve`tti tam praahuh kshe`tragya iti tadvidah. (13. 1)
Kshe`trakshe`tragyayorgnaanam yattajgnaanam matam mama. (13. 2)
We will discuss this according to the method of the Gita.
The objects may be anything the kaarya or the kaaran they are all
and always idam-vaachya (pertaining to this; separate from the Atma).
The idam (this) indicates something that is separate from I.
Everything included in the idam is the kshetra. This is a book. This is a
human being. This is an animal. This is the body. This is a
gnaane`ndriya (sense organ), etc. All these come within the kshetra.
The objects of the senses, the things perceived by the mind and
intellect, the things that are imagined and understood according to the
Shastras, are all the vishay (objects) of the idam-vritti (the mental
inclination of this). They are known through the vritti that tells us
what the object is, and so they are all the kshetra. The kshetra is also
called the drishya that, which is seen.

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The one who knows the kshetra is called the kshe`tragya. The kshetra
is drishya, and the kshetragya is the dhrashtaa (the one who sees; the
Atma). The drashta, kshetragya, and saakshee (inner witness) are all
names of the same vastu (object; the Atma in the individual). The vastu
is the Atma, the aham-vaachya (pertaining to the I in the individual).
Our Self is the kshetragya, drashta, sakshi.
The shareera (physical body) is drishya. It is idam-vaachya (indicating
this), and hence, it is the kshetra. The nature of the body is to
deteriorate. It is born, it exists, it grows, reduces, changes and is
destroyed. Day and night, it oozes sweat, stool, urine, cough, mucus,
nail and hair. It is the field of the karma-beeja the seed of karmas.
Every new body is destroyed after creating new seeds that carry the
sanskaara (subtle subconscious impressions) of new karmas. The body
is separate, it is drishya, and it is jada (insensate). It is anitya
(impermanent), para-prakaashya (illuminated by another), mithyaa (a
relative truth), and it has many forms. Because of its paricchinnataa
(being separate), the aparicchinna (that, which can never be
fragmented) Atma also seems to be separate.
Is this body my swarup? Do I experience myself only as this body? This
body is drishya and I am the drashta, so I cannot be the idam; I cannot
be this body. It is I (Aham) who knows whether this exists or not; so, I
am separate from this. I can only be the vishay of the vritti (mental
inclination; thought) of I, I, I.
The body is drishya and jada. It does not know itself. Nor does it know
others. I am the drashta, I am che`tan (pure consciousness). I know
myself and I know others, and so, I am not the body. The shareera
(body) is vikaaree (subject to change); I am nirvikaara (unchanging).
Were I (the Atma) also vikari, who would be the sakshi of the changes
in the body? The body is anitya, and I am nitya (eternal) and kootastha
(unchanging). The shareera is mithya. It is perceived in the waking
state; it seems different in the dreaming state, and it is not perceived at
all in the deep sleep state. Moreover, its being perceived is dependent
on space, time and matter, as well as on the sakshi.
I, however, am Satya. I am the sakshi of the different states of waking,
dreaming, deep sleep and Samadhi. I need no other source of
illumination, like space, time, matter etc, to perceive my Self. That
means, I am self-effulgent. The shareera is a bhaanaatmaka mithyaa (an
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illusion that is perceived), whereas as I am a bhaanaatmaka satya

(eternal existence that is perceived).
The truth is that bhaana (awareness) is Gnan; it is chetan. In it, the
bhaasamaana I (the I who is seen) and the bhaasamaana drishya (the
drishya that is seen) are both perceived. It is a false perception that the
drashta and the drishya (I and this body) are one. To know this truth it is
necessary to separate the drashta from the drishya, since the Satya
drashta has merged with the mithya drishya, due to agnan. This is why
you have the adhyas, I am this body, and this body is mine.
Along with this, the adhyas of your past actions, the things you have
heard and experienced, have strengthened your adhyas. You have
become one with your body, senses, mind, intellect, and their dharmas.
That is why you believe that you are subject to birth and death. That is
why you consider yourself to be the karta, bhokta, and gyaata, and
identify with your antahkaran. You believe yourself to be a separate
jeeva who is dependent on others.
Question: There are many shareeras (bodies) and they all seem to be
separate jeevas who are kartas, bhoktas, and gyaatas. Each one believes
himself to be the I and behaves accordingly. That being the case, how
is it possible to obtain the Gnan that there is only one chidaatmaa
(Atma that is pure consciousness) in all of them, and that it is I?
Answer: The karta-bhokta is not the drashta or the kshetragya. The
karta-bhokta is a jeeva, and seems separate in every shareera. The jeeva
is the aupaadhika (superimposed) form of the kshetragya. Our I is
one, in this whole body of ours, but when we identify with any one
indreeya (sense organ) or part of the body, we obtain Gnan about only
that part. In the same way, the kshtragya is one in all the kshetras, but
when he identifies with one antahkaran, he experiences the gunadharma (what is natural to that antahkaran) of that individual. The
kshetragya is called a jeeva only when he identifies with the antahkaran,
and the jeevas all become separate.
There is no Gnan in the deep sleep state, but there is sukha. Can
different people experience different sukhas? No, because the
antahkaran is absent in the deep sleep state. Differences exist only in
the waking and dreaming states, because that is when the antahkaran

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exists. The kshetragya is the same in all three states, but because of
avidya, seems to be different in the first two states.
The buddhi can never be totally free of vaasanaa (desires), because
avidya, desire, and karma are the cause of birth. So, let the buddhi
slumber and awaken. You are the drashta of the bhaava-abhaava
(presence and absence) of the buddhi. You are to remain awake in your
swarup.
There can be no bhe`da (differences) in Gnan, because all differences
are revealed by Gnan. Dwell on the thought, I am the abhe`da (nondual) Gnan-swarup Atma.
a) The differences in objects do not create differences in Gnan. For
example, it is the same I who sees; the same eyes see the
different objects before me. I see tulsi leaves and I also see the
clock. The objects are different, but the Gnan in the drashta and
the eyes that see, are the same.
b) The different senses do not create differences in Gnan. There is
one flower, but the different senses give different kinds of
information about its color, texture, fragrance, taste, and the
sound made by the crushing of its petals. The one who sees,
touches, smells, tastes, and hears is one, and the flower is also
one. Thus, the object of Gnan is one and the aashraya (refuge) of
Gnan the I is also one, although the senses are diverse.
c) Changes in time do not create differences in Gnan. For example,
you looked at a clock when it was seven oclock, and you looked
again when it was eight oclock. The time changed but the one
who saw is one. Gnan is one. The one who imagines the moment
of the worlds creation or dissolution is the same. The one who
imagines the birth and death of his body is the same.
d) Differences in directions does not create differences in Gnan,
because the I who knows the East also knows the West, North
and South, above and below.
e) Differences in shapes do not create differences in Gnan. I saw a
tulsi seed. I saw a shoot appear after it was planted. I saw the
plant grow and bud. The shapes kept changing, but I did not
change. The same applies to changes in the body.

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f) The changes in the states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep do

not create differences in Gnan. It is the same I who exists in all
three states.
g) Different actions do not create differences in Gnan. A person does
something that is forbidden and becomes a paapi. He does a good
deed and becomes a punyatma. However, the one who feels he is
a paapi or punyatma is the same I
h) Differences in raga-dvesha do not create differences in Gnan.
Whether you form a friendship or enmity with someone, the
antahkaran is like a mirror. It will show the colors of the object
placed in front of it. Similarly, dvesha will come into the
antahkaran when you see an enemy.
It is you who gets the Gnan of sukha, and it is you who gets the
Gnan of dukha. The feelings of being sukhi or dukhi are not
Gnan; they are feelings. They are pride. Shanti comes into your
antahkaran, and vikshe`pa (disturbance) also comes, but it is you
who get the Gnan of both. Your Gnan did not become different
because of the shanti or the vikshep. Samadhi happens in time
and breaks in time, but time does not affect your Gnan. How can
Samadhi or vikshep create differences in your Gnan?
i) Gnan is not destroyed by smriti-vismriti (remembering or
forgetting). If you have no smriti about the ghata (pot), does that
mean that the ghata was destroyed, or that your Gnan about the
ghata was destroyed? Neither was destroyed. Gnan is such a truth
that it is neither destroyed nor despoilt by vishay (objects),
indreeya (senses), avasthaa (condition), de`sha (place), kaala
(time), sukha-dukha, vikshep, Samadhi, smriti-vismriti, etc.
In spite of the different antahkarans existing in different bodies, there is
no difference in the Gnan in them. Each antahkaran has a separate
Aham (I). I saw this. I obtained this. I lost this. I know this. This does
not create differences in the Atma that has this Gnan, because it is
through Gnan that every person is aware of his Atma.
This means that Gnan is separate form both the individual and the
totality of creation, and also from the antahkaran of people. The pancha
mahaabhoota (five elements) earth, water, fire, wind and space and
the antahkaran, the mahat tattva (universal intelligence) and Prakriti, all
eight come within the kshetra. None of these have the capacity to create
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differences in Gnan. Unworldly Gnan goes neither to Swarga nor to

Narak. It does not give Mukti, because there is no bondage in it. Gnan
is always mukta (liberated).
This Gnan is our svaroopa (essence, true form). Millions of universes
pulsate in this Gnan, along with their creation, sustenance, and
dissolution. Infinite space, infinite time, all beings from the miniscule
to Brahmaji (the Creator) pulsate in this Gnan. Millions of kshetras
and millions of kshtragyas are seen in this infinite, non-dual Gnan; and
this is the paramaartha (supreme Gnan). This is the essence of
Bhagwan, the bhagavat-tattva. Knowing this is the saakshaatkaara
(direct personal experience) of Bhagwan.
The description of differences given in the Shastras is the interpretation
of the viewpoint of those who have agnan. It is clear that the Shastra is
meant for those who have agnan, and its purpose is to help them obtain
Gnan. Even in the kshetra, different forms are perceived, but the basic
essence in them the pancha-tattva is one. Therefore, the kshetra that
is called many is the interpretation of the perception of multiplicity.
You see a crowd of a thousand people in your dream. The people seem
different, with different forms, different castes, qualities and
temperaments. Thus, you see many kshetras in a dream, and they seem
to have separate kshtragyas in them. In essence, however, the Atma is
one in all the birds, animals, moths, people and Devtas seen in a dream.
There is no tattva-drishti (the viewpoint of the essence) in the dream.
Even in the dream, it seems as though all the jeevas are trapped in an
endless cycle of birth and death, they all have raga-dvesha, sukha and
dukha. Their Mukti is uncertain. Some appear to be Mahatmas, some
sadhaks, and some paapis. However, they are all the I of the person
who sees them in his dream.
In the fourth level of Gnan, this prapancha (interactive world) is
perceived as a dream. Bhaana (awareness) is not separate from the
Atma. To believe the gyaataa (knower) to be an agnani is the biggest
mistaken belief. It is as though we are dreaming. It becomes certain that
neither our body nor the bodies of others are the karta-bhokta.
The body and prapanch seem to be Satya because of our agnan. Bhaana
is not separate from the Atma. To believe the gyaata to be an agnani is
the biggest mistaken belief. The avidya is that we believe ourselves to
be agnani in spite of being Gnan-swarup the essence of Gnan.
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An agya (one who lacks Gnan) cannot be a gyata; and a gyata cannot be
agya. What are you? If you know yourself to be agya, then agnan is the
object of your Gnan then, how can you be an agnani?
The fact is that you are the essence of Gnan. You are the gyata, the selfeffulgent Brahman. You are not an agnani. That being so, where is the
agnan? Agnan has no aashraya (refuge; abode); nor does it have a
vishay. Agnan is not in you, nor do you have agnan about something.
Only you exist. This is called granthi-bhe`da the severing of the
imaginary knot that ties the Satya Atma to the asat body. Agnan never
existed, it does not exist now, and it will never exist. You are the Gnanswarup Brahman.
The Kshtragya is separate from the kshetra, but neither is separate from
the Atma that is the Brahman. Our Atma is in all, and all are in our
Atma. The Atma and the jagat (world) are like the warp and woof in
cloth.
2. The Expansion of the Kshetra and its Panchikaran (merging of the
five elements).
Now, the question is, is only our shareera (body) the kshetra, the
drishya? No. As far as the expansion of this the drishya is possible,
everything is the kshetra. Our body, the bodies of others, all the known
and unknown objects, the earth, sun, moon, stars, and planets
everything that can be the object of the senses, is the drishya. It is the
kshetra.
The senses are, themselves, known by the saakshee (inner witness), so
they are also drishya. The mind is observed by the sakshi, and is also
drishya. So are the vikaara (mental distortions). In short, everything
that is observed, or can be observed by our mind and senses, in the
states of waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and Samadhi is the kshetra.
This is the kaarya-srishti the world that is the effect.
The kaarana (cause) of the kshetra that is the kaarya (effect) also
comes within the ambit of the kshetra. The kaarana is the ashtadhaa
prakriti (Prakriti with eight factors). The Gita describes them as the five
elements, mind, intellect and ahankara.
Bhoomiraapoanalo vaayuh kham mano buddhire`va cha,
Ahankaara iteeyam me` bhinnaa prakritirashtadhaa (7. 4)
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Prakriti includes the universal intelligence (mahat Tattva), subtle ego of

individuality (ahankara), and the five elements (pancha mahabhootas).
These eight are the basic matter of which this world, and everything in
it, is created. The cause is always a part of the effect; therefore, these
eight Prakritis are included in the kshetra.
Bhagwan Shri Krishna has mentioned thirty one tattvas (elements) in
that come within the kshetra.
Mahaabhootaanyahankaaro buddhiravyaktame`va cha,
indriyaani dashaikam cha pancha che`ndriyagocharaah.
Ichhaa dve`sha sukham dukham sanghaatashche`tanaa gritih,
e`tatkshe`tram samaase`na savikaaramudaahritam.
(Gita 13. 5-6)
These are, the pancha mahabhootas, ahankara, buddhi (meaning the
mahat Tattva), avyakta (unmanifest) Prakriti. The ten indreeyas (five
sense organs and five organs of action), mana (the fourfold mind), the
five objects of the five senses (sound, feel, appearance, smell, and
taste), and seven vikara raga, dvesha, sukha, dukha, and sanghata
(assemblage), che`tanaa (consciousness), and dhriti (the ability to
remain steadfast).
Here, the purport is not in the enumeration. If the fourfold antahkaran is
counted as four instead of one, the number will be thirty four instead of
thirty one. The number of vikaras can also be increased or decreased.
The purport here is that the whole world of karya-kaarana (effect-cause)
is Prakriti (the Ishwaras power of creation). It is the kshetra and it is
drishya. The knower of all this is one. You can call him the Purusha, the
kshetragya, drashta, or sakshi.
According to the Sankhya philosophy, Prakriti, with the twenty four
tattvas mentioned above, is the basic cause and effect of the world we
experience in our waking state. The Purusha is the twenty fifth tattva.
Sankhya believes that the Purusha is separate from the eight Prakritis
and sixteen vikritis (distortions), as mentioned in the Tattva Samas
Ashto prakritayah, shodasha vikaaraah. (2. 3).
Vedanta accepts these Prakritis, particularly in the Gita, for the sake of
vivek (discriminating between the Satya and the asat). In principle,
however, the Sankhya theory is not accepted by Vedanta. Prakriti is
independent in Sankhya, and the Purusha is the bhoktaa (who has the
pleasant and unpleasant experiences), who is separate in separate forms.
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According to Vedanta, Prakriti is called maayaa, and it is the skakti

(power) of the Brahman. Maayaam tu prakritim vidyaat maayinam tu
mahe`shvaram (Shetashwara Upanishad 4. 10). Therefore. The
Brahman is the adhishthaana (substratum) of Maya. Maya is mithya,
and the Ishwara (the Brahman with Maya) is the basic cause of the
world).
Unlike Sankhya, Vedanta does not accept that the Purusha is the bhokta.
His presence in Prakriti is the reason for his appearing to be the bhokta.
Purushah sukhadukhaanaam bhoktrtve` he`turuchyate` (Gita 13. 20).
The Purusha is not separate in separate forms, because the body
(shareera) is only an upadhi.
In Sankhya there is an expansion of the three gunas (tendencies) of
Prakriti. These are: the Sattva guna, which is the Gnan shakti, the Rajo
guna, which is the kriyaa shakti (power of action), and the Tamo guna,
which is the sthaayitva shakti (the power of remaining inactive).
Prakriti is the basic cause; it is not caused by any other.
The three gunas are equally balanced in Prakriti. When there is agitation
in Prakriti, the mahat Tattva (universal intelligence) is created. This
leads to the creation of ahankara. Then to the creation of the five
elements. Thus, the mahat Tattva and ahankara are the effect as well as
the cause of creation. The pancha bhootas are the final effect, so they
are not the cause of anything. The senses and the body are not the effect
of the pancha bhootas; they are distortions. At every level of Prakritis
effect is the expansion of the gunas. Every action is divided into the
three gunas, becoming a Sattvaguni action, Rajoguni action or
Tamoguni action. This is the method accepted by Vedanta.
We will now give some thought to the thirty one elements of the
kshetra. This will help to clarify vivek further.
1. The pancha mahabhootas and their expansion:
The pancha mahabhootas are the final effect of Prakriti. They are the
earth, water, fire, wind and space. All the objects that have a name and
form are the vikaara (mutations) of these five elements. Trees, animals,
birds, worms, moths, humans, rivers, mountains, etc are all made of the
pancha bhootas. The pancha bhootas pervade every object.
There is a difference between the earth and other objects we know
through our indreeyas, and the five tattvas (pancha bhootas). The five
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elements are all mixed in objects. In technical terms you can say that all
objects are panchikrita made of the five. However, the elements are
in the apanchikrita (not made of the five) forms. They are also called
tanmaatraas, meaning, only this. The form in which they are
experienced is called pancha tanmaatraa. The tanmatra of space is
called shabda (sound). The tanmatra of the wind is called sparsha
(feel), the tanmatra of fire is called roopa (appearance), and the
tanmatra of earth is called gandha (smell).
These tanmatras are perceived in three places in objects, in the senses,
and in the mind. Their form in objects is called adhibhoota. Their
form in the senses and mind is called adhyaatma. Apart from these
two, one more form has been accepted, and that is their adhidaiva
form. The adhidaiva is a cause in combining the adhibhoota and the
adhyatma. It also helps to keep the adhyatma within its own framework.
These three forms of every tanmatra have their own causal factors.
Adhyatma comes from Sattva guna, adhidaiva comes from Rajo guna,
and adhibhoota comes from Tamo guna.
Let us take roopa (appearance) as an example. This is the tanmatra of
fire (light). Its adhibhoota form is the appearance form, color, etc. Its
adhyatma form is the eye (vision), and its adhidaive form is the Surya
(sun, the presiding deity of the power to see). Similarly, every tanmatra
has three forms adhyatma, adhidaiva and adhibhoota, making a
triputee (triad).
Saarani has tabled the triads of the senses.
Panchabhoota Tanmatra

Adhibhoota

Akasha
(space)

object of sound

shabda
(sound)

Adhyatma

Adhidaiva

ears

Dishaa
(directions)

Vayu
sparsha
object of touch
skin
(wind)
(feel)
Agni
roopa
object of vision
Devta
(fire; effulgence) (appearance)
Jala Devta

rasa

object of taste
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Vayu Devta
eyes

tongue

Surya

Varun Devta

(water)
Prithvi
(earth)

(flavor)
gandha
(smell)

object of smell

nose Ashwini Kumars

There is a rose, in which all five elements are present. The eye absorbs
only its appearance, the skin absorbs only its feel, the nose absorbs only
its fragrance, the tongue absorbs only its taste, and the ears absorb only
the sound that is heard when the flower is crushed. Each sense organ
gives information about one quality of the rose. The total information
given by all the senses is Gnan about the rose. This Gnan is collected in
the antahkaran, so the pancha bhootas are in the flower as well as in the
mind. In the flower, they are pancheekrita (made of the five elements)
form, but in the mind they are in the apancheekrita (not made of five
elements) form.
Like the flower, all objects are made of the pancha bhootas. This
combining of the five is called pancheekaarana. The element that
dominates an object has a fifty per cent presence in it, and the other half
is made of the other four elements in equal proportions. For example,
clay is fifty per cent earth, and the other fifty per cent has water, light,
wind and space in equal proportions.
Our gross physical form is also a mutation of the pancheekrita
mahabhootas.
The gnaane`ndriya (sense organs) and mana (fourfold mind) are made
of apanchikrita mahabhootas. The mind absorbs all five tanmatras. It is
different from the sense organs, because the senses reveal only the
information about its own objects, and only when the object is present.
The mind reveals the objects of all five senses, as well as the objects of
the past, present and future. Smriti (memory; mental inclinations from
the past) and kalpanaa (imagined objects; the intellect) are distinctive in
the mind, but even so, the mind can grasp only one object at a time.
Therefore, the mind is a conglomeration of the apanchikrita
mahabhootas.
The mind and senses are made of the Sattvik tanmatras of the pancha
bhootas. The organs of action and praana (life spirit) are made of the
Rajas tanmatras, and external objects are made of the Tamas tanmatras.

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The mana is composed of four parts mana (the emotions), buddhi (the
intellect), chitta (mental inclination) and ahankaara (subtle pride of
individuality). This is called the antahkaran chatustay, or fourfold
mind.
The gnanendriyas are five shrotra (ears), tvak (skin), chakshu (eyes),
rasanaa (tongue), and ghraana (nose). The karmendriyas (organs of
action) are also five vaak (speech), paani (hands), paada (feet),
upastha (reproductive organ) and paaya (organs of evacuation).
There are ten praana (winds that give life), of which five are important.
They are praana, apaana, samaana, udaana, and vyaana. The less
important pranas are called. upa-praana. They are naaga, koorma,
krukal, de`vadatta, and dhananjaya. The Rajas tanmatra of space
creates the organ of action that enables us to make sounds. It also
creates the prana called vyana, which pervades the body and organizes
the joints in it.
The Rajas tanmatra of the wind creates the hands the organs of action
that enable us to give and take. It also creates the prana called samana,
which stays in the area of the naval.
The te`jas (fire and effulgence) tanmatra creates the feet that are the
organs of action for coming or going. It also creates the prana called
udana that moves around the heart.
The Rajas tanmatra of water creates the reproductive organs, and the
prana. The upastha discards urine, and gives birth. Prana stays in the
area of the heart.
The Rajas tanmatra of earth creates the anus, which expels stool and
wind. It creates the prana called apana which stays near the anus. The
guna-dharma of these are perceived clearly in the body.
The organs of action are supplementary to the sense organs. The ear
wants to hear, and the voice speaks. Both have the tanmatra of space.
Hearing is done by the ears that are dominated by Sattva guna. Speech
is an action done by the vaak indreeya that is dominated by Rajo guna.
The ear and the tongue are gross objects, and are the results of the
Tamas tanmatra of space.
You want to touch something with the tvak indreeya, and your hands are
the organs of action that do it for you. Both the karmendriya and the
gnanendriya have a dominance of the vayu tanmatra, while the gross

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objects including the hands and skin are made from the Tamas
tanmatra of vayu.
The eyes want to see something, and the feet take you there. Both
organs (eyes and feet) have the agni tanmatra. The gross objects are
made of the tamas tanmatra of agni.
You want to obtain the flavor of something, and you also throw out
urine and sperm through the upastha. Both organs (the tongue and the
upastha) are made from jala tanmatra, and the gross forms are made of
the Tamas tanmatra of jala.
You want to smell something. The anus releases the apanan vayu. Both
the nose and the anus are made from the prithvi tanmatra. The gross
forms are made from the Tamas tanmatra of the earth.
All ten indreeyas five sense organs and five organs of action are
made from the apanchikrita pancha bhootas, but the sense organs are
made from their Sattvik tanmatras, and the organs of action are made
from their Rajas tanmatras. Sattva guna has Gnan, and Rajo guna has
action. The golak (sphere of action) of the senses are gross. They are
made of the Tamoguni tanmatras of the pancha bhootas.
The senses are not made from the gross elements. Therefore, in the
opinion of Sankhya, they pervade the whole body. Their golak can be
present in every part of the body. The golak that are seen are the control
center of the activities of the senses. It is possible that some day,
somewhere, a human being will develop the ability to see with his
hands and smell with his feet! It is common folklore that ants see with
their nose and snakes hear with their eyes.
Two indreeyas the rasanaa (the tongue that tastes) and vaak (the
tongue that speaks) are present in one golak, the tongue. The praana,
blood, ravi (the sun) and soma (the moon) pervade the whole body with
the flow of their power, which is like electricity. They have rinaatmaka
(positive) and dhanaatmak (negative energy). The senses pervade the
body; they are not separate although their golaks are separate.
Regarding the size of the sookshma shareera (subtle body; fourfold
mind) there are three opinions. 1. Anu parimaana (miniscule), 2.
Madhyam parimaana (medium sized), and 3. Vibhu parimaana (allpervading).
The Vaishishta and other schools of thought believe it to be miniscule.
Yoga believes that the mind is all pervading; Vedanta says that the
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antahkaran is medium in size and pervades the body from tip to toe. The
indreeyas come within the sookshma shareera, and are all pervading,
along with it.
Why are the indreeyas called the indreeya? It is because they belong to
Indra indrasya iti indriyam. They are created by Indra, gathered by
him, and given by him. Indra is the Devta (presiding deity) of action.
(The Devtas of the gnanedriyas have been described. The Devtas of the
karmendriyas and the antahkaran are: Agni is the Devta of speech, Indra
of the hands, Upendra of the feet, Prajapati of the upastha, Yama [the
Devta of death] of the anus, Chandrama [the moon] is the Devta of the
mana, Brahma of the intellect, Vasudev [Narayana] is the Devta of the
chitta, and Rudra is the Devta of ahankara. The kaarya [effect] of these
indreeyas and the antahkaran are their adhibhoota [gross] forms, while
they, themselves, are adhyatma [metaphysical]. They also have the
triads like the gnaendriyas.)
Different species have developed one or more indreeyas, and the cause
is karma-bhe`da (the difference in actions). It is believed that a human
being can develop a sixth indreeya through Yoga, that enables him to
know what is in the mind of others. However, this is not a natural sense
and it should be considered a part of the mana.
Even though the mana is not included in the ten indreeyas (five sense
organs and five organs of action), it is dependent on them for obtaining
Gnan, and imagines things according to its sanskaara (subtle
subconscious impressions). The maanasa-pratyaksha (mental
perceptions) is according to that, which the mind imagines. Therefore,
the object that is beyond the indreeyas, and is self-established, cannot
be known through the mind.
It is commonly known that the mana (subtle body, antahkaran) had four
parts mana, buddhi, chitta and ahankaara. The mana (emotional
mind) is restless, and it has the Sattvik tanmatra of the vaayu tattva (the
wind element). The buddhi (intellect) has the Gnan to decide or be
indecisive, and it has the Sattvik tanmatra of the agni tattva (the fire
element). The chitta (mental inclination) has rasa (flavor) and the
Sattvik tanmatra of the jala tattva (the water element). Ahankara has
hardness and has the Sattvik tanmatra of prithvi tattva (the earth
element). The Sattvik tanmatra of the aakaasha tattva (the element of
space) that pulsates is accepted as the fifth part of the mana. This is how
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the process of pancheekaran (the mingling of five) is completed. The

kaarya (effect) of the sfoorana (pulsating) is believed to be
antahgnaana (inner Gnan).
The pancha bhoota cannot be the Atma, because they are five. The
Atma is one, it cannot be multiple. The pancha bhootas are gye`ya (that,
which is known); they cannot be the Atma because the Atma is the
gyaataa (the one who knows). If you say that the combination of the
pancha bhootas or the collection of their mutations are the Atma,
that is not possible either, because a sanghaata (something assembled
with many parts) is for some other; not for itself. The body made of
pancha bhootas, the objects made by them, the indreeyas that absorb the
objects, the gunas of the pancha bhootas, their tanmatras, the
conglomeration of the pancha bhootas and the mind, are all the
expansion of the five elements. They are mahaana (great), and they are
bhoota (matter), so they are called maha bhootas. They are mahan
because they pervade everything, and they are bhootas because they are
created. Their laya (immersion) is perceived in the deep sleep state,
therefore, they have been created. Even in interaction, we see the effect
merge into the cause. Therefore, the spread created by the pancha
bhootas cannot be the Atma.
2. Ahankara, mahat Tattva, and avyakta.
When the pancha bhootas have no kaarya (effect), how do they mingle
in different proportions and create the different forms? Who moulds
them into human forms?
The tattva that does this, is the ahankaara (the consciousness of
individuality). When a magnet is placed in a pile of iron dust, the dust
takes on the shape of the magnet. Ahankara is the magnet that attracts
the pancha mahabhootas, and this is how forms are made.
Aham (I) and ahankara are two different things. Ahankara is the Aham
that does things, is born from karmas, has the pride of being the karta,
and holds on to the sanskaras created by karmas. Ahankara has two
forms vyashti (individual) and samashti (universal). The vyashti
ahankara is a part of the antahkaran. The samashti ahankara is the cause
of the pancha mahabhootas.

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The pancha mahabhootas are not created by ahankara, nor do they

become immersed in it, but ahankara is also an effect of the mahat
tattva, and gets immersed in it. Hence, ahankara is also the kshetra; not
the kshetragya.
There are thousands of actions, but the actions are for the Purusha; the
Purusha is not for the actions. Millions of objects are created from the
mahabhootas. What is the kartritva-shakti (power of action) at the root
of the actions? It is the ahankara. Organized activity is impossible if
there is no ahankara. A karta needs buddhi to do things systematically,
even when he has the ability to act. In the same way, the kartaaahankaara (the I that is the karta) at the root of this Creation is the
mahat tattva, the samashti buddhi, the universal intelligence.
The mahat tattva is the kaarya (effect) of the avyakta (unmanifested)
moola prakriti (original Prakriti), and therefore, the mahat tattva is also
the kshetra, not the kshetragya.
The mahat Tattva is not active all the time. There is a state where
everything becomes unmanifest, like in the deep sleep state. In that state
there is no awareness of time, or the external world, or where you are.
There is no awareness of anything.
You are in a state of deep sleep, untouched by differences like our
people and others, or, this, that, and I, etc. This is an unmanifested
state. When you return to the waking state, there is a moment of being
unaware of who, what, or where you are. In that state, the only Gnan is
I am. This is the state of the mahat Tattva. The very next moment you
know who you are, where you are, etc. This is the state of ahankara.
Then your senses begin to function, and this is the state of the rising of
the tanmatras of the pancha mahabhootas.
The avyakta is also a kshetra because it is the effect and not the cause. It
is a form of agnan.
Vedanta does not accept that the world was created from gross,
insensate matter. It accepts the eight elements the avyakta, mahat
Tattva, ahankara, and the pancha mahabhootas as being the upaadhi
(superimposed forms) of the shuddha chaitanya in the Brahman. These
eight are the upadhi of the Brahman.
The chetan attached to ahankara is called the vishva-viraata. What is
seen as ahankara from the viewpoint of the jada (insensate), is the virat
from the viewpoint of the chetan. This virat is the bhokta (the one who
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experiences), the sthoola prakriti (Nature in its gross form). Its place is
in the waking state. Buddhi the chetan that is connected to the upadhi
of the mahat Tattva is called taijas-hiranyagarbha. It is also called
sootraatmaa. This is the bhokta of the sookshma prakriti (Natures
subtle form). This abides in the dream state.
Avyakta the chetan that is connected to the upadhi of agnan, or Maya,
is called the praagya-eeshvara. This is the bhokta of anand. It abides
in the deep sleep state.
The rule is that Gnan about Gnan is not possible. That means, Gnan
cannot be the gye`ya (that, which is known). The gyeya is jada
(insensate). Gnan is prakaasha (effulgence). That, which illuminates
needs that, which is illuminated. In other philosophies like Nyaya, it is
accepted that the Gnan of something that is perceived directly, is Gnan,
but Vedanta does not accept this. According to Vedanta, Gnan is only
that, which illuminates; not that, which is illuminated.
That means, the chaitanya in the ahankara (the virat) and in the mahat
Tattva (hiranyagarbha), and in the Ishwara (the avyakta) is one. These
are all upadhis of the one, pure consciousness. They have different
upadhis, but the chaitanya is the same. That chaitanya is the kshetragya.
The avyakta, ahankara, pancha bhootas and their vikaara (mutations),
this world and this body, are all the kshetra.
The Puranas say that there are three kinds of ahankara vaikaarik,
taijas, and taamas. They have different actions. The pancha
mahabhootas are made from the tamas ahankara. Praana (life spirit), the
power for action, and the organs of action are made from the taijas
(Rajas) ahankara. The mana (mind) that is composed of Gnan, and the
sense organs are made from the vaikarik (Sattvik) ahankara. All these
are subject to change, and are gyeya; therefore, they are the kshetra, and
none of them nor all of them combined are I or mine.
I am not the body, nor is the body mine. I am not the prithvi tattva (the
element of earth), that is the predominant element in all gross bodies;
nor is the prithvi tattva mine. I am not the fragrance that is the guna
(quality) of the earth; nor is the fragrance mine. I am not the nose that is
made from the gandha tanmaatraa (the subtle form of the power to
smell), nor is the nose mine. I am not the mana (emotional mind) that
experiences the fragrance, nor does the mana belong to me. The
fragrance is pleasant, and the person smelling it gets the subtle pride of
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being the bhokta. I am neither the bhokta, nor the buddhi that reveals
the fragrance. Nor am I the state of the origin of the fragrance and none
of these are mine. The same applies to the other elements like fire,
water, wind and space, to their gunas, indreeyas, mana, ahankara,
buddhi and avyakta. I am none of these, and none of them belong to me.
This does not refer to Maya. Maya is of two kinds avidya and vidya.
Our swarup is eternal, whole, and non-dual, but the differences in the
world seem real because of avidya. The result of vidya is that all
apparent differences are understood to be mithya. Maya is neither the
kshetra not the Kshetragya. It is something that is separate from both,
and is the imaginary cause of their being different.
3. Anya anga (other parts).
I will now tell you about the seven other parts of Maya. They are:
ichhaa (wish), dve`sha (aversion), sukha (happiness), dukha (suffering),
sanghaata (a combination of several things), che`tanaa
(consciousness), and dhriti (the ability to hold on).
Ichha: Here, ichha means raaga (attachment). Sukhaanushaayee
raagah (attachment for that, which gives sukha). You get some object
a man, woman, food, house, etc that gives you pleasure and comfort.
The mind obtains the sanskaara (subtle subconscious impressions), and
you wish to obtain it again. This wish is ichha.
Ichha turns a person into a beggar. Whenever we experience a feeling of
lacking something, we seek a source that can provide us with what we
lack. Ichha is gyeya, so it is the kshetra.
Dvesha: Dukhaanushaayee dve`sha (aversion for that, which causes
suffering). The wish to remove or destroy any object, person, or
situation that causes suffering is called dvesha. When the memory of
such a cause arouses a burning anger, it is dvesha.
Ichha (raga) and dvesha come to the mind sometimes, and sometimes
they dont. They are drishya, therefore, they are the kshetra. They are
not I; nor are they mine.
Sukha: Sukha is when the indreeyas are pleased and limpid. It is not
sukha when the mind has desires and distortions. The chitta (mental
inclination) is pleased when it is untroubled by waves of desire, lust, or

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any other distortion. That is sukha. When the mind is like a serene lake,
it reflects the Atma that is sukha-svaroopa.
Sukha can have a nimitta (causal factor), or it can be nirnimitta
(natural). The fulfillment of a desire gives instant peace. That is a
nimittik sukha. The sukha of being completely free of desire is the
nirnimittik sukha. The former is momentary, the latter is enduring. The
fact is that sukha is the swarup of the kshetragya. It is reflected as an
upadhi in the kshetra. The aabhaasa (reflection) is the kshetra. There
are many definitions of sukha, but the basic fact is that it is the kshetra,
not the kshetragya, because sukha can never be unknown.
Dukha: Dukha is the opposite of sukha, so the definition of dukha
should be the antonym of the definition of sukha. For example, dukha is
that, which hurts our senses. Adverse circumstances are called dukha.
The Paramatmas reflection in the tranquil mind is sukha, and its being
blocked due to mental agitation is dukha. Both sukha and dukha are
gye`ya (known), and therefore, the kshetra.
Chetana: The power of the mana (emotional mind), buddhi (the
intellect), and chitta (mental inclination; attention) is called che`tanaa.
Chetana is present in the body even when a person is unconscious. It is
in the chetana that ichha, dvesha, and sankalpa (resolves) arise, when
linked to sanskaara (subtle subconscious impressions from the past).
Chetana takes on the form of the buddhi that decides, depending on the
experiences, practices, and teachings it receives. It is called the chetana
when there is no resolve or decision. When the chetana has sankalpavikalpa (resolves and doubts) it is called mana. This mana, buddhi, or
chetana that we are aware of, is the kshetra.
Sanghaata: An object that is made up of many parts is called a
sanghaata. This prapancha (interactive world) and shareera (the
gross body) is a sanghata of the pancha mahabhootas. The body is a
conglomeration of the indreeyas, prana, antahkaran, iccha, dvesha,
sukha, dukha, chetana, and dhriti. Since they are the kshetra when they
are separate, they will remain the kshetra when combined. The shareera
and the world are a sanghata of all these; and I am the gyaataa
(knower), the kshetragya, the form of Gnan, and separate from them all.
Indriye`bhyah paraa hyarthaa arthe`bhyashcha param manah,
manasastu paraa buddhih buddhe`raatmaa mahaan parah.
Mahatah paramavyaktamavyaktaat purushah parah,
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purushaanna param kinchit saa kaashthaa saa paraa gatih.

(Katha Upanishad 1. 3. 10, 11)
The tanmatras are higher (more subtle) than the indreeyas, and the
mana is higher than both. The buddhi is higher than the mana, but the
antahkaran is higher than the buddhi. The mahat Tattva is higher than
the antahkaran, but the avyakta is higher than the mahat Tattva. (this is
the kshetra.).
The Purusha is above the avyakta (this is the kshetragya). Nothing is
higher than the Purusha. The Purusha is the summit of sookshmataa
(subtleness). The Purusha is the param gati the highest goal. The
Kshetragya is the Brahman.
4. The vivek of the Prakriti and the Purusha.
The kshetra and the Kshetragya (Prakriti and the Purusha) are anaadi
(without a beginning in time). The Upanishads say that the multiplicity
is seen in the Brahman because of Maya (the Ishwaras power of
illusion). Indro maayaabhih pururoopa eeyate` (Brahadanayaka
Upanishad 2. 5. 19). Maya uses aabhaasa (a reflection or shadow) to
show that the jeeva and the Ishwara are separate in the Brahman. So,
the duality of the kshetra and the Kshtragya is also the world of Maya.
It is not Satya.
In the Gita (7. 4, 5), Bhagwan has called the ashtadhaa prakriti
(Prakriti with eight parts) His aparaa Prakriti; and the jeevaatmaa
(Atma attached to a body) His paraa Prakriti. Since they are both the
Prakriti of the Brahman, they have an anirvachaneeya (indefinable)
relationship with the Brahman. In the opinion of Vedanta, Maya is
neither Satya not asat; it is anirvachaneeya, and therefore, its kaarya
(effect) is also anirvachaneeya.
According to Vedanta, there are six anadi substances. The shuddha
che`tan (pure consciousness that is the Brahman), Maya, the Ishwara
(the Brahman with attributes), jeeva, agnan, and their mutual
relationships. (These are anadi separately and also combined as the
prapancha.)
Anadi is of two kinds the vaastavik (actual) and kalpita (imagined).
The Brahman is the supreme vastavik, anadi Satya. He is also ananta
(infinite; endless; eternal). All the others are imagined as anadi. They
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are accepted as being anadi for the sake of vive`ka (discriminating

between the actual and the imagined), but they are not ananta. They are
shown to be mithya when a person obtains Brahmagnan. The aakaasha
(space) is anadi, and so is the blueness we see in it. Space is Satya, but
the blueness is imagined. It is negated by Gnan about space.
Prakriti is imagined, and ananta. It is in the shuddha Brahman who is
anadi. The relationship between Prakriti and the Brahman is one of
kalpita-anaadi-taadaatmya
(imagined-beginningless-identification).
That means, there is abhe`da (lack of any difference; not being
separate) between them, but they are accepted as separate and different
for the sake of discrimination. To be anadi is not proof of the Satya;
nothing becomes the Satya just by being anadi. The characteristic of the
Satya is abaadhitva (that which cannot be negated). By contrast, that,
which can be negated by the Gnan of the adhishthaana (the substratum;
the Brahman), is mithya. You saw Bhagwan Vishnu in a dream. He
seemed to be the anadi Satya. When you awoke, you realized that the
image had been created by the sanskaras of your mind. The darshan
(divine vision) and Vishnu Bhagwan were negated.
The Brahman is ananta and svaprakaasha (self-effulgent). It is the
nature of the self-effulgent to see, and it is the nature of the ananta to
not be seen fully. Therefore, when the Brahman looks at Himself, and is
unable to see His own totality, multiplicity is imagined in Him, and the
one seems to be many.
Prakriti is called, avyaakrita in Vedanta. (Avyakrita is at the root of all
forms in creation. It is the basic matter of which everything is created.
According to Vedanta, this is the Brahmans sabeeja condition the
potential for creation.) Maya is another name for the avyakta or Prakriti.
Sankhya considers Prakriti to be a jada sattaa (insensate matter) that is
sabeej, and has sanskaras. It develops according to the sanskaras.
Chetan, however, can not be sabeej. The chetan is the sakshi of the
sabeej and nirbeeja (that, which is barren).
The chetan cannot have many forms, because then, who would be their
sakshi? There is no parinaama (conclusion; result) in the chetan. Nor
can there be any vikara in the chetan. The belief that the chetan is the
cause of the multiplicity in creation is caused by Maya.
Maya means magic. A baby is seen in a magic show. He needs no
parents or pancha bhootas, because he is an illusion. In a magic show,
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the object does not change forms; it appears to change. In the language
of Vedanta, this is called vivarta. Vivarta means vipareeta vartana
the Brahman seen as the jagat (world). It is Maya who shows the
Brahman in many forms: indro maayaabhih pururoopa eeyate`. This
statement is from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
The root cause of the different objects in creation is called Prakriti. The
chetan adhishthana that pervades all the different forms is called the
Purusha. Prakriti is the cause of jadataa (lacking consciousness) and the
Purusha is the cause of che`tanataa (having consciousness). Prakriti is
superimposed on the Purusha, hence it can be negated. Prakriti and the
Purusha are both anadi. The Purusha is the paramaartha anaadi (anadi
that is the supreme truth), and Prakriti is the kalpita anaadi (imagined
anadi). This apparent difference of the Prakriti-Purusha is in the
Brahman, and is an illusion. It is caused by avidya.
The vikaara (mutations) of Prakriti are the pancha bhootas, indreeyas,
mana, vishay, ahankara, mahat Tattva, and avyakta. The entire kaaryakaarana-jagat (the world of cause and effect) comes from the three
gunas of Prakriti the Sattva guna, Rajo guna and Tamo guna.
Prakriti is the cause of all the objects, like the body, indreeyas,
antahkaran, and the pride of being the karta. The Purusha is the cause of
the bhoga (experiences) of sukha-dukha.
Kaaryakaaranakartritve` he`tuh prakritiruchyate`,
Purushah sukhadukhaanaam bhoktritve` he`turuchyate`.
(Gita 13. 20)
The feeling of being the karta comes into the Purusha because of the
upadhi of the karma`ndriya (organs of action). The upadhi of the hand
gives kartaapana (the pride of being the doer), and the upadhi of the
feet give gantaapana (the pride of being the one who goes). The upadhi
of the gnaane`ndriya (sense organs) give gyaataapana (the pride of
being the knower). The upadhi of the mana (emotional mind) gives the
pride of knowing what is pleasant and what is unpleasant. The upadhi
of the buddhi gives the pride of knowing Dharma-adharma. The upadhi
of the chitta (mental inclination) gives the pride of remembering, and
the upadhi of the ahankara gives the pride of ahamtaa (ego of
individuality). The upadhi of the gross body gives the pride of being
awake, diseased, belonging to a particular varna (social class) etc. The
upadhi of the subtle body gives the pride of dreaming, mental anguish,
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being the karta, bhokta, and sansaaree (of the interactive world). The
upadhi of the causal body gives the pride of the states of deep sleep and
Samadhi. All these upadhis are imagined in Prakriti.
The feeling of being a bhokta is not natural in the Purusha; that is also
an upadhi. The form of bhoga is the feeling, Aham sukhi Aham
dukhi This feeling is caused by the identification of the Aham (I) with
sukha and dukha. Sukha and dukha are actually parts of the kshetra, so
the Kshetragya of sukha-dukha cannot be sukhi or dukhi.
If I am sukhi, how can I be the sakshi of sukha? If I am dukhi, how can
I be the sakshi of dukha? The fact is that the un-separated chaitanya
the Kshetragya who has not been separated from the kshetra is the
bhokta. The shuddha chaitanya is not the bhokta.
Sukha is aatmagaami (in the Atma) and dukha is manogaami (in the
mind). It happens that a person does not experience sukha even when he
has all the factors that provide sukha, and a person filled with dukha
experiences sukha as soon as he falls asleep. Dukha cannot be
experienced without the mana, but sukha can. Therefore, sukha comes
from within, but dukha is brought in by you, from outside. The presence
of the Atma is sukha. Both sukha and dukha belong to the bhokta.
The purusha is called the purusha as long as he is agyaata (not known).
When a person gets the Gnan that the purusha is the Kshetragya, the I,
he is called the Brahman. The unknown Brahman is the purusha.
In the same way, as long as the saadhishthaana (with the adhishthana;
the substratum) Prakriti is not known, she is called prateeti (a
perception), or Maya. Both the Purusha and Prakriti are imagined in the
Brahman when the person is in a state of avidyaa (nescience; lacking
right knowledge). Vikara, the gunas, the feelings of cause and effect, are
all imagined as long as a person has avidya. When a person is in a state
of vidyaa (right knowledge), he knows, All this is my Maya.
Everything is perceived by me.
The fact is that Prakriti has no existence; nor is it the cause of anything.
Prakriti is an adhyaaropa (superimposition) made for the sake of vive`k
(discrimination; to explain how the interactive world seen in all its
diversity is actually the non-dual Brahman). As long as Prakriti, the
Purusha, their duality, and their dharmas appear to be Satya, the person
does not have the bodha (Gnan that is experienced) that his swarup is
aparichhinna (an unbroken whole).
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An iron square turns red when heated in a furnace. The fire looks like a
red square. The iron seems to have the qualities of fire. Similarly, the
parichhinnataa (separateness) of the body has become superimposed on
the Atma, and the Atmas che`tantaa (consciousness) has become
superimposed on the body. This mutual adhyas is the cause of the
purusha experiencing sukha-dukha.
It is said that the purusha is not the bhokta; he is a cause of the feeling
of being the bhokta. Kartritva-bhoktritva (the pride of being the kartabhokta) is the characteristic of this interactive world kartritvabhoktritvalakshanah sansaarah. This sansara is negated by Gnan. The
presence of the gross-subtle world continues to exist for the indreeyas.
The swarup of the Kshetragya is neither the karta nor the bhokta. It is
the aupaadhika dharma (a superimposed characteristic) upon the
kshetragya, that the only thing that is revealed by Gnan is that the
kshetra in the Kshetragya is mithya. Only the gya is Satya. The mithya
upadhi of the mithya kshetra cannot break up the Satya Atma that is the
form of Gnan, and is the real I. Prakriti is jada, drishya, and
changeable, so it cannot bind my I which is chaitanya, the drashta, and
the unchanging Brahman. I am unattached, and cannot be bound.
Therefore, I am the nitya, shuddha, buddha, mukta Brahman. This is
the conclusion you must reach.

Chapter X
Dehatraya-sakshi-vivek.
(Discriminating between the three bodies and the sakshi.)
1. Sthoola shareera (the gross body).

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Aatmaa vaa are` drashtavyah (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 4. 5).

The indication of this Shruti (Vedic verse) is, Anaatmaa na
drashtavyah, aatmaa vaa drashtavyah. That means, you should stop
seeing the anaatmaa that, which is not the Atma and see the Atma,
the shuddha Sacchidananda that is your true form. (Sat = pure
existence, chit = pure consciousness, anand pure bliss. That is the
Brahman.) This is the method of the Mahavakyas (the ultimate
statements of the Vedas), Tattvamasi (tat = that, the Brahman; tvam =
you, the Atma; asi = is) You, the Atma, are That, the Brahman is
for purifying the tvam padaartha (the you factor).
After the description and explanation about Prakriti, the Purusha,
kshetra and Kshetragya, it becomes easy to understand I am not the
body, and this body is not mine. This body is the kaarya (effect) of
Prakriti. It is the vikaara (mutation) of the pancha bhootas (five
elements), and the result of Maya. It is also the vivarta (reverse
appearance) of the Brahman, therefore it is drishya, subject to changes,
having results, destructible, and jada (lacking consciousness). How can
this body be my I? I am the che`tan saakshee (the witness who is pure
consciousness) who knows the drishya, mutations, results, and changes.
The Gnan of this body is obtained because I exist. If there was no I,
who would establish the existence of this body?
For the sake of vichaara (reasoning, thought), we will accept three
forms of the body. 1. The sthoola shareera the gross body, 2. The
sookshma shareera the subtle body, and 3. The kaarana shareera
the causal body.
A corpse is only a gross body. A living being has all three bodies. There
are only two bodies in a Brahmagnani the gross and the subtle,
because the causal body is destroyed by Gnan. We will now discuss the
three bodies separately.
1. The sthoola shareera (the gross body):
The gross body is composed of seven dhaatu (primary substances;
elements). They are majjaa (marrow), asti (bones), me`da (fat) maansa
(flesh), rakta (blood), charma (skin), and tvachaa (sense of touch). The
gross body has many parts, like the feet, thighs, back, head, etc. The
spheres of the gnaane`ndriya (sense organs) and karme`ndriya (organs
of action), the back, the head, the heart that purifies blood, all veins and
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vessels, bones, flesh, blood, stool and urine are parts of the sthoola
shareera. This is the body that is treated by the doctors. This sthoola
shareera is drishya, and is the vikar of the pancheekrita mahabhootas.
Every part of it contains all five bhootas. That means, the sthoola
shareera is a conglomeration of twenty five tattvas.
The hard part of the body has a predominance of the prithvi tattva the
earth element. The liquid part, of the jala tattva the water element.
The parts that contain heat are predominated by the agni tattva - the
fire element, and the part that moves, by the vaayu tattva the wind
element. All hollow portions are the aakaasha tattva the element of
space.
This human form is three and a half arms-length by the measure of our
own arms. It has a gender. It is fat or thin, dark or fair, etc. It is this
form that is born, grows, and dies. It is the body that has the varna
(social classes) of Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. It is the
gross body that has the aashrama (stage of life) like the Brahmachari,
Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sanyasi. It is the gross body that is a Hindu,
Muslim, Christian, etc. It is the body that is honored or insulted. All
relationships including wife and son are dependent upon this gross
body.
All interaction of the waking state is done through this body. People
believe it to be I and mine. The agnaanee (those who lack Gnan)
believe this feeling to be Satya and identify with the body, forgetting
their shuddha swarup. A Gnani knows that he is the shuddha sakshi, so
he is conscious that his feeling of identification is mithya. He remains
aloof inwardly, and interacts with his body.
What causes the difference in the forms made of pancha bhootas? It is
the sanskaara (subtle subconscious impressions) of the past actions of
the jeevaatmaa (Atma attached to a body), who is the karta-bhokta
abiding in the body. A magnet placed on a pile of iron dust attracts the
dust. The dust takes on the shape of the magnet. Similarly, the jeevatma
made of the pancha bhootas attracts his vaasanaa (avid desires) to
himself, and forms relationships.
This gross body is the house of the jeevatmas bhoga (pleasant and
unpleasant experiences). Just as a married householder lives in a house,
the jeevatma lives in his sthoola shareer (Vivek Chudamani 90, 92). A
house is made of bricks, stones, iron, cement and wood; and so it
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belongs to them. The grihastha (householder) calls it his for the sake of
interaction. In the same way, the gross body made of the five elements
belongs to them. The jeevatma should call it his for the sake of social
interaction, and not believe it to be his. The body is certainly nor I! It
does not obey our orders. It does not expand and contract at our
command, but according to the rules of the pancha bhootas. Then, how
can I say that the body is mine? It belongs to the pancha bhootas. We
should surrender the object to its owner.
This body, assembled of twenty five tattvas cannot be the I, because
an assembled object is always for the use of another, not for its own
use. Sanghaatasya paraarthatvaat. This body is for the Atma, but it is
not the Atma.
Neither is any part of the gross body the Atma, nor is the entire
assemblage the Atma. The Atma is the sakshi of all the three bodies of
the jeevatma the sthoola (gross), sookshma (subtle) and kaarana
(causal); and is gnaanasvaroopa (the essence of Gnan). The jeevatma is
the karta-bhokta-sansari and parichinna. It also has a subtle body and
causal body. The gross body remains on earth after death. The jeevatma
takes the subtle and causal bodies with it and enters another form.
A thinking person should experience himself to be the sakshi, separate
from the gross body and its dharmas, its presence and absence. The
formula for this experience is that everything that is drishya (seen) and
gye`ya (known) is asat (not Satya), jada (lacking consciousness) and
the form of dukha; therefore, it is anaatmaa (not the Atma; not I). And
the drashta, who is the gyaataa (knower), the sakshi, is the form of
Sacchidananda. Therefore, he is the Atma (I). I am the sakshi of
everything that is present and absent. Therefore, I am shuddha Gnanswarup.
The gross body is drishya; hence, it is jada. It has six bhaava-vikaara
(changes): jaayate` (birth), asti (existence), viparinamate` (to change),
vardhate` (to grow), apaksheeyate` (to deteriorate), and vinashati (be
destroyed). The Aham is the sakshi of these bhava-vikaras. The Atma is
not born; it is the sakshi of the birth of the body, hence, it exists before
the bodys creation. The Atma exists in all three tenses, because it is the
sakshi of the birth, growth, maturing, deterioration and death of the
body.

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Just as the drashta of a ghata (pot) is separate from it, the drashta of the
body is separate from the body.
The abhimaanee (one who has the pride) of this gross body and its
waking state, is called the vishva(the world). The Atma, however, is
separate from the vishva. The vive`ka (discrimination) of this should be
seen in the Avastha-Traya-Vivek.
Kriyaa (action) and bhoga (pleasant and unpleasant experiences) are
predominant in the gross body, therefore, its power is Rajo guna.
2. Sookshma shareer (the subtle body).
The pancha mahabhootas are the cause of the gross bodys activities
and Gnan, but they use the medium of the subtle body made of their
tanmaatraa (subtle forms of the elements).
The gross body is the cause of the existence, sustenance, and immersion
of the subtle body the sookshma shareer. The subtle body houses the
agnan that is the cause of desires, powers and feelings of being the
karta-bhokta, and of having pride. The subtle body is also the cause of
rebirth and getting new physical forms after death.
Bhagwan Shankaracharya has called the sukshma shareer, the linga
shareer. He has also given it the name, puryashtak. According to him,
the subtle body has eight avyava (parts) (Vivek Chudamani 98 - 200),
that have a total of twenty two tattvas. They are: the five gnanendriyas,
five karmendriyas, five prana, the fourfold antahkaran, five tanmatras,
avidya, desire, and karmas.
All these have been described in Prakriti-Purusha-Vivek. The subtle
body is made of the apancheekrita pancha bhoota (not made directly of
the five elements, but the presence in the mind of the objects made of
the five elements), and is the cause of all the interaction done by the
purusha. Avidya, desire, and karmas are the cause of the formation of
the subtle body.
I hear, touch, see, taste and smell these are the efforts of Gnan. I talk,
give and take, come and go, throw out stool and urine, etc these are
the efforts of karma. All the conscious and unconscious efforts of the
body, resolves and dilemmas, decisions and indecisions of the buddhi,
the reflections of the chitta, the different kinds of pride of the
ahankaara (subtle ego of individuality), the Gnan obtained by the sense
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organs, and raga-dvesha for the sense objects, desires for worldly
objects, and agnan about being the Brahman, are the dharmas of the
subtle body.
The vichar you should do is, These are parts of the subtle body, just as
the limbs are parts of the gross body. They are also drishya and gyeya,
and I am their drashta-gyata; therefore, I am the Gnan-swarup sakshi
who is separate from the subtle body. The dharmas of the subtle body
do not belong to me; they belong to the gunas of Prakriti and the pancha
bhootas.
The jeeva-dharmas arise from agnan, like, I am a paapi-punyatma. I am
sukhi-dukhi. I will go to other realms after death. I am in this body, etc.
These are the dharmas of the subtle body and arise from agnan,
association with the sense organs, and the antahkaran. They are not the
dharma of the sakshi that is my I.
The Sattvik, Rajas and Tamas vikaara (mutations) of the Sattva, Rajo
and Tamo gunas are also the dharma of the subtle body, not of the
sakshi Atma. Therefore, I, the sakshi, have never been bound by the
gunas and will never be freed of them either, since I am eternally free.
The subtle ego of being a karta-bhokta-parichinna-sansari, is
aupaadhika (a superimposition) on the sakshi. It is not the sakshis
natural form. Kartaapana (the pride of being the karta) comes from the
upadhi (superimposition) of the karmendriyas. Gyaataapana (the pride
of being the one who knows) comes from the upadhi of the
gnanendriyas. Bhoktaapana (the pride of being the bhokta) comes from
the upadhi of the mana (emotional mind). The sansaaritva (pride of
belonging to the sansara) comes from the upadhi of being the subtle
body, and the feeling of being parichinna comes from the agnan that the
substratum of the gross as well as the subtle bodies is one; the Atma, the
Brahman, the sakshi; and it is naturally and eternally free.
The method of the Vedanta Shastra is that the subtle body pervades the
entire gross body, and that is why the jeevatma believes that the form of
the subtle body is the same as his gross body. After the death of the
gross body, the jeevatmas subtle body experiences the fruits of the
paapa-punya done when he was in his gross body. Later, the subtle body
obtains another gross body and identifies with the new physical form.
The subtle body abides in the dreaming state. At that time, the gross
body lies on the bed and the jeevatma creates dreams that are like the
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waking state, with the support of the subtle body. At that time, his
bhoga is also of the subtle level. The vishwa, who is the abhimaanee
(having the pride) of the waking state, is absent in the dreaming state.
The abhimani of the swapna (dream) state is called taijas. Since
everything in the dream state is made of Gnan, its power is the Sattva
guna. The Atma is separate from this taijas. However, the sakshi of the
waking state is also the sakshi of the dream state. There cant be two
sakshis.
Just think about this are you doing things? Are you having bhoga? Are
you obtaining Gnan? Do you feel pride about anything? No! Everything
happens naturally. The gunas move among the gunas. Everything is
done by the gunas of Prakriti. The adhidaiva (presiding deities) prompt
the adhyaatma (metaphysical factors) towards the adhibhoota (gross).
You breathe, feel hungry, and digest the food you eat. The body gets
nourished, and the states of waking, dreaming and sleeping come to the
body. You awaken and sleep with the abhiman of having sukha-dukha,
etc. Whatever happens in the body, all you have to do is to observe it,
because you are the sakshi. The job of a sakshi is to remain unaffected,
and reveal all that happens. He does not participate in anything.
3. Kaarana Shareer (the causal body).
What is the seed of the sthoola (gross) and sookshma (subtle) shareera
(bodies)? What is the cause and substance of the difference in them?
Being the vikara of the pancha bhootas, the basic matter of both these
bodies is the Prakriti that has the three gunas, and the avyakta
(unmanifested).
The vyakta (manifested) body is created from the avyakta. The variety
in the forms is caused by karmas done in past lives, and the sanskaara
(subtle subconscious impressions) left by past experiences. These are,
themselves, caused by agnan. Agnan about our being the Brahman
makes Prakriti seem a separate power; else, the Atma-tattva indicated
by the concept of kaarya-kaarana (effect-cause) is called Prakriti in the
Veda-Shastras. The Brahman is also called the Ishwara who rules
Prakriti. According to Vedanta, Maya, avidya, agnan, avyakta,
avyakrita, and Prakriti are names of the same tattva.

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The jeevatma is said to be the kaarana shareer the causal body,

agnaana. The characteristic of this is, I do not know. This body is
experienced in the deep sleep state, when the person is not full of
desires in the waking state, nor is he in the dream state. At that time, the
body continues to breathe, but there is no effort and no Gnan. People
see others sleep and get the adhyaasa (wrong understanding) about
their own state of deep sleep. When they wake up, they say, I had a
sound sleep. I was not aware of anything! It is clear that a person
experiences agnan in the deep sleep state, since he is not aware of
anything when he is sound asleep. This agnan is the kaarana (cause).
At that time, the sakshi does not describe the experience of being fast
asleep, even when he wakes up. He describes the absence of any
drishya. He is the sakshi of both the bhaava (presence), and abhaava
(absence). The sakshi of bhava and abhava is one, because the one who
saw the drishyas of the waking state and the dream state, is the one who
sees the abhava in the deep sleep state.
This agnan is present in the waking and dream states. People say, I
dont know the Brahman. I dont know about these things. This not
knowing is the causal body.
I am the sakshi Brahman. Ignorance of this is the fundamental agnan.
It is also called moola avidyaa. The subject of agnan is, I dont know
these things, and that is agnan. This agnan is called tulaavidyaa.
It is the pledge of the Upanishads, E`k vigyaana se` sarva vigyaana
the knowledge of everything through one knowledge. (Mundaka
Upanishad 1. 1. 2). The example given in the Chandogya Upanishad (1.
1. 4) is that when Brahmagnan is obtained, and the causal body is
shattered, everything is experienced as the Brahman. It is just as the
clay in a pot that breaks, remains clay.
It should be kept in mind that avidya (in the form of mental
inclinations) stays in the buddhi, exactly where vidya stays. This is why
the subtle body is the aashraya (abode) of avidya. Yet, avidya is, itself,
the causal body. You can also say that the effect of avidya is, I am a
karta, bhokta, sukhi, dukhi, sansari, parichinna jeeva. This vipareeta
(contrary) Gnan and the desire and actions it causes is a part of the
subtle body; whereas avidya itself is the causal body.
Oh, my diamond has got lost in the rubbish heap! This diamond of
yours is the sakshi Atma, and the rubbish heap in which it is lost, is
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your three bodies. Separate it from the three bodies, using vivek and
vichara. This is the purpose of the Dehatraya-Sakshi-Vivek.
4. Dehatraya-sakshi.
1) Thoughts like, I am dukhi, I am agnani, are mere mental
inclinations. You have seen your dukha and agnan, so you are their
drashta, separate from them. You are the one who reveals them. You are
their sakshi. You are not the I who gets the feeling of being sukhi or
dukhi. You are the I through whom they are perceived.
2) Think, I am not a Grihastha, Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Hindu,
Muslim, human being, Devta, youth, elderly, etc. These are all the gross
body. I am their sakshi.
3) Think, I sleep, awaken, see, work, make resolves, take decisions,
give thought to profound matters and have pride. These are all the
dharmas of the subtle body; they are not my dharmas. I am none of
these.
4) What is the Brahman? Who am I? What is the Ishwara? What is
Maya? What is the basic matter of Creation? You will say, I dont
know. This is the agnan that is the causal body. You are the sakshi of
this causal body, too.
5) Think, I am not the pancha mahabhootas, nor am I the gross body
made of them. The gross body belongs to the five elements; it is not
mine. It does not behave according to my wishes, so how can I call it
mine? The body is not the result of any effort of mine, else, who would
choose to be a snake, scorpion of worm? Therefore, how can the body
be mine?
The body has not been donated to you, nor have you won it by
defeating an enemy. You cannot claim that your body to belong to you.
6) I am not any of the indreeyas, nor am I the group of all the
indreeyas. I am the sakshi of their presence and absence. Secondly, they
are my gye`ya (known by me). I am one and they are ten, or fourteen (if
you count the antahkaran as four). Thirdly, they are jada (lacking
consciousness). They know neither themselves nor any other, but I am
che`tan (conscious), knowing them as well as myself. Fourthly, they
slumber when my body sleeps, but I remain awake.

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7) The jada that has sanskaras is called the beeja (seed). The chetan
that is attached to a beej is called a jeeva. Agnan is the beej of all,
which is why the effect of agnan connected to the dharma of both the
subtle body and the chetan, is called a jeeva. I am neither the beej nor
the jeeva, because I am the sakshi of the subtle body and the presence
and absence of its dharmas.
8) The jagat (gross body) seems to be Satya because of agnan, but it is
seen to be mithya when Gnan is attained. The perceptions of space, time
and form are present in the states of waking and dreaming, but not in
the deep sleep state. The I who is the sakshi, and the essence of Gnan,
is present in all three states. This Gnan (in the waking and dream states)
and agnan (in the deep sleep state) are the drishya of the sakshi.
Therefore, I the sakshi am not separate from space, time, and matter.
9) Who is the karta who imagines space, time and matter? Who is the
karta of Dharma-adharma, paapa-punya, etc? Nobody. The karta is the
sankalpa (resolve) and I am the sakshi of the sankalpa. Agnan and the
sankalpa are both in me, and they appear before me. Therefore, I am the
indestructible Sat (existence), and the indestructible Chit
(consciousness). I am the basic matter of Creation.
Just as an earthen pot is made of earth, remains earth when it breaks,
and earth exists even when there is no pot, space and time are seen
during the waking state, seen differently in the dream state, and not seen
at all in the deep sleep state. I am the subtle indestructible existence that
is the pure consciousness in which they are perceived.
10) There is no space (length, breadth, height, etc) in the sakshi. There
is no time in the sakshi; meaning, the sakshi is ageless. The sakshi is
adviteeya (non-dual).
11) To believe the body to be the I who is the sakshi, is like believing
brass to be gold. To believe the I who is the sakshi to be the body, is
like believing gold to be brass. The purpose of Vedanta-Gnan is to
understand things to be what they are, as they are.
a) The body is a sanghaata (assemblage) made of many tattvas. I am
one, and I am the tattva of Gnan.
b) The body is controlled, but I am independent. I control the body
with the help of Maya.

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c) The body is made of flesh, etc, that deteriorate. It is apavitra

(impure according to the Shastras). I am made of Gnan, and I am
pavitra (pure, according to the Shastras).
d) The body is Tamas; it is the form of darkness. I am the form of
light. I illuminate everything.
e) The body is anitya (impermanent), and asat (not Sat). I am the
prakaashaka (the source of the illumination) of time, so I am the
eternal Satya.
12) During the waking state, I know the world through the mind and
the indreeyas. During the dreaming state, I know the world only
through my mind. During the deep sleep state, I know the absence of
the world without the mind or the indreeyas. That is why I am Gnanswarup.
I am the Gnan that is aware of the world during the waking state. I
see dreams when I am in the dream state. When I am fast asleep, I
am not aware of the waking and dream states. This I is the sakshi.
13) This body is an earthen pot, because it is made of the panch
mahabhootas. Just as a person who sees a pot is separate from it, I
am the sakshi of this body, and separate from it. In Vedanta,
prithaka (separate) means vilakshana (different).
14) Let go of the forms, and catch the matter; you will get sattaa
(existence). Let go of the vritti (mental inclinations) and catch the
sakshi; you will obtain Gnan. Think, I am the sanmaatra (pure
existence) that has no form. I am the sakshi of the vrittis. I am
chinmaatra (pure consciousness). I am free of the subtle ego of
having sukha-dukha. I am aanandamaatra (pure bliss). I am the
tattva that is Sacchidananda (Sat = pure existence; Chit = pure
consciousness, Anand = pure bliss; the Brahman.)
15) Let go of the buddhi (intellect) in the Aham-buddhi (the intellect
that makes you feel that you are an individual, separate from the
Brahman), let Aham remain. Let go of the hum in Aham, let a
remain. Hanti hunyate` iti hum he who kills, and dies, is called
hum. Hum means kartritva (the subtle pride of being the karta).
Hum is the root syllable of aakaasha (space). Therefore, Aham
means the I who never dies and cannot be killed; in whom there is
neither karta not karma; in whom even the seed of space is absent.

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16) The chaitanya (consciousness) that stays in the boundaries of the

body during the waking state is called the vishva. The chaitanya
that stays in the body during the dream state is called the taijas, and
the chaitanya that stays in the boundaries of agnan during the deep
sleep state are called praagya. These are the abhimaani (having the
pride of that state) of their own states. I am the sakshi who is
separate from them.
If we let go of the abhimani of the states that come and go in the
individuals body, then the vishwa is the Virat of the universal
waking state, the taijas is the Hiranyagarbha of the universal dream
state, and the pragya is the consciousness that is free of abhimana, is
called the sakshi in the individual. This sakshi is the Brahman, and
the adhishthaana (substratum) of everything in creation. The sakshi
is none other than I. The Upanishads say that the sakshi Atma is the
Brahman. Ayamaatmaa brahm (Mundaka Upanishad 1). Therefore,
I am the Brahman.
17) I glimmer; the body also glimmers (in the waking and dream
states), and does not glimmer (in the deep sleep state), but I always
glimmer. Nobody can have the Gnan, I dont exist. The body is a
bhaasamaana (glimmering object) that can be negated; I am the
bhasamana that cannot be negated. Therefore, the body is mithya and
I the sakshi am Satya.
18) Six bhaava (changing states) exist in the body, but dont exist in
me. The body is attached to the aadhyaatmika (metaphysical),
aadhidaivik (supernatural) and aadhibhautik (physical) suffering.
The ahankara that is attached to them experiences sukha-dukha, but I
am the sakshi who is beyond them.
19) When something is believed to be excellent, there is a wish to
obtain it, and then an effort for obtaining it. If the effort is successful,
the person gets lobha (greed), and wants more. If the effort is
unsuccessful, the person experiences krodha (anger). Lobha gives
rise to moha (delusion) and krodha leads to hinsaa (violence). All
this happens on its own volition in the gross and subtle bodies. I am
completely detached from it. I am like space aloof and unaffected.
Vikaras happen naturally. Sanskaara (subtle subconscious
impressions) are inculcated. Aakaara (forms) are obtained according

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to past actions. Prakaara (types) are according to the individual

temperament. We should be free of them.
20) I am the sakshi, asanga (unattached) chetan, therefore, I am
completely unconnected to karmas.
21) The body keeps changing. I the sakshi remain unchanged. I
am avyaya (unending) because I have never given up my svaroopa
(essence).
22) The Atma is the Sat. I exist. It is the de`ha (gross body) that is
asat (transient), the jagat (this gross world). There can be no mutual
relationship between the Atma and the deha. All relationships are
imagined. They serve the purpose of worldly interaction.
23) Vyaadhi (physical suffering) is in the gross body, and aadhi
(mental suffering) is in the subtle body. I, the sakshi, am free of
disease all the problems and confusion is in the upaadhee
(superimposition connected to an object) of the body.
24) Gnan is that, in which there is no pride of having Gnan. I am the
gyaataa (one who has the Gnan), but I have no pride of being the
knower. I am the shuddha saakshee chinmaatra (witness who is pure
consciousness) in which nothing exists. I am separate from the gyata.
25) When any object is known through words, but does not exist,
that is called vikalpa. Maya, avidya, agnan, bhe`da-buddhi (the
intellect that shows differences) etc are some of the vikalpas. They
do not abide in the antahkaran, but have been embedded in it by the
superimpositions of the Shastras. It is agnan that is called the
kaarana shareera (causal body). This kaarana shareer is an
imaginary illusion in I, the sakshi.
26) The gross body is the kaarya (effect) of Tamo guna. The actions
in it are of Rajo guna. The shaanti (peace), Gnan and sukha are of
Sattva guna. I am not the gross, subtle, or causal body; therefore, I
am nirguna (free of the three gunas). The mental inclinations of the
Sattva, Raja and Tama gunas come and go in the antahkaran. I am
merely the sakshi of these inclinations, therefore, I am nishkreeya
(inactive), and so there is no avidya, desire, or action in me.
28) Since I am nirguna, nishkriya, asanga, free of the gross, subtle
and causal bodies, and I am the unchanging Tattva, death and rebirth
cannot touch me. Therefore, I am not a jeeva of this interactive
world.
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29) I am Gnan. I am the sakshi. Gnan is where no agnan exists. A

gyaataa (one who has the Gnan) is not separate from Gnan.
30) Where is the Paramatma? He is in our body. He is nothing that is
separate from your I.
31) The gross body is made of the pancha mahabhootas; therefore,
the pancha mahabhootas are beyond the body. However, being five,
they are also a form. Their basic cause Prakriti is beyond them.
The drashta who sees Prakriti is separate from it. When a person
obtains the Gnan that the drashta is the non-dual Brahman, Prakriti
gives up her existence. Then, the Atma is left as the basic Tattva.
This Atma-tattva is beyond the body even though it abides in the
body.
32) Dukha is caused by believing the body to be I and mine.

Chapter XI

209

The Many Opinions Regarding The Swarup of the Atma.

The gross parts of the body are made from the prithvi tattva (the
element of earth). The liquid parts are made from the jala tattva (the
element of water). The warmth in the body is made from the agni
tattva (the element of fire). Breathing and movement is possible
because of the vaayu tattva (the element of wind). The vacant parts
of the body contain the aakaasha tattva (the element of space, or
sky). The cause of sankalpa (resolves) and the mind is the
ahankaara (subtle ego of individuality). The mahat tattva (universal
intelligence) is the cause of vichaara (deep thought), and Prakriti is
the cause of deep sleep.
What is the cause of the Gnan of the I that pulsates in your body?
That is the Atma.
Atma means I. Everybody accepts that they exist in the present
tense, but opinions differ regarding What am I? The dispute is
whether the Atma existed before the birth of the body, whether it will
continue to exist when the body is no more, whether it is only the
gross body, or whether it is the karta-bhokta, separate from the body.
Is it the same as the body, or is it in some part of the body; whether it
stays in the body and also pervades everything in it and outside, etc.
Agnan about the swarup is the cause of these different opinions. The
method of Gnan is to contradict all the different opinions about the
essence of the Atma. The Gnan that is free of adhyaaropa
(superimpositions) is Tattvagnan. Anaaropitakaaram tattvam.
1. The Charvak philosophy: The body is the Atma.
The body that has consciousness is the Atma. This is what the
uncultured people and non-believers say. They are the Charvaks.
Most people are of this opinion. They rely only on pratyaksha
pramaana (proved by the experience of the senses) for their concept
of anvay-vyatire`ka (mutual relationship of cause and effect
negation).
The Charvaks speak with sweetness. They say, My brother, this
body of yours is the Atma. Neither have you come from anywhere,
nor will you go anywhere when you die. The whole play lasts as long
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as you are alive. Who knows about past and future births? The best
achievement in life is to enjoy yourself as much as you can. Death is
the only Moksha.
Ask them, What is the chaitanya (consciousness) in the de`ha
(body)? They will say, Oh, that is an adjective of the four bhootas
prithvi, jala, agni and vayu. If a seed of a water lily is thrown into a
pond, it gives out a shoot and flowers. The flower is blue. Blue is an
adjective of the flower. Similarly, this body is made out of four
bhootas, and consciousness is its adjective, in the form of the feeling,
I exist. The adjective will exist only as long as the body exists.
Chaitanya is not a separate object; it is an expansion of jadataa
(insensate matter). The Atma is nothing more than the deha.
But, what does deha means? De`hee upachaye` is the root of the
word deha. The meaning of deha is, a heap. The deha is a heap of
bones, skin, blood, stool, urine, etc. It is the gross body. No human
being can say, I am the body. People say, I am a human being, I am
a Brahmin, Grihastha, etc. That means, people have an adhyas in the
form, or in Dharma, or Ashram. Nobody has the adhyas of being the
body. The gross body is the drishya of the drashta, and I am the
drashta. The body is gye`ya (that, which is known). People feel,
This body is mine, so how can they be the body? Since the body is
a sanghaata (assemblage) it is meant for the use of others, not for
itself. The body is for me; therefore, I am not the body.
2. The indreeyas or prana are the Atma.
Another opinion is that the deha can neither know, nor do anything
without the help of the indreeyas. I am a man/woman. I see and
hear, etc, are all possible because of the indreeyas. Therefore, the
indreeyas are the Atma.
Basically, this philosophy is also Charvak. The main weakness in this
is that there are many indreeyas, whereas I is contradictory to
multiplicity. Every person has the experience, I, who hears, is the
same I who speaks. All the indreeyas are for me; I am not the
separate indreeyas. The combined indreeyas cannot be the Atma
either, because to combine the many into one strand, there should be
a separate I that exists in each anvita (inherent in) and vyatirikta
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(separate) component. Secondly, Gnan is present even though none

of the indreeyas are active in the dream state, so the indreeyas cannot
be the source of Atma-Gnan. Similarly, prana cannot be the support
of Gnan because the prana is drishya. Nobody can have the Gnan, I
am the prana.
3. The mind is the Atma.
The third opinion is that the mind is the Atma. According to this
theory, it is the mind that provides Gnan during the waking state.
Even in the dream state when the indreeyas are inactive it is the
mind that gives Gnan about dreams. Therefore, the mind is the Atma
supported by Gnan.
However, this mind is like a master of disguise. It changes
innumerable forms in a day, but the samvit (intelligence;
consciousness) of the Atma remains one. The I who was agnani
became a Gnani, but the I remained the same. So, the Atma cannot
be the mind. Resolves and doubts come to the mind; so do feelings
and distortions. We have the option of identifying with them or not.
The mind is absent during the deep sleep state, but the person is
aware of its absence. Therefore, the mind cannot be the Atma
supported by Gnan.
4. The buddhi is the Atma.
The fourth opinion is that it is the buddhi that controls the mind, so
the buddhi is the Atma. What is the buddhi? It is vigyaanamaatra
(only applied knowledge), and so, vigyanmatra (only knowledge) is
the Atma. The Buddhists who are kshanik vigyaanavaadee (believe
that life is temporary intelligence) say that the momentary buddhi
is the Atma.
The objection to this theory is the question who has the vigyaana
(knowledge) of its being momentary? It is I who has this vigyan. If
I am temporary, I am born and I die every moment. Experience
contradicts this. Buddhi is absent in the deep sleep state, but Gnan is
present. Therefore, I am not an Atma that is the buddhi supported by
momentary consciousness
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The pulsating of the ahamasmi (feeling of I exist) has aham (I)

and asmi (exist). Asmi is the sattaa (existence) and Aham is the
pratyaya (belief). Asmi is the earth and Aham is the pot made of
earth. The earth is Satya; the pot is imagined. Similarly, asmi is Satya
and Aham is the form imagined in it.
Ahamasmi, ahamasmi, ahamasmi pulsated three times. The first
Aham was the first moment, the second Aham was the second
moment, and the third Aham was the third moment. The past, present
and future are imagined in the Aham, but the asmi is the same in all
three. The asmi is one, and it is in the present tense. It is pratyaksha
(experienced directly by the senses) and is astimaatra (inactive
existence). The belief of Aham is like a wave, and asmi is like the
space. Aham is like the breath and asmi is like air.
The changing mental inclinations I, I, I, and the one vigyan in them
is the Atma. The fleeting movements of the buddhi that fluctuates
between the Aham and the idam (this, not I) is not the Atma.
5. The Atma is shoonya.
The Madhyamik Buddhists are of the opinion that the Atma is
shoonya (a vacuum). They say that the Gnan of the aham-idam (Ithis) is not present during the deep sleep state.
Then, what is present during the deep sleep state?
Nothing; because nothing is known as I or this (the body). Or, you
can say that only shoonya remains. Aham-idam emerge when the
person awakens, and so, shoonya is the Atma supported by Gnan
the gnaanaalambanaatmaa.
If you ask, What is the svaroopa (form; essence) of shoonya? they
will say, It is a desert without a grain of sand. It is a forest without a
single tree. It is a fire without flames. It is water without any drops. It
is space with nothing in it.
Antahshoonyam bahirshoonyam shoonyakumbhamivaambare`.
The fact is that the Buddhists believe this shoonya to be chatushkoti
vinirmukta anirvachaneeya indescribable, and free of the
chatushkoti (four boundaries). The chatushkoti is asti (existence),
naasti (non-existence), asti-naasti (existence and non-existence),

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naasti-na-naasti (no existence at all). The shoonya Atma is

vinirmukta (free) of this chatushkoti.
Bhagwan Shankaracharya asks, Sasaakshikam nisaakshikam vaa?
Does your Atma, that is the form of shoonya, have a sakshi or not? If
there is no sakshi, the shoonya is imagined. Nobody can have the
experience of being a vacuum. The sakshi of the Gnan, I exist, and
the absence of this Gnan during the deep sleep state cannot be
shoonya. There has to be some form of consciousness. Therefore, the
shoonya cannot be the Atma.
The deha, indreeya, mana, buddhi and shoonya can not be the Atma
that is established by the Upanishads, because the Shrutis (Vedic
statements) say that the tvam-padaartha aatmaa (the Atma that is the
you factor) is the tat-padaartha eeshvara (the Ishwara indicated by
That), the Brahman. Moreover, none of these (deha, indreeya etc)
have the capacity to be one with the Ishwara-Brahman.
6. The opinion of the Purva Mimansa and Nyaya.
The Purva Mimansa and Nyaya schools of thought believe that the
Atma is separate from the gross and subtle body that is the sansaaree
(of the interactive world) jeeva who is the karta, bhokta, sansari, and
paricchinna (separate), but there is a purpose behind this. The feeling
of being a jeeva is an adhyas (superimposition caused by
conditioning) on the Atma, and it is given by the Shastras. It has been
made clear in the Dehatraya Vivek that the sakshi is also the sakshi
of the ahankara of being the karta and bhokta. Thus, the sakshi is
beyond the ahankara.
Then, why do the Upanishads call the Atma the jeeva? Well, just as
the indreeya of the eyes is not the Atma, but the Atma is called the
drashta (the one who sees) because of the upadhi (superimposition
connected to something); the mana (mind), is not the Atma, but is
called the mantaa (the one who thinks) because of the upadhi of the
ahankara and the organs of action, and is called the bhokta because
of the upadhi of the ahankara and the mana.
The purpose of calling the Atma the karta-bhokta is to reduce the
activities in the life of a mumukshu. There is a deliberate inculcation
of sanskaras, and the vivek of Dharma-adharma remains awake for
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the benefit of the interactive world. This is the path of the upliftment
of the Self, and the foundation of the Gnan that there is no kartritva
(feeling of being the doer, etc) in the Atma.
The fact is that the shuddha chaitanya (pure consciousness) is never
a karta-bhokta. A person believes himself to be a karta-bhokta
because of agnan. Purva Mimansa and Nyaya, however, believe that
the shuddha chaitanya is actually the karta-bhokta-sansari and
parichinna. This is against the principle of Vedanta; else, neither can
the Atmas tvam-padaartha (you factor) be established as the tatpadaartha (that factor), nor can Moksha be established as an
eternal state of liberation.
Vedanta says that the Atma is believed to be the karta because of
adhyaaropa (superimposition), but when both the upadhis of kaaryakaarana (effect and cause) are negated, the feelings of being the
karta etc are negated simultaneously.
The swarup of the Atma is chaitanya, non-dual, Sat, Chit, and Anand.
Matter glimmers like a mirage in it, with the predominance of its
portion of Sat. Bhoga (pleasant and unpleasant experiences) seem
real in the Atma with the predominance of its portion of Chit, and a
false feeling of sukha is felt to reside in the seeming reality of the
objects, the appearance of objects, and the impressions of their being
a form of sukha, are the bhraanti (false understanding) of the Atmas
portions of Sat, Chit and Anand. These are called asti, bhaati and
priya, and they are caused by agnan. In the process, the object
becomes Sacchidananda, and the Atma becomes a separate kartabhokta sansari.
People believe themselves to be Sacchidananda and also believe that
they are small, kartas and bhoktas of small things, and having small
joys. They have not freed themselves from their identification with
their bodies; else, what is the cause of the limitation of their actions
and pleasures? Their false understanding about their Sat-swarup,
which is Satya, makes them think that they are the body. Their
bhranti about their Chit swarup makes them think they have limited
Gnan, and their bhranti about their Anand swarup makes them think
that their joy is limited.
When you attach yourself to the karmendriyas, believing them to be
I and mine, you become a karta. You merge your Self into the
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karmendriyas and merge them into your Self. That is a paraspara

adhyaasa (mutual superimpositions) caused by conditioning. It gives
birth to the feeling of being the karta. Similarly, merging your Self
with the sense organs leads to believing yourself to be the gyata.
When you get attached to pleasant and unpleasant sanskaras, you
believe yourself to be the bhokta who is sukhi or dukhi. When you
attach yourself to desires, you feel you are a sansari. Attaching
yourself to the body makes you feel that you have been born and will
die one day. All these are perceived in the Atma because of adhyas;
they are not Satya.
This chetan Atma attaches all the appendages to itself, and becomes
a jeeva. The Atma merges into the body and becomes the King of
this city of nine gates (the body has nine openings). He considers
himself to be the karta, bhokta, sansari and separate. Agnan about his
indivisible essence and false belief of separateness causes this
delusion.
The Atma becomes a jeeva when trapped by six offences. (1)
Ignorance about his own indivisible essence, the Brahman. (2)
Believing himself to be a separate jeeva. (3) Believing that he has
desires, that he comes and goes, and is a part of the interactive world.
(4) Thinking that he is the bhokta who has the pleasant and
unpleasant experiences. (5) Believing himself to be the karta who has
karmendriyas, and is a paapi or punyatma (sinner or pious). (6)
Believing himself to be the gross body that is born and dies.
From where did these six offences come into the Atma? Bhagwan
Shankaracharya is of the opinion that they have all come because of
avichaara (lack of deep thought). These aaropa (superimposed
impressions) have been accepted in the Atma without doing vichaara
(giving deep thought), surrendering to the Guru, listening to
discourses on Vedanta, etc. The false impressions, and the problems
they create, are removed when a person does vichara, satsang,
surrenders to his Guru, etc. Moksha would not be established if a
person comes to a conclusion about the Tattva without doing vichar
and understanding the reasoning of the Shrutis.
7. The opinion of Sankhya.

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Followers of the Sankhya philosophy say that the Atma is the bhokta
who abides in the body. The Atma is the Purusha, the Atma
supported by Gnan, unattached, multiple, and the bhokta. However,
the Atma is not the karta because Prakriti is the kartri (the doer in the
feminine gender).
It is illogical to say that someone is just the karta, or just the bhokta.
Why? I will explain.
The bhokta is one and the sense objects are many. How can variety
come into bhoga (experiences) if there is no action? It is clear that
there is a variety of experiences. Therefore, it is not tenable to say
that the Atma is just the bhokta and not the karta. The fact is that he,
who is the bhokta, is also the karta.
Secondly, what is the meeting point between the karta and the
bhokta? When you eat a meal, is it a karma or a bhoga (the fruit of
past karmas)? No kind of fruit can have the capacity to be Dharmaadharma. The fruit of past actions should not create new fruit.
Punishment does not result in new punishments. Eating, however,
entails paapa-punya. When you lift the morsel of food to your mouth,
it is a karma; and when your tongue savors the taste, it is a bhoga.
Karma is done by the karmendriya; bhoga is done by the
gnanendriya. Since it is buddhi that makes the hand rise, there is
kartritva (the subtle pride of being the karta) in the action, hence,
paapa-punya are included in the rules of eating. There is, thus, no
meeting point between karma and bhoga, or the karta-bhokta.
If you say that the karta is free to do, not do, or do something else,
the fact is that no being is independent. The bhokta is also
dependent; else, who would choose to suffer? Therefore, the jeeva is
a bhokta but not a karta in the Sankhya philosophy.
In reply, the Vedas say that where the karta-bhokta are real,
independence-dependence are also real. At that level, a separate, allknowing, all-powerful Ishwara who rules the jeevas is accepted.
Sankhya, however, does not believe in an Ishwara, so this argument
of Sankhya has no value.
In Vedanta, the karta-bhokta are not real; they are imagined in the
pristine form of the Atma. They are superimpositions. They are mere
perceptions. Therefore, when a person obtains Gnan about the true
form of the Atma, he obtains the Gnan that the perception of
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independence-dependence is not Satya. He gets the Gnan that the

Atma of the karta-bhokta jeeva is the Ishwara.
The world that Sankhya believes to be Satya is, according to
Vedanta, for people who have agnan. The Purusha who is the
drashta of Prakriti is connected to karma and bhoga, when he is in
a state of agnan. That is why he is parichinna and sansari. He has no
Gnan about his indivisible swarup. The drashtas being established in
his swarup is also sullied by the agnan of his indivisible essence,
because his faulty understanding about the existence of duality has
not been removed. For him, other drishya (scenes) other drashtas,
and a world that is the form of another Ishwara are real.
8. The opinion of the upasakas.
The upaasaka (who worship the Ishwara with loving devotion) say
that the karta, bhokta, sansari, parichinna jeeva cannot do without the
Ishwara. An Ishwara, who is separate, has to be accepted. The jeevas
Gnan and shakti (power) are very limited. He is ruled (by the
Ishwara), and his body is separate, so it must be accepted that he is
governed by the all-knowing Ishwara. Therefore, the Atma of the
jeeva supported by Gnan is also the Ishwara, and that Ishwara is
separate from the jeeva who is the bhokta; even though the jeeva and
the Ishwara are chetan, and the form of Gnan. The relationship
between the jeeva and the Ishwara is that of the ruled and the ruler.
The viewpoint of Advaita Vedanta is that the bodies are the effect of
the pancha bhootas, in the Atma that is chetan. Their causes are the
upadhis that are perceived, but have no permanent existence. In the
same way, the upadhis like the bodies etc are caused by the upadhi of
Maya, who also shows the upadhi of the Ishwara in the chetan Atma.
The chaitanya that has the upadhi of being the effect is called the
jeeva, and the chetan that has the upadhi of being the cause, is called
the Ishwara. Maya (which is the cause) rules over the body, (the
effect); and agnan makes the jeeva believe that he is being ruled by
the chaitanya Ishwara. When a person obtains Gnan, he realizes that
the jeeva and the Ishwara are both shuddha chaitanya (pristine
consciousness). In the eyes of the upasakas, the difference between
the jeeva and the Ishwara is Satya. Vedanta, however, says that the
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difference is only for the purpose of interaction; it is not

paaramaarthik (real). This difference is negated by the
brahmaatmaikya bodha the knowledge that the Brahman and the
Atma are one.
Question: Who gives the fruit of the good and bad deeds of the
jeeva? What is the basis of the governing of the jeeva and the jagat
(interactive world)? There is no option but to believe it to be the
Ishwara.
Answer: Purva Mimansa does not believe in the Ishwara. They say
that the karma gives its own fruit. Karma done in keeping with the
rules creates an apoorva (latent fruit).
The upasaks say that karma and its apoorva are jada (insensate), and
therefore, incapable of giving any fruit or controlling the jeeva or
jagat. That is why it is necessary to accept the Ishwara-chetan.
9. The opinion of Vedanta.
Vedanta accepts an Ishwara, but the Ishwara is not independent in
giving the fruits of peoples actions, or in controlling them. Some of
the actions of the jeeva are a factor in this. If karma is not accepted
as a connecting link, two faults become clear: akritaabhyaagama
dosha and kritanaasha or kritaviparinaama dosha.
The jeeva has got some sorrow. If this is not the fruit of some past
deed of his, it is an injustice. That is the akritaabhyaagam dosha.
And, if the jeevas past good actions are allowed to pass without his
getting the sukha he should get, that will also be an injustice. This is
the kritanaasha dosha. Then, who on earth will want to do good
deeds? Therefore, there is a connection between the karma, bhoga,
and the jeeva who is the bhokta. That connection is the chetan. This
principle is confirmed by the Shrutis.
Sankhyas rejection of the Ishwara is illogical. The Sankhyas Atma
is the bhokta, not the karta; but how can every bhokta of the karta get
different kinds of bhoga? Therefore the Atma (attached to the
individual) should be the karta as well as the bhokta. If that be the
case, the principle of Sankhya is destroyed.

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If you say that the Ishwara is the nimitta (instrumental factor) in this
as the Sankhyavadis who accept the Ishwara believe then, does
the Ishwara give the fruits at His own sweet will, or in keeping with
the karmas of the individuals? If He gives the fruits at His own sweet
will, it will have the dosha of akritaabhyaagama and
kritaviparinaam, as explained above. If He gives the fruits according
to the individuals karmas, it becomes the opinion of Vedanta.
The Purusha in Sankhya is the drashta. The drashta (one who sees)
will see, so he is the drashta of Prakriti. It makes no difference to the
drashta whether Prakriti is chanchala (restless) or sthira (still). The
chitta being restless is the state of the drashtas identification with the
mental inclinations, and the chitta being still is the state of the
drashtas identification with mental peace. Neither of these can be
the cause in the bhoga of the drashta. This shows that the drashtas
being the witness is his being the bhokta. This is Vedantas opinion.
Bhoktritvam naama upalabdhritvam.
Sankhyavadis believe the Atma to be the bhokta, and Prakriti to be
the bhogya (the object that is experienced). Their Atma is the bhokta
of the anand of Prakriti; it is not, itself, the form of Ananda.
Therefore, the Atma becomes a beggar of anand, and identifies with
the vikaara (mutation; distortion) of Prakriti, to obtain anand. As a
result, it cannot be free of raga-dvesha. This is the condition of the
Atma who is the bhokta.
To avoid any disruption in anand, and obtain more of it, it is
imperative to accept the Ishwara as the Master of Prakriti. The Yoga
Darshan describes this as the bliss of Samadhi. It says,
Kleshakarma vishaakaashayairaparaamrishtah purushavishe`sha
eeshvarahah (Yoga Darshan 1. 24), the purusha vishe`sha (the
special Purusha) who has risen beyond the actions that cause
agitation is the Ishwara. He is the seed of being supremely
omniscient, and the Guru of all Gurus. Tatra niratishayam
sarvagya beejam, poorve`shaamapi guruh kale`naanavachhe`dat
(Yoga Darshan 1. 25-26). By calling Him purusha vishesha, the
Yoga Darshan has separated the Ishwara from the jeeva.
If someone believes himself to be the karta-bhokta, parichinna jeeva,
but does not believe in the omniscient, all-powerful Ishwara who is

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separate from him, he cannot obtain sukha. If your small sukha is not
connected to infinite sukha, the small sukha will end.
What is the Ishwara like? He is like you. If you are the chetan, the
Ishwara is also the chetan. If you have a body, the Ishwara also has a
body. The difference is in the dependence-independence. You are
blundering in the world of agnan; He takes the form of an Avatar as a
sport, using His Maya. The day you obtain the Gnan that you are the
nitya (eternal), buddha (enlightened), mukta (liberated), free of the
sajaateeya-vijaateeya-svagatabhe`da (all differences of common and
uncommon factors), Sacchidananda, advaya (non-dual) Brahman,
your Ishwara will no longer have a separate form or existence.
The fact is that the Ishwara who is the Brahman is your
pratyagaatmaa (own Atma), and the support of the Gnan,
ahamasmi (I exist). The difference between the Ishwara and the
jeeva lasts only during the period of agnan. When a person gets
Gnan, the Ishwara and the jeeva are one. Or, you can say that they
are two names of the same object.
People create differences by debating on the Avatars, but the purpose
of the Avatars is to negate differences, not establish them. I tell you
this from personal experience.
Is this Ishwara who is the Atma the bhokta or not? If He is the
bhokta He will also have to be the karta. If He is the karta of utpattipralaya (creation-dissolution), He will get the paapa-punya for these,
and be sukhi-dukhi as well. Being the karta, the Ishwara has to be the
bhokta of the karma-fala (fruit of His karmas). He will be paratantra
(ruled by another), and His status as the Ishwara will be marred.
Therefore, the Ishwara us not the bhokta; He is the antaryaamee (one
who abides in the heart) of the bhokta. The Ishwara is the form of
sukha; He is not the bhokta of sukha.
You may say that the Ishwara is not the bhokta, but He is the
bhojayitaa (the one who gives bhoga), while the jeeva is the bhokta.
Or, the Ishwara is the samashti bhoktaa (universal bhokta) and the
jeeva is the vyashti bhoktaa (individual bhokta). The fact is that the
Ishwara who is the shuddha chetan is actually the abhoktaa (one
who is not the bhokta), but appears to be the bhokta because of
Maya. The difference between the vyashti and samashti is also
because of identifying with the body, because it is not real. If there is
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no identification with the body then, neither will one body be

established as the individual bhokta, nor the Ishwara as the universal
bhokta. Only the shuddha chaitanya sakshi will remain. That is the
Brahman, and the I who is the Atma of all.
In Vedanta, the drik (vision), the drashta, is chetan; and the drishya is
jada. The drashta is not the one whose dharma is to see (know). The
drashta is he, whose swarup is awareness. That means, the drashtasakshi is gnaanasvaroopa (the form of Gnan); he is not the dharmee
(one who has the natural dharmas) of the guna of Gnan. Vedanta says
that the drik is the Brahman, and the non-dual Sacchidananda,
whereas the drishya is mithya.
The drashta (drik) is known in two forms upahita and anupahita.
Upahita means, with an upadhi and anupahita means, without any
upadhi. The chetan that is free of any upadhi is the Brahman. The
chetan attached to an upadhi is experienced in two forms:
kaaryopaadhika (with a body that is created by Prakriti) chaitanya
that is called the jeeva; and the kaaranopaadhika (that is attached to
Prakriti or Maya) chaitanya, that is called the Ishwara.
The drishya may be anything, but it remains Satya as long as the
person does not get Gnan about its adhishthaana (substratum; the
Brahman). The drishya becomes mithya as soon as Gnan is obtained.
Then, even the upadhi that separates the jeeva and the Ishwara
becomes mithya; and the difference between the jeeva and the
Ishwara also becomes mithya.
The Ishwara is He, who is present as the Atma of all, everywhere, all
the time. If you dont recognize Him as the Atma, you wont be able
to recognize Him in Swarga or Vaikuntha (the realm of Vishnu
Bhagwan). The Ishwara is present where the desire to seek Him is,
and where the Aham who strives to find Him, is. He is your Atma;
you are He.

Chapter XII
Panchakosha Sakshi Vivek.
(Discrimination of the sakshi and the five sheaths of the Atma)

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2. Panchakosha Avatarana.
Come, let us search out the real Atma in the gross body! It has been
established that the Atma is the sakshi of the sthoola (gross),
sookshma (subtle) and kaarana (causal) shareera (bodies). It is
vyatirikta (separate) from them. We are now to seek it in the form of
the sakshi of the pancha kosha (five sheaths).
The Brahmavalli Prakaran of the Taittareya Upanishad commences
with the words, Brahmavid aapnoti param. The brahmavit (knower
of the Brahman) obtains the supreme Brahman. That means, a person
who has experienced his Atma as the Brahman becomes niratishaya
vrihat (the greatest; the Brahman). Here, knowing (Gnan) is the
saadhanaa (effort for spiritual progress), and the mumukshu who
is in a state of agnan, but striving to obtain the Brahman is the
Brahmavit. What he obtains is the Brahman, because the only thing
that can be obtained by the Gnan of the Brahman is the Brahman. A
mumukshu is eager to obtain an imagined, unknown Brahman who
he believes to be separate from him; but ultimately, he gets the direct
personal experience the saakshaad aparoksha anubhav that his
Atma is the Brahman.
What is this Brahman like? The Brahman is Satya, He is Gnan, and
He is ananta (infinite; endless). Satyamgnaanamanantam brahm
(Taittareeya Upanishad 2. 1). He is not the asat (vacuum) of the
Buddhists. He is ananta (endless; infinite), meaning, He is
aparicchinna (indivisible). Being anant, He is not kshanik (transient).
The Brahman has also been called gnaanam to indicate that He is
separate from the Prakriti of Sankhya. In the Brahman, Gnan is also
aparichinna and anant. Being the ananta sat (infinite existence), the
Brahman is the substratum of everything; He is the adhikarana
(substratum) of the abhaava (absence) of all names and forms. Being
ananta chit (infinite consciousness), the Brahman is the essence of
pure consciousness, undivided by the triad of the gyaataa (knower),
Gnan, and gye`ya (that, which is known). Therefore, the question of
the existence of many jeevas in Him does not arise. Nor is the
difference between the jeeva and the Ishwara established. This anant
sat-chit Brahman is established in His own greatness, as being nondual amidst all differences. This state is His anant Anand. He
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pulsates as the Aham (I) of every being. He is the Atma supported by

Gnan. He is the eternal support and substratum of all, and He is the
Brahman that supports anand.
Why is such a Brahman agyaata (unknown)? This special form of
the Brahman is hidden in the cave of the buddhi. Yo ve`da nihitam
guhaayaam parame` vyoman (Taittareeya Upanishad 2. 6). There
are many opinions about the Atma, like, I am the body, indreeyas,
praana, mana, buddhi, ahankara, jeeva, shoonya, Ishwara, etc. You
can consider them to be the caves in which the Brahman is hidden.
The method of Vedanta is that it does not negate any experience
without doing vichar. And, to do vichar it is necessary to do
adhyaaropa (superimpose a belief or concept). To give the
experience of this, the Shruti of the Taittareya Upanishad says,
Satyam gnaananamanantam brahm. It divides the vikalpa
(ambiguity) of the Atma into five classes. The graded
superimpositions of these on the Brahman, as having brahmattva
(the characteristics of the Brahman) is done, and the apavaada
(contradiction) is done simultaneously. Ultimately, the apavad of the
apavad is done, and the Gnan of the pratyag aatmaa which is
beyond contradiction is established as the Brahman. These five
kakshaa (classes) are called pancha kosha. A silkworm is called
koshakaara, and the scabbard of a sword is called a kosha.
Therefore, a covering is called a kosha. There are five koshas in the
body. They hide the fact that the Atma is the Brahman. The Atma is
separate from these five koshas.
The five koshas are: annamaya, praanamaya, manomaya,
vigyaanamaya, and aanandamaya kosha.
1. Annamaya kosha and annamaya Purush.
The annamaya kosha is made of anna (food) and rasa (juice), is
nourished by them, and merges into them. This is the gross body, and
the Atmas annamaya kosha.
The chaitanya Purush pervades this annamaya body from tip to toe.
The Gnan, I am the gross body, is the Gnan of the annamaya
Purusha. Tasmaadvaa e`tasmaadaatmana aakaashah sambhootah,
aakaashaadvaayuh, vaayoragnih, agne`raapah, adbhyah prithivyaa
oshadhayah, oshadheebhyonnam, annaatpurushah. Sa vaa e`va
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purushonnarasamayah. Tasyarasame`va shirah, ayam dakshinah

pakshah, ayamuttarah pakshah, ayamaatmaa, idam puchham
pratishthaa. (Taittareya Upanishad 2. 1. 1)
Anna grows from the prithvi (earth), and the prithvi is created from
jala (water). Water is created from agni (fire). Fire is created from
the vaayu (wind), and the wind is created from the aakaasha (space).
Space is created from the Atma. Thus, the Atma manifests as the
gross body. That being the case, is the body the kaarya (effect) of the
Atma, or is it the vikaara (mutation; deterioration) of the Atma?
The body can neither be the karya nor the vikara of the Atma,
because the Atma is not subject to mutation, or becoming the effect
of something. It is clear that the body is drishya (that, which is seen,
and is not the one who sees). The superimposition done by the
Shrutis is meant to awaken the vive`ka (discrimination) that the body
is either the effect, or the mutation of the pancha bhootas. The
pancha bhootas are created by the Atma or Brahman, therefore, their
praagbhaava (creation) and pradhvansaabhaava (destruction) are in
the Brahman, and they are mithya. Only the Brahman, their
substratum, is Satya. So, how can the body which is the effect of
the mithya pancha bhoota be Satya? Therefore, the annamaya
shareer in the annamaya Purush is negated. It is shown to be mithya.
The Purush (the Atma in it), however, is not negated. That Purusha is
the Atma or the Brahman.
The Taittareya Upanishad compares the Brahman to the bird called
tittir (partridge). The parts of a bird have been imagined in the
physical form of the annamaya Purush. The head of the sthoola
shareera (gross body) is the head of this annamaya Purush. You can
take the two arms to be the wings. The central (important) part is the
Atma. The portion below the naval is like the tail. This is the base on
which the whole body is supported.
The annamaya kosha cannot be the Atma even though everyone has
an aham-buddhi (feeling of I) in it. It is explained in the Dehatraya-vivek that the gross body cannot be the Atma. The annamaya
kosha undergoes six changes. It is a sanghaata (assembled object) of
many elements. It is drishya, like a pot. It is subject to rules.

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The purusha the Atma is one, the ruler, and the sakshi of the
drishya and the changes in it. Foolish people believe that they are the
body, and share its bondage and suffering.
The de`haatmabhaava (the feeling, I the body am the Atma) is
established by lack of vichara. The jeevaatmabhaava (feeling, I am
a jeeva, an Atma attached to a body) is established by a little
thought. The brahmaatmabhaava (the feeling, I am the Brahman)
is established by poorna vichaara (complete thought). The jada
(insensate) purusha thinks, I am a jeevatma. Mahatmas who have
vivek and vigyan identify with the Satya essence of the Atma, and
think, I am the Brahman. Whether I am the jeeva or the Brahman, I
cannot be the annamaya kosha. This body does not go to other
realms after death. It cannot be the anant Sat and Chit.
Nobody who has vivek considers himself to be this sack filled with
bones, flesh, skin, stool and urine. Does anyone believe that he is his
shadow or reflection, or his own image seen in a dream? The thought
of being the annamaya kosha should be banished in the same way.
2. The pranamaya kosha and the pranamaya Purush.
More internal than the annamaya kosha and pervading it is the
pranamaya shareera, which is responsible for the bodys actions and
movements. Its parts are the prana (life spirit) and the karmendriyas
(organs of action). The chaitanya that pervades the pranamaya kosha
is called the pranamaya purusha.
A body that has no power to move is called a corpse. When a person
is able to move he gets the Gnan, I am alive. Because of this,
people believe the pranamaya purusha to be their I, the Atma. The
shape of the pranamaya purusha is the same as the shape of the
annamaya kosha, since it pervades the gross body.
The head of the pranamaya purusha is the praana-vaayu (the wind
called prana). Its right part is the vyaana-vaayu and its left part is
the apaana-vaayu. Its Atma is the aakaasha (space), the samaana
vaayu. And, prithvi (earth) is its tail and support. Tasmaadvaa
e`tasmaadannarasamayaadanyoantara
aatmaa
praanamayah
te`naisha poornah. Sa vaa e`sha purushavidha e`sha. Tasya
purushavidhataamanvayam purushavidhah. Tasya praana e`va
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shirah vyaano dakshinah pakshah. areerah vyaano dakshina

pakshah. Apaana uttarah pakshah. Aakaasha aattmaa. Prithivee
puchham pratishthaa. (Taittareya Upanishad 2. 2. 1)
Just as aham-buddhi in the annamaya kosha is imagined because of
avidya, so is the aham-buddhi imagined in the pranamaya kosha.
Like the annamaya kosha, the pranamaya kosha is also drishya. It is
idam-vaachya (indicating this; separate from I). In the deep sleep
state, there is an abhaana (lack of awareness) of the pranas, but there
is no lack of awareness of the aatma-sattaa (the existence of the
Atma; of being alive). Therefore, the sattaa (existence) of prana is
negated. The prana is active during the deep sleep state, but the body
and sense organs are inactive. If somebody takes or leaves anything
near a sleeping person, the pranas do not interfere in any way. So, the
prana is jada how can it be the chetan Atma?
In the pranamaya Prurush, the prana is baadhita (negated) and the
Purush is abaadhita (not subject to being negated). The Purush in the
annamaya Purush is the same as in the pranamaya Purush. It is the
same Purush (Atma) whose external covering is the annamaya kosha
(gross body), and a more internal covering is the pranamaya kosha.
From the viewpoint of the vyaapta-vyaapaka (pervaded-pervading),
it may be said that the pranamaya Purush pervades the body of the
annamaya kosha.
Just as the gross body is called the annamaya kosha, the pranamaya
kosha is a part of the subtle body.
3. The manomaya kosha and the manomaya Purush.
More internal than the pranamaya kosha and pervading it is one more
shareer, and that is the Atma of the pranamaya kosha. Its parts are the
gnaane`ndriya (sense organs) and mana (the emotional mind). It is
called the manomaya kosha. The chetan that pervades this and gives
the buddhi of its being aham-mama (I-mine) is called the manomaya
Purush.
The shape of the manomaya Purush is the same as that of the
pranamaya, which also means the annamaya Purushs shape. The
parts of this Purush are imagined to be: the Yajur Veda is the head,
the Rig Veda is the South side, the Sama Veda is the North side, the
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aade`sha (Vedic instruction) is the Atma, and the Atharva-angiras

mantra
is
the
tail
and
support.
Tasmaadvaa
e`tasmaatpraanamayaadanyontara aatmaa manomayah. Te`naisha
poornah. Sa vaa e`sha purushavidhataamanvayam purushavidhah.
Tasya yajure`va shirah. Rigdakshinah pakshah. Saamottarah
pakshah. Aade`sha aatmaa. Atharvaangirasah puchham pratishthaa.
(Taittareeya Upanishad 2. 3. 1). The purport is that the manomaya
Purush is formed from the Vedas. The Vedic paroksha (unseen) Gnan
of the Atma abides in the manomaya kosha.
Gnan about worldly objects, and the vaasanaa (avid desires) created
by the pleasures of sense objects and actions of past births
including the experiences of other worlds are all in the manomaya
kosha. This kosha is also a part of the subtle body.
The manomaya kosha cannot be the Atma, because it is drishya, it
has an end, it changes, and it is absent during the deep sleep state.
The manomaya kosha is negated in the manomaya Purush. The
Purush is the same as in the annamaya and pranamaya koshas. The
manomaya kosha is the third covering of the Atma.
I am the one who has Gnan, desires, disturbances, and Samadhi,
etc, are the subtle pride of the manomaya Purush.
All Dharma, upasana, and Yoga are done for the purification of the
manomaya kosha. A sullied mind is a cause of bondage, and a
shuddha mind is a cause of Moksha. Even so, the manomaya kosha
is not the Atma. The mind is the refuge of vidyaa (right knowledge)
as well as avidyaa (nescience; delusion).
4. The vigyanmaya kosha and vigyanmaya Purush.
More internal, and pervading the manomaya kosha, is the body that
is the Atma of the manomaya kosha. The gnanendriyas and the
buddhi are its parts (Vivek Chudamani 186). This is called the
vigyanmaya kosha. The chetan that pervades it with the aham-mama
buddhi is called the vigyanmaya Purush. Tasmaadvaa e`tasmaat
manomayaadanyontara aatmaa vignaanamayah. Te`naisha poornah.
Sa vaa e`sha purushavidha e`va. Tasya purushavidhataamanvayam
purushavidhah. Tasya shraddhaiva shirah. Ritam dakshinah

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pakshah. Satyamuttarah pakshah. Yoga aatmaa. Mahah puchham

pratishthaa.(Taittareya Upanishad 2. 4. 1)
The shape of the vigyanmaya Purush is the same as the manomaya
and the annamaya koshas. The parts imagined in the shape of the
vigyanmaya Purush are: shraddhaa (faith) is the head, rit
(righteousness) is the right side, Yoga is the Atma (central section),
and the mahat tattva (universal intelligence) is the tail and support.
This means that the vigyan (applied science) of worldly and Vedic
karmas, the conclusion regarding the essence of Satya in worldly and
Vedic terms, the removal of doubts about the Satya, and the rising of
arguments that confirm the Satya, are the vigyanmaya kosha. The
gnanendriyas and buddhi connected to vritti (mental inclinations)
abide in this kosha. The pride of being the karta also abides here. The
mahat Tattva is the cause of the vyashti buddhi (individual
intelligence), so the vigyanmaya kosha is supported by the mahat
Tattva.
I am the gyaataa (knower) and the karta. I belong to this varna
(class) and ashrama (stage in life). I am either the body, or the
jeevatma separate from the body. I am a paapi, a punyatma, etc.
These are the different kinds of pride, and they are mutations of the
vigyanmaya kosha, because this kosha is pervaded by the three
koshes mentioned before.
This vigyanmaya Purush is the jeeva whose svabhaava (nature) is
Aham. He carries out all worldly and other-worldly activities,
prompted by avid desires carried over from past lives. He
experiences the fruits of past actions, and gets trapped in the cycle of
rebirth. The three stages of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep,
experiences like sukha-dukha, the pride of having a body, and
attachment to the body all abide in the vigyanmaya kosha.
The vigyanmaya kosha is the Sattvik result of the mahat Tattva.
Therefore, it is filled with Gnan, but it is not the Gnan-swarup Atma.
People mistakenly believe it to be the Atma. The fact is that this is an
upadhi a superimposition that is very close to the Gnan-swarup
Atma, and this causes the mistaken belief. All the interaction of the
vigyanmaya kosha is drishya, and subject to change. It retains no
form during the deep sleep state, so it cannot be the Atma.

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5. The anandmaya kosha and the anandmaya Purush.

More internal than the vigyanmaya kosha, and pervading it, is
another kosha, called the anandmaya kosha. It is the Atma of the
vigyanmaya kosha. The chaitanya that pervades it as Aham-mama
is called the anandmaya Purush. Tasmaadvaa e`tasmaad
vignaanamayaadanyontara aatmaanandamayah te`naisha poornah.
Sa vaa e`va purushaavidha e`va. Tasya purushavidhataamanvayam
purushavidhah. Tasya priyame`va shirah. Modo dakshinah pakshah.
Pramoda uttarah pakshah. Aananda aatmaa. Brahm puchham
pratishthaa. (Taittareya Upanishad 2. 5. 1)
The shape of the anandmaya Purush is the same as the vigyanmaya
and annamaya koshas. Its parts are imagined thus: priya (that, which
is pleasing) is the head, moda (delight) is the Southern side, pramod
(pleasure) is the left side, and anand is the Atma. The Brahman is the
tail and support.
Things that seem pleasant because of sanskaara (subtle subconscious
impressions) are called priya. Only the objects, people, and
situations that were experienced as pleasurable in the past are called
priya. In the present tense, the sukha that is received from any of
these is priya. The sukha of obtaining them is pramod. Anand is the
general sukha that pervades all sukha derived in mental inclinations.
Anand is a name of the Brahman. The Brahman is the center of all
sukha, or the Atma of all sukha. Therefore, He is the pratishthaa
(dignity) of the anandmaya kosha. Anandmaya (filled with anand) is
a mutation of anand.
Where is the anandmaya kosha to be found? It is felt clearly and
naturally in the deep sleep state. All differences, like this, that, you,
and the Aham connected to them, are absent in the deep sleep state.
Only sukha pulsates, but this sukha is covered by Tamo guna. The
anandmaya kosha manifests in the waking and other states when
Sattva guna increases and the person obtains the fruits of his past
good deeds. He is in a state of pramod. When the vritti (mental
inclinations) are filled with anand as a result of past good deeds, the
Atma which is the form of anand is reflected clearly in the mind,
creating joyfulness. The bhoktritva (feeling of being the bhokta) of
the jeeva is the anandmaya kosha. The anandmaya kosha cannot not
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be the Atma either, because it is a mutation of Prakriti, is an upadhi,

and it increases or reduces.
The anandmaya Purush has the upadhi of aanandamaya filled with
anand so, it is baadhya (can be negated). The Purush the sakshi
is abaadhya; he cannot be negated. From the annamaya kosha to the
anandmaya kosha, the Purush is the same. He is the Atma of the
anandmaya Purush who is the bhokta, who experiences sukha and
dukha. I am He. Since there is nothing that can negate Him, He is the
Brahman.
6. Pancha kosha sakshi.
The narration of the annamaya and other koshas is for explaining the
matter to the sakshi: This is your hand. The bones, flesh and skin are
the annamaya kosha. If you get paralysis, you cannot raise your hand
because the hand is the annamaya kosha. The power to lift your hand
comes from the pranamaya kosha, which is removed when the
person gets paralysis. The pranamaya kosha is the power for action.
However, the power for movement does not work on its own. Your
hand moves when you want to move it. The wish to move your hand
is called the manomaya kosha.
This is how the pancha koshas should be understood to be present in
the whole body.
You are not the annamaya kosha in this gross body. The gross body
is drishya. It is subject to change and death. You are the drashta. You
are the avikaaree (unchanging), amrita (undying), unaffected sakshi.
You are not the pranamaya kosha in this body, giving it the power to
move. The power is jada (insensate); you are chetan.
Nor are you the manomaya kosha that contains the wish to do
something, because wishes are many but you are one. You are not the
vigyanmaya kosha who is the karta of the wishes because the
karta is not present in the deep sleep state; whereas you, the sakshi,
are present even in the deep sleep state.
The wish of the karta, and the factor that prompts it, is sukha; the
anandmaya kosha. But, you are not the anandmaya kosha either,
because the feeling of having anand is an upadhi, whereas you have
no upadhi. You are aanandaroopa the form of anand. You are
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upalabdhimaatra (what is). All that can be said is that you are all the
objects that seem to be drishya.
All five koshas are active during the waking state. The annamaya
kosha is inactive during the dream state, but the others koshas are
active. Food is digested and blood circulates, hair and nails grow.
Dreams are manomaya (created by the mind). The person feels he is
the karta in his dream, and he experiences sukha. So, we know that
the vigyanmaya kosha and anandmaya kosha are active in the dream
state. The annamaya, manomaya, and vigyanmaya koshas are active
in the deep sleep state.
Dont look at the annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya, vigyanmaya,
and anandmaya koshas. Dont even look at the separate Purushs that
have the pride of those states. Focus on the nirupaadhee (free of
impositions) Purusha who is perceived as the Purush of the five
koshas, is aloof from the good and bad tendencies, and is always
present as the chinmay saakshee (the witness who is pure
consciousness).
These pancha koshas are a cave. The Atma is a lion who lives hidden
in them. The I, who is the Atma and the sakshi of the pancha
koshas, is separate from the koshas.
The method of vichara is to think about one kosha at a time. Am I
this gross body? Then, negate this, using the proof given by the
Shrutis, and by using reason. Continue to ponder upon this until you
reach the firm conclusion that you are not the annamaya kosha.
Then think, Am I the prana? Use the same method to understand
that this is not tenable. Ponder upon this till you come to the firm
conclusion that you are not the pranamaya kosha. The same methods
should be used with regard to all five koshas.
Doubt: We do not get any experience about an Atma that is separate
from the five koshas, so how can I obtain the experience of being the
Atma, and separate from them?
Explanation: It is true that the feeling of I is found in these five
koshas, but the Atma is not the aham pratyaya (feeling of being I);
it is the sakshi of this feeling. The sakshi is beyond the koshas and it
is he who experiences them all. The sakshi does not stay in any of
the koshas; in fact, it is the substratum on which all the koshas abide.
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The sakshi is neither a vishay (object of the senses) nor a vishayee

(one who experiences the vishays). Both are false perceptions of the
sakshi. Just as a snake is perceived in a coiled rope, and this wrong
perception is dispelled when the rope is seen clearly, the sakshi is
falsely perceived as the annamaya and other koshas, as being the
Atma. To obtain the correct understanding of the sakshis pure form,
the I that is actually the Atma, it is necessary to obtain Gnan. The
anubhavaatmaa (the Atma that experiences) can never be an object
that the senses can experience. It can only be perceived as something
else, and that is a bhraanti (false understanding).
There is no Gnan or gyaataa (knower) separate from the Atma.
Ignorance regarding this is not because the Atma does not exist. The
Shruti says that the Atma is svayam-prakaasha (self-effulgent).
Atraayam purushah svayam jyotirbhavati. It is only after the
awareness of the Atma that the whole interactive world is seen. How
can you know the sakshi Atma through whom everything is known?
Tame`va bhaantamanubhaati sarvam tasya bhaasaa sarvamidam
vibhaat (Mundaka Upanishad 2. 2. 10). Ye`ne`dam sarvam
vijaanaati tam ke`na vijaaneeyaat (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 5.
15) Everything is known through the mind, but the mind cannot
know the sakshi Atma who knows it. Yato vaacho nivartante`
apraapya manasaa saha (Taittareeya Upanishad 2. 3. 1).
Doubt: Why should it not be accepted that only the shoonya
(vacuum) exists beyond the pancha koshas?
Explanation: You will have to accept the shoonya having a sakshi, to
establish the existence of shoonya. If the sakshi of the shoonya says
that he is a shoonya, how can he experience being shoonya? The
Shruti of the Taittareya Upanishad says, Asanne`va sa bhavati asad
brahme`ti ve`da che`t (2. 6. 1). He, himself, becomes asat (that,
which is not Satya), who knows the Brahman to be asat. That
means, the Atma is the Brahman.

Chapter XIII
Avasthatraya-Sakshi-Vivek.
(The vivek of the sakshi of the three states)

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1. The three states and their abhimaani (the one who has the subtle
pride of experiencing that state).
There are three well-known states the jaagrita (waking state), svapna
(dream) and sushupti (deep sleep). These three states come and go
every day for everybody. Every human being is aware of them and their
play, but rarely does anyone give thought to them, or to himself. The
seed of aatma-saakshaatkaara (the direct personal experience of the
Atma) rests in this vichar. A discrimination based on the Mandukya
Upanishad is presented here.
Jagrit, swapna and sushupti are states of the chitta (the inclinations of
the mind), and are merely the viewpoint of the chit the consciousness
that is the sakshi Atma.
All five koshas are active in the body during the waking state. The
sakshi experiences the external world because of the inclinations of
avidya trying to obtain sukha. He identifies with his antahkaran
(fourfold mind), and tries, with his mana (emotional mind), indreeya
(senses), and body, to enjoy the sounds, feel, beauty, flavors, and
fragrances.
The waking state is the state of experience. This is the state called the
jagrit avasthaa, in which a person is neither asleep, nor lost in day
dreaming, nor immersed in a Samadhi. He is fully aware of his body
and senses, and the world around him. The play of the waking state is in
the earth, ocean, rivers, cities, people, sun, moon, and the entire
Creation of the jeeva and the Ishwara.
The annamaya kosha becomes inactive during the deep sleep state, but
the other koshas pranamaya, manomaya, vigyanmaya, and anandmaya
remain active. The sakshi sees the world including himself in his
dreams, just as seeing them in the waking state. He has pleasant and
unpleasant experiences through the senses of his dream body. This is
the svapna avasthaa, or dream state.
The play of the dream state is exactly like that of the waking state,
except that the objects in the latter are gross objects; in the former, they
are subtle objects. In the waking state, the sanskaara (subtle
subconscious impressions) like raga-dvesha need karmas to be fruitful,
but in the dream state, the desire is enough. Therefore, the experiences
in the dream state are only forms of desires.
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The condition of a person who loses awareness of the world when

immersed in day dreaming, is like that of being in a dream state. A
person in the dream state does not retain the memory of the waking
state, but a person who is awake often remembers what he dreamt
about. This shows that the abhimani of the waking state is not the same
as the abhimani of the dream state, albeit, the sakshi of both states is the
same.
The abhimani of the waking state is called the vishva, and the abhimani
of the dream state is called the taijas of the antahkaran. Vishwa is an
external abhimani and taijas is an internal abhimani. Since the
annamaya kosha is inactive in the dream state, vishwa the abhimani of
the organs of action is immersed in the taijas. That is why the memory
of the waking state is not retained in the dream state. The antahkaran is
awake even in the waking state, so the taijas does not get totally
immersed in the vishwa, therefore, the person remembers his dream
when he wakes up.
The pranamaya and anandamaya koshas remain active when the deep
sleep state renders the annamaya, manomaya and vigyanmaya koshas
inactive. The sakshi experiences no gross or subtle play of the waking
or dream states. He does not even have the thought, I am the same
person who sees the waking and dream states. However, he definitely
experiences sukha, because when he awakens, he says, I slept
peacefully. I was not aware of anything. This state of experiencing
sukha and agnan is called sushupti.
The abhimani of the sushupti avasthaa (state of deep sleep) is called
praagya. Vishwa and taijas get immersed in the praagya, so the
memories of the waking and dream states are not present when a person
is in a deep sleep state. During the waking state, however, the praagya
merges into the vishwa, which is why the person retains the memory of
the sukha and agnan of the deep sleep state.
All three gunas Sattva, Raja and Tama are present in the waking
state. Sattva guna dominates the waking state, because this is the state
that contains all kinds of Gnan and sukha. This is one opinion.
Another opinion is that the waking state is dominated by Rajo guna,
because Gnan and sukha are present even in the dream state. The
special factor about the waking state is that the body is active. Tamo
guna is present in the dream and deep sleep states, because they are
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caused by its dosha (defect) of slumber. Tamo guna dominates the deep
sleep state.
If the feelings of Aham-idam (I this) are discarded during the
waking state with a predominance of Sattva guna, the person obtains a
state of Samadhi. Samadhi is a state of deep sleep that is dominated by
Sattva guna. Samadhi is obtained by human effort, whereas the deep
sleep state comes naturally.
2. The third Atma.
The three avasthaa (states) are the jaagrita (waking), svapna (dream)
and sushupti (deep sleep). With connection to them, the Atma (sakshi)
is called the fourth or tureeya state. Being the substratum of the
three states, the Atma is not really a fourth tattva that is separate,
because that would create uncertainty. The Atma is turiya because it is
different from the other three.
We get the feeling, I am awake, and I experience everything through
my senses. Who is having the experiences? I am having the
experience. Here, by accepting the external upadhi of the senses, my
name becomes vishwa.
It is I who sees the dreams, by abandoning the external senses. In that
state, I the sakshi am called the taijas. The taijas is given that
name because it illuminates all the objects of the dream state.
The deep sleep state has no external or internal senses. I see that state of
deep sleep. There, my name becomes praagya. Had I not been aware
of the deep sleep state, I would never have known that there is a state
apart from the waking and dream states. For me, these three states are
like a man who dons and discards white, red, and black robes. The
robes are three, but the man is one. Similarly, it is ascertained that there
are three separate states, and the Atma is their sakshi.
The memory of the waking state is not retained in the dream state,
because the vishwa is immersed in the taijas. The deep sleep state has
no recollection of the waking or dream states because both vishwa and
taijas are immersed in the praagya. This means that the person, who has
become the drashta of the waking state with the upadhi of the
antahkaran, identifies with his senses when he awakens and says, I was
unaware of the world. I see it now that I am awake.
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The truth is that the drashta never sleeps. Nobody actually has the
experience of being asleep, because he would have to be awake to be
aware of what was happening. What happens is that the mana, buddhi,
and indreeyas sleep. People impose their sleep on their I, and say, I
slept, or, I awoke.
I am separate from all the experiences of sleeping and being awake, and
I am also separate from the form of the agnan of the deep sleep state,
because I am the sakshi of them all. Whatever the experience of any of
these states may be, it is neither I nor is it mine, since I leave them
where they are, and get up.
Since no object in the world is my I or mine, the abhiman of being
sukhi or dukhi when something is obtained or lost is absolutely false.
The sakshi has neither kartaapana (pride of being the karta) nor
bhoktaapana (pride of being the bhokta).
The expansion of the waking state has been done by the mind. The
expansions of the dream state and deep sleep state are also mental
conditions. The three loka (realms), fourteen bhuvana (worlds), and the
millions of universes that have ever been experienced, are being
experienced, or will be experienced, are the imagination of the mind.
We are the sakshi of them all, and of the sansaara (interactive world)
that is experienced or not experienced.
It is due to Maya that the state of turiya (the fourth state of pure bliss) is
imagined in the Atma. If the waking, dream, and deep sleep states were
indeed three, we would not even imagine a fourth state. The Atma is
called the chaturtha (fourth) state, to distinguish it from the other three
states. People have developed a bhram (faulty understanding) that the
turiya is a fourth state. They think they become the turiya when they
attain the fourth stage of Samadhi. This, however, is not the principle of
Vedanta.
Tureeyam trishu santatam (Bhagwat 11. 25. 20) we are in the turiya
in the waking, dream as well as the deep sleep states. Our being the
turiya remains unchanged. That means, whether we are awake,
dreaming, or fast asleep, we have never been related to any of these
states, nor will we be in future. The states change, but the I doesnt
change. The dream and deep sleep states are absent when we are fast
asleep. Therefore, all three states are mithyaa (a relative truth). When it

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is said that they are mithya, it means that they glimmer as real, on the
substratum without being Satya.
Adhishthaananishthaatyantaabhaavapratiyogitvam mithyaatvam. The
objects have no real existence in their own adhishthaana (substratum),
but glimmer in it as real, and hence, they are mithya.
Where do these avasthaa (states) glimmer? They glimmer in infinite
effulgence, an infinite substratum in which the sky itself is the waking
state is also superimposed. That infinite effulgence and infinite
substratum is the one Brahman. Satyam gnaanamanantam brahm (the
Satya Brahman is infinite Gnan). What exists is called the adhishthaana
from the viewpoint of the infinite Sat, and prakaasha (effulgence) or
saakshee (witness) from the viewpoint of the infinite Gnan. The three
states that glimmer in that infinite Brahman are mithya.
3. The Jagrit-Purush and the Abhimani of the Jagrit Avastha.
It is one thing to be the abhimani of the jaagrita-purusha (have the
subtle pride of being the I who is awake), and another thing to be the
abhimani of the jagrita avasthaa (state of being awake). The former is
not a matter of saadhana (effort for spiritual progress), but the latter is.
Separate the abhimani of the Purush of the waking state, from the
abhimani of the waking state.
You see, in a dream, that you are going to take a bath in the Gangaji. In
the dream, there is a svapna-purusha (a person seen in a dream), who is
yourself, going for a bath in the Gangaji. Then, there is the you who is
seeing the dream, the abhimani of the dream. The swapna purusha is the
abhimani of one body, and the abhimani of the dream is the abhimani of
the entire dream state.
In the same way, separate the abhimani of the jaagrita-purusha (the I
of the waking state) from the abhimani of the jaagrita-avasthaa (the
sate of being awake). When we sit in our gross body we become the
abhimani of the jagrita Purush. Then, My house, my factory, my wife,
my son mine and yours come into play, creating disputes and
quarrels, unions and partings, sukha and dukha, etc. This is because of
identifying with the jagrita Purush.

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All dividing factors, like our name, the different parts of our body,
differences of caste, religion, nationality, etc that we have accepted, are
the abhimani of the entire waking state, the entire jagrit avastha.
A scholar dreamt that he was defeated by another scholar in a
theological debate. He woke up feeling very depressed. Then he
realized, Nobody else defeated me. The intellect of the other scholar in
my dream was my own intellect. I have been defeated by myself, and
no other. In the same way, when we believe that we have been defeated
by someone else; or, someone has taken our wealth, it is all the bhram
of the mind. We lose to ourselves; our wealth is shifted to another
location.
We are not the abhimani of the jagrit Purush (the body); we are the
abhimani of the waking state of all, the vishvaatmaa (the Atma of the
whole world), or, vishwanara. This vichaara (thinking) is the vichar of
the waking state.
Paapa-punya are the result of being the abhimani of our body, but the
Vishwatma does not do paapa-punya. He is the gyaataa (the one who
has Gnan) of all paapa-punya and all sukha-dukha that are their fruits.
All the bhoga of the waking state are gross objects, experienced through
the mind, senses, and actions of the body. They are caused by Dharma,
adharma, and a combination of both. The fact is that the bhoga of
sukha-dukha is the fruit of all bhogas (indulgences; experiences), all
karmas.
The viewpoint of Sankhya is that sukha and dukha are the fruits of our
punyas and paapas, but the worldly causes of the sukha and dukha are
all the kaarya (effect) of Prakriti, mahat tattva, ahankara, and pancha
bhootas.
From the viewpoint of Nyaya-Vaisheshik philosophy, the whole of
Creation is the result of karmas. The karmas are of different kinds
some caused by praarabdha (result of actions of past lives), sanchit
(accumulated fruits of actions of all past lives), etc. They say that
everything in this world is the result of the samashti praarabdha (the
combined prarabdh of all the beings in the world), and the sukha-dukha
they cause is the result of the vyashti (individual) prarabdh.
Even in this, the individual gets the feeling of being sukhi or dukhi,
because he identifies with these feelings. The Purva Mimansa
philosophy says that the jeeva is the karta-bhokta. To have the subtle
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pride of being the karta or bhokta is the natural dharma of the jeeva.
Therefore, the jeeva obtains dukha, and the abhiman of being dukhi,
when he does inauspicious karmas; and sukha, and the abhiman of
being sukhi, when he does good deeds. By doing great punya, he goes
to Swarga and obtains great sukha. Or, he does great paapa and goes to
Narak, and obtains great dukha.
The viewpoint of Vedanta is that the abhiman of being sukhi or dukhi is
caused by bhraanti (faulty understanding).
From no viewpoint can the vishwa the abhimani of the waking state
be sukhi or dukhi. It is the jagrit-Purush who is the karta-bhokta, and
feels sukha or dukha.
4. Swapna and Sushupti, and their Abhimanis.
The svapna avasthaa (dream state) begins when the tendencies of the
jaagrita avasthaa (waking state) end, and the tendencies of the dream
state begin. Dreams are also caused by the sanskaras of the individual.
When the gross objects lack the capacity to give sukha-dukha, they
appear in the dream state in their subtle forms, and give sukha dukha in
the persons dreams.
The experiences of the dream state come from our own buddhi. They
are subtle bhogas, and they are experienced in the light of our own
Atma. The abhimani of the swapna-purush (the body) is one who has
the experiences. The abhimani of the swapna avastha the taijas-atma
is only the Gnan of that state; his bhoga is having the Gnan.
The vichaara (thinking) we should do is to understand that we are not
the swapna-purush; we are the swapna-drashta who sees the swapna.
In the waking state we forget that we are the creators. This happens
because we become the abhimani of our body. Dreams come into our
lives to remind us that we have the capacity to create new worlds. In
our dream, we create miles of space, and eons of time. It is made clear
that we are, ourselves, the Ishwara of the dream state.
The waking state is our house of business. The dream state is our
laboratory, and the deep sleep state is our house of rest. However, we
are not bound to any of these states. We are not in a deep sleep state
when we start dreaming. Nor are we in a dream state when we are
awake. Therefore, although we are not bound to any of these three
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states, through them we have the daily experience our tyaaga (ability to
give up) and vairagya (detachment).
What is our greatest love for? It is for our sukha, our Atma. That is why
we let go of everything and slide into a deep sleep state so gently that
we dont even realize when the world gets immersed in our Self. We are
not even aware of when we let go of everything in our waking state.
Had the dream and deep sleep states not existed, the waking state would
have become Satya for us. There would have been no way for us to
understand that the waking state is mithya. While thinking about Satya,
our conclusion would become lopsided if we based our experience
entirely on the waking state, and not give thought to the daily
experience of the deep sleep and dream states. The experiences of the
waking state are negligible in the light of the experiences of the other
two states.
The objects seen in the dream sleep state have no stability. The stability
of the objects seen in the waking state creates an illusion similar to the
coiled rope that is mistaken for a snake. These are reflections that are
negated by Gnan. This is why we do not get attached to the objects seen
in our dreams, but get attached to the objects of the waking state. If the
objects of the dream state had stability we would get attached to them
as well. Having attachment for an object does not make it Satya. It also
happens that a person gets attached to a dream and remembers it all his
life.
From the dream state we get Gnan about the power of our imagination.
From the deep sleep state we get Gnan that everything gets immersed
into our I while I am still alive. The world is a perception; a dream. No
such thing as the sansaara (interactive world) exists in our swarup.
5. The first paada (step, or fourth part) of the Atma the Vishwa-Virat.
To understand the actual swarup of the sakshi, it is necessary to
understand its superimposed swarup. The superimposed swarup is the
vishwa who is the abhimani of the waking state, the taijas who is the
abhimani of the dream state, and the praagya who is the abhimani of
the deep sleep state.
You know yourself to be the abhimani of the waking state. To know this
as the shuddha saakshee (pure witness), take one step forward. The first
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step is to know yourself as the vishwa the abhimani of the total

waking state of all beings; not just the abhimani of one body.
The second step is to know yourself as the taijas who is the abhimani of
the total dream state. The third step is to know yourself as the praagya
the abhimani of the total deep sleep state. The fourth step is to know
that you are the shuddha sakshi who is the sole drashta of the waking,
dream and deep sleep states.
There are three clear distinctions in the I of the dream state. One is the
swapna-purush, the second is the abhimani of the swapna avastha, and
the third is the swapna drashta. In the dream, the person going to bathe
in the Gangaji is the swapna-purush. When the person awakens, the I
who thinks, The dream was a result of my sanskaras is the swapna
abhimani. The swapna-drashta and the drashta of jagrit-sushupti
(waking and deep sleep states) is one.
In the same way, there are three distinctions in the I of the waking
state: the jagrit-Purush (who is the abhimani of the body that is awake),
the jagrit-abhimani (vishwa) who is the abhimani of the entire waking
state of all beings, and the jagrit-drashta, who is one and the same in all
three states.
There are only two distinctions in the deep sleep state. The I praagya
who is the abhimani of the deep sleep state, and remembers the sukha
and agnan of this state, and the sushupti-drashta who is the drashta of
the waking and dream states, too.
Just as the I (taijas) was the one who created all the dreams in the
dream state, I (the vishwa) am the one who creates the world of the
waking state. I am not the jagrit-Purush in the waking state; I become
the taijas with the upadhi of the dream, and the vishwa with the upadhi
of the waking state, I also become the praagya with the upadhi of the
deep sleep state. When free of all the upadhis, I am the shuddha sakshi.
When the sakshi is in the waking state, his name becomes vishwa, but
to understand the jaagrita-sthaana (the place of the waking state) we
must remove our Self from the jaagrita-avasthaa (state of being awake)
of one body.
We must let go of the bodys separateness, its birth and death, and its
good and bad qualities. We must become one with the Virat who is the
abhimani of the gross samashti (totality) of the world. The first paada

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(step or quarter) is the immersion of the separate Atma into the

Brahman. That is the Atmas first step.
What is special about the waking state? It is the externalization of
pragyaa (the right intellect). I am che`tan (conscious), while the
external world is jada (insensate). This thinking is baahya-pragyaa
(intellect about the external world). Our pragyaa makes the jada the
vishay (object of the senses), meaning, it absorbs things as being
separate, as forms of sense objects. This is the characteristic of the
waking state, or jagrita sthana. In this state, only the pragyaa faces the
outside world. When consciousness imagines the other, and shows
them as being separate (from our Self), its name becomes pragyaa.
However, when chetan shows the world but not as being separate it
is called the Brahman. Gnan connected to any vishay is chitta (mental
inclination; attention), and Gnan unconnected to any vishay is the
Brahman.
The Brahman is self-effulgent and infinite. Being self-effulgent, He
cannot not see; and being infinite He cannot be seen fully. So, He
imagines Himself to be fragmented, and shows Himself in separate
forms. This is the secret of the pragyaas external form. Neither is the
waking state a dosha (fault), nor is the bahirpragyaa tendency a dosha.
To accept them as Satya is a dosha; it is avidya; it is lack of proper
understanding. Vedanta-vichara removes this lack of understanding.
Very well; suppose I am not the jagrita-de`ha (the body that is awake);
I am the vishvaatmaa the Atma of the whole world. Then, what are
my anga (parts of my body)?
The answer is, think that you have seven angas, and nineteen mouths.
You are the vaishvaanara (Almighty) who consumes everything.
Jaagaritasthaano bahishpragyah saptaanga e`konavinshatimukhah
sthoolabhug vaishvaanarah prathamah paadah (Mandukya Upanishad
3).
Regarding the seven angas, Bhagwan Shri Shankaracharyaji has
referred to a Shruti of the Chandogya Upanishad. Tasya ha vaa
e`tasyaatmano
vaishvaanarasya
moordhaiva
sute`jaashchakshurvishvaroopah
praanah
prithagvartmaatmaa
sande`ho bahulo vistare`va rayih prithivye`ka paadau (5. 18. 2). The
prithvi (earth) is the paada (feet), jala (water) is the place of urinating,
agni (fire) is the mouth, vaayu (wind) is the praana (life spirit), the
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aakaasha (space) is the middle portion of the body, the soorya (sun) is
the eyes, and the de`valoka (land of the Devtas) is the moordhaa (head).
These are our seven angas.
We have to get rid of the false belief that we are just the form of this
separate body. The Atma you know in its paroksha (unseen) form is
your own Atma, and the Vaishvanara it is the vishva (world) and it is
also the nara (human being) the vishwanara; and vishwanara is the
Vaishwanara. The extremely bright dyuloka (Heaven, Paradise) is your
head. Your eyes are the sun that shows all the forms to everybody. All
forms are distortions of the rays of light. The rainbow is created by the
distortion of sun rays in the rain. In the same way, Gnan comes into the
indreeyas and gets distorted, making us see all forms as being separate.
Gnaana-roopa (Gnan as the form) comes into the eyes, gnaana-shabda
(Gnan as sound) comes into the ears, gnaana-gandha (Gnan as
fragrance) comes into the nose, etc. Thus, it is Gnan which is one
that takes on many forms.
All the vishays we perceive are the drishti (vision); they are not
separate from sight itself. This means, the drashta (seer) and the
drishya (that which is seen, including our body) are both in one place.
We do not have Gnan about the external ghata (pot, symbolizing the
body), we only know about the shape of the ghata that is absorbed by
our mind. Drishti is independent.
If we can see a ghata and a book at the same time, we can say that the
book is not a pot. However, they are seen separately, therefore, it is the
drishti that is perceived in the form of a pot or book. The difference in
different drishtis is also only the drishti. There are different drishtis in
different times, and time itself is also the drishti. The world was created
by our drishti, and we made the drishti separate in separate bodies,
which is why we began to perceive ourselves as being separate from
others. We now have to lift up the drishti and take it into the
Vaishwanara-Virat.
Vishwanara is agni. Therefore, the seven angas have been described as
being imagined in the agni that is invoked for the ritual of the agnihotra.
This Vishwanara has nineteen mouths. They are the five gnanendriya
(sense organs), five karmendriya (organs of action), five pranas (life
spirits), and four antahkaran (mana, buddhi, chitta and ahankara). These
are the doors through which very being experiences bhoga. The external
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objects are taken in through the external organs the senses; and the
subtle objects are absorbed by the antahkaran. In these, the indreeyagolak (areas of the senses) is made of a combination of the pancha
mahabhootas and indreeyas.
The four antahkaran mana, buddhi, chitta and ahankara are made of
the apanchikrita mahaabhoota (not the direct use of the five elements).
Each indreeya-golak is dominated by one of the elements, and the mana
has all five of them. The fact is that the indreeya-vritti (mental attention
or inclination) is called the mana. When the mana comes into one of the
indreeya-golaks, it becomes the name of that indreeya. The
Vaishwanara consumes the gross vishays sound, feel, appearance,
flavor and smell through these nineteen mouths.
If you are the saptaanga (having seven parts) Virat Purusha (the whole
of Creation) then, what will be the form of these nineteen mouths? How
can the indreeyas of the vyashti (individual) be the indreeyas of the
Virat?
Just as the adhyaatma (metaphysical), adhidaiva (pertaining to the
subtle), and adhibhoota (material) are present in every body, they are
also present in the samashti (totality). The saptanga Virat Vaishwanara
is the hiranyagarbha (taijas) adhidaiva. And, the bhokta the
sthoolabhuk who absorbs these gross substances through these
mouths, is the Ishwara praagya - adhyatma.
Since the memory of the dream and deep sleep states is retained in the
waking state, it is clear that the taijas and praagya merge into the
vishwa when the person is in the waking state. Therefore, the
description of the adhyatma, adhidaiva, and adhibhoota is logical. As a
result, the prana, indreeyas, mana, etc, of the entire Creation exist
because of me! All the vishays like sound, taste, feel, are my sthoola
(gross) bhoga.
Who is the bhokta of the vishays in the waking state? The Shrutis say
that it is the Vaishwanara, but actually, the praagya (who is the
abhimani of the deep sleep state) becomes one with the vishwa in the
waking state, and considers himself to be the bhokta. He also becomes
one with the taijas in the dream state, and is the bhokta the
sookshmabhuk of the subtle bhogas of the dream state. He is also the
aanandabhuk the bhokta of anand in the deep sleep state. The
vishays of the different states change; the bhokta remains the same.
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Both vishwa and taijas are saptanga, and both have nineteen mouths.
However, only vishwa has bahi-pragyaa (intellect for the external).
Taijas has antah-pragyaa (intellect for the subtle internal). The vishwa
contains gross objects whereas the taijas contains subtle objects. Just as
the vishwa is the samashti-viraat (the entire material Creation), the
taijas is samashti-hiranyagarbha (the universal intellect).
The Mandukya Upanishad has a method of jeeva-vaada (the theory of
separate jeevas), or the drishti-srishti-vaada (the theory that the one
who sees, creates the world). In this, there is only the chidaatmaa (the
Atma that is pure consciousness) who is the jeeva. All the separate
jeevas that are perceived, are all jeeva-aabhaasa (images created by the
individual), like people seen in a dream. That jeeva has no Satya that is
unknown, therefore, everything that is experienced is only for the
duration of the drishti of the drashta. Nothing exists before or after that.
The vishwa, taijas, and praagya are attached to the whole of Creation.
Contrary to this, the method of aabhaasa-vaada (the theory that
everything is an illusion) says that the world is an abhimani of the
vyashti (individual) shareera (bodies).
What are the indreeya (senses)? The word indreeya means, that,
which belongs to Indra. Indra means the drashta, and his object is the
drishya. The kaarana-saadhana (instruments and methods) that the
drashta has, for perceiving the external world are called bahiindreeya. The instruments for perceiving the inner world are called
antar-indreeya. This is how the bahishpragyaa - the pragyaa
pertaining to the external world and antarpragyaa the pragyaa
pertaining to the internal world are different. Pragyaa is the actual
indreeya. When you see anything as being separate from you, it is
pragyaa; and when you see nothing as being separate, it is chetan. Gnan
related to objects is called pragyaa, and the pragyaa that is not related to
any object is celled Gnan.
A Gnani certainly sees the different objects around him, but he sees
them as being mithya. That is why the separate objects do not affect
him. He is Brahm-swarup. For an agnani, however, the seed of separate
objects remains in his mind even when he is not conscious of anything.
Even the Samadhi of an agnani contains the feeling of being separate,
whereas the interaction of a Gnani is a form of non-duality. A Gnani has

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no feeling of the outer-inner being separate, since he is poorna whole;

complete in himself.
Sukha-dukha are not external objects they are forms of the mind. At
the deepest level of all is the Aham (I). The Aham is known by the
sakshi. It is the Aham who perceives sukha-dukha. Paapa and punya are
the sukha-dukha of the buddhi, because they are the fruits of punya and
paapa. The paapa-punya connected to karmas become dukha-sukha in
the form of the fruits of bad and good karmas.
The result of doing any karma is the feeling, Aham kartaa (I am the
doer), and the subtle pride of being the doer is the bhoga (experiences),
and the pride of being the bhokta the one who experiences the bhoga.
The feelings of being the karta and bhokta abide in the antahkaran, and
are present in the waking and dream states.
When we consider the karme`ndreeya (organs of action) to be ours, we
become the karta. When we consider the gnaane`ndreeya (sense organs)
to be ours, we become the bhokta. Identifying with only the sad-ansha
(part of Sat) gives birth to the feeling of being the karta. Identifying
with only the chid-ansha (part of Chit) results in the feeling of being the
knower. And, identifying with only the aananda-ansha (part of Anand)
results in the feeling of being the bhokta.
In other words, a person becomes a gyaataa (knower) with the upadhi
of the organs of action, and a bhokta with the upadhi of the antahkaran.
Or else, the feeling of being the karta is caused by agnana about the
sad-ansha, the feeling of being the knower is caused by the agnan about
the chid-ansha, and the feeling of being the bhokta is caused by agnan
about the anand-ansha. These are the three kinds of bhraanti (false
understanding) that is the result of not knowing our Sacchidananda
swarup. Therefore, there is no karta in the body, no gyaata, and no
bhokta. Gnan about the gross body is not Gnan about my I. The karma
done by the body is not done by me, and the experiences of the body
are not my experiences. A person realizes this when he gets Gnan about
his swarup.
All the tumult is because of our not knowing our swarup, and so, it is
our duty to remove agnan. Agnan is the kaarana shareera (causal
body); it stays in the causal body. The feelings of kaarya (effect) and
kaarana (cause) are present when agnan is present. It is like mistaking
the stump of a tree for a man. The man does not come from the stump;
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he is a result of agnan. Nothing created by agnan is real; there is a false

impression of its being real. Therefore, agnan is the causal body,
meaning, the body has not really been created. We accept the sthoola
(gross) body and sookshma (subtle) body because of agnan. They seem
to be real, and this perception of reality is necessary for interaction.
People say that the pot is pavitra (pure according to the Shastras) if it
contains Gangajal, and apavitra (impure) if it contains liquor. This
pure-impure is for the sake of worldly interaction. From the viewpoint
of Satya, the pot is nothing but clay. The gross and subtle bodies are
also a matter of convenience in interaction.
It is a matter of sentiment to believe that worldly interaction can be
carried out on the basis of advaita (non-dual) Gnan. No sensible person
can say that since the one Paramatma abides in all, our interaction
should be identical with everybody. It is not possible to interact in the
same way with even the different parts of our own body; how can it be
possible to interact identically with everyone? The mainstay of our
relationships is our knowledge of the bhe`da (difference) in people,
while the Atma is abhe`da-svaroopa (the essence of non-duality).
Social interaction should always be in keeping with social norms.
Vyavahaara (interaction; behavior) is always with the special
circumstances, and the attributes of the person we interact with. The
Atma-tattva is nirvishesha (without any special attributes) and nirguna
(without tendencies). It has no attributes that cause differentiations.
How can the interaction of the vishe`sha (having some special quality
or difference) be possible in the nirvishesha? There is no guna-dosha
(good or bad quality) in any object, individual, or situation. Nor does
any karma or bhoga have good or bad qualities. That is what
nirvishesha means. The Shastra has created separate arrangements of
Dharma-adharma for the saadhaka (spiritual aspirants), depending on
the place, time, age, condition, eligibility, and strength of the sadhak.
The interaction of Dharma-adharma is an adhyaaropa (superimposition)
of the Shastra. The bodys natural behavior is the same in humans and
animals. The behavior dictated by the Shastras removes the faults in
natural behavior, and inculcates good tendencies in the antahkaran.
Thus, wrong tendencies are removed and good ones given,
strengthening the path to the Paramartha (the Supreme achievement; the
Brahman).
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It is a mistake to consider any karma to be good or bad. We should see

the affect of the karma on the antahkaran. Karma is merely a saadhan
(method). The idamaakaara vritti (feeling of this) and the
ahamaakaara vritti (feeling of I) is the fruit of the karma. This karma
is punya leads to the karma being a sadhan. When someone thinks, I
have done a good deed, I am a punyatma, the fruit is a feeling of pride.
All this is saakshee-bhaasya (known by the sakshi). To separate the
feeling of Aham from the separate individual is to experience yourself
as the whole of Creation. We are the samashti (the whole of Creation)
Vaishwarana, the Virat. The separate Ahams perceived in separate
bodies are like people seen in a dream. The Aham-tattva is strung in all
these separate Atmas, like the svapna-drashtaa (the one who sees the
multiplicity in the dream), and that is the Vaishwarana-Virat. The pure
sakshi the Brahman is called the Virat with the upadhi of the total
waking state of the whole world.
Merge all the senses including speech into the mind; meaning,
perceive that the senses are not separate from the mind. Merge the mind
into the intellect; meaning, know that all doubts, desires, and resolves
are about things that are known to you. (It is not that you have to merge
into them; you simply have to know that they are merged.) The intellect
is to be merged into Gnan, and Gnan into the mahat Tattva (universal
intellect). Now, merge the mahat Tattva into yourself.
Yachhe`dvaangmanasee praagyastad yachhe`j gnnana aatmani,
gnaanamaatmani mahati niyachhe`t tad yachhe`chhantamaatmani
(Katha Upanishad 1. 3. 13). Then, you will see how immense your true
form is. The animality that has come into you is because of you have
bound your I to this body made of bones, flesh and skin. You are not
the body, nor are you a person who has a body; you are the Virat
Purush.
The entire material and interactive world that is created by Nature, and
the aadhidaivik (subtle; ruled by the presiding deities) world connected
to it, is in your body, imagined in just a quarter of your swarup.
The first charan (step) on the path of Gnan about your being the
Brahman, is to know yourself to be the vishwa-virat. The second charan
is to understand that you are the bhokta who is the taijas of the entire
subtle world. The third step is to know yourself to be the praagya-Atma
of the entire gross and subtle world, its cause, and the one who
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experiences it. After that, you must negate even being the cause. The
result of this is the removal of all differences, leaving only the infinite
anand that is the essence of the Brahman. Experience yourself as the
state of turiya. This is the fourth and final step.
The interactive world will continue as real, if you believe yourself to be
an individual with a gross, subtle and causal body. But, if you believe
that the entire material world is your gross body, the entire subtle world
is your subtle body, and the entire causal world is your causal body, the
interactive world will cease to seem real. You will become established
in the turiya tattva. You will attain a state of non-duality.
The fact is that it is a bhram (faulty understanding) to consider the
Atma to be separate from the body. Not even the pancha bhoota (the
five elements) of which the body is made, are separate from it; how can
the unattached Atma be separate? Every element of the body is one with
the samashti (totality). Just as a line is drawn on the floor with a piece
of coal, to demarcate the cooking area in the kitchen, the mind draws an
imaginary line that this is his body this is me but it is a totally
imaginary demarcation.
6. The second step of the Atma the taijas-hiranyagarbha.
We are not the body, not the vyashti (individual); we are the Virat. That
was the first step to attaining the Paramatma. Let us take the second
step now letting go of the sthoola (gross), and move towards the
sookshma (subtle).
Svapnasthaanontah pragyah saptaanga e`konavinshatimukhah
praviviktabhuk taijaso dviteeyah paadah. (Mandukya Upanishad 4.)
If there is no sthoola vyashti (individual physical form), there is a
sookshma vyashti (subtle individual) is an automatic conclusion. The
possibility of being separate is mainly in material objects. The sthoola is
supported by the sookshma. Space which is material is supported by
the mind, which is subtle, because length and breadth are seen only
when the antahkaran is present. When the mind is absent during the
deep sleep state, space is not seen. In the dream state, the mind creates a
new space. Just as the mind creates space in the dream state, it also
creates space in the waking state. Therefore, space is in the mind; the
mind is not in space.
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Similarly, this gross body occupies a small portion of space; since space
is in the mind, the body is also in it. In a dream, we see our body and
the whole world in our mind. In the same way, the body that is in the
waking state, and the whole of the material world, are also in our mind.
The mind that seems to be in our body is an illusion of the antahkaran.
It is an antahkaaranaabhaasa. The jeeva that seems to be present in the
body is also an illusion of the jeeva it is a jeevaabhaasa. Taking the
second step towards the Paramatma is, knowing the entire subtle
creation is my subtle body, and I am its abhimani the taijashiranyagarbha.
The taijas stays in the dream state, just as the vishwa stays in the
waking state. It is antahpraagya (intellect pertaining to the internal),
just as the vishwa is bahishpraagya (intellect pertaining to the external).
During the waking state, pragyaa (the intellect) seems to absorb
external objects, whereas in the dream state, it seems to absorb subtle
objects in the same way. The waking state is gross, and seems to be
stable. The dream state is subtle and fleeting. This is the only difference
in them. From the viewpoint of experience, they are identical.
The praagya of the waking state has many methods of getting different
experiences, like the sense organs that experience the outer world.
However, external objects are not real they are a pulsation of the
mind, coloring the mind like a film, and seen in a dream.
The same mind shows us dreams without depending on any external
factors. The sanskara of the mind are not limited to the experiences of
just this life; they also come from our past lives. That is why we dream
of things that we have never seen or heard of in this life. The sanskaras
get all mixed up in dreams, and people see strange sights like a horses
head on a human body!
The karma kaandee (ritualistic) people believe that dreams are a state of
experiencing the fruits of karmas that are too weak to give fruits in the
waking state. Those who believe that the gunas of Prakriti are the cause
of the interactive world, consider dreams to be the effect of Rajo guna.
Physicians of Ayur Veda evaluate the disbalance of the humors vaata,
cough and pitta based on what is seen in the dream. People who
practice the reading of dreams for good or bad omens think about the
fruits of the dreams.

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Vedanta says that space, time and matter seen in a dream are not present
in the waking state. A dream requires no external support. A pot seen in
a dream is not made of the clay of the waking state. A fire seen in a
dream is not put out by a fire engine of the waking state. Avidya, desire
and karma these three are called the sansaara-chakra (the wheel of
the interactive world), and it works equally in the waking and dream
states. Avidya is at the root of it all.
To consider anyone to be separate from our swarup is avidya. We will
have a he`ya-upaade`ya (feeling of worth accepting or discarding) for
things that are separate from us. That will raise a wish to either obtain
or avoid things, and we will act accordingly. Our actions will leave a
sanskara upon our antahkaran. Therefore, the sansara will remain as
long as we have avidya. Avidya, desires and actions prompt our dreams,
which seem as real as things seen in the waking state.
Both the waking and dream states are created by our sanskaras,
meaning, they are perceptions of our praygaa. The external pragyaa
causes the waking state and the internal pragyaa causes the dream state.
The Shrutis say that the Atmadev experiences the greatness of His own
essence by immersing the sense objects into the senses, and the senses
into the mind. Atraisha de`vah svapne` mahimaanam anubhavati
(Prashna Upanishad 4. 5), meaning, He creates space, time and the
world, where there is nothing, and then He looks at them.
The indreeya-golak (areas of the sense organs) do not exist in the dream
state; only desires exist. The drashta is aware of only his own desires.
According to the jeeva-vaada (the theory of separate jeevas), the
sansara comes as a veil between the tat (the Ishwara) and tvam (you)
factors. This veil covers the vision because of lack of vichaara (deep
thought); it does not cover the drashta.
A rope appears to be a snake. If we want to see the rope clearly, we
must think about the snake that is perceived, because the perception is
like a veil that comes between the eyes and the object. The rope is not
covered by anything.
Now, if we wish to see the che`tan (consciousness) superimposed on the
rope, where will it be seen? If it is seen, the drishya (that, which is seen)
will become jada (insensate). Chaitanya (consciousness) cannot be seen
as another; it can only be experienced as the Aham (I). Therefore, the

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desire-filled pragyaa of the dream state is our own pragyaa, and so, I
am the taijas.
That, which exists only in the form of the vishayee (the one who
experiences) in the form of effulgence, is called the taijas. The fact is
that the form of the effulgence that is free of desire is called te`ja ; and
the taijas is he, who stays in the pragyaa that has desires and
experiences.
Both the vishwa and the taijas are the bhoga (experiences) of the
pragyaa. As far as the abhimani of Gnan is in Gnan, as the gyaataa (the
one who knows), and the object of the Gnan as the gye`ya (that, which
is known) are concerned, Gnan is called pragyaa. The pragyaa of the
waking and dream states is the same; else we would not remember these
states. Even so, the cause of the difference between the vishwa and
taijas is due to the bahishpragyaa and antarpragyaa. The saptaanga
(seven parts) and nineteen mouths are the same in both.
The memory of the taijas (dream state) remains in the vishwa (waking
state), but the taijas has no memory of the vishwa. The vishwa is the
abhimani of kaarya (effect), and the taijas is the abhimani of the
sookshma kaarana (subtle cause). Gross objects are the bhoga of the
waking state, and subtle objects are the bhoga of the dream state. The
fact is that it is not the objects that are gross or subtle; it is the pragyaa
that is focused on the gross or subtle. The vritti (mental inclinations;
feelings) are experienced, because no object can be experienced unless
the mind is aware of it. Appearance, color, etc are not the bhogya (to be
enjoyed by the sense objects); the vritti that absorbs the appearance,
fragrance, etc becomes the bhoga.
When the pragyaa is the bhogya, why is there the difference of the
vishwa and the taijas? Desire itself is the pragyaa in the dream state.
There are no gross sense objects there. That is how it is separate from
the bhoga of the waking state. It is I, the taijas-hiranyagarbha, who
experiences this separate bhoga. This bhokta is also the praagya
(intelligent person) like the vishwa. It abides in the same body, having
separate experience caused by the bodys state. It is not that there are
two bhoktas. And, the karta is always one.
Jagrit and sushupti are darshan-vritti (mental states), and the Atmachaitanya in them is called the vishwa and taijas. In fact, the states

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are universal; their seeming to be individual is an illusion caused by

avidya. Thus, the vishwa is virat and the taijas is hiranyagarbha.
7. The third pada of the Atma the praagya Ishwara.
Sushupti is an adarshan vritti a state in which nothing is seen. So
much so that because of not experiencing anything, people who have
agnan think that even the Atma is absent in the deep sleep state.
Whether a person perceives something as something else, or sees
nothing at all, both states have agnan. In the same way, the Atma is
falsely believed to be the vishay-vishayee (the object and the one who
experiences it) in the waking and dream states; whereas it is not
experienced at all in the deep sleep state. The Brahman is beyond the
known as well as the unknown.
Tadviditaadatho aviditaadadhi (Kena Upanishad 1. 3)
Jagrit and swapna are known, sushupti is unknown. Dhrishya (that,
which is seen) and drishya abhaava (that which is not seen; is absent)
are both drishya, and dependent on the drashta. Therefore, jagrit,
swapna and sushupti exist only as long as they are perceived, but the
drashta is permanent.
Sushupti is, not knowing the Tattva. In the ignorance of the Tattva, the
jagrit and swapna are also the play of sushupti. To awaken is to
understand the Tattva. Therefore, when ignorance about the Tattva is
equal in all three states of waking, dream and deep sleep, the first two
states are described as being separate.
Yatra supto na kanchana kaamam kaamayate` na kanchana svapnam
pashyati tat sushuptam. Sushuptasthaan e`keebhootah pragyaanaghana
e`vaanandamayo hyaanandabhuk che`tomukhah praagyastriteeyah
paadah (Mandukya Upanished 5).
The state, in which a sleeping person has no desires and sees no dreams,
is called sushupti. The sushupti is the place of that Atma, in which the
pragyaa is concentrated and obtains a state of consolidation. This state
is filled with anand, and the Atma is the bhokta of that anand. The
Atmas face is chetan, and this is the third paada of the praagya Atma.
The position of sushupti in an individual body is believed to be the
hriday (heart). The position of swapna is the nerve in the throat, called
the kanthastha hitaa. The position of jagrit is believed to be in the eyes.
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From the viewpoint of the samashti, the time in which the whole
interactive world goes into the dormant state which has no feeling of
being in the subtle world, or of the bhoga in the subtle world is the
causal state of deep sleep.
In that state, deep sleep is indicated as the seed state. The vishwa is the
bhramachari (celibate student) whose focus is on serving others. The
taijas is the grihastha (married householder), whose focus is on all
worldly matters. The praagya is the vanaprastha (one who retires from
the world and turns towards spirituality) who has no bhoga, but does
have the seed of duality in his mind. The Atmadev is the Sanyasi he is
the highest, and supremely independent.
The states of jagrit and swapna are the pulsating of the mind. The mind
is active in these states. The entire world of duality is a pulsating of the
mind, because the whole world vanishes when a person is immersed in
a Samadhi. In sushupti, however, mental impulses are all gathered up.
The person is not aware of the different objects. Just as the trees and
buildings are not seen at night, the interactive world is not perceived
during the deep sleep state because of agnan, but the world remains as it
is. This state is called the beejaavasthaa the seed state. You can say
that the pulsations of the waking and dream states are suspended during
the deep sleep state, and that is why the person has no perception of
anything or anyone who may desire anything. This is the state of
extreme agnan, and it is caused by sleep, which is Tamo guna.
Sushupti contains agnan, but it is also a state of aanandamayataa
(feeing happy), in the sense that dukha is absent when a person is
asleep.
Which dukha?
In the waking and dream states a persons mind sees the forms of the
vishay (sense objects) and the vishayee (the one who experiences them)
changing continuously. That is the dukha. The deep sleep state is free of
this dukha.
Sukha is not just the absence of dukha, and that is why the Shrutis say
aanandamayataa instead of anand. Anandamayata is a feeling that is
close to anand, but it is not true anand. The anand of the deep sleep
state is bound by avidya. It is because of avidya that we do not accept
the anand of the deep sleep state as the anand of the Atma. When we
wake up, we say, that anand has gone. If we had Gnan about the Atma
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being the form of anand, we would have known, I was anand, I am

anand, I will remain anand.
The sukha of karma and bhoga of the waking and dream states are
transient, because objects are transient, the power of the senses is
limited, and the bhokta is not always alert. The sukha of sushupti is not
dependent on any other object or factor, but it is unknown, since the
person is not aware of being sukhi. Nor does it endure, since it is
present only when the person is asleep. The anand that is the form of
the Atma is not divided by the state, place, or time; nor does it have
agnan. That is why sushupti is anandmaya, not anand.
If someone is seen to live happily without making any effort, people
say, He is living happily. Similarly, the lack of effort during the deep
sleep state is the reason why the Shrutis call the pragyaanaatmaa (the
Atma that is conscious) aanandabhuk (the one who enjoys anand).
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4. 3. 32) says, E`shosya parama
aanandah, meaning, sushupti is the effortless form of the supreme
anand of the pragyaa.
The praagya (a person with the right intellect) is che`tomukha, meaning,
the chitta (mind combined with the intellect; mental inclination) that
prompts karma and bhoga in the waking and dream states rises from the
pragyaa of sushupti. It is the seed of the creation of the waking and
dream states, and their abhimanis the vishwa and taijas.
Why is the Atma called the praagya? This is worth some thought. The
word praagya means, one who has the highest Gnan. A person who
has the seed of Gnan about the dream and waking states is praagya.
That means, he has Gnan about all the objects of the past, present, and
future, since it is the praagya who is called the vishwa in the waking
state and the taijas in the dream state. That is why the Atma of the deep
sleep state is called the praagya. The sixth mantra of the Mandukya
Upanishad states clearly that it is sarvagya (all-knowing).
Question: People say, I slept peacefully. I was unaware of anything.
This is the experience of sushupti. It does not seem proper to say that
the abhimani of this state is called all-knowing.
Clarification: The buddhi gets immersed in sushupti. The absence of
dukha creates a feeling of Atmasukha that is free of the triad of
bhoktaa-bhoga-bhogya (the one who experiences, the experience, and
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that, which is experienced). As soon as the person wakes up, the name
of the Atma is changed from the praagya to the vishwa, and the intellect
awakens. The vishwa identifies with the intellect of the waking state,
and superimposes its state of being immersed in agnan, and says, I
knew nothing.
The experience of sukha during sushupti is actually the Atmasukha. The
Atma is present in the form of the vishwa during the waking state, so
the person speaks about his praagya experience when he says that he
slept peacefully. This is how the adhyas caused by avidya has another
adhyas also caused by avidya. The praagyas all-knowing characteristic
is possible only when the focus is removed from the adhyas.
The praagya is also called the praagya because during the deep sleep
state it is free of the triad of gyaata-gnaana-gye`ya (the knower, Gnan,
and that which is known), and so, it is pure Gnan.
8. The praagya is the cause of everything.
If we look at sushupti from the viewpoint of jeeva-vaada (the theory of
separate jeevas) there is no agnan in it. It is also the drishti (vision) of
the drashta, and it is the praagya Ishwara. The sixth mantra of the
Mandukya Upanishad states clearly that the Ishwara the
sarve`shavara (Ishwara of all) is sarvagya (all-knowing) and the cause
of all beings.
E`sha sarve`shavara e`sha sarvagyah e`shontaryaamye`sha yonih
sarvasya prabhavaapyayau hi bhootaanaam (Mandukya Upanishad 6).
Aabhaasa-vaada (the theory that everything is an illusion) says that the
praagya is the jeevaatmaa (the Atma in an individual), indicating the
tvam pada (you), whereas one jeevavada says that the praagya is the
Ishwara. The abhimani of the vyashti (individual) sushupti is the
praagya, and the abhimani of the samashti (universal) sushupti is the
Ishwara. The method of jada-vaada (the theory that everything is
insensate) does not have this distinction. It is the method accepted by
the Mandukya Upanishad.
To understand the swarup of the abhimani of the samashti you have to
understand the sushupti of a Gnani. A Gnani is one whose avidya has
been removed by Gnan. What will his buddhi be immersed in, when he
is in the deep sleep state? This question creates a problem for those who
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believe that the buddhi is immersed in agnan during sushupti. The fact
is that a Brahmagnanis sushupti is a Samadhi. It is the state of turiya.
The Gnani has no agnan that can be immersed in sushupti, and there is
nothing there for him to know. Therefore, even in sushupti, there is only
pure Gnan in the Gnani. The states of vishwa and taijas contain
awareness about the different objects, but the praagya is immersed in
his own anand.
The fact that the sushupti and avyaakrita (hidden Atma) are one, is
established, since both are the seed state that is free of any distinctive
factors. Differences arise when separate features exist. The difference of
the vyashti-samashti is the result of the buddhi being active in the
waking state; unlike in the sushupti. Therefore, the difference between
the jeeva (the abhimani of the waking state) and the Ishwara (the
abhimani of the deep sleep state) cannot be established by experience. It
rises from the subtle impressions of the buddhi in the waking state.
The praagya of sushupti is the Atma, who is the Ishwara of all. From
the viewpoint of one jeevavada, sushupti is the total dissolution of the
whole world, and the praagya in it (the unmanifested chaitanya) is the
Sarveshwara. There is only one praagya, and He is the Ishwara of all, of
the gross and subtle worlds, and the adhidaivik world.
The praagya is not the abhimani of sushupti, because this state has no
scope for any objects. In fact, both the vishwa and the taijas are also the
praagya; and the praagya being the Ishwara is also the turiya tattva.
The Brahman is always free of having a seed state, so when the seed
state that is imagined in the praagya is negated, it becomes clear that the
praagya is the Brahman.
The praagya is all-knowing; meaning, it is not jada (insensate). It is the
one who knows. When Creation is in its seed form, it is the praagya
who keeps it in that form. And, when the world is created, the praagya
is in the form of the antaryaami (the one within), who organizes,
controls, and knows everything. Therefore, the praagya is sarvagya.
There is a systematic management that rules Creation, else it would not
have been possible to make scientific inventions. This management is
clear when there is action, but it is present even in inaction. The
praagya is called the antaryami from the viewpoint of action, and the
Sarveshwara from the viewpoint of inaction. It is not proper to believe
the jada Prakriti (Nature) to be the controller of all actions, because the
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mathematical precision of the management indicates an intelligence that

rules everything.
It is we who are the praagya. We know all the vrittis of the waking and
dream states. Therefore, we are the antaryami. We also know the
immersing of the vrittis in sushupti, when they become inactive.
Therefore, we are the Sarweshwara. Since we are the gyata of all three
states, we are sarvagya.
It is we who protect the seed during sushupti, and regulate the pranas by
staying in the sushupti-sthaana (place of the deep sleep state). It is we
who control the svapna-purusha (the person seen in our dream) by
being in him, and being his antaryami. The waking state is similar to the
dream state. It is a false belief that the individual, the antahkaran, and
the body are separate from the samashti (whole of creation). People say
that the roti (unleavened bread) is idam (this) when on the plate, and
aham (I) when it is eaten. This belief is untenable. If the roti is the
idam, so is the body made of food; and if the roti is Aham, everything is
Aham; there is nothing that is separate from Aham. Thus, when the
abhimaana (subtle pride) of the body is destroyed, a person finds it easy
to understand, I am the whole world.
The difference between the vyashti and samashti is totally imagined.
Therefore, we are also the antaryami of the waking state. It is a bhram
(wrong impression) to think that the antaryami is separate from the
Atma. That is why the Shrutis say that the pragyaa that is the
Sarveshwara, antaryami, and sarvagya, is I the Atma.
The method of Panchadashi and Vicharsagar is to do vive`ka
(discrimination) of the vyashti and samashti separately. Do the vivek of
the pancha kosha in the samashti. The chaitanya Ishwara who is
superimposed through conditioning is the cause of the pancha bhootas,
and the chaitanya jeeva who is given the superimposition of the effect
of the pancha koshas, should be analyzed separately. Then, use the
Mahavakya to understand that the jeeva that is free of avidya, and the
Ishwara that is free of Maya, are one.
One method of the jeevavada is to unite our vyashti (individual) body
with the samashti (universe) body. Think, The whole world is my gross
body. I am the vishwa. This method is based on the basis that any
object that is necessary for the existence of another object, is not
separate from that object. A clay pot cannot exist without clay, therefore
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the pot is clay. Similarly, our body cannot exist without the samashtis
food, water, warmth, wind and space; therefore, our body is not separate
from the samashtis body. Our gnaanashakti (the power of knowing) is
not separate from the samashti Gnan-shakti. Even from the viewpoint of
physical science, the appearance, dimensions and weight of an object
are all dependent on other factors. The eye cannot see unless there is
light, or even in bright light. So, the appearance of an object depends
upon light. Every organ has its limitations, and all our experiences are
within those limitations. The Aham we perceive as being separate, is, in
fact, one with the whole.
Everything is done by the gunas (Gita 3. 27). Everything is done by
Nature (Gita 5. 14). There are only five causes that prompt all actions
(Gita 18. 13 - 16). Everything is done by the Ishwara (Gita 18. 61).
These statements of the Gita clarify that it is a bhram to think that we
have a separate existence, that we are an individual karta-bhokta, or
have an independent anand.
This, I am not a sookshma shareera (subtle body); I am the
hiranyagarbha (taijas) who is the abhimani of all the subtle bodies in the
world. This is another vivek. Then think, My kaarana shareera
(causal body) is not separate from the kaarana samashti (causal whole).
I am the praagya-Ishwara. That is also vivek. Lastly, Ayamaatmaa
brahm this Atma is the Brahman. This Mahavakya is established by
negating all objects, and it is the method used by the jeevavada.
The praagya is called the cause of all the bhoota (beings) and yoni
(species), because the kaarana samashti and sushupti are identical.
Since it arises from the worlds of waking and dream states, it is called
sarvayoni (the origin of all). It is called the kaarana of all the bhootas
because it is also the place of birth and merging (into the ahankara). The
praagya is the abhinna-nimittopaadaana-kaarana (the cause that is not
separate from the matter, and the instrumental factor of everything that
is created).
Clay is the upaadaana kaarana (the basic matter and cause) of a pot,
and the potter is the nimitta kaarana (the instrumental cause). In all the
examples, the causal matter is jada (insensate), and the causal
instrument is chaitanya (consciousness). The dream state, however, is
an example in which all beings and objects are made of, and made by,

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the consciousness of the person who sees the dream. What else is there,
in the dream, except the dreamer?
If the all-knowing chaitanya who is Gnan-swarup and the Ishwara of
all creates the world, He will not need to depend on anything else to
create all the forms in Himself. Therefore, this Ishwara experiences
Himself as the entire world of name and form. The whole interactive
world is imagined. It is a pulsation, it is Gnan. Chaitanya cannot be
multiple, because multiplicity is possible only when the separating
factors like space, time and objects exist. However, all these are
illuminated by Gnan. Their existence depends on Gnan. Nobody can be
aware of them without being aware that they exist. Therefore, space,
time and matter are not separate from Gnan. Gnan shows the
differences; differences dont show Gnan. Since differences are
perceived because of Gnan, they have no existence that is separate from
Gnan. That being the case, Gnan is indivisible; it is always one.
Gnan will inevitably be Satya, because it is impossible to experience
ourselves as asat (non-existent). This Satya-swarup Gnan cannot be
transient because time does not exist in the Satya, and things are
momentary when they are within the framework of time. Space does
not exist in Satya, so there can be no feeling of vishay-vishayee (sense
objects and the one who experiences them), or any feeling of jadachetan. Thus, the vastu (the object that is the Atma) that is pure Gnan,
self-effulgent, and beyond space, time and matter, experiences all forms
within itself.
E`koham bahusyaam I am one; let Me become many. This Shruti
establishes that the Ishwara is chetan; and because He is the chetan, it is
possible for Him to fulfill the resolve given in this Shruti. Had the
Ishwara been jada, He would have multiplied under the jurisdiction of
Nature. However, being chetan, He is nirvikaara (not subject to the
deterioration that is the law of nature). There is no changing of forms in
Him; there is only the awareness of changes. Thus, there is no other
object in the one, indivisible supreme Brahman that is the Gnan-swarup
Paramatma.
The whole creation becomes our own resolve as soon as we realize that
the praagya and the Sarweshwara are one. The entire interactive world
is the form of sound, feel, and appearance, taste, and smell. These are
the vritti (mental inclinations) of the five indreeyas. The indreeyas
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power is dependent on the mind. Therefore, whether this world of name

and form be the gross or the subtle, it is sankalpa-maatra (only a
resolve); gnaana-maatra (only Gnan). Gnan-matra is called the
praagya. The praagya is the third paada of the Brahman.
9. The connection between the three states in the Atma (sakshi).
The three states vishwa, taijas, and praagya are not separate. It is the
same Tattva that is spoken of in three ways e`ka e`va tridhaa smritah
(Mandukya Karika 1). Just as the same person is s father to his son,
and a son to his father, and a husband to his wife, it is the one turiya
Brahman who becomes the vishwa because of bahishpragyataa (the
intellect turned outwards), taijas because of antahpragyataa (intellect
turned inwards), and praagya because if pragyaanaghanataa (the
merging of these states into the ahankara). The persons inclinations
help him to experience the external objects in the waking state, and his
own pulsations in his dreams. He remains the sakshi when he is in the
deep sleep state of abhaana (lack of awareness) and sukha, because this
state is free of mental inclinations.
I am the turiya Atma-Tattva who stays in these three states of jagrit,
swapna and sushupti. When a person gives thought to this, he
understands that he is separate from being in these states, he is one, and
unattached to anything. His e`katva (being one) shuddhatva (being
pure), and asangatva (being unattached) is established.
The first teaching of the avasthaatraya-vive`ka (the discrimination
about the three states) is that we are not the body, we are separate from
the body, and the whole world is our swarup. Which means, we are the
vishwa; not the abhimani of one body. The second teaching is that we
are not the mind that is limited to this body. All the pulsations in this
world are ours. We are the taijas-hiranyagarbha, we are vyaapaka (allpervading). The third teaching is that we are not the bhokta of the sukha
that comes and goes with the sushupti of our body. The whole worlds
anand, repose, and Samadhi are seen by the I who is the praagya.
If I am the vishwa, who will I have raga-dvesha for? If I am the taijashiranyagarbha, who is there for me to disagree with? If I am the
praagya, where will the mental state of sukha-dukha be present?

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If you think of the Atma, it is in the jagrit state. It is the Atma who sees,
hears, touches, etc; and the one who is seen, heard and touched is also
the Atma. It is the Atma who sees the dreams, in the dream state, and
everything in the dream is also the Atma. In the deep sleep state, it is
the Atma who is the sakshi of abhana and sukha; and, the abhana and
sukha are also the Atma. The states change, but the Atma remains as the
sakshi of all three states. This Atma is the turiya Tattva, and it is present
in the triad of the jagrit, swapna and sushupti states, in the vishwa,
taijas and praagya, in the dhyaataa, dhyaana and dhye`ya (the one who
meditates, the meditation, and that, which is meditated upon), in the
Sat, Raja and Tama, and in the pramaataa, pramaana and prame`ya
(the one who proves, the proof, and that, which is proved). It is the
turiya Tattva who is the Paramatma. He is in all three, and yet He is in
none of them.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4. 3. 4) gives an example of a
mahaamatsya (great fish) in a great river. He swims in midstream at
times and near one of the banks at times. The sides of the river are
separate and the center is separate, but the matsya is one, and separate
even from the water. He is asanga (unattached) even while being in the
water, in midstream or the sides. Similarly, the chetan is separate from
the states of jagrit, swapna or sushupti even when he is in them.
(Asangataa being unattached is of two kinds. One is like a water lily
in the water. The other is like the drashta of a dream, where the drishya
is mithya. The drashta of a dream is the substratum of the dream, and he
is asanga because dreams have no real existence. In the same way, the
Atma is asanga because it is non-dual. Nothing else exists, so what will
the Atma get attached to?)
When a person examines the matter using this method, he experiences
the asangata of the Atma. We remember the swapna and sushupti when
we are in the jagrit state. This shows that we are separate from swapna
and sushupti. We leave the jagrit and go into either swapna or sushupti,
so we are also separate from jagrit. We have the memory of all three
states, so we are their sakshi. Personal experience establishes this.
Through the vivek of the three states, it becomes clear that the drashta
who is present in all three states is the I, and one, and separate from
the three states. The drashta is shuddha (pure) Gnan. He is untouched
by the situation and not attached to anything. The actions of Dharma263

adharma, the raga-dvesha that prompt actions, the sukha-dukha that are
the result of actions, and the abhimani of being the karta-bhokta all
stay in the jagrit state, They change their forms in the swapna state, and
are absent in sushupti. Therefore, they have no connection with the I
who is the sakshi of the avasthaatrayee (three states).
It is important to note that the three states of jagrit, swapna and sushupti
are imagined in the Atma. They have been superimposed for the
purpose of explaining the turiya Atma. Is sushupti established by
experience? Who is the one who feels, I slept peacefully? The one
who felt this was not asleep, else how could he know the peace? And,
had he been sound asleep, the experience would be mithya. The person
who fell asleep did not feel anything, and the one who had the
experience was not asleep.
The truth is that we identify with the buddhi of the waking state, and
superimpose the buddhis slumber upon ourselves. If we separate the
buddhi from the experience, we feel that it was the buddhi that
slumbered peacefully. It could not have been the memory of the deep
sleep state, and experience did not sleep. Therefore, sushupti is not the
form of memory; it is an imagined superimposition on our self. The
Shruti says that the drashtas drishti never vanishes.
Nahi
drashturdrishte`rviparilopo
vidyate`vinaashitvaat.
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 3. 23).
Sushupti and death cannot be established by personal experience.
Nobody can remember his own death. People identify with their body
and fear, I will die. We see the death of other bodies and imagine our
own. You have neither seen yourself, nor anyone else die. All you have
seen is the death of peoples bodies. However, even the body does not
really die. It was the pancha bhoota (five elements) before it was
formed, and it becomes the pancha bhoota again.
Then, who is it that dies? Nobody! We imagine death in the Atma
because of our agnan. The purport is that sushupti and death are both
states that are not experienced by the Atma. Jagrit and swapna are states
that the Atma experiences in a different way. Jagrit is negated in the
swapna, and swapna is negated in the sushupti state. Sushupti is
imagined in our swarup, therefore, the entire interactive world seen
and unseen is negated in the Atma, and the sakshi paramartha, the
Brahman, the Atma, is the only Satya.
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The states are imagined in the Atma because it is only in the jagrit state
that we experience the vishwa, taijas, and praagya. In jagrit, the place of
the vishwa is believed to be the right eye. The eye is indicative of the
senses. Indho ha vai naamaisha yoyam dakshine`kshan purushah
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 2. 2). It is the Purusha in the right eye
who is the vaishwanara. When we experience the outer objects like
the sun, moon, fire, etc with the help of the senses and their presiding
deities, the adhidaiva our name becomes vishwa. When we imagine
things without using the senses like imagining the scenes in other
places we become the taijas. And, when we become quiet, seeing
neither the external nor the internal world, we are in a Samadhi, and we
become the praagya. Separate from the vishwa, taijas and praagya and
also in them is our own Self, the turiya Tattva.
The bhoga (that, which is experienced by the senses) and bhokta (the
one who has the experience) of the jagrit, swapna and sushupti states,
seem to be separate. The bhoga of the jagrit state is gross, and the
bhokta is the vishwa. The bhoga of the swapna is subtle and the bhokta
is the taijas. The bhoga of sushupti is anand, and the bhokta is the
praagya. However, the bhojya (that, which is fit to be experienced) that
is divided, is given the names of gross, subtle and anand, but it is one.
Similarly, the bhokta who is given the names of vishwa, taijas and
praagya is also one, and is the I.
Thus, in the forms of the bhojya and bhokta, and separate from them in
many ways, the person who knows them both does not get attached to
the sense objects even when he indulges in them.
Trishu dhaamasu yadbhojyam bhoktaa yashcha prakeertitah,
Ve`daitadubhayam yastu sa bhunjaano na lipyate`.
(Mandukya Karika 1. 5)
Everything that is experienced is the bhoga of only that one bhokta. Just
as agni (fire) remains unchanged even when consuming different
materials, the drashta also remains unchanged while experiencing the
waking and other states.
The bhogas are sound, touch, appearance, taste, and smell. The pancha
bhootas are present in the indreeyas the saatvik tanmaatraa (the
senses are made from Sattva guna). The pancha bhootas are also in the
bhoga the taamasik tanmaatraa (objects are made from Tamo guna).
We obtain Gnan about our bhoga through the senses. The Gnan of
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sound is the bhoga of sound. The Gnan of rasa (taste) is the bhoga of
rasa. Bhoktritva is to get the experiences through the senses; it is having
the feeling of being the bhokta.
The truth is that the senses dont see the gross matter; they only see the
guna (qualities). No matter what the object may be, we can only obtain
the knowledge about its sound, feel, appearance, taste and smell. We
can only make an estimate about the object based on this information.
There are five substances, and they have five tanmaatraa (subtle forms
of matter), and five kinds of forms. All this is an assumption. That being
the case, it can also be assumed that dravya (matter) is one. We obtain it
in five different ways through our five senses.
There is a difference between the conclusions reached by material
science about the Tattva, and those of metaphysical Gnan. Science
believes in what is known through instruments, but the senses are
faulty, so what they see through instruments can also be faulty. The
senses are depended upon more than the instruments.
Adhyaatma-vidyaa (metaphysical knowledge) accepts the experience of
the senses. The gnaane`ndriya (sense organs) give us five kinds of
information, which is why we believe that there are five tattva
(elements). The senses establish these tattvas. When we speak about
jala (water), we refer to the substance that is the refuge of the existence
of taste, not the water that is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. That
means, the guna of an object is established by the experience of the
senses, and we establish the matter by the existence of that, which is the
refuge of the gunas.
Gnan about the indreeyas is established through the mana (the
antahkaran, or fourfold mind). It is the mind that is transformed into the
vritti (inclinations) of the indreeyas, and absorbs the sense objects. The
consciousness that absorbs the objects is called the mana. That, which
absorbs the Gnan connected to objects, is called the antrahkaran, and
the consciousness that is unconnected to any object is the Atma.
The nature of chaitanya (consciousness) is Gnan. Gnan is selfeffulgent; its nature is to illuminate. It naturally shows the states of
jagrit, swapna and sushupti, the arrangements of time, space and matter
and their disruptions, the presence and absence of objects, and the
perception of the world. The chaitanya does not get paapa or punya for
enabling us to perceive things. It is like the fire that incurs no sin or
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merit for burning whatever is put into it. Paapa-punya are present when
the person chooses his actions at his own will.
It is the nature of the sun to spread light, regardless of whether people
do Dharma or adharma in the light it gives. The sun gets no punya for
good deeds done in its light; nor paapa for the wrongdoings. Similarly,
there is no paapa-punya in the bhojya. The bhokta gets paapa or punya,
but the drashta who illuminates both the bhojya and the bhokta, is
chetan, and untouched by the good or bad in them.
Paapa-punya, shuddha-ashuddha (pure-impure), he`ya-upaade`ya
(worth giving up-worth obtaining) are differences that are seen by Gnan
and are the subjects of Gnan. They stay in the buddhi, and influence the
development of our lives. Gnan about the saadhana (method for
spiritual progress) and the saadhya (the goal) are for the purpose of
interaction. They come within the sphere of bhe`da-gnaana (Gnan
about the differences). All bheda-Gnan is dependent upon the karta.
Gnan about the Satya is eternal and equal everywhere, and it is nondual. It shows things as they are, without incurring paapa or punya.
It is the feeling of being the karta that attaches us to the karma. When
you want to obtain or change something, and strive for it, it becomes a
cause of sukha-dukha. However, the person who is free of the subtle
pride of being the karta or bhokta does not get lipta (attached to;
smeared by) his actions.
What does getting lipta mean? When the idam (this) and the Aham
(I) become closely attached, they become lipta. The feeling, Aham
gyaataa I am the knower, means, being lipta. The abhimani of the
buddhi is called the gyata. By attaching it to the Aham the sakshi
you get the feeling of being the gyata. The buddhi is separate in every
being, and so there are many gyatas. The gyata in every body is a
separate chidaabhaasa (an illusion of the consciousness), but the
drashta the Aham of the whole drishya is one. He illuminates the
whole world with His drishti (vision; eyesight). Therefore, a person
becomes lipta when he thinks, this object belongs to me. I have done
this. This is my body. I am the karta, bhokta, and gyata. The drashta is
nirlipta (unattached).
10. The fourth pada of the Atma: the sakshi Brahman.

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(The Atmas being separate from the three states of waking, dreaming
and deep sleep.)
When someone mistakes a rope for a snake, he has to get the Gnan
about the rope to negate his mistaken understanding. In the same way,
to know the shuddha swarup of the Atma, it is necessary to negate all
false perceptions. The gross, subtle and causal bodies, five koshas,
being the abhimani of the jagrit, swapna and sushupti states and their
cause, Prakriti as well as the adhyatma, adhibhoota and adhidaiva, are
all vikalpa (false understandings) in the Atma. Therefore, the Shruti of
the Mandukya Upanishad describes the Atmas fourth pada the turiya
by negating all the vikalpas. It shows that the only Satya is pure
consciousness; it is the Atma, the Brahman, and the only thing worth
knowing.
It must be kept in mind that when the false impressions like the snake,
etc, are removed, a person needs light to get Gnan about what the object
actually is, but that is not the case with the Atma. The Atma is selfeffulgent, and needs no other source of illumination. The Atma swarup
is experienced by just the removal of doubts and false understanding.
In any case, what other method can there be, for the Atma-tattva to be
explained, apart from negating everything that is not the Atma? The
Shastras use five methods to describe things.
1. Through the sambandha-vritti (the thought of the connection or
relationship), like, a pot of water. The pot is not made of water,
but since it is filled with water, the connection is used to tell
someone to bring the pot of water.
2. Through the roodhi-vritti (synonyms), like the word, pankaj,
which means a water lily. The exact meaning of pankaj is: that,
which rises out of mud. A water lily need not be grown in mud,
but it is still called a pankaj.
3. Through the jaati-saamaanya (the common group), like, this is a
human being. Here, the person is connected to the human
species.
4. Through the kriyaa-vritti (actions), like, Mohan is a driver, and
Sohan is a poet. The person is connected to his activity.
5. Through the guna-vritti (inclination of qualities and tendencies),
like, a red flower or a learned gentleman.
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The Atma is pure consciousness, pure anand, and (non-dual) advaita.

None of the methods given above can be used to describe it. The
perceptions of the world in the Atma is mithya. There is no interactive
world in the Atma-swarup, so who can the Atma be connected to? Even
the roodhi-vritti is useless, since the Atma cannot be seen. The Atma
has no upadhi, so it cannot be described by the jaati-samanya. It is
akarta (not the karta), so the kriya-vritti is as useless as the guna-vritti,
because the Atma has no gunas.
Actually, the Atma is always present in the forms of the vishwa, taijas,
and praagya, but its being the Brahman is not known because the three
states are seen as separate. That is why the Shruti negates the presence
of the Atma in them. This negating establishes the state of turiya as
being different, and establishes the Atma-tattva. It also establishes the
fact that our interaction in these three states of the Atma is mithya.
Naantahpragyam na bhahishpragyam nobhayatahpragyam na
pragyaanaghanam
na
pragyam
naapragyam.
Adrishtamavyavahaaryamagraahyamalakshanamachintyamavyapade`shyame`kaatma-pratyasaaram
prapanchopashamam
shaantam
shivamadvaitam chaturtham manyante` sa aatmaa sa vigye`yah.
(Mandukya Upanishad 7).
The Atma is not antahpragya (intellect focused on the inner world),
meaning, it is separate from the taijas. It is not bahishpragya (intellect
focused on the external world), meaning, it is separate from the vishwa.
Nor is it ubhaypragya (intellect focused on both), meaning, the Atma is
not the abhimani of the jagrit or swapna, either. The Atma is not
pragyaanaghana (single-pointed focus), meaning, the Atma is separate
from the praagya. The Atma is neither pragya (knowledge), nor apragya
(unknowable), meaning, it is not the pramaataa (the one who
establishes). It is separate from the pramata. It is not ache`tan
(insensate; lacking consciousness), jada (gross matter), or shoonya (a
vacuum). The vishwa, taijas, praagya, pramata, karta, bhokta, etc are
the vilaasa (sport) of the chetan Atma, whether of the vyashti or the
samashti. The chetan in them is called the Atma. They are all abhinna
(not separate) from the Atma, but the Atma is separate from them all,
and is their paramartha (Supreme) swarup. All these are false images in
the Atma, for the convenience of interaction.
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The Atma can never be drishya (that, which is seen); it is adrishyam

(unseen; invisible), because it is the drashtaa (the one who sees) of
everything, and abides in the darshan-adarshan (the visible presenceabsence). It is not the karta of the vyashti or samashti, although it is
present in every state of interaction avyavahaaram. It cannot be
absorbed through the karme`ndriya (organs of action) or the
gnaane`ndriya (sense organs), but is behind all their actions
agraahyam. Its characteristic is that it is separate from everything. No
characteristic can give the full knowledge about the Atma, because
characteristics can only give knowledge about separate objects
alakshanam.
The Atma is avaangmanagochara it cannot be known through
speech or the mind. It is achintyam beyond imagination. It cannot be
described by words or vrittis, so it is avyapade`shyam. Words and vrittis
give Gnan about objects that are separate. The Atma is not a vritti. Gnan
is the essence of vrittis, so the Atma is pratyayasaara.
There is a steady Aham-vritti (feeling of I) in the jagrit and other
states, and this is where we must seek the sakshi Atma. It is because of
this, that the Atma is called, e`kaatmapratyayasaara. When you try to
find the cause of the interactive world, it creates a vritti (thought;
mental inclination) of the Ishwara. You can say that the
ekatmapratyayasaara is the saara (proof) of the Ishwara. The sakshi and
the Ishwara are the objects of the two vrittis mentioned above. When
you realize that they are one, you get the brahmaakaara-vritti (the
mental inclination of the one Brahman), which is also the saara of the
Mahavakyas. The vritti is the saara of the Atma, which is also called
ekatmapratyayasaara.
I repeat, the prapancha (interactive world) rests in the Atma, meaning,
the states of jagrit etc including the objects in them do not exist in
the Atma. In other words, the Atma is the adhikarana (substratum) of
the abhaava (absence; lacking) of the prapancha. Therefore, the
prapancha is a mithya perception in the Atma.
The Atma is shaanta (still), meaning, it is not subject to change, it is
unaffected, and it is inactive. Being the paramapremaaspada
(supremely dear) the Atma is Shiva. It is the form of non-duality,
because it contains neither differences, nor doubts. It is the turiya
because it is separate from the three states of jagrit etc. It is the
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substratum of all negations. It is consciousness itself, and it is the

sakshi. It is that Atma that is the only thing worth knowing. It is the
Brahman. It is everything that is. Sarvam hye`tad brahm. Ayamaatmaa
brahm. Soyamaatmaa chatushpaat. (Mandukya Upanishad 2).
[The explanation of ayamaatma brahm will be given in the portion of
the Mahavakyas.]

Chapter XIV
The Vivek of the Ahamartha and the Shuddha Sakshi (the tvam
padartha).
1. Ahamartha (the I of the individual) and the Samvidatma (the Atma
who is the sakshi of all).
The kartu-karma-virodha (the objection to the doer being the deed) is
well-known in Vedanta. A person who is the karta cannot be the karma;
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nor can the karma be the karta. The rule about karma also applies to
Gnan. The gyaataa (knower) cannot be the gye`ya (that, which is
known); nor can the gyeya be the gyata. The gyata is separate from the
gyeya.
The gyata is the refuge of gnaana-kriyaa (the action of knowing). Gnan
is the cause, and its subject is the gyeya. All Gnan is obtained through
the triad of the gyata, Gnan, and gyeya. The pramaataa (one who
proves), pramaana (proof) and the prame`ya (that, which is proved) are
synonyms of the gyata, Gnan and gyeya. Our Gnan is divided into these
three parts: the gye`ya vishay (known objects), the gnaanaakaara vritti
(the feeling of knowing), and the gyaataa aham (the I who knows).
It is clearly perceived that I, the pramata, am separate from the
prameya and the pramana. Both the prameya and the pramana are seen
as the idam (this), whereas the pramata is seen as the Aham (I). I am
seen as being separate from the vishay and the vritti, but not from the
pramata. Even so, the I is seen as being many forms. I is a paapi at
times and a punyatma at times. At times it is filled with raaga
(attachment), and at times, with vairaagya (detachment); it is sukhi at
times, and dukhi at times. This multiplicity cannot be perceived without
the Aham being mixed with the idam. A mental knot is created, tying
the Aham with the idam. This perceived Aham is not just the Aham; nor
is it just the idam. Ordinary people perceive this as Aham, and the
meaning of their aham-pada (status as I), or, the ahamartha.
Our feeling of being the karta, bhokta, and gyata (the abhimani of
karma, bhoga and Gnan) is called the ahamartha.
The amazing thing is that in spite of having so many forms, we are fully
aware of being one person. We keep changing from a punyatma to a
paapi, dukhi, raagi, in the course of a day, but the I remains one.
Who is this I?
You are not the perceived, changing ahamartha; you are the sakshi of
the changes. You are the unchanging Gnan of the vishay-vritti the
changing feelings about objects. You are the one who establishes the
ahamartha.
A person has ghata-gnaana (Gnan about a pot) and pata-gnaana (Gnan
about a picture). The pot and the picture are separate, but the Gnan is
one. Separate objects do not result in Gnan being separate. The vrittis of
the shapes of the pot and the picture are separate, but Gnan about the
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vrittis is one. The knower of the pot and the knower of the picture is
one, though the known objects are different.
There is a jaadyaansha (a portion of the jada) in objects, vrittis, and
ahamartha, but the shuddha Gnan or samvit in them, is one. The
samvit is self-effulgent, and it is one. No differences exist in the samvit.
If you say that the ahamartha is the samvit, it is necessary for you to
separate the changeable portion of the jada from the unchanging
shuddha Gnan. Had you been the jada-ansha that changes, how would
you have known about the changes? The fact is that you are pure Gnan,
you are pure consciousness, and you are the Atma that never changes.
Your adhyas of being the anaatmaa (that, which in not the Atma), and
its dharma, makes you believe yourself to be the ahamartha that
changes.
The ahamartha is separate in every body, but the samvit has no
differences of the body and anatahkaran.
What is the adhishthaana (substratum) of the perceived Aham and
idam? The Charvaks say that they are insensate substances, and the
source of the feelings of I and this. Aham and idam are created from
gross matter, sustained by gross matter, and dissolve in gross matter. All
interaction is done in the ache`tan (that, which is not chetan) by the
achetan.
This opinion is incorrect. Nobody can experience their own lack of
consciousness. Furthermore, this theory will lead to endless confusion,
like the blind following the blind. They will fall at every step.
Andhasye`vaandhalagnasya vinipaatah pade` pade` (Bhamati
Prasthana).
Then?
The substratum of I and this is the Atma that is pure consciousness
the shuddha chetan which illuminates both, pervades both, and is
separate from both.
If you say that there is no need for the Aham and the idam to have an
adhishthana, that is not correct, because a substratum is essential for
things to be separate and different. The substratum cannot be a vacuum
because bhaava (existence) cannot be created from abhaava (nonexistence), as stated in the Chandogya Upanishad (6. 2. 2),
Kathamasatah sanjaayate`. A jada substratum would result in a world
that is blind.
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If we accept the Aham as the substratum of the Aham, and the idam as
the substratum of the idam, this theory has the aatmaashraya dosha (the
fault of something dependent on itself). If we accept the Aham as the
substratum of the idam, and the idam as the substratum of the Aham,
this statement has the anyonyaashraya dosha the fault of two things
depending on each other.
If we accept something entirely separate as the substratum of both, we
will have to accept a fourth substratum, and the result will be
anavasthaa (an endless state). Thus, the substratum of the Aham is
established as the chetan, and nothing else; and the chetan cannot be
separate from the samvit I. Therefore, the samvit that is separate from
the ahamartha, and reveals the ahamartha, its vrittis and its vishays, is
not separate. It is the substratum that remains after everything else is
negated.
This samvit does not get immersed and manifested on occasion. To say
this will be a vadato-vyaaghaata a self contradiction. The samvit does
not get immersed; nor does it manifest. The laya (getting immersed)
and praakatya (manifestation) happen in the samvit. How can they be
experienced without Gnan? The vishay, vritti and ahamartha are
immersed and manifest; not the samvit.
This samvit is an infinite Gnan in which there is neither coming nor
going. The samvit neither expands nor contracts, but we get the Gnan of
all expansion and contraction through it. There is no outside or inside in
the samvit, no birth or death, no now and no then. It is infinite Gnan
that is neither the vishay, nor the vishayee, nor the vritti. That means, it
is not your separate ahamartha. That infinite Gnan is no other it is
you, yourself. Your beauty is such that all beauty is imagined in it. Your
sweetness is such that all sweetness is imagined in it. You are the Satya
pure existence in which all the illusionary Satyas glimmer as real.
They become mithya. No differences of the sensate and insensate exist
in the Satya that is you. This is what your Atma-swarup, your samvitswarup, is like.
Many vishays are perceived and so are the differences in them. Vishays
are anirvachaneeya (impossible to define), and so is the difference in
them. Many vrittis are felt, they have many vishays, and their aashraya
(shelters) are also separate. At first, they have no existence. Then they

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rise, and then they vanish. They are dependent on an eternal, unbroken
samvit for them to be revealed.
Ahamartha is also shown as having vishays. Actually, the presence of
inclinations (vrittis) and objects (vishays) is also superimposed on the
ahamartha. A person cannot experience the shuddha (pure) Atma
without superimposing its apparent form the ahamartha and the
objects of karma, bhoga, and Gnan, and their mental inclinations, on it.
The samvit is prakaasha (effulgence), it is the prakaashaka
(illuminator); and the ahamartha is the prakaashya (that, which is
illuminated). The ahamartha is felt when the dharmas that are
superimposed upon the upadhis (conditioning) in the ahamartha are
revealed. Therefore, the ahamartha, the mental inclinations, and the
objects, are all the prakashya, whereas the shuddha samvit is the
prakashaka, and is svayam-prakaasha (self-effulgent). That, which is
illuminated does not always stay; but that, which illuminates, shows the
presence as well as the absence of objects. Therefore, the prakashya is
negated, it is mithya, while the samvit cannot be negated.
See the kinds of Gnan. One is the Gnan that is created, which is related
to action. Another is the Gnan that happens, which is related to time and
matter. There is third kind of Gnan, which is pure, not related to space,
time and matter all of which are imagined and this shuddha Gnan is
you swarup, your Atma.
The body, senses and antahkaran, their divisions of the gross, subtle and
causal bodies, the five koshas, the three states of jagrit etc, the dharmas
and abhimanis of all of them, their being joined together, and the Atma
that believes this to be an individual I and mine, are all definitions of
the ahamartha. This ahamartha is also called the jeeva.
That, which is called the drishya (that which is experienced by the
senses) is related to space, time and matter. It has many forms and
shapes, and it has abhimaana (the subtle ego of individuality). It is
present at times and not seen at times; it keeps changing. It takes on
strange forms because of sanskaras from past births, and takes on future
forms because of the sanskaras of the present life. Jolted by one
sanskara, it seems to have another vaasanaa (avid desire). The drishyas
continue to be perceived, but the samvit remains unchanged. This
means that everything that is the drishya is the object of the idam-vritti
(the feeling that it is this, separate from our I), and everything that is
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known by absorbing the forms that are the idam is the drishya. The
anidam (not the idam) is the samvit. The ahamartha that is also
perceived, is known through the knowledge of the idamartha (the body
seems to be the Aham).
The samvit that is completely free of the idam and everything
connected to it, is free of the dosha (faults; flaws) related to the idam.
The idam is related to time, space and matter, but the anidam is not. The
idam involves karma, sukha, dukha, mutations, pramaa (the right
intellect) and bhrama (false understanding). The anidam has none of
these. The idam is illuminated by another. It is a vishay (object of the
senses), dependent on other factors for its existence. The anidam is selfeffulgent. It is not the object of the senses. It is the sarva-aashraya (the
refuge of all), and its existence is independent.
The idam and the anidam have opposite dharmas. The adhyas of the
different dharmas is established by avive`ka (lack of discrimination)
and by avivek only.
And, why is there avivek? That is also because of avivek! Avivek has
no cause. Thus the ahamartha that is in the form of Aham and idam
is caused by avivek. When the light of vivek negates the idam, the
person obtains the form of the shuddha samvit. This is the
pratyagaatmaa (the Atma) in every individual. The pratyagatma is the
form of the shuddha samvit. It is the form of light. It is self-effulgent. It
needs no other Gnan for obtaining Gnan about itself. It is always
shining, like the sun. Space, time, matter, individuality, the situation,
effect, cause, karma, bhoga, jeeva, and the Ishwara are all illuminated
by the light of the pratyagatma.
Help from the eyes is needed to see the watch. Help from the mind is
needed to see the eyes. Help from the intellect is needed to see a friend
or foe. However, no help is needed from anyone, to see the waking (or
any other) state of the buddhi. The pratyagatma illuminates the buddhi
directly, and that is why it is called the sakshi. Saakshaat pashyati iti
saakshee. The self-effulgent chaitanya Atma (in the individual) is the
sakshi that needs no other source of illumination. It needs none of the
indreeyas, buddhi-vritti, or the apparent Aham. It depends on no other,
It is separate from the pratyaksha (experienced by the senses),
paroksha (unseen, like Heaven), or aparoksha (known by the mana or
buddhi).
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When the Atma illuminates time, it is called nitya (eternal). When it

illuminates space, it is called vyaapaka (all-pervading). When it
illuminates all the kaarya-kaarana (effect and cause) it is called
sarvaatmaa (the Atma of all). The Atma is, itself, self-effulgent, in
any case. It sees everyone without being seen, and yet there is no doubt
that
it
exists.
Ave`dyate`
sati
aparokshatvam
svayamprakaashalakshanam (Bhamati Prasthana). Be free of doubts.
There is no living person who has the capacity to experience the
absence of his I. This is an open challenge. Nahi kashchitprateeyaat
naahamasmeeti (Shankaracharya).
This self-effulgent Atma is kootastha. The word koot means a
mountain peak, the anvil of a blacksmith or jeweler, or a falsehood.
That, which remains unmoved and unchanged like a koot, is a
kootastha. A mountain peak remains unchanged in the cold, heat, and
rain. The anvil remains unchanged by the hammering. Similarly, the
pratyagatma remains established in its self-effulgent form in spite of the
innumerable drishyas that appear and disappear. Just as the world seen
in a dream is not real, but is superimposed on the mind of the person
who sees the dream, the states of jagrit, swapna and sushupti, Samadhi,
etc are seen in the chetan that is the substratum and the pratyagatma that
is kootastha, while these states exist in a false form of the samashti (the
whole). The word kootashtha is used for the chaitanya, the unchanging
substratum.
Being the prakaashaka (illuminator) of space, the samvit is allpervading, and therefore, nir-ansha (having no parts). Being niransha, it
is free of being separate in expanses of area. This the sakshi, who is
the form of the samvit is the Brahman, and is not subject to being
divided by space, time or matter. It is present as pure existence in
everything; therefore, it is the one sanmaatra (pure existence). Being
present in all Gnan, it is the one chinmaatra (pure consciousness), and
being present in all sukha, it is the one aanandamaatra (pure bliss).
There is no contradiction of all and one in it; it is just like the world of
dreams. Hence, it is adviteeya (non-dual).Therefore, this samvit is the
non-dual Parabrahma in the form of Sacchidananda.
Some points are given below about the sakshi.

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1) There is no length or breadth in the sakshi. The sakshi illuminates

the length and breadth of everything. It does not stay in any one
place; space stays in the sakshi.
2) The sakshis age cannot be measured by time. The sakshi gives
the Gnan about a persons age. The sakshi is not restricted to any
period in time; time itself stays in the sakshi.
3) There is no Gnan about matter in the sakshi. The sakshi is the
saakshee (witness) of matter. Matter is imagined in the existence
of the sakshi.
4) The differences of svajaateeya (of the same group), vijaateeya (of
a different group), and svagata (within itself) are not present in
the sakshi. The sakshi is the form of the non-dual.
5) The sakshi can never be drishya, but the drishya cannot be
separate from the sakshi. Therefore, the three bodies (gross, subtle
and causal), five koshas (sheaths that cover the Atma), three states
(waking etc), all the adhibhoota (gross matter), adhidaiva (forces
of nature), and adhyaatma (metaphysical) worlds are illuminated
by the sakshi. Yet none of them can be the sakshi. The Ishwara is
not the sakshi because He is the beejavishishtha (the individual
seed that cannot be the sakshi). The ahamartha is a jeeva who is
the sakshi who has the seed of the imagined antahkaran; and the
Ishwara is a sakshi who has the seed of the imagined Maya. The
sakshi, himself, is nirvishesha free of attributes. It is the
Brahman that is the pure, non-dual existence, pure consciousness,
and pure bliss.
6) The sakshi has no kaarana (cause).
7) The sakshi has no kaarya (effect). He is the sakshi of effect and
cause.
8) The sakshi cannot be many, otherwise, they will all become
drishya mutually. Therefore, the sakshi in all the bodies is neither
separate nor different.
9) The sakshi can be neither sukhi, dukhi, nor an abhimani. The
sakshi is the illuminator of all the ahamarthas.
10)
The sakshi does not abide in the body, in any of the koshas,
or states. All bodies, koshas, and states are perceived in the sakshi
through the sakshi.

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11)
The sakshi chetan illuminates the entire interactive world. It
is the substratum of everything, because no experience is possible
that is separate from the sakshi.
12)
When the idam has been shown to be separate from the
Aham, only the sakshi remains. Therefore, the sakshi is separate
from the ahamartha, but the ahamartha is not separate from the
sakshi.
2. The Beeja and the Jeeva.
All beings from Brahmaji to the tiniest moth, are averse to dukha and
try to escape it. Nobody needs to be taught to dislike death, agnan, and
dukha.
It is apparent that there can be no question of escaping from the dukha
that is past. The dukha perceived in the present is passing and the dukha
yet to come is unknown. So, what does escaping from dukha mean?
It means, escape from the factors that cause dukha, permanently,
everywhere, and in every form; meaning, a total removal of dukha. The
question that comes up naturally, is, what causes dukha, and how can it
be removed?
Dukha is born along with the body. It is experienced during birth and
death. Disease, separation, bhoga, uniting, favorable and unfavorable
factors, are all related to the physical form. So are dependence and
independence. Dharma, karma, condition, circumstances, etc are all
connected to the body. The cause of our dukha is our relationship with
our body.
And, what is the relationship? It is our accepting the body as I and
mine. We should cultivate discrimination regarding our swarup, and
understand that we are separate from this body. Naaham na me`
neither am I this body, nor is this body mine. Let people say what they
want about it. Let whatever happens, happen. Let it be in whatever
condition it is, but neither is it me, nor is it mine. I am the drashta,
the sakshi, unattached and disinterested. To accept the body as Aham
and mama (mine) is the cause of dukha.
Where did the body come from? Where will it go when we give up our
identification with it? What is the certainty that the relationship wont
return? The body may be made of one or more tattvas; it may be an
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assemblage of insensate matter, but nothing can be made without

Dharma-adharma. Dharma-adharma are created by karmas. Karmas are
done by the body. That being the case, the lineage of the body will
never end, because karmas will continue to be vihit (instituted) and
nishiddha (forbidden). Karmas done by the body and bodies created by
karmas! It is like an endless process of a seed becoming a tree,
producing more seeds that grow into more trees.
Then, is the life of a jeeva no better than the life of a seed?
No; there is a difference.
You have a seed in your hand. If you know what it is, you can imagine
the form of the tree it came from, and will grow into. You can imagine
how it will develop. None of this can be seen in the seed, even though
the seed contains it all. A seed needs earth, water, heat, light, wind and
space. It needs a field, nourishment, and moisture. It will soften, swell,
sprout, and grow. This needs space and time. In spite of having all this,
it will take on its natural, inherent form, appearance, flavor, etc. The
seed has come down the ages. It has been growing inwardly and
externally, high up and deep down. It will continue its lineage until its
growth potential is destroyed by roasting.
Now, take a jeeva. It has a special kind of jeevatva (quality of being a
jeeva). A jeeva also needs time for manifesting, and its dissolution. It
needs space for movement, matter for absorbing different forms, and
karmas for these. It is not possible to rise or fall, live or die, come or go,
without karma. These karmas are called vikaara (distortions) or
vikriyaa (deteriorations) in the world of nature, and they follow fixed
patterns in the forms of objects. These karmas are done in the world of
the jeevas, with the subtle pride of being the karta. Karmas take on the
forms of sanskara connected to specific vaasnanaa (avid desires), and
are called Dharma or adharma.
The jeeva has a predominance of chaitanya, whereas the beeja has a
predominance of jadatva (being insensate). The syllable va in jeeva
indicates internalization, and the syllable ba in beeja indicates
externalization. The beeja is merely the cause of creating, but the jeeva
is the cause of creating as well as establishing. The powers of the beeja
are limited to gross matter, but the jeevas powers extend to the gross as
well as the subtle. The bahikaran (external organs that do the actions))
and antahkaran (fourfold mind that prompts actions) are awake, but the
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organs of the beeja are unconscious. Dharma-adharma do not arise in

the beeja. The jeeva, being free to choose his actions, becomes the
support of Dharma and adharma. The beeja is predominantly the
bhogya-ansha (the part that is experienced), whereas the jeeva is
predominantly the bhoktritva-ansha (the part that experiences). That is
why the sukha-dukha of the jeeva is jaagrita (awake), but that of the
beeja is sushupta (asleep). The jeeva is either elevated, or it falls,
because of his karmas, but the beeja is compelled to follow the laws of
Prakriti.
The jeevas, too, are ruled by Prakriti, and are of three kinds the
oordhvasrota (growing upwards, like humans), the tiryaksrota (growing
lengthwise, like animals) and the aghahsrota (growing downwards, like
trees). The last are usually predominated by jadatva (quality of the
insensate). They do not have Gnan about Dharma-adharma. In the
oordhvasrota, however, the upliftment is complete. It has the full
capacity for karma, Gnan, and pre`ma (pure love). Humans have
indreeyas, like hands etc, for doing new kinds of work. They have the
intellect for inventing new things and prema for experiencing anand.
This species has all the eligibility for experiencing sadbhaava (the
feeling of existing), chidbhaava (being conscious) and aanandabhaava
(being joyful). The human being has the sanskaras of vidya (right
knowledge), and karma. We also see a pragyaa from past lives. That is
why the responsibility of Dharma and adharma rests only on the human
species.
When a person does adharma, his control over his body, mind, and
senses is weakened, and so he has to return to the jurisdiction of Prakriti
and be born as an udbhij (plant), sve`daj (insect), andaj (in an egg), or
jaraayuja (born in a sac), in a species that is lower than the human.
When a person lives according to Dharma, his control over his body,
mind and senses is enhanced. His mind is purified. The practice of selfrestraint makes him fit to enter divine realms, where he first enjoys
sensual pleasures. However, a person who has a single minded devotion
for his Ishtadev (chosen form of worship) experiences divine sukha that
is superior to sensual pleasures. The sukha obtained through Dharma
involves many Devtas, mantras, and methods of worship. It gives many
kinds of fruit. In upaasanaa (loving worship of the Ishtadev), there is
only one Ishta, one mantra, one method, and firm faith in only one
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Bhagwan. This method is dominated by love for Bhagwan, and it

results in a rising of bhagvat-sukha (the sukha of Bhagwan).
The Sankhya philosophy believes that the swarup of the jeeva is a
sakshi. He is the sakshi of the antahkaran, but everyone has separate
bodies. The sakshi is the non-attached chetan. He is the sakshi of the
antahkaran, self-effulgent, chetan, unconnected to time, space and
matter. By curtailing the vrittis, he is the drashta who is established in
the Atma-swarup. Then, he is liberated from coming and going in space,
birth, and death, in time; and getting new forms because of being born
again in different species. He becomes aloof from all upadhis. That
drashta becomes established in his own swarup, but when the Samadhi
breaks, he identifies with his vrittis once again. That is why a person
who controls his inclinations is able to control his return to identifying
with his vrittis, birth, death, etc.
According to Vedanta, the jeevas sakshi-swarup is the Brahman.
Therefore, when the jeeva and the Brahman are examined by the
method of Vedanta, the person understands the purport of the Mahavakyas. He realizes that the jeeva and the Atma are one, and they are the
Brahman. This enables him to understand that space and time are
mithya, and he is convinced that birth and death do not exist in his
swarup, his Atma. As long as a person identifies with his vrittis,
believing them to be Satya, nobody can remove his belief in the
existence of different objects, separate antahkarans, and the Ishwaras
being separate. He will continue to be swept in the river of rebirth.
The quality of the beeja is gross matter, so it can be destroyed by fire,
even though it is anaadi (without a beginning in time). The jeeva,
however, is chetan, and cannot be destroyed by earthly fire. It has vrittis
that are linked to deep-rooted vasanas, identifying with avidya. Avidya
has to be burnt by the fire of Gnan before the jeeva can be free of the
jeevatva (qualities of a jeeva).
The jeeva is chetan. Its existence is anadi and anant (infinite; endless).
It absorbs the imagined space, time and matter in the drishti (vision).
The perceived space, time and matter are subject to negation, but the
swarup of chetan can never be negated.
It is not possible for us to know our non-existence. Nobody can feel, I
am not. Therefore, the real swarup of the jeeva is anant and advaya
(non-dual). It imagines that it is one with the perceived time, and
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believes itself to be all-pervading. It identifies with matter, and believes

itself to be the Atma of all. In fact, being eternal, all-pervading, and the
Atma of all, are not its real swarup. This form is created because of the
jeevas identification with an imagined drishya (something that can be
known through the senses). The true swarup of the jeeva is the chetan
that is the substratum, and has no whiff of duality. The apparent that can
be negated is of no value. The fact is that the beejatva (having the
qualities of a seed) and the jeevatva (having the qualities of a jeeva) are
the result of avidya. The existence of the beeja and the jeeva are
inseparable from the existence of the unbroken conscience.
Let us return to the first point.
What is the cause of many forms being seen in one vastu (object; the
Brahman)? It is vikriyaa (deterioration) or kriyaa (action). The vikriya
is natural, but kriya is done by the karta. Kriya comes within the
boundaries of Dharma-adharma, because it is based on a wish to obtain
or avoid. The action depends on the strength or weakness of the desire.
Adhyas is caused by agnan, and remains as long as agnan remains. The
cycle of rebirth cannot be ended if adhyas and vasana remain. Vedanta
Gnan is needed to end this cycle. Had there been no birth and death in
time, coming and going in space, changes of species in matter, and the
karma-fala (fruit of actions) controlled by the Ishwara and the jeeva
not been bound to experience the fruit there would be no need for the
Mahavakya to give us the Gnan of Tattvamasi Thou (the Atma) art
That (the Brahman). All the shravan (listening to the Shastras), manan
(pondering upon them), and nididhyasana (bringing the mind repeatedly
to what you have heard) of Vedanta would be futile. The Gnan that the
Brahman and the Atma are one, is needed only for removing agnan.
Yaavaddhe`tufalaave`shah sansaarastaavadaayatah,
Ksheene` he`tufalaave`she` sansaaram na prapadyate`.
(Mandukya Karika 4. 56)
As long as there is belief about the cause and results, the world is
spread out. When the belief is reduced, the vidvaana (learned person)
does not get involved in the sansara.
The Atma which is also the Brahman is free of space, time, matter,
and separate objects. It is free of the differences of svajaateeya (within
the same group), vijaateeya (from a different group), and
svagatabhe`da (within the same group). When a person fails to realize
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this, believing he is the karta of Dharma-adharma, and the bhokta of the

resultant sukha-dukha, his intellect accepts the sansara created by birth
and death. When he gets the brahmaatmaikya gnaana (the Gnan that
the Atma and the Brahman are one) his agnan is dispelled. The beliefs
of being the karta, bhokta, sansari, separate, etc, are negated. Then the
sorrows of birth and death, coming and going, and worldly suffering,
are removed. That is why, when a person who has not attained
Tattvagnan refuses to believe in rebirth and realms after death, he is
turned away from the Vedanta-vidya. He gets trapped in great sorrow.
It is entirely in keeping with Vedanta, and absolutely logical that the life
of a jeeva is an existence of unbroken consciousness. It is an akhanda
chinmaatra sattaa. The differences are not vastu-satya (objects that are
real). According to the Tattva, our self-effulgent substratum is not
separate from the Atma.
3. The pristine swarup of the jeeva: the unbroken Sacchidananda;
meaning, the self-effulgent sukha of the Brahman.
Every being wants sukha; sukha that is permanent, experienced
everywhere, from everybody, obtained effortlessly, independent of
any other factor, and sukha that he is aware of.
In spite of having such a lofty desire, it is strange that people
disagree about how such sukha can be obtained. Some people believe
that they will be happy when they reach a particular place, and some
try for a particular situation. Some want a particular object, and some
turn to social work to make a name for themselves. Some beg for
sukha from others and some try to find it in a state of stupor or
unconsciousness. Everybody has a different opinion and a different
attitude. It is as though the village well is filled with wine!
To get sukha, should we indulge in sensual pleasures, or practice
austerities? Should we renounce, or should we accumulate? Should
we do karmas or accept Sanyas (become a Monk)? Should we dance
and jump, or should we go into a Samadhi? Should we think of
someone, or forget everyone? Should we remain conscious or
become unconscious?
The only reason for so many opinions is, not knowing the swarup of
the sukha we want. That is why we are deluded into wanting sukha
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by instant gratification, an incomplete sukha, attained by

considerable effort and dependent on others. Instead of shaanti
(peace), we get shraanti (weariness) and klaanti (fatigue)!
It is not possible to obtain sukha in a place, time, objects, and people,
because they have their limits. It is not possible to get sukha from an
inclination for hard work. A bhokta whose Aham is limited cannot
obtain unlimited sukha. Shrama (hard work) can never be infinite,
because the consequence of work is repose, whether it is sushupti or
Samadhi. That, which you recognize as the ishta-sukha (desired
sukha) should be measured on the touchstone of whether it is present
now, here, whether it is this, available effortlessly, independent, and
always available.
The sukha that is now, here, this, available effortlessly, independent,
and always experienced, is actually aparoksha (experienced, but not
through the senses). You dont recognize it because of your mistaken
understanding of it. That is why you strive for it, expect it in a
different state, or work to receive it by Grace. This is an intellectual
lack of logic, a doubtful state of mind, or the sport of deluded
understanding. These must be removed if you are to obtain real
sukha.
The fact is, we seek a bhaasamaana sukha a sukha that is felt
clearly, because sukha does not have a paroksha (unseen, unknown)
existence. Sukha is always aparoksha. It is not the kind of aparoksha
experience that is the result of the interaction between the pramaana
(proof) and the prame`ya (that, which is fit to be a universal
statement), but the kind that is felt directly. The sakshi is, himself,
the form of sukha, but he sees sukha as something separate, because
he lacks the Gnan that he is the Brahman. He also feels that sukha
changes when states change. He identifies with the vrittis of the
waking state, believing himself to be sukhi at times and dukhi at
times.
It is worth giving thought to the fact that we do not believe any
object of the chitta-vritti (mental inclination) to be sukha. The object
may be sa-vishay (having attributes) or nir-vishay (having no
attributes). If it is so, that which we consider to be sukha will be
a superimposed form related to time and space. The sukha obtained
from a particular form will be an illusion.
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From the viewpoint of the Tattva, sukha is the Brahman that is

experienced. The sukha of interaction is temporary, because all that
is temporary is the object of temporariness. Sukha is the form of that,
which is obtained. It is not restricted by time, space, or matter. That
means, the obtaining is the Brahman, and the sarvaavabhaasaka (felt
everywhere) paripoorna (whole) Chit, and the drashta of all the
jeevas. He is also the pragyaana (right knowledge) swarup of sukha.
The pragyaana-swarup sukha is unconnected to time, space, state,
form, effort or lack of effort, given or not given by any other, during
consciousness or while unconscious, having a form or not. None of
these are separate from the pragyaanamaatra (the pure right
knowledge), nor are they the result of the sukha that is the form of
the pragyaana. They can be called a vivarta (distortion), since they
are contrary to the pragyaanas essential essence, but ultimately, all
pragyaana is the essence of the Brahman.
What is pragyaana? It is prakristha (superior) Gnan; pure Gnan. In
daily parlance, the word gnaana (knowledge; awareness) is
connected to a gyaataa (knower), and gye`ya (that, which is known).
The triad of gyata, Gnan and gyeya is present in all worldly
interaction. There is no knowledge in the world that does not have an
object, and an abhimani gyata. In fact, it is the one Gnan that is
adjusted in the three forms of the gyata, Gnan and gyeya. Even so,
dvaita (duality) cannot be seen as mithya unless a person obtains the
advaita-gnaana (Gnan about the non-dual essence of the Brahman).
The advaita Gnan is kept hidden. This triad of Gnan is seen in the
jagrit state, but it is a superimposed impurity in Gnan. To remove this
impurity, it is essential to ascertain the pragyaana that is the swarup
of pure Gnan.
The fact is, Gnan does not depend on the gyata, because it shows
even the absence of the gyeya. The absence of an object is not
separate from the substratum; its separateness exists only as long as
there is agnan about the substratum. The gyeya and the gyata are
interdependent, but Gnan does not depend even on the feeling of
knowing, because it reveals the feeling of knowing. Neither does
Gnan depend on any other Gnan, because Gnan is always one.
That is why the existence of that, which is known or its absence;
the feeling of knowing or its absence; and inseparable from it all,
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and also pervading it, is the substratum upon which everything

exists, and everything is revealed, is the self-effulgent Gnan that is
absolutely independent. It is the substratum of all differences.
That is why the pure swarup of Gnan is free of the differences of the
knower and the known. Here, the meaning of the word gyeya is
drishyamaatra (that, which is seen), and the meaning of the word
gyaataa is both the jeeva as well as the Ishwara. That is why the
non-dual self-effulgent Brahman that is the substratum of everything,
has no divisions of jagat, jeeva and Ishwara. It shows the asat
dvaitya (a false duality), but is free of the attributes of being the one
who shows the dualities.
The Brahman does not depend on agnan, because it is the one who
shows the agnan. Agnan is neither Sat nor asat; it is anirvachaneeya
(that, which cannot be defined). It is imagined in the substratum as
the aavarana (curtain that hides). The self-effulgent Gnan never
depends on any imagined object. The saape`ksha (dependent) object
is mithya, and the nirape`ksha (independent) object is Satya. This
nirapeksha Satya is the Brahman, and is called the pragyaana in the
Upanishads.
A garland is gyeya. The eyes are Gnan (instruments of getting Gnan),
and the I who has the eyes is the gyata. The fact is that the chetan
which is the substratum of the separate gyata is also the substratum
of the gyeya and the eyes. However, because the non-dual
substratum is not recognized, it is seen as these three separate forms.
When a person obtains the knowledge of the aparichhinna
(unbroken; whole) substratum, the three no longer seem separate.
That is why the substratum in the form of chetan is the pragyaana
Satya, while the triad perceived in it, is mithya. Many gyeya, many
instruments of Gnan, and many abhimanis of Gnan are the vivarta
(false images) of the one, unfragmented pragyaana.
Agnan is to not know the eternal, unbroken pragyaana. To remove
this false impression it is important to purify the pragyaanapadaartha (the object that is the pragyaana).
What are the triads in the pragyaana chetan? Most definitely, they are
the chidaabhaasa - the illusion of consciousness. The chetan (in the
individual) that illuminates does not have multiple sources of
illumination. Nor does it have the capacity to reveal the
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unfragmented form and illuminate its own consciousness. So it

shows itself in a form that is contrary to its essence. It is like the sky
looking blue because of the eyes inability to see the entirety of
space. Space has no form, but is seen as a blue form.
In the same way, our pratyagaatmaa (the Atma in the individual) is
seen as a paraak (separate) vishay, although it is actually an avishay
(not known through the senses). Chetan is seen as jada, avinaashee
(indestructible) is seen as vinaashee (destructible), poorna (whole) is
seen as parichhinna (fragmented), adviteeya (non-dual is seen as
dviteeya (dual), and the Self as another. Whoever tries to make the
pragyaana an object of the senses, will see it in a jada, or separate
form. Instead of being the pragyaana it will be a vivarta of the
pragyaana.
This is why the Shruti purifies the pragyaana and advises it not in
any other form, but in the form of the swarup of the jigyaasu (seeker
of the ultimate Truth), saying, You are the pragyaana Brahman.
The sakshi is the pragyaana, which is why the pragyaana cannot be
experienced as the fruit of Dharma, upasana, or Yoga. Nor can it be
experienced in the form of the object of any instrument or even in its
own visible form. All sadhanas achieve their purpose after going
round, and then letting go of their methods. So much so that the
Gnan given by the Mahavakyas also becomes redundant once agnan
is removed. Then, the pragyaana retains its original form.
It can be said that the pragyaana pervades the triad of gyata, Gnan
and gyeya; but the pervasion, and that which pervades, are imagined
in the pragyaana. The Tejo Bindu Upanishad says clearly,
Vyaapyavyaapakataa mithya.
Just as the past, future and present are pervaded by time, but there is
nothing called the past, future and present that is separate from time;
what will be pervaded by what? By accepting an order, this triad has
been imagined in time. The time that is the substratum of this triad
or the chetan that shows us the triad knows nothing. It is the sport
of the human intellect, or it is a conditioning of nomenclature.
Similarly the triad of gyata, Gnan and gyeya is a sport of the
intellect. The triad is nothing that is separate from the pragyaana, so
what will pervade what? The tattva of the directions is undivided;
East-West, North-South, above-below, are all imagined in it. The
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chaitanya that is superimposed with the dik-tattva (the Tattva of the

directions) or in the Sat that is its substratum has the divisions of
the directions superimposed upon it.
Even so, the gross objects like pots and pictures meaning, length,
breadth, height, inside, outside, etc are imagined in the element of
space. This is the imposition of one thing on another. Is the dikTattva related to the directions as the pervading and the pervaded?
Certainly not. No object is ever related to our swarup; nor is there
any identification. How can that, which is the whole (unbroken) be
related to anything, since nothing is separate from the whole? The
whole is everything.
The divisions of time and space in the non-dual infinite sattaa
(existence) have no existence in time, because they have no
conclusion. Nothing is based on movement, because there is no
action and no space. Nor is there anything that is the consequence of
Nature, because the difference in peoples temperaments cannot be
ascertained or measured.
The adviteeya (non-dual), akhanda (unbroken, whole) sattaa is not
based on name or form. Name and form exist only for the duration of
the interaction of the pramaana-prame`ya (that, which is established
and the one who establishes). Therefore, the pancha bhootas, and the
names and forms imagined in them, are mithya in the basic Brahmsattaa. For example, the divisions of past, present and future are
imagined in time, and the directions are imagined in space.
It is to explain this that the Shrutis, Shastras, and Mahatmas give the
example of a rope being mistaken for a snake. The tvam-padaartha
(you factor)s purification is the example of the dream state, and the
tat-padaartha (That factor) is the example of the rope and the
snake. The fact is that there is no example for explaining that you
the Atma and that the Brahman are one.
So, if we want to explain the all-pervading quality of the pragyaana
Brahman, it is proper to say, from the viewpoint of the pratyak
chaitanya (the consciousness in the individual) that the objects seen
in dreams glimmer in a place and time that dont exist, where they
are asat. Similarly, all the triads along with all their objects and
differences are mithya in pragyaana Brahman. In other words, the
visible world is absolutely mithya in the pragyaana.
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The rope seems to be a snake for some time, but the snake is mithya.
In the same way, the world we see seems to be real, but it is actually
mithya in the form of the Tat-padartha, the Brahman, which is the
unbroken consciousness and existence. As soon as the interactive
world is understood to be mithya, there is nothing that can
differentiate between the pratyagatma and the substratum that is the
form of consciousness, and is the Brahman. The fact is that bhe`da
(differentiation) is the prapancha (interactive world), and it is seen in
its own swarup of the pragyaana Brahman without having any real
existence. The vyaapakataa (all-pervading quality) and the
vyaapyataa (the pervading) are imagined in the pragyaana Brahman
from the viewpoint of interaction. The truth is vyaaptimaatra (the
unseen existence in everything).
According to Vedanta, the pervading of one object by another is not
called vyapakata. The examples of fire pervading an iron ball, and fat
pervading milk, are not accurate examples, because this pervading is
related to time and action. True vyapakata is the presence of the
upaadaana kaarana (the matter that is also the cause) in the
existence of its own kaarya (effect; the object created). When the
karya is destroyed, it merges into its kaarana, like the clay of a
broken clay pot merges into the earth. That, which is present in the
form of the weight of the clay is called the upadana kaarana of the
pot. Or, you can compare it to the water in a wave, fire in a flame,
the wind in praana (breath; life spirit), space in an empty pot, and
the drishti (eye-sight; vision) of the person who sees the dream, in
the dream.
In the example of the pot and clay, the clay is not the only
upaadaadana (matter); the pancha bhoota (five elements) are the
upadan. Therefore, the sound, feel, form, taste, and smell of the pot
are filled with the presence of the pancha bhootas. The pot is not
separate from the pancha bhootas and the pancha bhootas exist even
after the pot is broken.
The wave, flame, prana, etc should be understood in the same way.
The examples of agnan are the objects seen in dreams, and the snake
seen in a rope. None of them are separate from the basic matter they
are made of. These examples are useful for explaining the allpervading quality of the pragyaana Brahman, but they are inadequate
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because they are connected to the jada or drishya whereas the

pragyaana Brahman is chetan.
Where chetan is the upadan kaarana, it is free of the differences of
effect and cause. Chetan is poorna it is whole, complete because
it needs no other object. The feelings of effect and cause, and
pervading or being pervaded, are always in the drishya, not in the
chetan that is the illuminator and substratum of the objects. That is
why the results related to space, time and matter cannot be related to
the pragyaana Brahman. Since the pragyaana Brahman shows us the
space, time and objects that glimmer as real in it, they are mithya in
the substratum that is the pragyaana Brahman. They are not
independent, eternal, or poorna, because they are drishya,
changeable, and separate. That being the case, when, where, and how
should we start our search for the pragyaana Brahman?
It is surprising that people wait for a special time, state, or situation
to seek the pragyaana Brahman! There is no moment in time that is
without the pragyaana. The pragyaana cannot imagine its own death,
change, absence, or birth, because it is their sakshi and illuminator.
Then, why do we not obtain the pragyaana at this very moment, as
the substratum of this moment and the illuminator of this moment?
It is surprising that even though the pragyaana is not at all connected
to the imagined space, is free of the triad of antarde`sha (inner
space), bahirde`sha (outer space), and antaraala (the space inbetween), is the substratum and illuminator of this imagined triad,
and is beyond the states of antarmukhataa (mind turned inwards),
bahirmukhataa (mind turned towards the external world), and other
states, free of situations, comings and goings, contraction and
expansion, etc and yet we do not obtains the pragyaana here and
now, in the form of the substratum and the illuminator!
The pragyaana cannot experience apoornataa (being incomplete) in
itself, nor superimpose separate forms on itself. The pragyaana is the
sakshi who is the conscious object of the imagined presence and
absence of things. Why do we have to wait to enter that deepest
region of the inner world to obtain the paripoorna (complete; total)
form of the pragyaana? Why is it not seen and examined where we
are?

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It is surprising that whatever forms, distortions, types, and sanskaras

that are the objects of our experience and are illusions illuminated
in their own matter, are the chetan, but not separate from it seem to
be different. The avinaashee (indestructible), paripoorna (complete
in itself), adviteeya (indivisible) che`tan-sattaa (conscious existence)
is free of space and time, and is seen in every form; yet we see
everything as being separate from it.
The pragyaana has never experienced anything as having the
differences of vishay-vishayee (sense objects-the one who
experiences them). What is the need for the interaction of the
pramaana (the proof) and the prame`ya (that, which is fit to be used
as a universal statement)? Had the pragyaana been pratyaksha
(known through the senses) like a pot, etc, pratyaksha pramana
would be needed. Had it been paroksha (unseen) like the Ishwara
who creates the world, anumaana (estimate) would be needed. And,
had there been anyone like the pragyaana, upamaana (proof by
comparison) would have been needed. Had it been an unknown
other, aaptavachana (enlightened words) would be needed. Had the
pragyaana been a mental perception like sukha-dukha, it would be
dependent on a sakshi. However, it is the sarvaadhishthaana
(substratum of everything), sarvaavabhaasaka (the one who reveals
everything), svayamprakaasha (self-effulgent) Brahman. So, what
new karan (instrument) does it need to create, since it never
experiences anything as separate, nor is it the object of anybodys
experience?
The most surprising factor is that we wish to obtain the pragyaana
Brahman in a Samadhi that is related to time, the land of Brahma that
is related to space, or some special intellectual form. We are unable
to negate the factors that are related to space, time, and matter.
Therefore none of these methods can be used for obtaining the
pragyaana Brahman. For this, the best method is to obtain the
purified ahamartha. In this method, the dharma of time, like change
and death; the dharma of space, like inward and outward; and the
dharma of matter, like the objects known through the senses, and the
differences perceived in them are perceived clearly in the Atma.
Nobody can experience their own non-existence, their being
insensate, or being apriya (not dear). The pragyaana Brahman is also
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the form of sukha, and that is why it is proper to learn about the
pragyaana-swarup Atma, instead of trying to find it in any form that
exists in space, time or matter.
What is the purified ahamartha Atma (the sakshi chetan, pragyaana)?
To understand this, you must pay attention to the common use of the
word Aham. That means, what is that, which we refer to as I? Our
search begins where we are, when we are, and what we are. Only
then will we attain our goal. We have to test everything we refer to as
I, whether it is the gross, subtle, or causal body, the states of
waking, dreaming or deep sleep, or the abhimani of any of these. We
have to think whether any of these is my I.
If the word I is used in the ashodhita (not purified) sense, it will
definitely be pratyaksha, or for an object that is paroksha. It is bound
to be an impure I, an illusion of the real Self. If that be the case, we
will not be able to recognize our states of waking, etc, leave alone
the Atma-swarup that is separate from them. That is why it is
essential to first have the vivek of the pancha kosha (five sheaths of
the Atma). Then, the jagrit state of the body no longer seems to be
our state. We are able to step back and know ourselves to be the
abhimani of the jagrit state. Vedanta-vichar starts with this vivek of
the states of the body, and we know our own turiya swarup
pragyaana Brahman to be our swarup. We are liberated from avidya
and its effects.
When we try to find our I as we interact with our mind and body, it
is clear that we are in a jagrit state. In this state, a human being uses
the word I for his gross body. He considers himself to be fat or thin,
fair or dark, tall or short. This is a conditioned superimposition on his
I. The person also believes that the bodys actions are his actions
and becomes the abhimani of paapa and punya. The swarup of
abhiman (subtle ego) is to think, I am the one who does things, goes
to places and speaks. When he believes himself to be the one who
has gnaane`ndriya (sense organs), he has the abhiman, I see, I hear,
I taste, etc. He considers himself to be the gyata and bhokta. He
superimposes the actions and knowledge of his body and mind on
himself, and identifies with their fruits and reactions. In spite of
being svatah-siddha (self-established) he thinks he is sukhi or dukhi,
as a result of his actions.
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Sankalpa (resolves) arise according to our karmas and Gnan, leading

to new karmas prompted by the resolves. This cycle continues
throughout life, leading to rebirth, after rebirth. If this state is a
reality, it means that the karta-bhokta jeeva will always remain a
sansaaree (of this interactive world), and never attain liberation. The
cycle of rebirth is called the sansara, and the I fallen in it is called
the sansaari jeeva.
What we have to think about is what this jeeva is. The jeeva
identifies with his karme`ndriya (organs of action) and becomes a
karta. He identifies with the fruits of the karmas and becomes a
bhokta. He believes himself to be subject to birth and death, and
becomes a sansari.
Had the jeevas Tattva been parichhinna (separate; fragmented) it
would have been natural for him to get immersed in the karmas,
different kinds of gnan, dukha and dukha, etc that are the stream of
this world. It would have been useless to try to be liberated from the
cycle of rebirth.
This feeling of being a separate individual is accepted unthinkingly,
without any verification or experience about its authenticity. It is a
tradition that is followed blindly due to agnan. Tattvagnan is the only
way it can be removed. Tattvagnan means, the bhramaatmaikya
gnaana the Gnan that the Brahman and the Atma are one. This is
the only method that can remove the avidya that makes a jeeva think
he is a karta-bhokta-sansari, and that is why we must try to obtain
this Gnan.

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PART V

Purifying the Tat-Padartha.

Chapter XV
Thoughts on the Ishwara-tattva.
: 1:
1. The unwavering characteristic of the Brahman: Being the cause of
the jagat.
The first precept of Vedanta Darshan is: Athaato brahmajigyaasaa
we begin our search for knowledge about the Brahman. That means, a
mumukshu who has acquired the saadhana chatushtaya (four steps of
sadhana) should think about the Brahman, to become totally free of
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dukha, and obtain paramaananda (supreme bliss). The question is:

what are the characteristics of this Brahman?
The nirvishe`sha (without characteristics) Brahman cannot have
characteristics. This is the common vichar. The Brahmans lakshana
(characteristics; qualities) are alakshana being free of all lakshans.
Yet the Shruti gives us His lakshan as: Yato vaa imaani bhootaani
jaayante` ye`na jaataani jeevanti yatprayanti abhisanvishanti.
Tadvijigyaasasva tadbrahm (Taittareeya Upanishad 3.1). That means,
He, from whom all beings are created and sustained, move towards,
and ultimately merge into, is the Brahman. This characteristic of the
Brahman is found in several places in the Upanishads. Bhagwan Vyasa
has defined it in Vedanta Darshan as: Janmaadasya yatah (Brahma
Sutra 1. 1. 2), meaning that, from which everything is created, is the
Brahman.
The objection to accepting the Brahman as the cause of Creation as a
lakshan of the Brahman, is that both the kaarya (effect) and the
kaarana (cause) are sa-dosha (with faults). The dosha in the karya is
that the jagat is vinaashee (subject to destruction), and the dosha in the
kaarana is that it is parinaamee (having a result).
A beeja (seed) becomes moist, splits, and sprouts. The shoot grows,
flowers, fruits, and dies. That being the case, how can the avinaashee
(indestructible) and kootastha (unchanging) Brahman have the
characteristic of being the cause of Creation?
The answer to this objection is that if being the cause of Creation was
used as a statement to establish the Brahman, it would be a dosha; but it
is not so. The Brahman is described as being the cause of Creation to
establish the Brahmans non-dual essence, since the jeeva, jagat, and
Ishwara are said to be one eternally.
Lakshan is that, by which as object is indicated, seen, and known.
Lakshanapramaanaabhyaam vastusiddhih, is the well known
statement of the Darshan Shastra. An object can be recognized by its
lakshan as well as pramaana (proof). The lakshan should be free of
three doshas (faults): avyaapti (not pervading the object), ativyaapti
(common to other objects), and asambhava (impossible). The lakshan
that does not pervade the lakshya (target) has the fault of avyaapti. For
example. If someone says that an animal whose hooves are not split is a
cow, it is a faulty lakshan, because cows have hooves that are split.
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A lakshan that applies also to other objects has the fault of ativyapti.
For example, shringavatvam gotvam an animal that has horns is a
cow. Cows are not the only animals with horns; buffaloes, goats and
deer also have horns.
The lakshan that can never be possible is an asambhava lakshan. For
example, an animal with only one hoof is a cow. No cow can have just
one hoof.
It is generally seen that the lakshan stays in the lakshya, but this is not
inevitable. Nor is it that the lakshan is Satya. For example, one man
sees a snake while another man knows that it is actually a coiled rope.
The second man tells the first man, Please bring the rope. Oh, that is
not a rope it is a snake! replies the first man.
What will the second man say? Naturally, he will say, My good man,
that is a rope. You have mistaken it for a snake.
That, in which the snake was created, in which it existed, and into
which it disappeared and that, in which the snake has no existence in
the past, present or future is a rope. The object that has the lakshan of
creating an illusion of being a snake is, in fact, a rope. This is how a
satya rope has the mithya lakshan of being a snake. The snake
disappears into the rope , but is not really in the rope.
Similarly, the lakshan of the Brahman that He is That, from which
everything is created is a vishishta (particular) lakshan, but a mithya
lakshan. The jagat does not really exist in the swarup of the Brahman,
and the Brahmans Ishwara swarup (the essence that is the cause) that is
indicated by this lakshan is for the purpose of showing that the
Brahmans swarup is nirvishe`sha (without attributes).
Question: If the lakshan of the Brahman is that, from which all beings
are created, but not established in Him, it is an avyaapti dosha, because
Vedanta says that it is the jagat not the Brahman that is created.
Explanation: This is not a dosha. There are two kinds of lakshan
svaroopa lakshana and tatashtha lakshana. To point out the thin moon
of the second lunar date, it is said, The moon is two hands above the
branch of that tree. Is the moon actually two hands above the branch?
No, but the imaginary indication helps a person to see the thin sliver of
the moon. It thus becomes a tatastha lakshan.

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The swarup lakshan is, The brightest form in the sky, shaped like a
scythe, is the moon of the dviteeya (second lunar date). Similarly, the
snake, garland, etc imagined in a coiled rope is a tatastha lakshan of the
rope.
The lakshan that stays in the swarup of the object, and indicates the
object, is called a swarup lakshan; and the lakshan that stays away
from the swarup of the object and indicates it, is called a tatastha
lakshan. Tadbhinne` sati tadbodhakatvam tatasthalakshanam.
Tadabhinne` sati tadbodhakatvam svaroopalakshanam.
The lakshan that the Brahman is the cause of the world is a tatastha
lakshan of the Brahman, not a swarup lakshan. That is why, in spite of
this inaccuracy, this lakshan has the capacity to help us to know about
the Brahman we seek.
The objects that are established through a bhraanti (wrong
understanding) are mithya, but they can give the knowledge about their
own adhishthaana (substratum), because even a mistaken
understanding is based on something real. Every mithya object requires
a substratum. That is why the Shruti states that the Brahmans being the
kaarana (cause) of Creation is a tatastha lakshan.
A kaarana is that, which has to be present for the creation of the kaarya
(effect). This is the definition of the Nyaya Darshan. For example, if a
pot is to be made, it is essential to have clay, a potter, the potters wheel
and other implements. These are the kaaranas of the pot.
Now, make two divisions of the kaaranas: the samavaayee kaarana and
the asamavaayee kaarana. The samavayi kaarana means that, which is
always present in the karya, even after the karya is made. Clay is the
samavayi kaarana of a pot, whereas the potter and his implements are
the asamavayi kaarana. Vedanta calls the samavayi kaarana the
upaadaana kaarana yat upaadaaya kaarya pravartate`.
Now, divide the asamavayi kaarana into two parts the nimitta kaarana
and the sahakaari kaarana. The nimitta kaarana is chaitanya, the karta,
like the potter who makes the pot. The sahakari kaarana are the things
he uses to make the pot. Every karya requires an upadana kaarana as
well as a nimitta kaarana.
The Shruti says that that, from which Creation is made, in which it is
sustained, and into which it merges, is the kaarana Brahman. Being the
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cause, the Brahman is the nimitta kaarana and being the substratum of
its dissolution, He is the upadana kaarana.
A pot inevitably merges into the earth, its upadana kaarana, not in the
potter who is the nimitta kaarana. Therefore, the Brahman is the
abhinna nimittopadana kaarana the cause that is both the matter and
the instrument of the world. Nothing that is just the nimitta kaarana or
just the upadana kaarana can be the Brahman. All the Darshans
(philosophies) agree that the Brahman is the nimitta kaarana, but some
do not accept His being the upadana kaarana also.
The Upanishads have made a pledge of one vigyaana (science;
knowledge) being able to give the vigyana of all. The example given in
the sixth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad is, if a person has
knowledge about clay, he will recognize it in anything made of clay.
The Vedanta Shastras have given the decision that Prakriti is also a
name
of
the
Brahman.
Prakritishcha
pratigyaadrishtaantaanuparoghaat (Brahma Sootra 1. 4. 23). This can
be possible only if the Brahman is also the upadana kaarana of this
world.
A lakshan is always about something that is unknown, and helps us to
recognize the unknown object. The world is known, and through it we
have to recognize the unknown Brahman. Meaning, we have to use the
karya to know the kaarana.
The Nyaya Darshan uses the karya to make an estimate about the
nimitta kaarana In their opinion, the upadana kaarana is pratyaksha
(known through the senses). It is a part of the karya, like the clay in a
pot. The clay is pratyaksha there is no need for any anumaana
(estimation) about it. The anumana is about the potter who must have
made the pot. In the same way, there is surely a Creator who has created
this extremely organized and amazing world, and that nimitta kaarana is
the Ishwara. This is the way they make their estimate.
The opinion of the Sankhya school of thought is to see the karya and
then do the anumana about the upadana kaarana Prakriti. The
Sankhyas Prakriti cannot be pratyaksha. They see the karya and
conclude that the upadana kaaranas are the pancha bhootas, ahankara,
and mahat tattva.
When the nimitta kaarana and the upadnana kaarana are separate, this is
the state, but what when they are one, like the Brahman? There is
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nothing in this world where the nimitta kaarana is also the upadana
kaarana. People give the example of a spider web, but that is not
correct, because it is the che`tana-ansha (part that is conscious) in the
spider that is the nimitta kaarana, and its jada-ansha (part that is jada)
that is the upadana kaarana of the web. Then, how can the lakshan of
the Brahman being the worlds nimitta-upadana-kaarana be established?
The fact is that the Brahman has no kaaranatva (characteristic of being
the kaarana). It is because of Maya that He seems to be the kaarana.
Which is the place, time, or matter in which the Brahman creates the
world? We will have to understand the cause of the world properly, else
nobodys intellect can exist long enough to see the infinite past, infinite
future and the birth and destruction of this world. Who has seen
Creation emerge from the Brahman and merge into Him again? So,
when the Upanishads state that the Brahmans lakshan is janmaadi,
we will have to understand its mystery through the intellect given by
the Guru.
The dik-tattva (essence of the directions) East, West, North, and South
where do they begin? They begin with me, my body (of every
individual). What is in front of me, behind me, to my left and to my
right, is the diktattva.
Where does time begin? It begins from this moment. The beginning and
end of this present moment is the beginning and end of time.
This is a flower an object. Where did it grow? It grew on a tree. That
is the common understanding. The second thought is that the flower is
seen by the ne`tra (eyes). The ne`traakaara vritti (inclination formed by
the vision) is in the mind. The substratum and illuminator of this vritti is
where the flower was created.
That, without which the flower cannot be established, and through
which its presence is established, is the kaarana of the flower.
Avoid scattering your thoughts in search of the kaarana. Why do you
throw your vichar millions of years into the past? You are an absolutely
outdated bourgeois! Why do you fling your thinking into millions of
years into the future? It is most impractical. The method of vichar is to
give thought to what the object is, at the moment.
The first thing that comes before you is your I. Do vichar on what this
I is. Upon examination you will find that the pulsation of I that goes
on in the cave of your heart is the Brahman incarnate
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hridayagahvara-madhye` aham-aham iti saakshaat brahmaroope`na

bhaati and, in fact, this is the abhinna-nimmita-upadana kaarana of
the world. Because of agnan, it is seen in the form of I, you, he,
this, just as the rope that is seen as a snake, garland, stick, or crack in
the floor, because of your agnan about it being a rope.
When a person mistakes a rope for a snake, he has to be given the
knowledge, Idam sarpatayaa kalpitam vastu yasmin adhishthaane`
bhaasate` tade`va rajjuh that, which you imagine to be a snake, is
actually a rope. Similarly, that, in which this entire world of name and
form glimmers along with its creation, sustenance and dissolution is
an error that is seen in the substratum, the Brahman. This is how the
lakshan of the Brahman has to be understood.
There is no real snake in the rope, but it seems to be there because the
person does not know that it is actually a rope. Therefore, agnan about
the rope is the nimitta kaarana of the apparent snake, and also its
upadana kaarana. When the person is in a state of agnan about the rope,
the rope is explained as being the kaarana of the apparent snake. As
soon as the person gets to know that the snake is an illusion it is
actually a rope the superimposition of the snake is negated. The Shruti
uses the same method when it states that the Brahmans lakshan is that
He is the abhinna-nimitta-upadana kaarana of this world.
The jagat has name and form. It involves many kartas and bhoktas. It is
the aashraya (refuge) of actions done by the nimittas of space and time,
and the fruits of these actions. Its creation and swarup are beyond
imagination. The all-knowing, all-powerful cause of this jagats birth,
sustenance and destruction is the Brahman.
Everything that is idam-vaachya (related to the idam, meaning, this,
not the Atma) is the jagat. Its lakshan is creation, sustenance, and
destruction. Idam-vachya means, it is an object of observation.
Therefore, the meaning of the Shurti and Sutra is that the idam-vachya
object is the interactive world we see, whereas the Brahman is the cause
of everything that seems to be created, sustained and destroyed.
The creation and destruction of the world is not possible for anyone to
experience. Therefore, the purpose of the Shruti is not to take you to the
infinite past or future, but to make you aware of the creation, sustenance
and destruction that continues relentlessly, and realize that the one who
gives this awareness is the Brahman.
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That means, everything that seems to be born etc is the idam-vachaya,

and that, in which everything exists and through which it is perceived
is the Brahman; and this Brahman is not separate from the
pratyagaatmaa (the Atma in the individual).
The Brahman, by whom we get the awareness of the idams birth, state,
and destruction, is not subject to birth, state, or destruction. Nor is it the
idam. Therefore, the Brahman is chaitanya (conscious), and one with
the pratyagatma. It is infinite. This is the lakshan we obtain about the
Brahman.
The goal of the Shrutis is that the drishya (that which can be known
through the senses, the idam) glimmers in that, which contains no
drishya. Therefore, the drishya is a mirage that has no reality and is
devoid of any substratum. The idam, along with its distortion of birth,
etc is mithya.
The idams are many, but the anidam (Brahman) is one. The many are
seen in the one; therefore, the many are mithya. All that is the idam is
jada (insensate). The Aham reveals the idam, so it is chetan. There is no
jada in the chetan, but is seems to be present, and therefore, it is mithya.
In the same way, the things that have an end are perceived in the
infinite, so their apparent separateness is mithya. The anaatmaa (that,
which is not the Atma) is perceived in the Atma, and hence, the anatma
which is drishya and jada is mithya.
Yato vaa imaani.. the word prayanti in this Shruti also means that
we get tripti (full satisfaction). The root preen tarpane` also creates
the word prayanti, so it is proper to say, we get satisfaction.
Therefore, that, by which all beings seem to be born, are sustained, live,
feel satisfaction, and are destroyed, without actually having any
permanent existence meaning, they are perceived, but are mithya is
the Brahman. It is that Brahman we should seek to know.
The Brahman is that, by which the jagat in which the idams are born;
so, the Brahman is Sat. The Brahman is that, by which everything that
is the idam glimmers, along with its birth, so the Brahman is Chit. The
Brahman is that, by which all beings obtain satisfaction, so the
Brahman is Anand. The Brahman is that, by whom the conditions of
creation and sustenance are broken, so the Brahman is like the rope that
is mistaken for a snake. He is the abhinna-nimitta-upaadana kaarana
(the cause that is both the instrument and matter) of everything; He is
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non-dual and cannot be fragmented. The jagat is always merged into the
Brahman, meaning, is negated, because the Brahman remains even
when the jagat is no more. Therefore, the swarup of the Brahman is the
non-dual Sacchidananda.
The next Shruti of the Taittareeya Upanishad says, We have understood
that Ananda is the Brahman. Truly, all beings are created from anand,
sustained by anand, obtain satisfaction from anand, and merge into
anand. Aanando brahme`ti vyajaanaat. Aanandaaddhye`va
khalvimaani bhootaani jaayante`, aandande`na jaataani jeevanti,
aanandam prayanti abhisamvishanti iti. (Taittareeya Upanishad 3. 6).
That is why the anand described in Yato vaa eemaani.is the
Anand-Brahman. Whatever the type, anand is always seated in the
Atma and so the Brahman is not separate from the pratyagatma.
That, which is unborn, unchanging, separate from the idam, not
separate from the Aham, the form of Sat and Ananda, the eternal and
non-dual existence in which this jagat is perceived without having any
permanent reality, is the Brahman.
2. The different opinions about the cause of the jagat: many learned
people have given different opinions regarding the jagat and its cause.
1. One opinion is that the jagat always remains as it is. It is neither
created, nor sustained, nor destroyed. The world has always been as it is
and will go on as it is, with the same earth, the same sun and moon, the
same men and women, and the same method of procreation. For them,
the question of how the jagat was created has no meaning.
The Upanishad does not accept this opinion, since it tells us to look for
the cause of creation tad vijigyaasasva.
2. The opinion of the Charvaks is that the world is made of the four
bhoota (elements) prithvi (earth), jala (water), agni (fire) and
vaayu (wind). There is no nimitta kaarana (instrumental factor).
They accept matter, but not Gnan, as the base. According to them,
Gnan arises from matter. This is the principle of the Charvaks, but
it is not accepted by the Upanishads. The Brahman cannot be four.
If there are four causes, they will be aproona (incomplete) and
parichhinna (separate), whereas the Brahman of the Upanishads is
aparichhinna (not separate; indivisible) and paripoorna (whole,
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3.

4.
5.

6.
7.
8.

complete, total). Even if insensate matter jada dravya is

imagined to be the aparichinna Tattva, it will have to be as the
svyam siddha (self-established) chetan that needs no other to
establish itself. That contradicts its form of being insensate matter.
Furthermore, the rising of Gnan from insensate matter will be
accepted as self-established, so, what objection can there be in
considering Gnan to be an independent factor? This logic will lead
to either the duality of the Sankhya philosophy or to the
Upanishads principle of the Brahman.
The Jains also believe that the world remains as it is. Some jeevas
manage to escape from the cycle of rebirth, but the rest of the
world goes on as it always did. In the opinion of the Jains there is
no Ishwara or Brahman.
The Buddhists say that the world is vigyaana maatra (a souls
delusion). Shoonya (a vacuum) is the only Satya. The matter of
creation is either vigyaana (a soul) or nothing.
The Poorva mimansa school of thought also believes that the
world goes on as it is. They never question when it was made,
where it was made, or who made it. They do not accept the
Ishwara as the nimitta kaarana of the world.
The Nyaya and Vaisheshik philosophies believe that the world
was born, but that it was created from particles, but this is not the
opinion of the Upanishads.
The opinion of Sankhya is that the world is a result of Prakriti,
and so they differ from the Upanishads.
Islam accepts that the Ishwara created the world, but do not
believe in pralaya (total dissolution). Even after kayaamata (the
last day of judgment), the jeeva goes to Bahishta (Heaven) or to
Dojakh (Hell). The Christians share the same belief. Therefore,
both Islam and Christianity differ with the Upanishad on this
point, since the Upanishads accept parlay.

Thus, the opinions that do not accept the birth, sustenance and
dissolution of the world or that one Ishwara or Brahman is the
cause of Creation, sustenance and dissolution are removed from the
principle of the Upanishads.
Let us think about this is a different way.
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The shoonyavaadi (Buddhists) who believe that shoonya is the

ultimate Satya, do not believe in the existence of a nimitta kaarana or
an upadana kaarana. They believe that the world is perceived without
having any substratum, history, or cause.
The vigyaanavaadi (Jains) believe that the soul is the ultimate Satya,
and say that the flow of the fragmented chitta (mental inclinations)
caused by the stream of sanskaara (subtle subconscious
impressions). There is no nimitta kaarana, nor any jada or chetan
upadana kaarana, separate from the world. Whatever exists is a flow
of mental imagoes created by sanskaras. These are the chittaupadaanavaadi those who believe that the world is a creation of the
chitta.
Upadanvadis are of two kinds; antaranga (internal) and bahirang
(external) upadanvadis. The Charvaks are the bahirang upadanvadis
because they believe that the four bhootas to be the upadan kaarana
of the world. They are not nimitta-kaaranavadis, because they dont
believe in the Ishwara. The Naiyayiks are also bahirang upadanvadis,
because they believe that the world is made of particles. Since they
believe that the world is made by the Ishwara, they are also nimittakaaranavadis.
Sankhya is Prakritivadi, believing that Prakriti creates the world.
They come in the category of antarang upadanavadis, because
Prakriti abides in the buddhi which is internal. However, they also
believe in the drashta, who is bahirang.
The Poorva Mimansavadis believe that the world is created by the
sanskaras of actions of past births. They are antarang upadanavadis
because sanskaras stay in the antahkaran. The vigyanavadis are also
antarang-upadanavadis because they believe the world is created by
the chitta, which is internal. The Ishwaravadis are also antarangupadanavadis.
The principle of Vedanta is that if there is any nimitta kaarana and
upadana kaarana of this world, it is the Brahman, and this world is
known because of Maya. As long as we do not know the Brahman,
He is the unseen nimitta-upadana kaarana, but once He is known to
be one with the pratyagatma, He is neither the nimitta kaarana nor
the upadan kaarana of this world. The kaarana itself is negated
because nothing exists, except the Brahman.
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The world is seen as made already. The Shastra now reasons about
how it was created, and who created it that is, who was the nimitta
kaarana of this world. This is called the aarambhavaada the
opinion about how the world was created.
The srishti (world) was created, is the parinaamavaada (the
opinion about the conclusion or result).
It was not made, nobody made it; it is only the Brahman who is seen
in the form of this world, is the vivartavaada (the opinion of those
who believe the world to be an illusion). The Naiyayika and
Vaisheshiks are arambhavadis. Sankhya is parinamvadi, and the
Buddhists are chitta-parinaamavaadee (they believe the world is a
result of the chitta). Vedanta is vivartavadi.
Thus, there are many theories about the cause of this jagat, but the
Shruti does not want to show partiality to any one of them. The
intention of the Shruti is not to say that the world was created by the
Brahman, but to explain that all these beliefs are shown by the selfeffulgent Atma. They all abide in the Atma, that is, the Brahman.
No feeling is indicated in the Shruti, Yato vaa imaani bhootaani
jaayante`. Jaayante`, jeevanti, prayanti, abhisamvishanti, are all
indicative of actions, therefore, the essence of the meaning of this
Shruti is, That, in which all beings are created, seen, seen to be
alive, who they seem to be going towards and merging into, the
perception of place, time and matter, and also the differences in them
including birth, sustenance, and death is the Brahman. The
pratyagatma, who is the sakshi of this meaning, is the Brahman
(Ishwara) indicated by the cause of the creation of this world.
The jagat, the place, time and matter of the jagat, the Ishwara who is
the cause of the jagat, and the jeeva who shows us the jagat, are the
five bhe`da (different factors) that are perceived. (They are the
differences between the jeevas, between the jeeva and the jagat,
between the jeeva and the Ishwara, between the Ishwara and the
jagat, and between the jagat of the jeeva and the jagat of the
Ishwara.).
In the language of Vedanta, these bhedas are permeated by the
bhaana (awareness) of being separate. Awareness is always present
when differences exist, because the differences would not be known
if the person was not aware of them. However, awareness can exist
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even when there are no differences, so bhaana is the Brahman, and

the bhedas are reflections. This means that bhedas can exist only
when a person is aware of them. The awareness of the differences is
the bheda. But, are bhedas real, or are they negated by the Gnan of
the ashishthaana the substratum of everything, the Brahman?
People may believe that objects remain during sushupti (the deep
sleep state), but bheda cannot exist during sushupti. Differences or
separateness are totally mental, because it is the mind that
perceives the differences. Bheda is not an object; it is a belief, a
mental inclination. It is neither jada nor chetan. That, through which
birth, life and death are perceived, is the Brahman. Who perceives
the objects? It is the sakshi it is I. Then who is the Brahman? It
is you, the sakshi. That means, the purified Aham is the Brahman.
3. The Brahman is beyond the kaarya (effect) and kaarana (cause).
Thinking from the viewpoint of the Sacchidananda.
It has been stated that in Vedanta, the kaarya-kaarana-bhaava (feeling
of effect and cause) is mithya, but it can be a lakshan of the vastu the
Brahman who is beyond cause and effect.
This raises a doubt about why the Brahman is described as the cause of
the jagat, birth of all beings, etc, since it is all mithya. The fact is that
this is a mridu upachaara (gentle remedy). There are some ailments that
can be cured by either an operation or by medication. Medication is a
gentle remedy. Similarly, if the karya-kaarana-bhava succeeds in
making a person understand the Brahman, it will be a mridu upachara.
Vedanta is a he`tu pratyaneeka chikitsaa a treatment that destroys the
cause of the ailment. It does not suppress the disease. Dharma and
upasana divert the mental focus and suppress the cause of suffering,
whereas Vedanta removes the false impression of duality, which is the
root cause of the disease that is the belief that the interactive world is
real. The superimposed theory of the Brahman being the effect and
cause of this world serves an important function in the treatment given
to remove worldly sorrows.
On the one hand, Vedanta separates the Brahman from the jagat,
making us give thought to the essence of the Brahman; and on the other
hand, it gives us the Gnan that there is no duality in the Brahman.
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The jagat is subject to birth and sustenance. It is jada, and it has a

cause; meaning, it is the effect. The jagat is apoorna (not whole;
incomplete), and it moves towards its goal. It is a subject if the idampratyaya (indicative of this, as separate from the I). It is parichhinna
(separate; fragmented), and bhe`damoolaka (indicative of separateness).
It needs some external source for it to be illuminated, and it is the form
of pratyaya (belief, opinion).
In contrast to this, the Brahman is unborn. He is the unchanging chetan.
He has no cause, and is the effect that is beyond any cause. The
Brahman is paripoorna (whole, complete in Himself), and has no goal.
He is the sakshi of the Aham-pratyaya (the belief that I am an
individual), unfragmented, non-dual, and self-effulgent. He is also the
illuminator of all beliefs and opinions.
The Brahman is the non-dual Sacchidananda Tattva. The object that is
indestructible and cannot be negated, is called the Sat. The power that
is at the root of all Gnan is the Chit, and that, which is the fount of all
sukha, the sea of droplets of happiness, is the Anand. They are not
really three; they are one. This is the meaning of advaya (no duality).
Meaning, that, which is the Sat is the Chit; that, which is the Chit is the
Sat; and the Sat-Chit are the Anand, and Anand is the form of the Sat
and the Chit.
Now, what is seen in this world? Kaarya (the effect) and drishya (that,
which is seen), and bhoga (sensual indulgences). If you give some
thought to this, you will see that the karya is established by Sat, the
drishya is established by Chit, and the bhoga is established by Anand.
It is the karta who establishes the karya, the drashta who sees the
drishya, and the bhokta who enjoys the bhoga. Thus, karta-karma is one
pair, drashta-drishya is one pair, and bhokta-bhoga is one pair. Along
with this, are the pairs of karya-kaarana, and the Ishwara-jagat. For the
removal of the duality seen in the interactive world, it is essential to
have Gnan about the essence of the Brahman who pervades the world
and yet is separate from it, and in whom duality is seen to exist.
When you do the vivek of karta and karma, it will establish paapa,
punya, and that the jeevaatmaa (the Atma attached to a body) as being
separate form the Ishwara. However, the actual Paramatma is untouched
by the differences of the karta-karma.

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Two kartas will be established: the alpa (small) karta, the jeeva; and the
all-knowing, all-powerful Ishwara. This vivek will also establish that
the karta is nitya (eternal), but the karma and its fruit are anitya
(transient). This vivek enhances our bhakti and inclination for the
Ishwara, who is the great karta.
When you do vivek of the karya-kaarana, you will understand that the
karya is anitya and the kaarana is nitya. yajjanyam taanityam
(whatever is born will die). However, the kaarana is not the Brahman.
The kaaranataa (being the kaarana) is superimposed on the Brahman.
Both the karya and the kaarana denote the Brahman. In the infinity of
the Sat, the karya and kaarana are like illusions of there being two
moons in the sky. The Sat has both chetan and anand, but if you
consider the matter only from the viewpoint of the sattva (existence),
both karya and kaarana are experienced as illusions of the one Sat. The
de`ha (gross body) and the matter it is made of will be experienced as
illusions of the Sat that is the Brahman.
The vivek of the karya-kaarana has the predominance of the Sat. The
vivek of the drashta-drishya has the predominance of the Chit. The
chetan that has the necessary instruments of action is the karta, and the
chetan that has vrittis is the gyaata (knower). The vivek of the gyaataagye`ya (the knower and that which is known) contains vrittis. When
vivek is free of vrittis it becomes the vivek of the drashta-drishya. In
this, the drashta of the jaagrita (waking) state is also the drashta of the
svapna (dream) state and sushupti (deep sleep) state. Therefore, the
sakshi is the drashta of the state that has no vrittis, and is the kootastha
(unchanging) sakshi as well as the Ishwara-sakshi. The Mahavakyas
establish that this sakshi is the Brahman.
The karya-kaarana-bhava seems to have a result, a conclusion. That
means, it seems that the Ishwara obtains the result of the karya.
However, in the vivek of the drashta-drishya, we realize that the drashta
is asanga (unattached). In the karya-kaarana vivek, it is established that
the jeeva is the karta and the Ishwara gives the fruit of the karma. The
drashta is experienced as being the asanga akartaa (not the karta).
The bhokta-bhogya vivek is predominated by Anand. This is the vivek
of that, which is priya (dear; desirable). The fact is that it is the Atma
that is priya; it is our Self. Bhoktaapana (the feeling of being the
bhokta) is to move the anand into some other object, and then derive
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pleasure from it. In this, the vivek is that nothing is priya for its own
sake; it is always priya for the Atma. This is stated in the
Brahadaranyaka Upanishad by Yagyavalka. Na vaa are` sarvasya
kaamayaa sarvam priyam bhavati, aatmanastu kaamaaya sarvam
priyam bhavati. (2. 4. 5).
The fruit of the vivek of the bhokta-bhogya is the weakening of raga
(attachment) and the awakening of viaraagya (detachment).
Just as the karya and kaarana are the vivarta (illusions) of the sadansha (the part that is the Sat) of the Brahman, and the drashta-drishya
are the vivarta of the chid-ansha (the part that is Chit), the bhoktabhogya are the vivarta of the ananda-ansha (the part that is Anand) of
the Brahman.
Now, connect these separate vivartas. Mix the kaarana with the drashta,
and the karya with the drishya. Meaning, if the drashta chetan is the
kaarana-sattaa (the pure existence that is the cause), then the kaarana
will not reach a parinaama (result or conclusion) and become the karya
drishya (the effect that is seen). On the contrary, the drashta will
become a vivarta, and be experienced as the drishya; but the drashtas
detachment and being unseen, will remain unchanged. In other words,
the drashta Tattva will remain, and the illusion of the drishya will be
seen differently. The drishyas separateness and destructibility will be
negated. It will be known to be mithya. This is the fruit of the Sat and
Chit being one.
The relationship of the bhokta-bhogya is obviously one of taadaatmya
(identification with each other). It is absolutely an adhyaasa
(superimposition caused by conditioning). Tadanyatve` sati e`katvam
api taadaatmyam, meaning, to become one in spite of being separate, is
tadatmya. As a result of the bhokta-bhogya vivek, the desirability
perceived in the object returns to the pratyagatma, the Self that is its
real home. The Sat-Chit drashta is established as also being Anand.
Gnan is needed for the Anand to be experienced and the Sat to be
known. There can be no Gnan if there is no Sat (pure existence; the
Atma). Sat, Chit and Anand cannot be separated; Sacchidananda
(Sat+Chit+Anand) is one.
You cannot separate chetan from yourself, because you, yourself, are
chetan. Everything is perceived because of your I. That is why the
Upanishad states that the Paramatma is hidden in the cave (of your
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heat). Guhaahitam gahvare`shtham (Katha Upanishad 1. 2. 12);

Nihitam guhaayaam parame` vyoman (Taittareeya Upanishad 2. 1. 1).
There is no other chetan that is separate from you; no other perception.
If anything is perceived, it will be perceived by you! Who will perceive
space, time and objects, the Ishwara, the Vedas, the Guru and the
Shastras? You! You are the storehouse of all Gnan. You are no ordinary
sattaa (something that exists). You should not demean your own image
by thinking yourself to be a woman or a man. Nor should you make the
mistake of believing yourself to be learned or foolish. Men and women
exist in the kaarya (effect; the world), not in the kaarana (cause, the
Brahman). Wisdom and foolishness exist in the vrittis, not in the
drashta. Similarly, the bhokta-bhogya are also drishya. The drashta is
neither the bhokta nor the bhogya; he is one anand.
This vishayee (the one who experiences the sense objects), who is the
nitya (eternal) and chetan (conscious) drashta, is the Atma and the
adhishthana Brahman. He is also the cause of all causes, meaning, he is
beyond both karya and kaarana. The vishay (sense objects) are anitya
(transient) and jada (lacking consciousness), therefore, they are mithya.
So then, what is left? Everything has now become the Brahman. Neither
the world not the jeeva were created. Vedanta gives the prakreeyaa
(methodology) of this illusionary world, to explain the unborn
Brahman.
Prakriya means method. One method that is used to explain the
Brahman is to superimpose the thought that He is the kaarana of
creation. This method eliminates all opinions about how the world
was created. It is also made clear that since the Brahman is chetan
and advaya (non-dual), it is not possible for the world and the
Brahman to have the relationship of karya-kaarana. The world seems
to be separate because of agnan about the Brahman. All karyakaarana are mithya; the Brahman is non-dual. That being the case,
why do you attach the cause of the world to the Brahman? You may
say that the purpose is not to state that the Brahman is the cause of
creation, it is to make clear that the Brahman is avditeeya (non-dual).
The kaarana that is the cause of the mithya karya will also be mithya.
Is the rope truly the support of the mithya snake? No! Similarly, the
adhishthana that is the mithya support of the mithya kaarana is the
Brahman who is neither the karma (action) nor the karya (effect).
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When the karya is seen to be mithya, the adhishthana that is wrongly

considered to be the kaarana is shown to be adviteeya. Na tasya
kaarayam vidyate` - that Brahman has no karya, is what the
Shwetashavara Upanishad says. The world is perceived, and the
cause and effect in the interactive world are also perceived. This is
why it is said that the Paramatma is the kaarana of the world. Being
the cause is just a lakshan of the Brahmans non-dual essence. Once
the non-dual essence is known, the lakshan of being the kaarana is
also
withdrawn.
E`tasnin
adrishye`naatmye`nirukte`nilayane`bhayam pratishthaam vindate`
(Taittareeya Upanishad 2. 7).
4.
The meaning of the Brahman being sarvagya (all-knowing),
sarvashakti (all-powerful) and sarvaantarayaami (abiding in all hearts).
The method of Vedanta is that it first establishes the jeeva whose
upadhi is small and then the Ishwara whose upadhi is allencompassing. After that, it establishes the abhe`da (lack of
differences) in the pure consciousness that is free of all attributes. The
ultimate result of this is that the Brahman who is pure consciousness
is shown as the substratum of the worlds creation, sustenance and
destruction. The Brahman is not just the nimitta; He is also the upadan
kaarana. Furthermore, He is also the shaastrayonee (the origin of the
Shastras). The methodical system that rules creation shows that the
Brahman is also sarvagya (all-knowing) and sarvashakti (all-powerful).
The Brahm-tattva is called the Ishwara because the Shastras indicate
that He is the cause of creation, is all-knowing, all-powerful, and allpervading. The Shruti uses the word Tat to indicate the chaitanya that
has the upadhi of the samashti (the whole). The tat-pada (the word
Tat) refers to the Ishwara and indicates the nirupaadhika (free of
upadhis) Brahman.
Similarly, the tvam-pada (the word) refers to the jeeva (you) and
indicates the shuddha sakshi or pratyagatma. By using the sentence
Tattvamasi (tat+tvam+asi = that Brahman is you, the jeeva), the Shruti
establishes the oneness of the Atma and the Brahman. From the
viewpoint of this abheda, it is made clear that the upadhis of ;jeeva and
Ishwara are mithya.
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Question: According to Yaska Muni, every object in this world passes

through the six stages of birth, existence, growth, change, deterioration,
and destruction. These are called bhaava vikaara. What if we consider
the Brahman to be the kaarana of the bhava vikar instead of the creation
of the world?
Explanation: This has the dosha of ativyapti. The aashraya (refuge) of
the changes in the objects can also be due to the pancha bhootas or
Prakriti. Then, the Brahman will have to be accepted as the jada pancha
bhootas or the jada Prakriti; and that is not the goal of Vedanta.
Secondly, in Vedanta, the Shrutis are the ultimate proof, and so it is
right to say that the lakshana (characteristic) of the Brahman is that He
is the kaarana of the creation of this world. The pancha bhootas and
Prakriti are, after all, the world. The chetan satta that perceives their
birth etc is the Brahman.
Question: What is the objection to accepting Prakriti, etc, to be the
cause of this world, even though the Shrutis do not say so?
Explanation: All these kaaranas are illogical and contradictory. The
Charvaks say that the world was made from the four bhootas. The
Marxists believe that the world was created from indestructible,
insensate matter that shifts continuously. The opinion of the Buddhists
is that the world is a vacuum, or science. The Jains say it is made by
souls. According to the Poorva Mimansa, karmas are responsible for the
creation of the world. The Nyaya Vaisheshiks believe that the world is
created of particles. Sankhya states that it is created from matter that
has no consciousness. The upasaks believe in loving worship of the
Ishwara, and believe that the world was made by some Devi or Devta,
jeeva, or Hiranyagarbha (universal intellect). All these opinions are
based on assumptions. They sharpen the intellect and enhance
understanding. The intellect is supported by some elevated idea, but
none of these kaaranas can be experienced, because the drashta of the
pratyaksha (that, which can be known through the senses) will be
separate from this world, the cause of whose creation we are discussing.
The basic kaarana cannot be four; there has to be a kaarana of the four
kaaranas. If the world was created of the jada (insensate matter), we

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should also be jada, but nobody can have the experience of being
insensate.
People believe that the world has been created out of shoonya, but that
is impractical, and there is no example to substantiate this belief.
Vigyan is transient, so an experience of the state of the world is not
possible. Karma is, itself, jada; chetan is needed for its implementation.
Paramaanu (particles) have no organs, so their union is impossible.
If the pradhaana (Prakriti) is accepted as the karta, why do the rules of
Nature get distorted? Why are the rules of Prakriti so systematic and
regular?
The jeeva is parichhinna (separate; not whole), alpagya (having limited
Gnan), and paraadheena (ruled by another). No matter how elevated a
jeeva may be, he cannot be the karta of the entire world. The jeeva is
aupaadhika (a superimposition connected to something), so he cannot
be svayambhu (self-created). Furthermore, the jagat itself is an upadhi,
the cause of which we are trying to ascertain.
The hiranyagarbha is also the jeeva, because the Shrutis speak of its
creation. Yo brahmaanam vidadhaati poorvam (Shwetashwara
Upanishad 6. 18)
Since these Shrutis contradict each other, none of them can be the
principle. Only that sattaa can be accepted as the kaarana, which is the
kaarana of all kaaranas. Tulsi calls it the ashe`sha kaaranaparam the
ultimate kaarana, the Ishwara is the kaarana. The principle of Vedanta is
the same. Vedanta says that this world is created by the sarvagya (allknowing), sarva-shakti (all-powerful) Parameshwara (supreme
Ishwara). And, what is the Ishwara? He is the Brahman who as the
Ishwara creates the world.
In the word sarvagya, sarva indicates the upadana kaarana and gya
indicates the nimitta kaarana. The sarvagya is both the clay and the
potter of this interactive world. The Brahman is the abhinna-nimittaupadana kaarana; the cause that is also the stuff of creation. That, which
is made, and the one who has made it, are one and the same.
Gya (the knower) knows the sarva (everything). Therefore, in the word
sarvagya, gya is the part that is not subject to change, and sarva is the
part that is subject to change; and yet both are one. Now, is sarva the
karya of gya, or is sarva the vivarta (illusion) of gya? That means, is
sarva the result of gya, or is gya perceived as sarva while remaining
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unchanged? Parinaama (result) is not possible in Gnan, else there can

be no Gnan about the parinam. Therefore, that, which is sarva-roopa
(all forms) from the viewpoint of interaction, and is the gyaataa
(knower) of sarva, is actually the advaya (non-dual; indivisible)
Brahman. This is the meaning of sarvagya. The sarva is an illusion
created by the Brahman who is both the instrument and the matter of
this creation, according to Vedanta.
The Nyaya theology says that sarvagya has two meanings the
adviteeya sattaa (non-dual existence), and sacchidaatmaka sattaa (the
existence that is the Sat+Chit+Anand). Being an illusionary
adhishthana, sarvagya means non-dual. Sat is the root of all that exists,
gya is the root of Chit, and so, sarvagya is pure existence and pure
consciousness. Sat is the sattaa (existence) that is aparinaami (having
no conclusion) and abaadhya (cannot be negated), and being selfeffulgent and the illuminator of everything, is Gnan. Therefore,
sarvagya means that sattaa that cannot be negated or broken, has no
results, and is conscious.
What is the difference between the Atma-sattaa and the Ishwara-sattaa?
The Tat (Ishwara is in that place and time, but tvam (you, the Atma)
are in this place and time. Both are forms of Sacchidananda, but are
separated by space, time and matter. The Mahavakya Tattvamasi
negates that separation and demonstrates this fact. The chinmaatra
vastu (pure consciousness) indicated by the absence of space, time and
matter, is one, non-dual, and indivisible, as established by the Vedas.
The Brahman, being the kaarana, is an adhyaropa (false
superimposition) and apavaada (negation), points to the same fact.
Sarva-shakti means the shakti (power) to become everything. For
example, the power of electricity can be used to heat, chill, illuminate,
burn, magnetize, and in many other ways. The power is estimated when
the karya is seen. But, there is a difference between the shakti in the
jada and the shakti in the chetan. The shakti in the jada is paratantra
(ruled by another), but the shakti in the chetan is svatantra
(independent). Svatantra means free to do, not do, or do something
contrary. The jada shakti functions according to fixed rules, but the
chetan is able to pass over the rules. So, when it is said that the chetan
Brahman, the Ishwara, the Paramatma, is sarva-shakti, it means that the

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Paramatma is absolutely independent to do or not do, and do whatever

He likes. This is also the secret of the amazing variety on this world.
Being the upadan of everything, the Brahman is sarva-roopa (all
forms). Being all-knowing, the Brahman is the illusionary substratum
that has no results. And, being all-powerful, He is absolutely
independent, and the form of parama-aananda (supreme bliss). The
purport of calling the Ishwara sarvagya and sarva-shakti is to explain
that He is the Sacchidananda, adviteeya Brahman. The Shruti says,
Kritsnastu pragnaanaghana e`va (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 5.
13). The Brahma Sutra also says the same thing. Aaha cha
tanmaatram (Brahma Sutra 3. 2. 16). That Brahman is you, yourself.
5. The meaning of the Brahman being sarva-vyapaka.
The meaning of the Brahmans characteristic of being sarva-vyaapaka
(all-pervading) should also be understood properly. There is one kind of
pervading, like an iron ball being pervaded by fire. It turns red like the
fire, as long as it retains the heat. This is called
moortasanyogitvaroopa vyaapakataa, where gross matter is pervaded
by gross matter. Generally, people believe that this tangible world is
pervaded by the subtle Brahman. The Katha Upanishad (2. 2. 9)
describes it. Agniryathaiko bhuvanam pravishto roopam roopam
pratiroopo babhoova.
A second kind of pervading is an object the karya being pervaded
by its kaarana (cause; the matter it is made of). For example, a clay pot
is pervaded by clay. The pot is the karya and clay is the kaarana. The
clay is not separate from the pot. Everything made of clay is clay,
regardless of its shape or size. Different names are given for the sake of
convenient interaction. There is a description of the Brahmans
vyaapakataa
(all-pervading
quality)
in
the
Upanishad.
Vaachaarambhanam vikaaro naamadhe`yam mrittike`tye`va satyam
(Chandogya Upanishad 6. 1. 4). Similarly, water pervades ripples, fire
pervades sparks, vaayu (air) pervades the praana-vaayu (life-giving
breath), and space pervades the inside of an empty pot.
There is a third kind of vyapakata, like the seed pervading the tree.
Here, the sanskara of the seed pervades the tree. The pancha bhootas are
the same in both. The sanskaras of the objects seen in the waking state
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pervade the objects seen in a dream. Similarly, the sanskaras of past

births of every jeeva pervade the individual. The Ishwaras resolve,
Bahusyaam prajaaye`ya (let Me become many) pervades this everexpanding world.
The mind pervades the scenes seen in dreams. The beeja (seed) of the
scenes seen in the waking and dream states pervades the deep sleep
state. This is stated clearly in the Mandukya Upanishad.
The fourth kind of vyapakata is like the rays of the sun pervading our
universe. The sun is in a separate position, but its heat and light
pervades our world. In the same way, the Ishwara is established in some
realm, but His power pervades this world. This is the opinion of the
upaasaka (those who believe in loving worship of the Ishwara), who
believe the Ishwara to be unchanging. Vedanta does not accept this
opinion, but agrees that since the Brahman is present in the form of the
Sat in all forms, everywhere, an imagined realm that is superimposed, is
helpful in upasana.
A fifth kind of vyapakata is that of an adhishthaana (substratum)
caused by bhram (mistaken understanding), like a rope that seems to be
a snake, the sky that seems to be blue, and a dead tree stump that seems
to be a man. The jagat does not exist in the Brahman, and the jeevatva
(the ahamartha that is the characteristic of a jeeva) does not exist in the
Atma in any of the three states. However, the jagat and the jeeva seem
to be real because of agnan about the Brahman and the Atma. From the
viewpoint of Gnan, neither the jagat nor the ahamartha are real. The
Brahman is all that exists. Then, what is pervaded, and by whom? That
is why the Shruti of the Tejobindu Upanishad says, Vyaapyavyaapakataa mithya pervading and being pervaded are both mithya.
This is the ultimate meaning of the Brahmans vyapakata.
6. The Ishwara and the Praagya.
The Mandukya Upanishad states that the Brahman is chatushpaada
(four-footed), Ayamaatmaa brahm. Soyamaatmaa chatushpaat
(Mandukya Upanishad 2).
The first paada (foot) is the vishwa-virat (the gross world), the second
paada is the taijas-hiranyagarbha (the subtle world and universal
intelligence), the third paada is the praagya (right intellect) who is also
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called the Ishwara, sarvagya (all-knowing) antaryaami (who is in all

hearts), and the creator of the world. The fourth paada is the Atma itself,
who is in all three paadas, and also separate from them. The Shruti
about the triteeya (third) paada is: Sushuptasthaana e`keebhootah
pragnaanaghana e`vaanandamayo hyaanandabhuk che`tomukhah
praagyastriteeyah paadah. E`sha sarve`shvara e`sha sarvagyah
e`shontaryaamye`sha.
Yonih
sarvasya
prabhavaapyayau
hi
bhootaanaam. (Mandukya Upanishad 5-6).
This Shruti indicates the beejaavasthaa (seed state) of the world. There
are three stages in a tree the seed state, the sprouting, and the full tree.
Similarly, the seed of the tree of this world is compared to the Brahmtattva that is called the praagya, or the Ishwara. The state of
sprouting is the subtle form of the Brahm-tattva, and is called the
taijas-hiranyagarbha. The gross form of the tree is called the vishvaviraata.
Just as the parts of the tree that exists within the seed cannot be seen,
and just as objects cannot be seen separately in the dark, a person
becomes oblivious of all the different objects during the deep sleep
state. Similarly, the jagrit remains in the Ishwara. The kaarana of the
jagat is one.
The jagrit-swapna (waking and dream states) are pulsations of the mind.
They are pragnaana-prakrishtha gnaana (Gnan obtained through the
superior intellect). All these pulsations merge into one form during
sushupti (the deep sleep state). That is why the Ishwara is pragyaanaghana (pragyaana means superior Gnan and ghana means to become
solid), and nothing but pragyaana.
The mental activities of the jagrit-swapna states, with their vishayvishayee (sense objects the one who experiences them) are not present
in the sushupti state that is the Ishwara, and that is why this state is
filled with effortless sukha. The existence in this state is free of names
and forms, but the person is aware of sukha. This effortless sukha is the
sukha of the Ishwara or praagya and therefore, this state is filled
with anand. In common terms, it is said that the Ishwara is the bhokta of
this anand, but the fact is that the Ishwara is anand.
The Ishwara is the seed from which the vishva-che`tanaa (universal
consciousness) and taijas che`tanaa (universal intelligence) emerge.
Therefore, the Ishwara is che`tomukha (the source of awareness).
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The Ishwara is called the praagya because He is the form of the pure
Gnan that is free of the upadhi of gyaataa-gye`ya (the knower and the
known). Sushupti is the state that is free of the gyata-gyeya in the
individual. In the samashti (totality), this state is called the mahaapralaya (great dissolution). Therefore the chetan that remains during
the sushupti is the sakshi of sushupti as well as the sakshi of the
Mahapralay. Then, everything is recreated when the person wakes up or
a new kalpa (age) begins. Thus, the Ishwara is the one who creates
everything. That is why all beings are said to be of the same kind as the
Ishwara the Sacchidananda and the Ishwara is the matter of which
we are all made. Being chetan, the Ishwara is also the nimitta kaarana;
and being all forms, He is the accompanying kaarana, as well as the
common kaarana.
The Ishwara is sarvagya (all-knowing). He is not inanimate matter that
deteriorates. The chetan is the gyata who preserves the seed when
creation is in its seed form. When Creation expands, it is He who is the
ruler and the gyata.
Being the gyata of the three states of sushupti etc, you are sarvagya.
Being the one who controls the movements of the praana (life-giving
breath) during sushupti and actions during the jagrit and swapna states,
you are the sarvaantaryaami who abides in all hearts.
Some people believe that the Ishwara is aloof and indifferent to the
jagat, but the Vedas do not accept this. The Vedas say that the Ishwara is
the abhinna-nimitta-upadan kaarana of the world; the cause who is also
the matter of the world. He is the potter as well as the clay. Can the clay
be separate from the pot? The Ishwara cannot be separate from the
world. Then, where does the Ishwara stay? This question, itself, is
faulty. It is the Ishwara who is here, there, and everywhere.
The Taittareeya Upanishad says, That Ishwara resolved to become
many, so He did tapa (asceticism), created this world, and then entered
it. Sokaamyata bahu syaam prajaaye`ye`ti. Sa tapotapyata. Sa
tapastaptvaa idam sarvamasrijata yadidam kincha. Tatsrishtvaa
tade`vaanupraavishat. (1. 6. 1).
The Aiteerya Upanishad also says, Sa eekshata lokaannu srijaa iti (1.
1. 1), meaning, only the Atma existed before the names and forms of
this jagat manifested. Nothing except the Ishwara existed then. That
Atma made a resolve to create all beings. That is a clear indication that
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the Atma, Ishwara, or Brahman, is chetan. It is also made clear that this
world exists only in the Ishwaras resolve; therefore, it is like a dream.
It is perceived, we interact in it, but it is mithya in the swarup of the
Brahman. It was never Satya, is not Satya now, and will not be Satya in
future.
The Shruti of the Mundaka Upanishad says that the sarvagya and
sarvavit (all-knowing), akshara (one who never falls from his Self)
Brahman whose tapa is filled with Gnan is the source of all names,
forms, and gross objects. Yasya gnaanamayam tapah (1. 1. 9). This is
how this world is born, or seems to be created.
What is the method of the creation of this world? The Upanishads differ
on this point. The Manduka Upanishad (2. 1. 3) describes the five
elements being created simultaneously. The Taittareeya Upanishad (2.
1) says that they were created one by one. Space was created in the
Brahman, wind was created in space, fire was created in the wind, water
in the fire, and the earth in water.
The Chandogya Upanishad describes three elements space, light and
water being created. The Shwetashwara Upanishad (4. 10) says that
an illusionary Ishwara was created by Maya, and that the Ishwara
created the world. It also says, Na tasya kaarya kaaranam cha vidyate`
(6. 8), meaning, the Brahman has no karya.
Are the Shrutis unreliable?
No; the purport of the Shrutis is not to focus on the method of creation,
but to superimpose the idea that the Brahman created the world, and
then negate it, and establish that the Atma is adviteeya (non-dual). The
calculation is that the jagat is not separate from the Brahman, just as a
dream is not separate from the dreamer, clay is not separate from the
objects made of clay, and the snake is not separate from the rope that
appears to be a snake.
The Atma is not separate from the Brahman either, because the
interactive world that separates the chetan of the jeeva from the chetan
of the Ishwara has never been separate from the world. Therefore, we
get the principle that the adviteeya Brahman is the only ultimate reality.
All the Upanishads agree on the points given below:
1. The Ishwara is the abhinna-nimitta-upadan kaarana of this
illusionary world.

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2. The Ishwara is Sacchidananda, sarvagya, sarva-shakti,

sarva-niyantaa (ruler of all), sarva-antaryaami (in all
hearts) and sarva-vyaapaka (all-pervading).
3. The Ishwara alone is worth worshipping, and is present in
the cave of the buddhi.
4. To attach ourselves to the Ishwara is upaasanaa (loving
worship). This is done through love and profound thought.
5. The Ishwara is nirbeeja (that, which has no seed), in His
own swarup, and is the Brahman. From the viewpoint of the
world for the sake of upasana or in the form of a
superimposition is the basic kaarana of all. Meaning, He is
the sa-beeja (with seed) Brahman.

Chapter XVI
Thoughts on the Ishwara-tattva 2.
1. The Brahmans second lakshan being the shaastrayoni (the origin
of the Shastras).
Yo brahmaanam vididhaati poorvam yo vai ve`daanshcha prahinoti
tasmai,
Tam
ha
de`vamaatmabuddhiprakaasham
mumukshurvai
sharanamaham prapadye`.
(Shve`tashvara Upanishad 6. 18)
He, who creates Brahma (Hiranyagarbha) at the beginning of creation,
and activates the Vedas for him, illuminates our intellect. I am a
mumukshu who takes sharan (refuge) in that Deva (the Brahman).
Asya
mahato
bhootasya
nihshvasitame`tadyadrigve`dah
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 4. 10), meaning, the Rig and other
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Vedas arise naturally in the Brahman, who is the great kaarana and the
form of Sat, like the natural breathing of a person.
These Shrutis indicate that the Ishwara is at the root of all Gnan in the
world. That means, the Ishwara is sarvagya. If we try to locate the
source of our Gnan about our Aham, we will find the Ishwara is at the
root of our I. Whatever upasana we do, we will have to return to the
root of our Aham to obtain the Ishwara. Gnan about the jagrit and
swapna states depends upon the Aham that is awake, but which
slumbers during the sushupti state.
The refuge of this submerged Aham is the praagya; the Ishwara. The
Shruti calls this Ishwara or praagya the Turiya Brahman, when the
seeds of avidya, desire, karma, etc that reside in the Aham are negated.
The swarup of the Brahman is Sacchidananda:
Satyam
gnaananamanantam brahm. When we attach the upadhi of karma to it,
the sattaa (existence) is perceived in the form of the sarva-saakshi
mahaa kartaa (the great karta who is the sakshi of everything), the
chittaa (consciousness), is perceived as the sarvagya, and the anand is
perceived as the mahaa bhokta. As soon as the upadhi is attached, we
start the ritual worship, and He descends into an image. This is the
maha-karta, sarvagya, and maha-bhokta, who is known as the Ishwara.
Contrary to this, the jeeva in this shareera (body) is also aupaadhika
(an upadhi). Because the karma (of a jeeva) is limited, the
Sacchidananda Brahman is perceived and known as the alpa kartaa
(karta of small deeds), alpagya (having limited knowledge), and alpa
bhoktaa (having limited experiences).
Being the adhishthaana (substratum), pre`raka (one who inspires), and
sarvagya, are the superimposed turbulences of the chetan; and being the
superimposed objects, ruled, and having limited knowledge, are the
upadhis of the chetan that creates the turbulence. These turbulences
create the difference between the Ishwara and the jeeva. Naturally, there
is no difference between the Ishwara and the jeeva. Actually, there is no
difference at all.
Does the Ishwara stay in our body, or not? He does. The kaarana is
inherent in the karya. The jeeva has the upadhi of the karyas of the
body, mind, senses, etc; and their kaarana is Prakriti. Prakriti is the
upadhi of the Ishwara, and so is the Ishwara being ever present. In fact,
karya is imagined in the kaarana. Hence, the jeeva is imagined in the
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Ishwara. We know the jeeva, but we dont know about its being the
Ishwara. The Ishwara is now, here, in this body of ours, and yet
unknown to us.
What is the source of all the Gnan and vigyana (knowledge and applied
knowledge), and all the control and intelligence that rises in this world?
Just as the Ishwara is the kaarana of all the beejas, He is also the
kaarana of all Gnan. All the Shastras are reflections of His Gnan. An
illusion of His Gnan glimmers in all antahkarans, and that is why the
jeevas are alpagya while the Ishwara is sarvagya.
Vedanta explains this as Shaastrayonitvaat (Brahma Sutra 1. 1. 3).
When combined with Janmaadasya yatah, we understand that the
kaarana of all the separate objects, and the bits and pieces of Gnan in
this world, is the one unbroken existence that is the Brahman, who is
also the essence of unbroken Gnan.
Just as the lakshan of the Brahman who is the kaarana of the world
is a method of establishing the non-dual quality of the sad-ansha (part
that is the pure existence) in the Brahman, the lakshan of the Brahmans
being all-knowing, is a method for establishing the Brahmans non-dual
chid-ansha (part that is pure consciousness). The substratum of the
interactive world we see, with all the names, forms and shapes, etc in it,
is non-dual. Hence, all the names and forms etc are mithya. The one
who knows these mithya names and forms and their differences, is the
jeeva with vrittis.
The jeeva is also non-dual, because he is the illuminator of all these
gnans. It is not possible for two non-dual objects to exist; therefore, the
substratum of the interactive world is also their sakshi. In-between, the
mithya drishya cannot be a real factor that separates the jeeva from the
Ishwara.
The Mahavakyas tell us that the Atma is the Brahman, but the
prapancha (interactive world) is made of the same Brahman, kept alive
by Him, and merges into Him. It is also illuminated by the Brahman.
Therefore, no separate objects exist in the Brahman that is not separate
from the pratyak chaitanya (the consciousness in the individual).
The method of investigating the Ishwara is to search for the root of the
seed of our own gross physical body, and our buddhi. Both come from
the same root the Brahman but the seeds are different. The basic
matter of all objects is the pancha bhoota, but the sanskaras in them are
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different. In the same way, the seed of the body contains the desire for
karma and bhoga, whereas the seed of the buddhi is the praagya. The
Brahman is the stuff both are made of.
The material world has two states creation and dissolution. There are
two states in the life of an individual being awake and being asleep.
Similarly, the buddhi slumbers in some people and is awake in some,
but the matter of the buddhi is the gyata praagya. Even in the samashti
(whole world), the upadan of buddhi is the gyata Ishwara. The praagya
and the Ishwara are one.
When doing vivek (discriminating, separating two things that are
mixed) two methods are used: the vaasanaa (avid desire) and buddhi
connected to the desires, and what it merges into. The beeja is not Sat,
Chit, or Anand. The apparently separate existence, knowledge, and
pleasure in each individual are caused by agnan. This agnan is the
refuge of the individual intellect, individual desire, and individual form.
This separate Aham is the first karya of agnan. It is viparyaya (wrong
action), and it is the aavarana (covering that hides the truth). The
purpose of Vedanta vichar is to be free of this agnan.
The praagya is the laya-sthaana (the place of immersion) for desires
and the intellect; and the Ishwara is the laya-sthana of all forms.
However, that which contains the beeja of the intellect also contains
the beeja of forms, because the intellect and forms become one in the
deep sleep state. Only the sakshi remains. Similarly, there is a state in
the samashti in which all forms and intellects merge into one
consciousness the sarvagya Ishwara and rise again. The connection
between the object and what it is called, etc, also arises. The Shruti
says, Naamaroope` vyaakaravaanee.
The buddhi that separates the names and forms uses the vehicle of
words. The Rig and other Vedas, and all the Shastras relating to the
laukik (interactive world), paaralaukik (realms beyond this world), and
paaramaarthik (metaphysical; spiritual) worlds, are the result of the
buddhi. That is why the Brahman indicated by Vedanta is referred to as
the source of all the Shastras shaastrayonitvaat.
The chaitanya that pervades the beeja of the jagat and the Shastras is
called the Ishwara. When the Vedas manifested, in which buddhi did
they appear? The Vedas were immersed in the Ishwaras samashti
buddhi the hiranyagarbha. At the time of creation, they were created
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along with the many brahmaanda (universes). Just as the Ishwara gave
life to the all forms that were immersed in Him, He also gave life to the
words that depicted meanings. The word that indicates the meaning is
called shabda: arthadyotanaat dhvanayah.
The Ishwara is the source of all words, and the praagya jeevaatmaa (the
conscious Atma attached to a body) shows the jagrit-swapna states, and
knows the state of sushupti. Both are chaitanya, and so they are one.
When a person is fast asleep, all words and forms and Gnan about their
relationships, their coming and going, etc are in the beeja state, known
by the sakshi. They appear again when he wakes up, exactly as before.
In the same way, all forms, words, and their serial appearance enter into
a beeja state during the state of dissolution, and are known by the
Ishwara. During the state of creation they appear exactly as they were
during creation. Both states are absolutely alike, and therefore, the allknowing consciousness in them is also one. That is the Atma-chaitanya
and also the Ishwara-chaitanya.
The series of the particular words that indicate Satya and mithya,
kartavya (duty), and akartavya (not the duty) are called the Vedas. The
Vedas are seen in certain states of the chitta (mental state) and praana
(breath). When the chitta is taken from the Vaikhari to the Madhyama,
from the Madhyama to the Pashyanti and then to the Paraa levels of
speech, meaning, as soon as the person identifies with the paraa-vaak
he gets the saakshaatkaara (direct personal experience) of the mantras
of the Vedas. The Vedas can be seen as well as heard. They describe the
whole world, not just the Bharatvarsha. The descriptions are not limited
to any one period of time, but are of all time past, future and present.
This is not a description of the Ishwara accepted by any religious sect; it
is of the whole Ishwara.
The Vedas say that every name is the Parameshwara, every form is the
Parameshwara, every shape is the Parameshwara, and every buddhi is
the Parameshwara, because all the substratums owe their sattaa
(existence) to the sattaa of the Brahman, who is the substratum of
everything, without imposing anything. The Vedas describe the
Paramatma as an akhanda (unbroken) parabrahm (supreme spirit). This
anaadi (without a beginning; eternal), avichhinna (not fragmented), and
unconnected to any sampradaaya (religious sect), asmaryamaana
kartrik (not something remembered, but something that is an intrinsic
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knowledge) Gnan that is regulated and in a serial, is called the Vedas.

The concept of time comes into it, not before it. It is after this Gnan that
kartritva (the feeling of being the doer) and the karta are created.
Therefore, Gnan is not made by any karta, it is what shows the karta, as
well as time. Gnan can never be destroyed, because it is not divided by
sampradayas. Sampradayas are created in Gnan and die in it.
If we can grasp the meaning of the word Veda properly, we will get
Atmagnan. The fulfillment of the Vedas is in the brahmaatmaikya
gnaana the knowledge that the Brahman and the Atma are one, and
this Gnan arises from the Vedas.
The Vedas are divided into two forms the shabda raashi, which is a
collection of the words of rituals, and the artha raashi the collection
of the goals. The form of the shabda rashi contains the kalpita
(imagined) Gnan, and the form of the artha rashi contains the akalpita
(not imagined; factual) Gnan. The purpose of the Vedas is to obtain the
akalpit Gnan through the kalpita Gnan.
The Vedas are imagined and eternal, and the Atma is factual and eternal.
The Vedas are asmaaryamaanakartrika (not based on memory) and the
Atma is the akartrika (embodiment of not being the karta) swarup of
Gnan. The Vedas are the illuminators of even the apaurushe`ya
meaning, that which has not been created by any mortal being nor are
they a vritti-vishe`sha (any particular kinds of feeling or inclination),
whereas the Atma is also the illuminator of the quality of that, which
has not been created by any mortal. The Vedas are obtained by a
tradition that is not fragmented into separate religious ideologies. This
Gnan is anugata (inherent) in all knowledge, Pratibodhaviditam
matam (Kena Upanishad 2. 4).Therefore, the Vedas are the unchanging
lakshan of the Gnan-swarup Atma.
The question is, has the Ishwara created the Vedas? If not, who created
them? If the Ishwara create the Vedas, did He use only the Sanskrit
language? Many such questions rise up in the minds of the jigyaasu
(seekers of the ultimate truth) who do not believe in the Vedas.
Regarding this, we will first discuss the different schools of thought.
1. The Charvaks have used abusive language to say that the Vedas
were created by dhoorta (cheats and scoundrels) Trayo ve`dasya
kartaaro bhandadhoorta nishaacharaah. The Vedas say that the
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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Atma, punarjanma (rebirth), paraloka (realms after death), karta,

sakshi, the Ishwara, the Brahman, Yagya, Brahmins etc exist. The
Charvaks find this unacceptable, so it is natural for them to abuse
the Vedas.
The Buddhists and Jains believe that the Vedas were created by
humans, who have five potential dosha (faults): bhrama (false
understanding), pramaada (forgetting), vipralipsaa (the desire to
cheat), and karnaapatava (intellectual incompetence). Therefore,
it is not proper to accept the Vedas as an absolute proof. They feel
it is better to accept the words and experience of enlightened
Saints.
The Nyaya-Vaisheshik believe that the Vedas have been created
by the Ishwara, not by human beings of this world. For them, the
Ishwara is only the nimitta kaarana of the world, not the upadana
kaarana. They believe the world is created from particles, and so,
when the Ishwara creates it, He also creates the Vedas. The Vedas
are the constitution of this world, and are created by the Ishwara.
Since the Ishwara is sarvagya (all-knowing), even the Vedas
created by him are free of the doshas of bhranti, pramad,
vipralipsa and karnapatav.
The niraakaara eeshvaravaadi (those who believe in an Ishwara
without form) were in a dilemma about how the Ishwara created
the Vedas. Someone saw them written in the sky, or someone saw
them written on paper. The Arya Samajis said that the Vedas did
not manifest in the sky; they manifested in the hearts of the
Rishis, where Gnan about language and meaning already existed.
For example, the Ishwara manifested the Gayatri Mantra in the
heart of Rishi Valmiki.
The saakaara eeshvaravaadi (those who believe in the Ishwara
with form) said that Narayana remembers the Vedas. He recites
them to Brahmaji at the dawn of creation, and they are handed
down from Guru to disciple in an unbroken tradition.
Bhagwan Shankaracharya says that nobody but the Ishwara can be
the karta of the Vedas, because all the Rishis and philosophers
accept the Vedas, and then write commentaries on them. The
Ishwara is the illuminator of this jagat. The Vedas and the jagat

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arise and vanish in the Ishwara at the same time. The Ishwara is
the root of both the jagat and the Ishwara.
7. Patanajali the author of Yoga Darshan, believes the Ishwara to
be free of the five kle`sha (causes of sorrow; namely, ignorance,
egoism, attachment aversion and fear of death), sukha-dukha, and
desires. He is also omniscient, undivided by time, and the Guru of
all jeevas. He believes that the Vedas stay in the buddhi of the
Ishwara, so when vive`ka-khyaati (the Atma separated from the
five koshas, etc) enables a jeevas buddhi to be fit to merge into
the paraa-vaanee (speech that is rooted in the Supreme), the
buddhi of the drashta identifies with the buddhi of the Ishwara
who is omniscient and gets a darshan of the Vedas that stay in
the Ishwara.
8. The Sankhya Darshan shares the opinion of the Yoga Darshan,
and so do the Tantriks.
9. The opinion of the Poorva Mimansa is that the Vedas remain
eternally in the form of sentences. They also believe the world to
be eternal; that it was neither begun, nor will it end. The Vedas are
eternal in this eternal world, and so are the letters, words, and
sentences, in serial order. Therefore, it is of no use to ask who
created the Vedas. They do not believe in the Ishwara. They
believe the world and the Vedas to have no beginning and no end.
Vedanta believes that the world was created, and it will be destroyed,
even if it comes into the grade of an adhyaaropa (superimposition).
Therefore, they believe that the Vedas merge into the Ishwara, and arise
again. This is established by the Vedas.
Poorva Mimansa and Vedanta agree that the Vedas were not created by
the Ishwara. Poorva Mimansa does not accept any Ishwara at all,
therefore, they say that the Vedas were not created by Him. And
Vedanta believes that since the Vedas merge into the Ishwara and rise
up from Him again, they are not made by Him.
The Shruti of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (2. 4. 10) says that the
Vedas are the breath of the Paramatma. Breath is a lakshan of someone
who is alive. Therefore, as long as the Vedic vigyaana (applied
knowledge) is alive, the Ishwara is also alive. The Ishwara is the one
who breathes, and the Vedas are His breath. If we disdain the breath,
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how can we hope to obtain the Ishwara? Actually, the Ishwara is

avinaashee (not subject to destruction), so his breath is also avinashi.
2. The Shastras And The Proof Of The Ishwara.
We have discussed the Ishwaras lakshan, but what is the proof that He
exists? The Brahman creates the world. This is the adhyaasa
(superimposition) made by the Shastras, seeing the worlds karyakaarana, and using the buddhi of the jigyaasu (seeker of the ultimate
truth), to make him understand that the Brahman is adviteeya (nondual). The Brahman, being the kaarana, cannot be pratyaksha (known
by the senses), because he is not pratyaksha.
The Brahman cannot be known by anumaana (estimate) because there
is no factor like smoke that helps us to assume the existence of a fire
from which it would have risen. Then, how can any of the other
methods of ascertainment like upamaana (comparison), arthaapatti
(logic), or anupalabdhi (the absence of something that should have
been there) prove that the Ishwara exists? How can even the Vedas
and Shastras establish the existence of the Ishwara who existed before
them. The Rishis, Munis, and indreeya (senses) all came later. How can
they make any estimate about the cause of the Ishwara and the jagat?
There are three ways of making an estimate. One is after seeing the
effect, like smoke and fire; the second is after seeing the cause, like
seeing a boy and making an estimate that he has a father. An anuman
can also be done without the relationship of cause and effect, like
estimating movement when something is procured from some other
place.
The seen world prompts the assumption of the existence of its cause,
but not that the cause is the Brahman. The Naiyayiks say that the world
is made by Prakriti. The Buddhists say that it is the Maya (illusion) of
the maayaavee (illusionist who controls Maya). Since Maya is
controlled by the mayavi, the anuman is that this jagat is an illusion
created by the one who controls Maya. The Shrutis establish that that is
the Brahman Maayaam tu prakritim vidyaat maayina tu
parame`shvaram (Shwetashvara Upanishad 4. 10).This is established
from the viewpoint of adhyaaropa-apavaada (superimposition-

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negation), because the Shruti also negates this. Na tasya kaaryam,

Na kashchit janitaa, etc.
Vartikakara, Shri Sureshwaracharya says that the duality of the
interactive world is like a web created by the senses, and its upadan
karan is agnan.
Asya dvaite`ndrajaalasya yad upaadaanakaaranam,
Agnaanam tadupaadaaya brahmakaaranamuchyate`.
When a magician shows animals, birds, and people, in a magic show,
are they real? No, but they are seen.
Why are they seen?
Because you dont look at the magician; you see the magic show. Maya
is not seen; what is seen is the sport of Maya. Our agnan is the cause.
When we fail to see the real object we believe the false object to be real.
We are not aware of the real swarup of the jagat the Brahman who is
not separate from the pratyak chaitanya and so we become aware of
this jagat. The agnan about the jagats real swarup is the upadan of this
world.
The Brahman cannot be the real cause of this jagat, because the
Brahman is chetan. The chetan cannot be parinaamee (having a result;
changing); the chetan is the sakshi of the parinam. We superimpose
kaarana and karya on the Brahman because we dont know Him. This
superimposition is negated when we know that we are the Brahman.
Once you know the rope, you no longer mistake it for a snake or
garland. The person who called it a snake also referred to the rope, and
so did the person who said it was a garland, but it had been a rope all
the time.
Similarly, when we speak of a woman, man, particles, Prakriti, Maya,
etc, we are speaking about the Brahman. The object is one, but people
speak of what they think it to be, since they dont know what it actually
is. All differences and separateness are negated when agnan is removed
by Brahmagnan.
Question: The Naiyayiks see the jagat, meaning, the karya and its
variety. They see the relationship of the karya-kaarana in objects, and
they make the anuman that its nimitta kaarana is the omniscient, allpowerful Ishwara. They believe that this Ishwara is separate from the
jeeva, whose knowledge and power are limited, who is a part of this
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interactive world, and is ruled by the Ishwara. That being the case, is
the Brahman also established as the cause of the world, through
anuman?
Explanation: No. Vedanta does not say that the Ishwara is established
by anuman. Vedanta believes Him to be pratyaksha (known through the
senses); not the way a watch is, but like knowing our I. According to
Vedanta, the Brahman, Paramatma, Atma, or Ishwara, are established by
pratyaksha praman they are known through direct personal
experience.
The word watch is in the mouth, and it means a clock made of steel. If
a person sees a watch and hears the word, but does not know the
connection between the name and the object, he will not have the gnan
that this object is a watch. When he is told that this object is called a
watch, he will have pratyaksha gnan about it. He wont need any
upaman.
Similarly, the Mahavakyas that tell us that the Brahman and the Atma
are one for example, Tattvamasi and Aham Brahmasmi, are not
meant to give faith. Faith is not enough to break the asattvaapaadaka
aavarana (the false belief that hides the truth) that the Ishwara exists. If
you have faith that the Ishwara exists, will it be enough to remove the
false belief of someone who denies the existence of the Ishwara? The
principle of Vedanta is that the paroksha gnaana (Gnan about that,
which cannot be known through the senses) is needed to remove the
aavarana (veil) of false beliefs that hide the truth. The
abhaanaapaadaka aavarana is that the Ishwara exists, but cannot be
seen. This avaran can be removed only by the Mahavakyas. Only then
does the aparoksha (known by personal experience) Ishwara become
pratyaksha.
The Ishwara is not established by just anuman or the Mahavakyas. Faith
and belief can suppress doubts, but false beliefs are removed only by
paroksha Gnan. Aparoksha Gnan is, That Ishwara is you (the Atma),
and it removes the avaran that the Ishwara is something that exists but
cannot be seen. Vedanta does not merely give an anuman about the
Ishwara. The Atma is always a direct personal experience, but the Gnan
that this Atma is the Brahman, undivided by time, space or matter, is
given only by the Mahavakyas. The vakya (statement) is not for the
direct experience that the Atma is akhanda (eternal and indivisible).
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Vedanta is not a yukti (logical explanation) or an anuman. It is a

successful method of using the Mahavakyas to show that the pratyaksha
object that is the Atma is in all.
Vedanta accepts all the methods that are helpful in explaining this.
However, the Brahm-tattva is beyond the range of the senses; neither
yukti, nor logic nor proof has access to it. The Brahman cannot be a
pratyaksha praman; nor can anuman etc prove it, since the Brahman has
no gender or attributes.
What, actually, is the brahmaanubhooti (experiencing the Brahman)? A
tranquil antahkaran that is free of all that is the anaatmaa (not the
Atma) does not see itself as being separate from its substratum and
illuminator. This is the tvam padaartha the you factor in the
Mahavakya, Tat-tvam-asi, meaning, tat = That (the Brahman) asi = is
tvam = you (the Atma). It is true that all the vritti (mental inclinations)
are dormant at that time, and nothing except its own substratum is seen.
Even so, this tranquil, self-effulgent tvam padartha that is the form of
the substratum, is the non-dual Brahman.
There is a need for this Gnan, and there is a need for the right pramaavritti (the pure intellect that contains the right inclinations) that comes
from the praman. These pramans cannot be pratyaksha, anuman, etc
because the praman here is the vakya that tells us that the non-dual,
self-effulgent Brahman is the substratum of the antahkaran that is
tranquil. Therefore, the only method is the rising of the pramaa (pure
intellect) created by the Mahavakyas. There is no other method. Else, it
would only be a state of mind, not Brahmanubhooti. The goal is the
knowledge of the Brahman, not the Atma, because the knowledge of the
Atma is obtained in the form of the ahamartha (subtle awareness of
individuality); it needs to obtain the Gnan that it is a part of the
Brahman.
The akhandaartha dhee (the intellect focused on the eternal Brahman)
born from the Mahavakyas, is the actual proof in Tattvagnan. Vedanta
accepts any method that is useful in praising the tvam-padartha and tatpadartha, and establishing that they are one. However, the Gnan
obtained through the Mahavakyas of Vedanta is separate from the
anuman of the Naiyayiks.

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Question: Vedanta accepts only the Shrutis as the ultimate proof, but the
Shrutis are also the proof for Poorva Mimansa, and for those who have
dharma jigyaasaa (a wish to know what Dharma is). Then, what is the
difference between the proof given by the Shrutis about Brahm-jigyasa
and Dharma-jigyasa? And, why is there no similarity in them?
Explanation: Dharma is not an object of saakshaatakaara (having a
direct personal experience). The aim of Dharma is to give the fruit,
sukha, in both this world and after death. Dharma is something to be
done; it is a ritualistic action. Therefore, the karta of Dharma is free to
do Dharma or not, or do something contrary to Dharma. The
expenditure, karmas and bhogas depend upon the buddhi of the karta.
When anyone does an anaushthaana (ritual prescribed by Dharma), he
does it as per the vidhi (correct method), or against it. This is why the
karta gets the fruits of Dharma-adharma. A karta becomes a paapi or a
punyatma after he does the karma. A sentence is used to explain this,
that the object of Dharma-jigyasa is purusha-buddhi-tantra the
buddhi of man decides what is Dharma and what is adharma.
Contrary to this, the sakshatkara of the Brahman is the object of Brahmjigyasa. Gnan about the object does not depend upon the buddhi of the
gyaataa (the knower), whether he knows, does not know, or has
mistaken knowledge. It depends upon the gye`ya vastu (the object that
is known). That means, Gnan reveals what is, as it is. To know
something in its true form is Gnan, and to believe it to be something
other than what it is, is bhram. The gyata is not at liberty to know that
the tree stump is a man. Gnan is when he knows it to be what it is the
stump of a tree. If he thinks it to be a man, it is a bhram; not Gnan. And,
Gnan that it is a tree stump depends upon the tree stump, not upon the
buddhi of the gyata. This is why it is said that Gnan is a vastu-tantra
it depends upon the object; it is not a kartru-tantra depending on the
karma.
Doing Dharma, upasana, or Yoga is based upon the karta, but the Gnan
that the Atma is the Brahman is not dependent upon the karta. The karta
can do Dharma, upasana, or Yoga, or not do it, or do something
contrary to Dharma, but he cannot make any changes in Tattvagnan.
That is why Tattvagnan does not come under paapa-punya.
It is not that the gyata can believe the Brahman to be nirguna (without
attributes) or saguna (with attributes), or believe Him to be this or
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that. To know the Brahm-vastu as it is, is Tattvagnan. Therefore,

Tattvagnan is not the subject of Dharma, upasana, or Yoga. Nor is it the
subject of logic, or estimation. The Shrutis indicate the non-dual,
indivisible essence that is not separate from the pratyak chaitanya (the
consciousness in the individual) through the Mahavakyas that bring the
proof into the vrittis.
The Shrutis give the light of the Tattva and the commands for Dharma.
In other words, the Shrutis do the sanshan (glorification) of the Tattva,
and the saashana (ruling) of Dharma. Thus, the Shrutis are the Shatras
for both: shansanaat shaastram, shaasanaat shaastram vaa.
Dharma is vishvaasa-pradhaana (based on faith) and Brahmgnan is
aparoksha-anumbhava-pradhaana (based on direct experience).
Brahmgnan is aatmaanubhooti (experiencing the Atma) and Dharma is
kartritva (the feeling of being the doer; having duties). It is an action
that depends upon faith, to give the fruits in future. Dharma requires
karma. It cannot be experienced before it is done, or while it is being
done, but is experienced later as sukha or shanti. The Brahman, on the
other hand, is experienced directly. Unlike karma, the Brahman is not
obtained by any karma. It is already and always present in the form of
the Atma.
People can have doubts about Swarga or rebirth, but there can be no
doubt that I exist. What am I? This Gnan can be filled with doubt,
because the buddhi gets confused by all the different theories when it
looks at the sakshi of the mati (thinking), instead of the object of the
mati, and accepts the proof given by the Shrutis. It comes to the
conclusion, I am the Brahman. Then, the buddhi is negated, and you
get the illumination of what you are, as you are. This is Tattvagnan.
Vedanta accepts the order of Dharma-jigyasa followed by Brahmjigyasa. A person should use the former to separate himself from the
body, and as the karta-bhokta, parichhinna-sansari jeeva. Brahm-jigyasa
will arise after that. He should then realize that the Dharma anushthanas
are meaningless. He should replace sakaamataa (desire driven actions)
with nishkaamataa (actions unmotivated by desires), replace raga
(attachment) with vairaagya (detachment), and karma anushthana with
shravana (listening to religious discourses), manana (pondering upon
what he has heard) with nididhyaasana (bringing the mind back
repeatedly on the subject of meditation). This will bring the
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brahmaatmaikya bodha (the realization that the Brahman and the Atma
are one).
Question: The Brahman cannot be a siddha-vastu (an object that is
established as everlasting). Had the Brahman existed, why would we
not have His pratyaksha Gnan, the way we see and know a clay pot?
That, which is established, is established by the pratyaksha and others
pramans. It is not proper to accept only the proof given by the Shrutis.
Explanation: The Brahman is a siddha-vastu, and we interact in Him
day and night without recognizing Him. The Atma is the vastu that is
our I. Who is there, who is not aware of his I? However, not
everybody has the Gnan that his I is the Brahman. The Brahman
exists. He is satyam gnaanam-anantam (pure existence and infinite
Gnan). Many people have this paroksha Gnan, but without the
aparoksha (experienced directly) Gnan that the satyam gnaanam
anantam Brahman is I, the Atma. Nobody can have the Gnan that his
I is the Brahman; the Mahavakyas of the Shrutis tell us about this
secret.
The Brahman cannot be the object of other methods of proving, because
He is beyond the range and scope of the senses. That is why pratyaksha
and other pramans lack the capacity to reach him. No indreeya or
buddhi-vritti has the sensitivity to know the infinite. The self-effulgent
adhikarana (support) of the absence of different kinds of fragments can
only be the infinite Sat, infinite Chit, Brahman. He is the subject of the
Mahavakyas.
Vedanata says that actions contrary to Dharma, desire, forgetting the
Satya Atma, and mental agitation are not the only causes of our losing
the Paramatma. Had that been the case, the sakshatkara of the
Paramatma could have been obtained through Dharma, upasana, and
Yoga; but that does not happen. Therefore, the fact is, the object that is
non-dual, indestructible, complete in itself, self-effulgent, and the
substratum of everything, is not glimpsed because of our inability to
recognize it. Therefore, the Paramatma can be known only by Gnan,
and the Gnan should be the opponent of the agnan about the selfeffulgent substratum of everything.
The Shruti of the Kena Upanishad says, Yasyaamatam tasya matam
yasya na ve`da sah (2. 3). A person who says that he knows the
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Paramatma through his buddhi does not know Him. The pramaataa
(one who proves) can know the prame`ya (that, which is fit to be
accepted universally) only through the pramaana (proof); he cannot
know himself. Praman is always inclined towards the prameya. It
always shows the prameya as being separate from the pramata.
Therefore, the Brahman experienced through the buddhi will be
different from the pramata. It will be separate, jada, and transient.
The Brahman is non-dual. Being the substratum of everything, He is
called paripoorna (complete in Himself); not because of His essence,
but because He is the only refuge of the dik-tattva (element of the
directions) that pervades east, west, north, south, etc. He is the refuge of
time, in which eons, ages, cycles of time, years, and months go by, and
so He is called avinaashee (indestructible). This magic web, called
indra-jaala, is filled, with material objects, and is pervaded by a
sattaa saamaanya (the Brahman who exists in all). The Brahman is
called the Sat because He is the pure existence that is the substratum of
all gross matter, and not because gross matter is His swarup.
The Brahman is called the Chit because He is the substratum of the
Gnan about everything. An infinite Brahman such as this can never be
the object of anybodys mati. Matam yasya na ve`da sah. The only
person who knows Him is the one who knows that He is the sakshi and
the refuge of mati. This Gnan is obtained only by the emphasis of the
Mahavakyas of Vedanta.
Being non-dual, the Brahm-chetan is our own swarup, so if we are
unable to find Him, it is only because of our agnan. Bhaktas believe that
the Parameshwara is always with them, in the form of the antaryaamee
(the one who is in the hearts of all), but He is apraapta (not obtained)
because we have forgotten Him or have turned away from Him. They
believe that the sakshatkara of the Paramatma is obtained by
remembering Him and turning towards Him.
The karmavaadi - whether they are followers of Poorva Mimansa, who
believe in the Ishwara, or the Jains and Buddhists who dont believe in
the Ishwara, will continue to wander among the sukha-dukha resulting
from karmas, and the aavarana (covering that hides the Brahman) that
is also a result of karma. They have no connection to the paramaartha
satya (the supreme Satya; the Brahman). Ultimately, they will have to
give up karma and become veetaraaga (free of desire and attachments)
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to obtain the sakshatkara of the supreme Truth. It is not possible for the
Gnan that removes agnan, to rise without the stream of sanskaras given
by the Vedanta Shastra.
The world flows naturally towards sensual indulgences and increased
desires. It is moving towards adharma. That is why the world is filled
with disease, lack of sensitivity, suffering, and differences. The Shastra
gives sermons on Dharma to curtail the illusion about duties that have
their base in raga and dvesha. It preaches upasana to cleanse the vrittis
and uplift them. It recommends Yoga to quiet the mind and desires. The
same Shastra uses the Mahavakyas for the enlightenment of eligible
seekers, and establishes the oneness of the Atma and the Brahman.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3. 9. 26) says, Tantaupanishadam
purusham prichhaami I ask about that Purusha, of whom the
Upanishads speak. And, the answer is given, Naave`davinmanute` tam
brihantam, meaning, no person who has not understood the Vedas can
know the Brahman.
How does praman help in obtaining Gnan about the pramay? There are
three methods:
1. Vishayotpanna aparoksha gnaana-prakriyaa: The subject is so
sharp that it penetrates into the praman and gives it Gnan. For
example, if you are sitting quietly when a garbage truck passes by,
the stink will enter your nose. You (the pramata) get the aparoksha
Gnan about the smell.
2. Sanvidaikya prakriyotpanna aparoksha gnaana-prakriyaa: The
prameya object lies before you. It may be gold or brass. If you
look closely, the chetan that is present in everything, in both the
object that is seen as well as in the praman (the eyes), becomes
one, and you will get the Gnan about what the object really is.
In this method, the chetan rides upon the pramaana-vritti (the mental
inclination of the instrument that establishes), identifies with the
prame`ya (that, which is proved), and gives the knowledge about the
object that is the prameya.
The fact is that the ghata (pot; symbolizing the body) and the
ghataakaara-vritti (the mental inclination that takes on the form of the
pot) are illuminated by one Gnan. The samvit (pure Gnan) is one. Our
antahkaran is within the body. When the object is correctly known by
the antahkaran, the chaitanya that is not separate from the vritti the
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pramata is also the ghata-avachhinna-chaitanya (the consciousness

that is not separate from the consciousness in the ghata) the prameya.
(The Brahman is the substratum of everything, animate and inanimate;
and it is Sat+Chit+Anand).
The meaning of this is that you the pramata become one with the
ghata the prameya, through the vritti (praman). This is called vrittivyaapti (the minds pervading the object). The swarup of this oneness is
the Gnan, This is a pot. After that, the abhimaana (subtle pride) rises,
I know the pot, and this is called the fala-vyaapti (the mind being
pervaded by the result). These are the two methods of knowing the
objects that are other, drishya, and jada. Either the object enters our
awareness by itself, or the awareness gets established in the object, and
gives aparoksha Gnan.
3. Neither of these methods can be used for obtaining Gnan about
the che`tan-vastu (the Atma that is pure consciousness). For one
thing, the chaitanya is no other; it is sva (the Self); it is not the
drishya, it is the drashta.
Secondly, being sva, it is not completely unknown. We have to know
the Aham as the Brahman. This is the aparoksha Gnan about the
chetan. The Atma is the Brahman; brahmatva (being the Brahman) is
not imposed upon the Atma. The bhraanti (mistaken understanding)
that the Atma is not the Brahman, but is a jeeva, is to be removed.
The removal of this false understanding is simultaneous with the
aparoksha Gnan of the Brahman, because all false understanding is
caused by agnan about the Brahman. The method of obtaining
paroksha Gnan about the chetan vastu is called the agnaanahaana.
Aparoksha Gnan about the svatah-siddha (self-established) vastu is
obtained by the shabda pramaana (verbal proof, given by the
Vedas).
Vishayotpannatah sanvidaikyaad agnaanahaanatah,
Svatah siddhe`h atah shabdaat aparoksham prajaayaate`.
(Vivaran Acharya)
Even in the shabda, it is through the ve`daanta vaakya (the
statements of Vedanta), even in the Vedanta vakya it is through the
Mahavakyas, and even in the Mahavakyas, it is through the
purification of the Tat-padartha and tvam-padartha that the oneness
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of the Atma and the Brahman is established in the intellect that is

immersed in the infinite Atma. This is the brahmaakaara-vritti
(mental inclination for the Brahman); and it is in this state of mind
that a person gets the saakshaatkaara (direct personal experience)
that the Atma and the Brahman are one.
Bhraanti is always in the buddhi, so the Gnan-vritti that counters the
bhraanti of the sattaa (existence) and agnan can remove the agnan.
In Vedanta, this is the praman about the Ishwara, meaning, this is the
instrument for creating aparoksha Gnan about the Ishwara-vastu. To
have faith in the Ishwara and do His upasana, are the praman of the
Shastras; but for the sakshatkara, the only method is the intellect
which has been created by the Mahavakyas and is focused on the
Supreme.
People have theological debates about when agnan was created,
where it was created, who created it, who it was about, and why it
exists. They wish to ask about the time, place, refuge, subject, and
cause of agnan; and find out what agnan actually is.
Agnan is to not know the Atma as it is; and to think it to be
something else, is bhraanti. The cause of agnan is agnan, else there
would be the dosha (fault) of anavasthaa (inconclusiveness).
The Atma has to accept being the jeeva that is perceived, for
establishing space, time, the abhimani, etc, else none of these can be
established. When a person does not know the ananta (infinite),
aparichhinna (not separate) svayam-prakaasha (self-effulgent)
adhishthaana (substratum), he imagines the existence of time that
begins and ends. He imagines space that encompasses vast areas, and
the vishayee-vishay (the one who experiences-sense objects) and
their refuge, and agnan in them. That means, the agnan of the anant
is perceived as space, time, refuge, objects, etc. Agnan is in the state
of agnan.
Vedanta does not establish agnan as Maya in the Atma; it removes
agnan. However, this is the removal of something that never existed.
Had agnan existed and then been removed, the bhraanti of time will
not be removed. Had there been agnan in the jeeva, and Maya in the
Ishwara, the bhraanti of space remains unrefuted. The feeling, I am
an agnani, and I have agnan about the Brahman, remains. The
difference of separate aashraya-vishaya (the refuge-the objects) that
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is a mithya imagination, is not removed. And, if you accept that

agnan is an object, agnan can never be removed.
The che`tan-prakriti (Nature that is consciousness), words, and
sentences used to wake up the jeeva, are needed for removing this
agnan. For example, if a man is sound asleep and someone calls out
his name, he gets up. The question is, how did he hear his name
when he was fast asleep? Did he awaken because he heard the word,
or did he wake up and then hear the word? Had he not been awake,
how could he have heard, and had he not heard, how would he have
been woken? Is there anything in-between the breaking of his sleep
and his hearing the word? Shri Sureshwaracharya gives the answer in
Varttik. He says that words contain immense power.
Shabdashakte`rachintyatvaat vilasanmohahaanatah,
Nivrittiraatmaa mohasya gnaatatve`nopalakshitah.
The word brings the Gnan of the Brahmans being aparoksha into the
vritti. You who are the sakshi of the vritti, and its absence, and its
dying down, and all that it identifies with, and the connection
between two vrittis are the Brahman. They stay in an imagined part
of yourself, and are like imagined objects. You are the saakshaat
(incarnate) aparoksha Brahman. As soon as a person realizes this,
his bhraanti about the Brahman is removed. This is the miraculous
power of words.
How does the sakshatkara of the Brahman happen?
Falavyaapyatvame`vaasya shaastrakridbhirnivaaritam (10)
Brahmanyagnaananaashaaya vrittivyaaptirape`kshitaa,
Svayam sfuranaroopatvaat naabhaasa upayujyate` (12)
(Panchadasi Chapter 7)
If you want to see a pot, you need eyes and light. Light removes
darkness and the vritti of the eyes pervades the pot. This is called
vritti-vyaapti (the mind pervading the object). This is followed by
the subtle pride of being the knower of the pot. This is called falavyaapti (the mind that pervades the result of seeing). Gnan about
any object comes only after the vritti-vyapti and fala-vyapti.
You dont need a separate light to see daylight (the vritti-vyapti). If
you want to see the eyes, all you need is the mind to get the vrittivyapti. If you want to see the antahkaran, you already have the Gnan,
since the antahkaran is seen by the sakshi, and you are the sakshi. If
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you want to see the sakshi, you must understand that the sakshi can
never be drishya (that, which is seen is separate from the one who
sees). So, you will have to say that the attempt to see the sakshi
establishes the agnan of the person who makes the attempt.
No condition, state, or situation can be established without the
sakshi. I exist I am the sakshi of the drishya, or the absence of
drishyas like the waking, dreaming and deep sleep states, Samadhi,
birth, life, death, etc. When a person gets this feeling about himself,
he is seeing the sakshi. This contains vritti-vyapti, but not falavyapti, because the conclusion is about ones own self.
If the Brahman is any other, He will be drishya, and whatever is
drishya is jada. The Brahman is chaitanya, so He cannot be jada; He
has to be one with the sva (Self). The Shruti says that this Brahman
is the substratum of everything, and it is self-effulgent. Therefore, we
come to the conclusion, I am the sakshi Atma the substratum of
the jagat and the three states, and the world perceived in them.
When the person identifies with this decision of the vritti, the faulty
acceptance of being a jeeva is destroyed. This is the
brahmaatmaikya bodha the realization that Brahman and the Atma
are one. Even in this experience, the superimposed feeling of being
the Brahman the vritti-vyapti remains, but there can never be no
fala-vyapti because the Gnan is about ones own self.
Since the experience shows that the jeeva is mithya, where is the
scope for the abhiman of being a jeeva? Brahmgnan contains no
vritti-vyapti; meaning, a Brahmgnani does not get the abhiman of
having obtained Gnan about the Brahman, because the pramaataa
(the one who proves) is the Brahman! There is no need for anything
to be proved. When was the pramata not aware of his own existence?
The agnan was about his being the Brahman, and that was a bhram
(false understanding) which was removed by the dhee (right
thinking) created by the words of the Mahavakyas of the Vedas.
When agnan is removed, the person automatically realizes that he is
the self-effulgent Brahman, established in his pristine essence.
The chetan is the substratum of the entire prapancha (interactive
world) as well as the antahkaran in the individual. The sakshi chetan
of the antahkaran is also the sakshi chetan of the entire prapanch.
And, the adhishthaana che`tana (the consciousness that is the
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substratum) of the antahkaran is the adhishthana chetan of the whole

world. The essence of the chetan whether it is in the individual or
in the cause remains the same. It is the same mahaa-aakaasha
(space) that is called ghataakaasha (the space in the pot). Space is
one.
By doing the vivek of the tat-padartha and the tvam-padartha, using
the Mahavakya, we clearly understand the meaning of the difference,
and the significance of their being one. A person, who knows this, is
said to have the experience of the advaita Brahman; that nothing
exists, except the Brahman. No jeeva, no jagat, no Ishwara, none of
the seeming differences. It is all the Brahman. If any person
regardless of the language, country or time obtains this, it comes
within the constitution of the Vedas.

PART VI

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VIRODHA PARIHARA
(Removing the discrepancy)

Chapter XVII
The Connection of the Meaning of Vedanta.
1. The purport of saying that the Vedas are apaurushe`ya (not
created by any human being).
The word ve`da means Gnan. The most important portion of the Vedas
is called the Upanishads. Upa means without any obstacle, ni means
all, and shad means Gnan. This is the highest Gnan. It is not separate
from the gye`ya (that, which is known), undivided by space, time and
matter. It is the paripoorna (complete in itself) Brahman. This is what
the word Upanishad indicates. Until a person gives proper thought to
the swarup of Gnan, he will not understand the Upanishads clearly.
The first point: Gnan is its own proof; it is not proved by anything else.
The meaning of this is that Gnan is the ultimate factor in reaching the
right conclusion about anything. All interaction is based upon our own
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Gnan. It is Gnan that tells us whether something exists or not. For

example, it is the Atma whose swarup is Gnan who establishes the
existence of any object though the senses, mind, and intellect. Even
Gnan is revealed by Gnan. No other object is required to establish
Gnan.
The triad of the pramaataa (the one who proves), pramaana (the
proof), and the prame`ya (that, which is fit to be accepted universally)
is also revealed by Gnan. The presence or absence of this triad is also
revealed by Gnan. If there is no Gnan, who will experience them? Gnan
pervades this triad, but is also separate from it, so the sattaa (existence)
of Gnan is eternal. Proofs do not establish Gnan; it is Gnan that
establishes the interaction of all things, because Gnan is selfestablished.
The second point: Gnan is self-effulgent. It is not dependent upon the
kartaa (doer), kaarana (instrument of action), or kriyaa (action). A
karta may make a million attempts to prove that a tree stump is a man,
but he can never succeed. Belief is dependent on the karta. A karta can
make something and believe it to be Ganesha, or the Surya (sun). He
can make changes in it or leave it as it is, but that is not Gnan; it is the
work of the karta. He makes something and believes it to be
independent.
Every karta, religious sect, community, and country can have different
beliefs. Indeed, they are different, but Gnan is one for all. People may
think that a tree stump is a thief, a policeman, or a ghost, but when they
get the Gnan about it, they will know it is a tree stump and nothing else.
The difference in people doesnt affect Gnan, because Gnan is not
created by anybody. It is not created by even the Ishwara, because the
Ishwara is Gnan-swarup; the form of Gnan, or the essence of Gnan.
Had Gnan been created by the Ishwara, we will have to accept that the
Ishwara lacked Gnan before He created it! The absence of Gnan cannot
be established by proof or experience, because that proof or experience
would be the form of Gnan. The purport is that Gnan is not saadhanasaadhya (obtained by any method); it is siddha (established). There is
no logic in imagining agnan as its cause, or the possibility of there
being two Gnans.

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The third point: Gnan is not separated by time. When we begin to think
that this Gnan is from the past and this Gnan belongs to the future, it is
like accepting that Gnan arises and dies in the stream of time; meaning,
that Gnan is transient.
What is this moment that is superimposed on Gnan, as being separate?
The question is, is time niravyaya (without divisions) or saavavyaya
(having divisions)? If it is niravyaya, there is no possibility of the
differences of past-future, or kaala-kaashthaa (time-a wood carving),
etc; it is the Brahman.
If time is savyaya, Gnan will be the factor that illuminates its avyaya
(parts; divisions). The differences in that, which is shown, cannot be
superimposed upon the light that shows. For example, there are many
pots in a room, but the difference in them does not create any difference
in the light in which they are seen.
The fact is, there is no basis for the imagined differences. There is no
ground for imagining differences in time. Just imagine was there ever
a time, when time did not exist? Or, will there ever be an absence of
time in future? The time in which we imagine an absence of time, will
be in time, and will remove the imagined absence of time.
An object that cannot not exist has no parts. Multiplication and division
are possible in something that has parts. Therefore, there is no point in
imagining a past or future in time that can never be non-existent, on the
basis of objects that have parts.
Then, what are the past and future we try to find out about? They are
samvinmaatra (mere knowledge). No object that is mere knowledge can
make fragments in the samvit (pure Gnan). Therefore, Gnan is not
divided by time.
The fourth point: Gnan is not divided by space. Just as the samvinmatra
cannot separate Gnan in time, the concept of vast spaces is also
samvinmatra. It cannot create separate pieces in Gnan.
The perceived directions like east, west, etc are not fixed in space, as
the stars, like the Dhruva and other stars are. Is it fair to superimpose
the differences of some objects on others? Certainly not! Just as there
can be no absence of time, there can be no absence of space. The place
in which a person imagines that space does not exist will be in space.
The place in which nothing is lacking is the Brahman. The imagined
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directions, and places are not based on objects; they are samvinmatra
like the length and breadth seen in a dream. The different places are
seen through Gnan, which is self-effulgent, but they cannot create
differences in Gnan. That is why Gnan cannot be divided by space.
The fifth point: Gnan is not divided by objects. Whatever the object
may be, time and place are needed for it to manifest. Nothing can be
perceived without imaging its time and place separate from another
time and place. Similarly, the place and time cannot be seen without
different objects being seen. Since the difference of time and place is
imagined, how can the objects seen in them be real?
Are all these separate perceptions of objects the sanmatra, or are they
something else? If they are only sanmatra, what is the support for
thinking them to be separate? Meaning, it is not possible to accept them
as being separate from the sattaa (existence) that cannot be negated in
any of the three tenses. And, if they are separate from the sanmatra,
what is the objection to saying that they are totally asat (that, which has
no permanent existence)? Sat can never mingle with asat; existence can
never mix with non-existence. Even if we accept that the different
objects are different forms of the sattaa, there is no basis for this belief.
There is no way differences can be accepted in the satta without
accepting different places and times. Even if you accept that satta has a
parinaama (result; conclusion), the states before and after the parinam
have to be accepted. This negates the Sats characteristic of not being
subject to negation in any of the three tenses. It will lead to the opinions
of the shoonyavaada (Buddhism), the kshanika vigyaanavaada
(Jainism), and sarvochhe`davaada (the Charvak philosophy).
If you imagine one part of the satta to be unchanging, and objects
arising in another part or that their forms change this will be
through the ardhajarateeya nyaaya; an imagined splitting of the
Brahman, and it will be ridiculous.
An object that is split up in one part cannot be nitya (everlasting) in
another part. The different parts are asiddha (not established). That is
why objects do not arise in the satta. The creation of vishaya (sense
objects) cannot be explained logically through the Sat, asat, a
combination of Sat-asat, or any other method. The creation, sustenance,
and destruction of vishays is asiddha. They do not really exist in the
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substratum of which they are seen. Gnan is needed even to imagine

them. Such vishays do not have the capacity to make any divisions in
Gnan.
The sixth point is: in Gnan, the differences of the gyaataa (the one who
knows), and gye`ya (that, which is known) are superimposed. They are
not real. When space, time and matter are negated, nothing remains
except Gnan. Everything else is negated. Nobody can know anything if
there is nothing to know. The gyata and the gyeya are mutually
interdependent, but Gnan needs nothing and no one. It is selfestablished.
If you accept that the vishays the gyeya exist before a person gets
Gnan about them, the objects that are not experienced will be imagined
objects. Experience establishes objects.
Now, the different objects that are perceived as being separate from the
gyata are they in the outer world or inner world? Firstly, it is
absolutely illogical to imagine any inside-outside in Gnan. Secondly, if
the known object is outside, it can have no connection to Gnan. Thirdly,
if it is accepted as being in the inner world, we will have to accept the
connection of the feeling of vyaapya-vyaapaka (the pervading and that
which pervades), and this relationship is possible only if Gnan is
accepted as the upaadaana kaarana (the cause that is also the matter) of
the object.
Can the upadan kaarana result in Gnan, and take on the form of a sense
object? If that be so, we will have to accept an order in the parinam; but
that can be accepted only when the momentary nature of time is
superimposed on the object, and Gnan about it obtained through this.
The guna-dosha (good and bad qualities) of the adhyastha
(superimposed object) cannot even touch the adhishthaana
(substratum). Gnan is timeless. It has no beginning and no end. There is
no scope in Gnan for one or different moments in time. It is also a
question whether the vishays are in the whole Gnan, or in a part of
Gnan. Poornataa (wholeness; totality) and anshataa (being a part) are
imagined in Gnan. Even if we accept that Gnan has a parinam, will it
have any form? The parinam in milk is that it turns into curd, but
wouldnt a change in Gnan also be the form of Gnan? In that case, the
difference between the first form and the second form of Gnan will be
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imagined. It will be an illusion. Once the gyeya is negated there is no

cause for imagining oneself to have the pride of being the gyata.
The seventh point is Gnan is not he`tufalaatmaka. It has neither a
he`tu (reason) nor a fala (result). Accepting that Gnan was created will
entail describing the conditions before its creation; but that is
impossible without Gnan. The purport of this is that Gnan was not born;
it always exists. Neither a purified antahkaran, nor an absence of desire,
give birth to Gnan. They give birth to vichaara (serious thought).
Vrittiyaatmaka gnaana (Gnan that contains mental inclinations) is
strengthened by vichar, and then it removes the bhraanti (false
understanding) of agnan, not agnan itself. According to the books of
methods, even the vrittyatmaka Gnan is momentary! It negates the vritti
along with the moment, and it also negates itself.
When the vrittyatmaka Gnan is negated, no thought of a cause or any
result remains. If something that is negated leaves behind any kaarya
(effect) or fala that lingers after the removal of agnan, dvaita (duality)
will remain. There are no reasons or results that are removed by Gnan.
Agnan is not the upadan kaarana of the jagat the way clay is the upadan
kaarana of a pot. Reason and result are imagined, to establish the
orderly functioning of this world. The thought that agnan exists is an
illusion of Gnan. That is why the gnaanavritti (the inclination for Gnan)
does not destroy agnan; it only negates the imagined concept of agnan.
The feelings of imagining that things are to be removed, and of
removing them, are in the state of avichaara (lack of vichar). From the
viewpoint of Gnan, the difference of cause and result is absolutely
unestablished.
The eighth point is: in Gnan, there is no difference of yathaartha
(factual) and ayathaartha (not true), or paroksha (unseen) and
aparoksha (known directly). Such differences are used in daily
interaction, but turn out to be imagined when deep thought is given,
because they are superimposed upon Gnan.
An elephant seen during the dream state is false in the waking state, but
the seeing of the elephant in the dream state is real. In the waking state
you can say, there was no elephant, but you cannot say, I did not see
the elephant. The asattaa (non-existence) of the elephant cannot be the
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asatta of the Gnan. The non-existence of the elephant is superimposed

on Gnan due to avichara.
It is thus a matter for thought whether Gnan is paroksha or not. The
difference between paroksha-aparoksha applies to objects; not to the
Gnan about them. Can our Gnan ever be separate from us? No!
If you say that the ghata (pot) is on the ground, and Gnan about it is in
the antahkaran, the ghata-gnan will be in the antahkaran. It is not
paroksha. This is a small matter. The adviteeya (non-dual) chitsvaroopa
(essence of consciousness) Gnan has no scope for what is not real or not
known by direct personal experience.
The ninth point is: Gnan is always abaadhya (not subject to negation).
Even Gnan is revealed by Gnan. It is a kind of Gnan to know, I lack
Gnan. Gnan seems to be of different kinds because of avichar. The
purport is that since Gnan cannot be combined with agnan the
difference in them is imagined, and therefore, agnan can never negate
Gnan.
Imagining the baadha (negation) of Gnan, the question arises whether
the negation of Gnan is known or whether it is unknown. Does this
negation have a sakshi? If the baadha is not known, and there is no
sakshi, there is nothing to establish the negation. And if it is known, and
there is a sakshi, the satta of Gnan becomes unbroken and eternal.
The tenth point is: the swarup of Gnan is anirvachaneeya it cannot be
defined. When we begin to describe something, we definitely have the
aparoksha Gnan about it. Anything that can be described will be
included in the idam (this; as being separate from I), and therefore, it
will be an object of the mind and of speech. The feeling of vishayvishayee (objects and the one who experiences them) is inevitable. This
is why people who believe Gnan to be the creator and inseparable from
the Atma describe it in one way; and the Vedantis negate it by the same
argument.
Thus, the characteristic of being indescribable anirvachaniya is
through the method of the opinion of others. In Vedanta, anirvachaniya
means that this Gnan is not separate from the swarup. The
characteristics, like being self-effulgent and indivisible, cannot apply
fully to anything else.
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The existence of a far-off form that is indivisible, self-effulgent, and not

subject to negation; and another sva-roopa (form of the Self) that is
identical, and also I, cannot be experienced as established.
Anirvachaniya does not mean agne`ya (something that cannot be
known). Something that is separate from the vidit (known) and avidit
(not known) cannot be anya (any other). Anyade`va
tadviditaadathoviditaadadhi (Ke`na Upanishad 1. 3). That is why
Gnan rests in its own Atma after negating everything that can be
described and defined. Adrishye` anaatmye` anirukte` anilayane`
abhayam pratishthaam vindate` (Taittareeya Upanishad 2. 7).
The eleventh point is: satyah (truthfulness), ahinsaa (non-violence),
dhyaana (meditation), upaasanaa (loving worship), paratva
(opposition), kaaranatva (being the cause), etc all denote Gnan.
Keeping in mind the practical differences between a mumukshu (one
who wants to be free of the cycle of rebirth) and a mukta (one who is
liberated), and think about the swarup of the guna (good qualities) like
satya, ahinsa, etc you will find that all gunas are seen to be Sat, because
they are close to the Sat-Chit swarup of the Atma.
The closer a vritti is to the Atma, the greater the purity of that vritti is to
aatma-saakshaatkaara (the direct experience of the Atma) and
agnaana-nivritti (removal of agnan). For example, let us consider the
good vrittis of satya and ahinsa. There will be many durguna (bad
qualities) in asatya (falsehood). The persons behavior and speech will
be caught in different objects, and burdened with worries. In contrast,
the vritti of truthfulness is free of the tension of maintaining the
falsehood. A person who is a mumukshu can remain steady in the satyavritti that is natural to him, and this will actually be an aatma-sthiti (a
state of abiding in the Atma). He needs to make no effort once his
agnan is removed.
Similarly, vrittis like kaama (desire), krodha (anger), lobha (greed) etc
are potential, and connected to objects. Bad qualities cannot exist unless
they are connected to the desired object. Contrary to this, vrittis like
nishkaamataa (being free of desires), akrodha (being free of anger),
nirlobha (being free of greed), etc need no objects. The vritti that
contains no vishays does not show itself as separate from the
pratyagaatmaa (the Atma in the individual), and that is why it is not
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bound by agnan about the Atma, or the need to remove the agnan. It is
the savishaya vritti (the mental inclination that contains sense objects)
that is attached to vishays, and seems to be separate from the Sat. The
nirvishay vritti (mental inclination that is unconnected to any vishays)
is perceived in the form of the Sat. It denotes the Gnan-swarup Atma.
What this means is that being free of asatya and hinsaa (violence), these
vrittis are not feelings; they are the form of Gnan, and they are not
multiple they are adviteeya (non-dual; indivisible). The purpose of
dhyana, upasana, etc is also to break up the inclination for many
objects, because their swarup is to focus on one object.
It is not logical to imagine kaarya-kaarana (effect-cause) or bhoktribhogya (the one who experiences and that, which is experienced) in the
Gnan-swarup Paramatma. The Shrutis have established this by saying,
Na tasya kashchijjanitaa, Na tasya kaaryam, Na tadashnaati
kashchana, Na tasya kinchana, etc. When we keep these statements
in mind, and then read the Shrutis that describe the feeling of karyakaarana, we get a clear picture of their other purport. For example:
1. The creation and destruction of this interactive world is described
with the intention of removing the false understanding of its being
eternal.
2. It is with the intention of negating kaaranas like the paramaanu
(particles), prakriti (Nature) etc that His being the cause of the
world has been superimposed on the Gnan-swarup Paramatma.
3. Examples are given in the Mandukya Upanishad (1. 1. 7) and
Katha Upanishad (1. 3. 10-11) to remove the differences of the
nimitta kaarana (the cause that is the instrument) and the
upaadaana kaarana (the cause that is the matter), and also
establish the theory of all vigyans being known by the vigyan of
one. Sentences like, He became everything, and Let Me become
many show the removal of differences of nimitta and upadan
kaaranas. They are not the parinam, they are not factual.
4. It is to negate the parinam that the Paramatmas non-dual, unborn
swarup is described. Sa baahyaabhyantaro hyajah (Katha
Upanishad 1. 3. 13) (whatever is seen as being outside or inside
is the unborn). Maya has been superimposed on the Paramatma to
establish the interactive world.
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5. The Shrutis, Na tu tad dviteeyamasti and Vikalpo nahi vastu

are used to negate the superimposed Maya. Saddheedam
sarvam, Chiddheedam sarvam, Sarvam khalvidam brahm, and
others demonstrate that nothing exists, except the Paramatma.
Cause and other superimpositions have been done for the benefit
of mumukshus, to help remove their agnan. They all culminate in
Gnan.
The purport of the innermost also concludes in the Gnan-swarup Atma.
The pancha tanmaatraa (five subtle forms of matter) are at a deeper
level than the indreeyas. The mind is at a deeper level than the
tanmatras, and the buddhi is at a deeper level than the mind. As you let
go of the outer levels, you come closer to your goal of obtaining the
Gnan that is at the deepest level.
The Mahat-tattva (universal intelligence) is beyond the buddhi, the
avyakta (unmanifest) is beyond the Mahat-tattva, and the Purusha
(Atma) is beyond the avyakta. This is where the paratva (innermost) or
aantaratama (innermost) rests. This is the paraakaashthaa (highest
degree) and ultimate state called paraagati. There is nothing beyond the
Purusha (Katha Upanishad 1. 3. 10-11). He is a bright example of the
Atma. The laya-prakriyaa (method of immersing one into another until
the Brahman is reached) given in the Upanishad (Katha Upanishad 1. 3.
13) also says that the shaanta (undisturbed) Atma is the culmination of
the laya.
The twelfth point is: the Atma, Brahman, Vishnu, etc are synonyms of
the Gnan that cannot be fragmented. They all indicate the same
meaning, like
1. Pragnaanam brahm the pragnaan is the indivisible Brahman.
2. Ayamaatmaa brahm this Atma is the Brahman.
3. Brahmaive`dam vishvamidam varishtham this whole world is
the indivisible Brahman.
4. Sarvam yadayamaatmaa everything is the Atma.
5. Ahame`ve`dam sarvam I am everything that exists.
6. Pratobodhaviditam matam all Gnan is His Gnan.
7. Kritsnah pragnaanaghana e`va everything is the
pragyaanaghana.
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8. Vigyaanamaanandam brahm both vigyan and anand are the

Brahman.
Gnaanam gye`yam in the Gita, Vigyaaname`kamurudhe`va
vibhaati
in
the
Shrimad
Bhagwat,
and
Gnaanasvarooopame`vaahurjagade`tat in the Vishnu Purana
substantiate what is stated above.
Thus, the meaning ascertained by the Upanishads is that Aham,
idam, pratyagatma, vishvam, etc are all forms of the Brahman. Now,
let the Upanishads tell you what the Brahman is.
Tade`tad brahmaapoorvamanaparamanantaramabaahyam,
Ayamaatmaa brahm sarvaanubhoorityanushaasanam.
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 5. 19)
This means that the Atma which is not limited by the boundaries of
space, time, and matter is the one who has all the experiences, is
the Brahman.
Yatsaakshaadaparokshaad brahm (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3. 4.
1). Tattvamasi (Chandogya Upanishad 6. 8. 7), Aham brahmaasmi
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1. 4. 10,) and other secondary
sentences, the Mahavakyas, drishya-drashta, you, I, he, etc that are
seen, the pada-padaartha (implied meaning), and Gnan about
objects, all describe the indivisible Brahman. To talk about the
possibility of the Brahman being the drishya, multiple, having results
etc, is itself anutthaana paraahata (theoretical knowledge); not Gnan
about the Tattva. It is the Gnan that is the form of the Tattva. The
knower of the Tattva-roopa Gnan is not the knower of the Brahman;
he is the form of the Brahman who knows.
The Upanishads characteristic of not being created by any human
being is made clear by the description of this swarup of Gnan. Gnan
is Gnan. It is not the experience, feeling, memory, or imagination of
any individual. Gnan is self-effulgent, and the form of all
experiences. It is the illuminator of creation and dissolution, of
Samadhi and disturbance, and all personal interaction. It is unbroken,
unborn, and is its own proof. It is not connected to the past, future, or
present, to space or objects, or anything else. It is everything. This is
Gnan; it is to know anything. It is anything.
The books that ascertain this Gnan and are not based on any Sect
are also apaurushe`ya (not created by any human). They are
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e`kaartha (having one meaning), e`kaatmaa (one Atma), e`ka vaakya

(one theme), in spite of the apparent differences in them. (The
difference regarding kaarana-karma, upasana, Yoga, etc given in the
Vedas is due to different levels of eligibility, or needs of different
people.) However, their purport is the same. (The basic purport is to
praise the vastu that is the Brahman.) The Gnan of any vastu is
dependent on the object, not on the gyata. The Brahm-vastu is
abhe`da-svaroopa. It is the form of being non-dual and indivisible.
Therefore the main purport of the Vedas is not to show differences,
but expose the lack of differences. Different branches of the Vedas
seem to have different opinions, but their purport is one. If you
compare the Vedas to a man, the Upanishads are the head of this
Veda-purusha. The meaning of apaurusheya is that Gnan is
adviteeya.
2. Chandogya Upanishad (Sama Veda).
a) Sad-vidyaa (knowledge about the Sat); understanding the
Mahavakya Tattvamasi.
The Shruti of the Chandogya Upanishad says: Sade`va
saumye`damagra aaseet. E`kame`vaadviteeyam (6. 2. 1). O Saumya!
Before the world was created, only Sat existed. That Sat was one, and
non-dual.
This is called the Sad-vidya in the Upanishads. It is not a saadhanaa
(method) for obtaining the Sat; it is a vidyaa (technique; knowledge) of
how to know the Sat, an understanding of the Sat.
The chapters before the sixth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad have
stated that the entire world is perceived by us in the Brahman. It is born
in the Brahman, sustained in Him, and merges into Him. Sarvam
khalvidam brahm tajjalaan (3. 14. 1). How so? It is necessary to
understand this. It has also been said that when an aatmagnaani
purusha (a person who has Atmagnan) has eaten, the whole world feels
satisfied. (Chandogya Upanishad 5. 24. 5). This can happen only when
the Atma of all is one. Oneness is impossible if there were separate
Atmas. A Tattvagya (one who has Tattvagnan) becomes an emperor,
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needing nothing for his sukha. He is never dependent upon any other. It
is necessary to clarify these things. For this, the topics of Sadvidya etc
have been introduced after the sixth chapter.
Aruni was the son of Arun, and Arunis son was Swetaketu. Shwetaketu
lived with his Guru for twelve years, studying the Vedas. Having
obtained the Veda-vidya, he developed a pride for his learning. He lost
humility and did not bow down, as was customary, to his elders. His
father asked him why he had lost his humility. He understood that the
Veda-vidya had not been fulfilled, because it had not given Shwetaketu
Brahm-vidya.
My son, said Aruni, have you obtained the vidya that, when heard,
gives you the shruta (knowledge through hearing) of even the ashruta
(that, which you have not heard)? And, the amata (dislike) becomes a
mata (belief)? And, you know what you didnt know before?
Ye`naasrutam shrutam bhavatyamatam matamavigyaatam vigyaatamiti
(Chandogya Upanishad 6. 1. 3)
How can that happen, Father? asked Shwetaketu. How is it possible
to get the vigyaana (applied science) of everything by the knowledge of
one thing? Knowledge of the ghata does not give knowledge of the
pata. Everybody knows this.
Very well, said Aruni. Soumaya, listen! I will tell you how one
vigyan gives the vigyan of other things. In worldly interaction, we see
that if we obtain the Gnan of the mrita-pinda (a lump of clay) we will
object the Gnan about all the vikaara (mutations) of the things that are
subject to death and decay. It is seen that the vigyan of the kaarana
gives the vigyan of the karya, because the cause is inherent in the effect.
There can be no karya without a kaarana; nor is the karya separate from
the kaarana. If you say that differences are needed to distinguish the
karya from the kaarana, that is not logical because the difference in
them is only in speech. Vikar is just a name, not a vikar. Only clay is
satya. If the clay is removed from whatever is made of clay, only
shoonya (a vacuum) will remain.
Yathaa saumyaike`na mritpinde`na sarva mrinmayam vigyaatam syaad
vaachaarambhanam vikaaro naamadhe`yam mrittike`tye`va satyam
(Chandogya Upanishad 6. 1. 4).
The clay objects shape, dissipation, type, and properties have no
meaning if clay is removed from it. The shape and dissipation are
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superimposed, the basic tattva is satya. In the same way, objects made
of gold or iron are given as examples in the Shastras. This is how
knowledge about one giving knowledge about all, as stated in the
Shastras, is clarified.
Shwetaketu understood the point. He asked his father to give him this
Tattvagnan, and received the Sad-vidya.
Three methods of Brahm-vidya are given in the Chandogya Upanishad.
The sixth chapter contains the satpradhaana (dominated by Sat)
method of the Sad-vidya. The seventh chapter contains the aanandapradhaana (dominated by Anand) method of the Bhooma-vidya, and
the eighth chapter contains the chit-pradhaana (dominated by Chit)
method.
The paatra (eligible recipient) of the Sad-vidya is Shwetaketu, whose
learning has made him proud. The paatra of the Bhooma-vidya is
Narad, who does not have the dosha (fault) of pride, but humbly asks
about the ultimate Truth that will remove his sorrow. The paatra of the
Chid-vidya is Indra, who has the dhairya (courage, endurance) and
sheela (adherence to the right values) in spite of being a bhogee (one
who is addicted to sensual indulgences). His thinking is awake. He
practices celibacy for a hundred years to obtain Tattvagnan.
The person who gives the enlightenment of the Sad-vidya is
Shwetaketus father, Aruni. The Bhooma-vidya is given to Naradji by
Shri Sanat Kumar, and Shri Brahmaji himself gives the Chid-vidya to
Indra. These three vidyas together is the complete Brahm-vidya in the
Chandogya Upanishad.
The purport of the Sad-vidya is that all the names and forms we
experience in the world are sanmaatraa (subtle forms of matter) before
the world was created. Sade`va saumye`damagre` aaseet
e`kame`vaadviteeyam. Here, the idam pada (everything that is drishya)
refers to the interactive world we perceive. We perceive things through
our indreeya (senses) and the vritti (mental inclinations) created by our
perceptions. This is indicated by the word idam.
Agre` means before the creation of this prapancha (interactive world).
Agre is an indication of the time. The point is that this prapanch is seen
as real by the disciple. To weaken this faulty belief, the Upanishad asks
what existed before this world was created. It was Sat; this Sat was one,
and it was adviteeya (non-dual; indivisible). That means, the
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multiplicity of the world did not exist. This multiplicity has just one
kaarana (cause), because everything that we see has come out of the
Sat.
The reason for saying that the Sat is one, is that no sajaateeya (from the
same kind), vijaateeya (from different kinds), or svagatabhe`da
(difference within itself) exist in it. Were they to exist, how could the
name, form, and deterioration exist before the world was created?
Therefore, it is evident that only Sat existed before this world was
created, and none of the difference like sajatiya, vijatiya or svagatabheda existed. This also means that only the Sat will remain after
pralaya (dissolution of the world), and that the world that exists inbetween creation and parlay, is also the Sat.
The opposite of the non-dual Sat is dviteeya (duality), asat; but names
forms, and adjectives have been added to that Sat. That is why idamtaa
(being this) and vishay (objects of the senses) are superimposed upon
the intellect. Before names and forms were created, only the word Sat
was known through the Sad-buddhi the intellect containing Sat but
no world or intellect existed. It is compared to a man who wakes up and
thinks that only the sanmaatra (subtle forms of matter) existed when he
was asleep, and the world is exactly as it was when he fell asleep. If a
potter gathers a large amount of clay before going to a neighboring
village, and comes back to see many clay objects in the house, he will
assume that they have been made from the clay he had gathered before
going. This is exactly what is said about the Sat.
One means that, which is inherent in all e`ti. The Sat is one what
does that mean? Just as two, three and four all contain one, does the one
Sat exist in all? No; it is just one. Then, is it like the gold that is in all
the different ornaments the svagat bhe`da? E`va means as it is; to
not leave the swarup and also take on different forms.
Very well, but does anything else exist? No; adviteeya! What was
separate from the Sat (pure existence)? Asat-naasti (non-existence does
not exist). Then, what is there? The word adviteeya purifies the Sat.
How? One and one make two. One can be divided into many, but Sat is
different. In Sat there is no scope for multiplying or dividing. Sat is a
basic root, and when vive`ka (discrimination) is used, all names and
forms become mithya.

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What is the name and form of a pot, if the clay is removed from it? It is
the upaadhee (superimpositions due to conditioning) of name and form
that cause clay to be seen as multiple forms. This is an interaction of the
mind and senses. The fact is, it is not logical to believe the Sat to be
beejaatmaka (having the potential to multiply, like a seed), because
abhaava (absence), or a feeling, cannot establish samvritti (an
inclination for Satya). Just as pots etc are sansthaanamaatra (existing)
only in clay, this world of name and form is sansthaanamatra in the Sat.
All these sansthanas are mere words, not objects. Just as agnan causes
the illusion of a snake in a rope, everything in this world is a sarvasansthaana differences in the Sat.
Now, we apply the logic of adhyaaropa-apavaada superimposition
and negation to explain how creation, sustenance, and destruction
happen in the Sat. In the Sankhya philosophy the Sat is not imagined as
the pradhaana (Prakriti; Nature) that is the cause of this interactive
world. Pradhan means that Sankhya believes Prakriti to be ache`tana
(not having consciousness), but this Sat is che`tan (conscious) because
He does eekshana (looking), and creates the world by the power of His
vision.
Tadaikashata bahusyaam prajaaye`ye`ti tatte`josrijata (Chandogya
Upanishad 6. 2. 3). He did eekshan, with the resolve of becoming many
He created effulgence.
Actually, everything is the Sat. Other things seem to exist, but there is
nothing that is not the Sat. Just as you think an object to be something
else, but your belief does not change the object whatever name you
give the object, or think it to be it is only Sat. If you get a
saakshaatkaara (direct personal experience) of the Sat, the other words
and impressions will all be removed. This is what the Shruti says.
Speech withdraws, and the mind becomes incapable of thought. This
state is called vaangmanasaateeta beyond the reach of the mind and
speech. It does not merge into anything, nor is it the place of merging. It
is separate from what is known and what is not known, seen or unseen.
This Sat did the eekshana of te`ja (effulgence). Teja created jala
(water), and jala created anna (food). Therefore, this world has just
three seeds: light, water and food. The whole world is created by these
three. Just as the pancha bhoota (five elements) turn into gross matter,
these three become a triad. When a person eats, the gross substance
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becomes the stool, the medium substance becomes flesh, and the subtle
substance becomes the mind.
Water, too, has three results. The gross portion turns into urine, the
medium portion turns into blood, and the subtle portion turns into
praana (life-giving breath). The Tejas (heat or brightness) substance
also has three effects. The gross portion turns into bones, the medium
portion turns into marrow, and the subtle portion becomes speech. The
purport is that the mind is composed of heat.
The purpose of the dialogue between the father and son is to establish
that food creates the mind. You may abstain from eating food for fifteen
days; you are free to drink water. The prana is composed of water, so
you will not die. Shwetaketu fasted for fifteen days and then came to
his father. He wanted to understand from his father the Brahm-vidya he
had learnt, but could not understand. His father told him to eat food,
and he obeyed. Only then was he able to absorb the meaning of the
Veda-vidya. A fire can be built up again, if even one spark remains
alight. One part of Shwetaketus mind was awake, and became alert
when he ate food. Therefore, the mana, prana, and vaak (speech) are
made of food, water, and fire. All the adhyaatma (metaphysical) and
adhibhoota (gross) is the play of these three. It is thanks to them that
the adhidaiva (pertaining to the divine) is created. All three have the
effulgence of the Sat. If the Sat in them were to be removed, there
would be nothing left. Just as clay is a satya it is not a vikar these
three the adhyatma, adhibhoota and adhidaiva are Satya, not vikars.
Vaachaarambhanam vikaaro naamadhe`yam treeni roopaaneetye`va
satyam. (Chandogya Upanishad 6. 4. 3).
This one adveetya Satya did eekshana (looked). I should enter these
three Devtas in the form of the jeevaatmaa (Atma attached to bodies),
and manifest as names and forms.
Ane`na jeeve`naatmanaanupravishya naamaroope` vyaakaravaaneeti
(Chandogya Upanishad 6. 3. 2).
This is what the Satya did. He tripled each of the three Devtas
(Chandogya Upanishad 6. 3. 3-4) What is the Sat entering the forms of
the jeevas like? This is not possible without some vikriti (mutation), nor
is it possible to experience directly. The Paramatma is reflected in the
Sat, as the Sat is in the mind and buddhi, like a person is reflected in a
mirror or in water. Jeevo hi naama de`vataayaa aabhaasamaatram.
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Buddhyaadibhootamaatraasansargajanita aadarsham iva pravishtah

purusha pratibimbo jalaadishviva cha sooryaadeenaam. (Shankar
Bhasya Chandogya Upanishad 6. 3. 2).
The Sat enters the jeeva like a reflection. It is not related to the sukhadukha etc of the body. If you say that the jeeva is mithya because it is a
reflection, and therefore the world in which the jeeva exists and the
realms it will go to after death are also mithya, it is not a fault, since its
being the Sat is accepted. All the names and forms of this world are
distorted versions of the Sat. In themselves, they are mithya, because it
is the same with the jeevas.
Where does the jeevatma go, after the mind and buddhi become
indifferent to the interactive world? The jeevatma is a reflection of the
Sat. It merges into its original effulgence that is the Sat-Devta. The
quieting of the mind enables the Atma to merge into the Paramatma. It
was to explain this that Aruni said, Understand sushupti (the deep sleep
state) from me. The Atma is called svapiti. This is not a verb; it is a
name of the Atma. It becomes established in our swarup. This state is a
different form of the svapna (dream) state. Objects are seen in the
jaagrita (waking) state and swapna state. They may be few or many,
fleeting, or seen for a long time. The sukha-dukha caused by good and
bad deeds is also seen in these states.
Like jagrit, the swapna state also contains paapa-punya, avidya, vasana,
etc, else, where would sukha-dukha come from? That means, the
swarup-sthiti (the state of being in ones swarup) is not in the dream
state. The sushupti has neither paapa-punya, nor their fruits. A person
who is sound asleep has risen above the sorrows that troubled his mind.
Not even jeevatva (the feeling of being a jeeva) remains, because the
sushupti state has no consciousness of any karta-bhokta, sansaaree (of
the interactive world), parichhinna (separate) jeeva. What is not with us
in sushupti is not our swarup. The Atma merges into the Sat during
sushupti.
The jagrit state entails a great deal of effort. The person gets sukhadukha because of punya-paapa. Sushupti has none of these. The mana,
indreeya, and prana are quiet. From the worldly viewpoint, this is the
swarup-sthiti. Even a diseased person gets repose when he sleeps, but
he does not get the false impression of experiencing death, because the
prana remains awake even when the senses sleep.
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I will give you an example. If a bird has a string tied to his leg, he will
flutter in a futile attempt to fly off, but ultimately he has to return to his
perch to find repose. Similarly, the jeevatma is tied to the Sat. He runs
towards the vishays but gets no repose until he returns to the Sat-Devta
the Devta with whom he merges when he sleeps. The jeevatma is tied
to the Paramatma, who is the Sat.
Do you experience hunger and thirst? Where do they come from? What
happens to the food and water you consume? Seek the beeja (seed;
source) of this shoot; it has to have a root. The fact is that the root of
hunger and thirst is in the anna (grain; food), the root of anna is water,
and the root of water is light, and the root of light is Sat. This is what
you must know. The Sat is the root of the entire world that is born, seen,
and experienced. All the people live in the Sat and will merge into the
Sat.
Sanmoolaah
somye`maah
sarvaah
prajaah
sadaayatanaah
satpratishthaa. (Chandogya Upanishad 6. 8. 6)
This Sat is the only one, non-dual, supreme Satya. Everything that is
separate from the Sat known and unknown is just a name. Just as a
person mistakes a coiled rope for a snake because of agnan, all these
things are superimpositions upon the Sat. The food, light, mind, prana,
and speech are not separate from that Sat. It is not a dosha to perceive,
but it is a dosha to think that the perceived differences are real. This
most subtle of all Tattvas the Sat-Tattva is everything. That is Satya,
that is the Atma. Shwetaketu, you are That! Tattvamasi.
Sa ya e`shonimaitadaatmyamidam sarvam tatsatyam sa aatmaa
tattvamasi shve`take`to (Chandogya Upanishad 6. 8. 7).
Shwetaketu said, Very well, father, but when I wake up from sushupti
and interact with others after having merged into the Sat-Devta, I do not
have the Gnan that I have just met the Sat-Devta. This is my daily
experience. Why is the merging not known to me? If I had the
knowledge that I have just merged into the Sat before I awoke, I would
no longer consider the world to be Sat. I would not consider this body
to be I and mine. I would feel neither joy nor sorrow. Even when I
am fast asleep, merged into the Sat, I do not have the buddhi that I have
merged into the Sat. What is the reason for this?
Aruni replied, My son, bees make honey. They collect it from many
plants that have various beneficial and harmful properties. It is
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impossible to do vivek about which plant which drop of honey was

collected. Similarly, all beings are one with the Sat, but they dont know
whether they have merged into the Sat or are merging into it. Whether it
is a tiger, lion, wolf, pig, butterfly, worm, or an insect all beings
merge into the Sat when they sleep, and return to their worldly forms
when they awaken. Thousands of cycles of time may pass, but the
vasanas are not destroyed until a person gets Gnan of his swarup. He
keeps getting reborn as per the thinking which is colored by his
vasanas. All this is the swarup of the subtlest matter, which is the Satya,
the Atma. Shwetaketu, you are That! Tattvamasi.
Father, it is seen that when anyone goes to another village, he wakes up
with the memory of which village he has come from. Why doesnt a
person remember, when he wakes up, that he had merged into the Sat?
Listen, my child! Rivers flow from all directions and enter the ocean.
Clouds lift up the water and shower it as rain. The water becomes the
Ganga or Jamuna, flows into the sea, and becomes the ocean. After
merging into the sea, the rivers lose their identity. It is the same with
people. All beings come from the Sat, but dont know it. They turn into
their respective forms of lions, tigers, etc. The smallest of the smallest
the Sat is in them. Everything is His swarup. That is Satya; it is the
Atma; it is what you are, Shwetaketu! Tattvamasi.
Shwetaketu said, I have another question. Large and small ripples
appear in water, along with froth and bubbles, and merge into water
again. They are destroyed. The jeeva, however, merges into the Sat
every time he sleeps. The Sat that is like death or dissolution is the
kaarana of all, but the jeeva is not destroyed. Why is that?
Your questions are pertinent, my son, said Aruni. The jeeva is not
subject to destruction; it is an eternal Satya. It is not destroyed because
the seeds of poorva-pragyaa (the right intelligence of the past) and
vaasanaa (avid desires) remain, along with agnan. Had it not been so,
the sukha-dukha of the present life would have no logical explanation.
If a jeeva were to suffer dukha without having done any paapa, it would
be the dosha of akritaabhyaagama a punishment for something not
done. If the life of a jeeva is limited to this body, what will happen to
his good actions? They will be destroyed without giving their fruit, and
that will be the dosha of kritapranaasha not getting the fruit of a good
action. If the Ishwara gives sukha-dukha unconnected to the persons
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past deeds, it will be the dosha of favoritism or cruelty. Therefore, there

is no cause for believing that a jeeva is subject to death.
This chetan Atma is everything. It is the tiniest of the aparoksha
(unseen) miniscule objects, and is separate from vasana, poorva pragyaa
and agnan. This Atma is the Satya. It is the true Self of all beings. That
is you, Shwetaketu! Tattvamasi.
Shwetaketu asked another question. Father, the Sadvastu (the Atma,
the object that is Sat) is extremely tiny. It has neither name nor form.
How can this vast gross prapanch of name and form be made from it?
Aruni told Shwetaketu to bring a seed of a banyan tree. He broke the
seed and asked, What do you see in this?
I see nothing in this, replied Shwetaketu.
That, in which you see nothing, lies a huge banyan tree. If we accept
that a banyan tree grows from its seed, the tree will have thousands of
seeds each year, and turn into millions of trees in time. This object in
which you see nothing will be the cause of an incalculable number of
banyan trees. The cause of the gross effect is extremely subtle. Have
shraddha, my son.
This gross world of name and form has been created from the miniscule
Satya. This is established by the Shstras, and also by logic, but when the
mind is attached to external objects it is unable to enter into subtle
matters and this is why shraddha is needed. Shraddha places the mind in
that, for which it has shraddha. Then the person is able to experience
the subtle. The mind cannot know the limitless special qualities of the
innermost subtle matter, unless it enters into it. This is the anima (tiny)
Sat, and the whole prapanch. It is the Satya, the Atma. This is you,
Shwetaketu! Tattvamasi.
Shwetaketu asked, Father, Sat is the root of this world. It is the
aayatana (house), and the pralay-sthaana (the place of dissolution).
Then why are we unable to obtain it?
Aruni told Shwetaketu to put a lump of rock salt into a bowl of water.
When they looked at it the next day, the salt had disappeared. It had
dissolved in the water. Aruni told Shwetaketu to taste the water. He did
so, and found it was salty. This is how the Sat that has existed since the
beginning of time pervades the world even today. The right method
must be used to experience it, like the tongue is used to recognize salt.
The Satya that pervades the world can be seen if the right method is
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used. The anima is the swarup of everything, it is the only Satya. It is

the Atma. You are this adviteeya Sat-swarup chetan, Shwetaketu!
Tattvamasi.
Then Shwetaketu asked, The indreeyas cannot reach the Sat that is the
root cause of this world. Can this Sat be obtained by any other
method?
Son, said Aruni, a dacoit kidnapped a man in the state of Gandhar,
robbed him of all his possessions, and let him loose in a dense jungle,
blindfolded, with his hands tied. The man went around shouting for
help. A kindhearted man heard him and came to his aid. He opened his
bonds and the blindfold. Gandhar lies in that direction, he said. The
man understood which path he should take. He was intelligent. He
enquired at the villages he passed, and reached home.
Bhagwan Shankaracharya says that this example tells us that the jeeva
has been carried away from his house, the realm of Sat. The jeeva lacks
vivek. He lacks direction. He is troubled by hunger and thirst,
wandering in the forest of this world that is full of all kinds of trouble
and suffering. When he is overcome by dukha, he wants to be free of
his bonds, and cries for help. Some compassionate Mahatma liberates
him. He returns to his own realm and is happy.
Sat is his own realm. He is the swarup of the Atma. This body, made of
heat, water and food is the dense forest. The body is filled with wind,
bile, cough, stool, etc. The jeeva suffers dualities like cold and heat. The
dacoits paapa-punya have blindfolded him with moha (delusion).
The jeeva becomes hungry and thirsty for a wife, son, friend, animals,
brothers, and other worldly and unworldly objects. He begins to think,
I am this mans son. All these are my brothers and friends. I am sukhidukhi, stupid-learned, Dharmik, subject to birth and death, old, paapi,
etc.
The jeeva laments, Oh! My son died! My wealth is destroyed! How
can I live without them? What will happen to me? Who will serve me?
He is caught in the net of endless sorrows. Then he gets a Gurudev a
supremely compassionate Mahapurush, drawn to him because of his
intense punya, and who knows the Sat, the Brahman, the Atma, who is
liberated and has full faith in the Brahman. When the Guru points out
the faults and suffering inherent in worldly objects, renunciation rises in
the jeeva. Gurudev explains to the jeeva that he is not a sansaaree (of
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the interactive world), he is not an individual who has sons and

grandsons. He is the Sad-Brahman (the Sat that is the Brahman). The
blindfold of delusion is thus torn away, and the jeeva obtains the Satvastu (the object that is the Sat) as his Atma, and becomes immersed in
supreme bliss.
It is to explain this, that the Shruti has said that it is necessary to get an
Acharya (Teacher) to obtain Gnan about the Sat the Brahman and
the Atma being one. Only then will avidya be removed.
Aachaaryavaan purusho ve`da tasya taavade`va chiram yaavanna
vimokshye`tha sampatsya iti (Chandogya Upanishad 6. 1. 2)
Dont ask how long this takes Tattvagnan, Sat-sampatti (the wealth of
Sat), and Moksha are not subject to the restrictions of time. It is the
same anima, Shwetaketu, and everything is its swarup. This is the
Satya, the Atma, and it is you! Tattvamasi.
Shwetaketu said, I accept that Gnan removes agnan as well as the
kaarya (effect) of agnan, and then the person obtains the Sat-sampatti. I
also accept that this is the swarup of Mukti, but I wish to know whether
avidyaa-nivritti (the removal of avidya) is enough for us to obtain
Moksha, or whether we have to take any particular path to obtain
Mukti.
Aruni replied, Son, a dying man is able to recognize people until his
speech merges into his mind, his mind merges into his prana, his prana
merges into te`ja (light), and then into the parade`vataa sat (the Sat that
is the Brahman, beyond all Devtas). After that he cannot recognize
anyone. Death is the same for a Gnani and an agnani, but a Gnani
merges into the Sat-Purusha (the Paramatma) and does not wake up
again, because he knows Him as his Atma. An agnani, however, wakes
up and obtains the earlier feelings. He either becomes a Devta (deity) or
a human, or some other specie. A persons going into different births,
different realms, and different feelings are because of avidya, desire,
and karma. These are burnt to ashes by the fire of the Gnan of the SadAtma, and that is why a Tattvagnani is not reborn. The Shruti of the
Mandukya Upanishad says, Ihaiva sarve` pravileeyanti kaamaah,
meaning, all his desires are ended.
This anima is the one Atma. It is the Satya, Shwetaketu. You are That!
Tattvamasi.

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Shwetaketu asked, Father, since both the worldly people and those who
want freedom from rebirth merge into the Sat when they die, why is it
that an agnani is reborn, but not a Gnani?
Aruni explained, My son, a man suspected of being a thief proves his
innocence by touching a piece of red hot iron. If he is innocent, his
hand is not burnt. His faith in Satya protects him from getting burnt.
Similarly, a Gnani has faith in the Satya, and so he is liberated, but an
agnani does not get Mukti. The acceptance or non-acceptance of Satya
creates the two different results of the same state.
This is everything. This is Satya, this is a Mahatma. This is what you
are, Shwetaketu! Tattvamasi.
Shwetaketu said, I have understood. I have had the experience.
Taddhaasya vijagnaaviti vijagnaaviti (Chandogya Upanishad 6. 16.
3).
What have you experienced?
That I am the same Sat. Sade`vaahasmeeti vijagnau vignaatavaan
(Shankarbhasya).
The episode shows that acceptance of Satya leads to Mukti, and the
acceptance of asatya leads to dukha and bondage. An agnani holds on to
asatya. You have already heard that only the clay is Satya, not the vikars
(mutations). An agnani believes the asatya vikars to be the Atma, and
gets the abhimaana (subtle pride) of being a Devta, human, etc. His fate
is according to his karmas and upasana.
The Sat is the root of this world and all beings. He is aja (unborn),
amrita (undying), abhaya (free of fear), Shiva (auspicious), and
adviteeya (non-dual). He is the Satya, the Atma, and the paramaarthasvaroopa (the form of the Supreme Brahman) of a human being.
You are That has been said nine times. Arunis son, Shwetaketu, was
an adhikaaree (eligible) shrotaa (one who listens) for Tattvagnan. He
immediately gave up abhiman and also the thought that it is impossible
to get the Gnan of everything from the Gnan of one thing. His jigyasa
was intense, and his father gave him Tattvagnan. The father told the son
that this body is a sanghaata (assemblage) of kaarya-kaarana (effect
and cause), and it is made of heat, food and water. The Devta Sat enters
it and becomes the shrotaa (the one who listens), mantaa (the one who
thinks), and vigyaataa (the one who knows). He sits like a reflection in
a mirror, or the sun reflected in water, but doesnt know himself until he
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is given the teaching. After hearing the Mahavakya, he obtains the pure
vigyaana (applied Gnan).
The result of pramaana (proof) is to show the object that is unknown.
The self-effulgent Brahman has no need for anyone to make an effort to
prove or establish Its existence. This is true; but we are not imagining
the intense brilliance of the result of the self-effulgent Brahman. All I
want to say is that the agnan of not knowing the Brahmans true essence
results in an adhyaasa (illusion) of being the karta and bhokta, and the
removal of this adhyas is the result of the praman.
Before obtaining the vigyaana (applied Gnan), Shwetaketu thought, I
am a karta. I will do rituals like the agnihotra, since I am eligible. I will
enjoy the fruits of these good deeds, either in this life or after death. I
will get great good fortune by doing these karmas.
Shwetaketus father, Aruni, gave him the vigyan that he is the Sadvastu
that is free of all differences like sajaateeya (within the same group),
vijaateeya (within different groups) and svagat-bhe`da (within itself),
undivided by space, time and matter. This brought enlightenment,
removing Shwetaketus misconceptions. Shwetaketu realized that he
was the non-dual Atma. He had a direct personal experience of being
the Brahman. All feelings of individuality, getting the fruits of his
karmas, etc vanished. The vigyan of the non-dual Brahman removes the
asatya distortion of being a jeevatma.
Poorvapakshi (the opinion of those who do not accept the principle of
Vedanta): Shwetaketu had the feeling of being a karta, bhokta,
sansaaree (of this interactive world), separate jeeva this is indicated
by the word tvam (in Tat-tvam-asi). This feeling was removed by the
teaching of Tattvamasi. Just as the Shruti says that the Aditya (sun) and
mana (mind) should be considered to be the Brahman, and in ritualistic
worship, the idol should be considered to be Bhagwan Vishnu, this too,
is a kartavya (duty). It does not mean, You are the Sat. Had
Shwetaketu been the Sat, why wouldnt he have known himself? Why
would he need the teaching?
Siddhanti (the Vedanti): This understanding is not correct, because the
Shrutis sentences, Mano brahm ityupaaseeta and Tattvamasi do not
give the same teaching. When someone is told to consider the Aditya or
mana to be the Brahman, the word iti clarifies that they are separate. It
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ensures that the person understands that the mana or Aditya are not the
saakshaat (incarnate) Brahman; they are symbols used for upasana.
In Tattvamasi, however, the Sat is shown to be the eternal, pure
existence. The teaching says, Tat (that) = the Brahman, tvam (you) =
the Atma, asi = are. That means, you are the Atma, the Atma and the
Brahman are one, and therefore, your pure existence is the Brahman.
Had Shwetaketu not been the Sat, the Shruti would not have said
Shwetaketu got realization after hearing Tattvamasi. The upade`sha
(teaching) was required because Shwetaketu believed himself to be a
jeeva. This is indicated by the word tvam. He thought himself to be
the karta, bhokta, sansari, separate jeeva called Shwetaketu, and this
false understanding needed to be removed.
Poorvapakshi: What if we say that Tattvamasi is a gunavaada (singing
praises) or stutivaakya (an eulogy)?
Siddhanti: That is not proper either. The teaching is that only one
sanmaatra (pure existence) is the Satya, giving the example of clay,
gold, iron, etc. This cannot be given as an example of gunavada because
the science of the qualities is mithya; neither was Shwetaketu some
Devta to be worshipped and eulogized. On the contrary, to say that
Shwetaketu was the Sat would be demeaning the Sat. Under no
circumstances is it proper to restrict the Sat that is the Atma of all, to the
gross body of Shwetaketu. Therefore, the meaning of Tattvamasi is that
the Atma (indicated by the word tvam) is the Satya that is indicated by
the word Tat. So, the Atma is the only Satya, and Shwetaketu should
know that he is the Atma; not the body.
Poorvapakshi: What if we consider that I am Sat is the teaching of the
kartavya-buddhi (the intellect that believes that he is the karta)?
Siddhanti: That is not logical. It is stated clearly that a person gets
Gnan only if he has an Acharya. The fruit of this is also mukti-bodha
(the knowledge of being liberated). There is no need to say that a person
is an aachaaryavaana (having an Acharya) for rituals like the agnihotra,
because the presence of an Acharya is indicated automatically. Here, it
is described with clarity. Once Gnan is obtained, it cannot be destroyed.
The entire purport of the Upanishads is in this. Gnan is not a belief; it is
factual knowledge.
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It is also untenable to say that if Shwetaketu was a Sadatma, why did he

not know his own Atma? The people of this world believe themselves to
be the effect; a mutation that is a body and has indreeyas, and suffers.
But, even the vigyan, I am a jeeva, separate from the body and the
indreeyas; I am a karta and bhokta, does not come without the teaching
of an Acharya of the Shastras. Then, how can anyone get the vigyan of
being the adviteeya Sat ever come by itself?
As long as there is a feeling of I and ;mine for the body and the
objects of the body, the person cannot get the vigyan of the Sat-Brahm.
That is why it is essential to obtain the vigyan that the Atma and the
Brahman are one, for a jeeva trapped in this mithya body believing
himself to be a paapi-punyatma, sukhi-dukhi, subject to birth and death,
going to Swarga-Narak to be liberated.
Some of the followers of the different Sects have given a proper
definition of the Atma. After that, they have come close to describing
the earlier form of the Tat, and defined it: Atat tvamasi, meaning, You
are not That. We dont know why they give such elaborate explanations
to say something as simple! Even a person who lives like an animal
knows that he is not the Brahman! What result will this teaching have?
It is a ridiculous definition.
Some people have explained Tat as tasya (belonging to Him) or tasmai
(belonging to you). Their knowledge indicates that this jeevatma is a
part of the paramatma, or an adjective of His. The jeeva is ruled by the
Paramatma, or is the she`sha (a residue) created to serve Him.
However, this definition is not suitable. By giving up the meaning given
by the Shastras, the pledge of obtaining all vigyans through the vigyan
of one, becomes secondary. When the principal meaning is tenable, it is
not proper to accept the secondary meaning. In Tattvamasi, the words
Tat and tvam are used as having equal importance. Both are singular.
The word asi tells us that they are one. If we accept that they are one,
with the feeling of kaarya-kaarana (effect-cause) vishe`shanavishe`shya (adjective- the one having the qualities described) etc, it will
be a superimposed oneness. Oneness is either in the shuddha
lakshanaartha (purely implied meaning) or in the mukhyaartha (basic
meaning). The purport of all the Shrutis and Smritis is to give the
realization that the Tat and tvam are one. The Atma is the Sadbhram.
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(b) Bhooma-Vidya (Anand Vidya).

The conclusion of the sixth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad is that
the Atma is the Sad-Brahm. There is no description of the objects that
are mutations, after the Sat-Tattva is described. Now, starting from the
naama (name) up to the praana (life energy), the tattvas (elements) are
described, and through them, the Tattva (the Brahman) is also
described. When some thing is used to point out yet another thing, it is
called shaakhaa-chandra-nyaaya pointing out the thin moon of the
second lunar date, by first pointing to a branch above which the moon
shines faintly. This lays to rest the doubt that there may be something
more to know, after obtaining the vigyan of the Sad-vastu.
It is also seen that just as a person climbs the stairs step by step, the
subtle truths are entered into one by one. It is described how a person
reaches the svaraajya pada (the position of supreme independence).
The name, speech, mind, etc are all different tattvas, but the BrahmTattva is higher than them all. Therefore, the Bhooma Tattva is
presented after the Sad-vidya.
The discussion between Shwetaketu and Aruni takes place in the human
world. The discussion between Narad and Sanat Kumar (who represents
the four child-Rishis) takes place in the Rishi-loka (land of the Rishis).
The Brahm-vidya is needed everywhere, to remove agnan, abhiman,
dukha, moha, and dependence. Even the life of Narad the mental son
of Brahmaji contains sorrow. Narad is a Devarshi a Rishi of the
Devtas. He has obtained all the vidyaa (branches of knowledge), and
done all the ordained rituals. In spite of this, karma and vidya were
insufficient to remove his sorrow because he lacked Atmagnan. When
even a Rishi becomes sorrowful due to lack of Atmagnan, it is not
surprising that a human being with limited knowledge is filled with
sorrow. So, a human being should definitely obtain the Gnan of
Paramanand (Supreme Bliss; the Brahman). This Gnan is the only
method for the total fulfillment of the Atma.
What didnt Narad have? He was Brahmajis son. He knew all the VedaShastras by heart. He had sadaachaara (a virtuous lifestyle), and a great
amount of the wealth and strength of sadhana. Although these often
bring pride, Narad was free of the fault of pride. Like an ordinary man,
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he took the sharan (refuge) of Sanat Kumar, asking him to remove his
sorrows and help him to obtain shre`yas (happiness; good fortune). The
purport of this short story is to praise Atmavidya.
Sanat Kumar asked, Narad, what have you studied up to now? What
pragyaa (pure understanding) have you obtained? Tell me all this first,
then I will tell you what comes next.
Narad named all the Shastras he had studied. I know them thoroughly.
I have memorized them all, but my knowledge is limited to the words.
Words enable us to execute actions. In spite of knowing all this, I do not
know my own Atma. You may tell me that the Shastras I have studied
contain Atmagnan, and so I should have obtained it. I can only say that
uttering words, and knowing their literary meaning are mutations,
vikars; and vikars are not the Atma.
Even the word Atma is something I have read and heard about. Just
as the King is hidden under the flag and ceremonious pomp of the
Army, my Atma is hidden under vikars. Gnan cannot be obtained
without an Acharya. Sorrow can be overcome only when Gnan is
obtained. Please put me on the path of Gnan, and help me cross over
this ocean of sorrow. Please make me successful. Grant me the abhaypada (position of fearlessness).
Soham bhagavo mantravide`vaasmi naatmavit. Shrutam hye`va me`
bhagavaddrishe`bhyah tarati shokamaatmaviditi. Soham bhagavah
shochaami. Tam maa bhagavaan shokasya paaram taarayatu.
(Chandogya Upanishad 7. 1. 3)
Sanat Kumar said, Narad, all that you have learnt till now is the naama
(names). Interaction is dominated by vikaras. One name is exchanged
for another. What is a ghata (pot)? It is a kalasha, a kumbha, or a
ghadaa (pots of different shapes). The whole world lies in this circle.
People get trapped in this asatya (not Satya) web of Maya. A person
suffers from the taapa traya (three kinds of suffering mental, physical
and sent by Nature). Then he is burdened by his knowledge and
forgetfulness. He develops pride, and fears that his pride may be hurt.
You should, therefore, let go of the expanse of the Shastras, and take
refuge in one naama (of the Paramatma). There is a great vaasanaa
(avid desire) for words in your heart. It is necessary to reduce this. The
naam is the Brahman. Naamopaasva brahme`ti brahmabuddhyaa
(Shankar Bhasya, Chandogya Upanishad 7. 1. 4) It stays with us,
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regardless of shuddha-ashuddha (pure-impure), night and day, indoors

and outdoors, in eligibility and ineligibility. You should focus only on
the naama-brahm (the name that is the Brahman), and do upasana. You
will obtain the vastu (object; the Brahman) that is the name you
worship.
Narad said, Bhagwan, taking the name is done by saying it. Please give
me the teaching of that, if there is anything greater than the name,
because sorrow is not removed by accepting the name as the Brahman
and chanting it.
Sanat Kumar began to tell Narad the different methods, one better than
the previous. He gave Narad the teaching of the fruit obtained by
believing the methods to be the Brahman. Both vive`ka (discrimination)
and vairaagya (detachment) had been awakened in Narad, so the
sadhanas and their fruits seemed paltry to him. He asked for other
methods, showing his lack of interest in the fruits.
Sanat Kumar gave Narad the teaching of seeing the presence of the
Brahman in speech, feelings, resolves, state of mind, meditation,
applied Gnan, strength, food, water, light, space, memory, and hope. He
said that all desires are removed by this method. He also said that the
result of this sadhana is that a person becomes free to move up to the
limits of names and forms of the desired object. Narad, however, felt
that these methods were connected to the feelings of karya-kaarana, and
gave destructible fruits. He said, Bhagwan, if there is anything greater
than this, please tell me about it.
The fact is that both Narad and the Sanat Kumars are Brahmajis sons.
They have complete Gnan, vairagya, and self-control. The Sanat
Kumars are nivritti paraayana (inclined towards withdrawing from
worldly activities), and Narad is troubled by the task of spreading the
Shastras to all. This meeting of the nivritti pradhaana (dominated by
nivritti) Guru and a jigyasu student is wonderful.
Sanat Kumar gave Narad the teaching of imagining the prana to be the
Brahman. It is obvious that the prana is everything. A person who sees
the Brahman as the prana rises above all theories and opinions. He goes
beyond the name to the aashaa (desired object) and says, I am the
prana. If people call him ativaadi (talking only about his own theory)
he should accept it. He should say openly that he is the prana that is the
Ishwara of all. Narad was convinced that he was the sarvaatishayee
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(beyond everything) prana of all Atmas, so he did not ask what was
greater than the prana. Seeing Narad satisfied with this, Sanat Kumars
heart was filled with compassion. He thought, It seems that Narad is
content with what is mithya, since the prana is a vikara. It is not real. It
is agnan. It contains no anand.
So, Sanat Kumar said, Narad, the fact is that an ativadi is one who is
an ativadi of Satya.
Bhagwan, said Narad, I want to become an ativadi of Satya. Please
tell me about Satya.
Sanat Kumar said, A person who obtains the vigyaana (applied Gnan)
of the Supreme Satya gives up vaachaarambhana (talk for the sake of
worldly interaction), lies, and vikaras. He gets the knowledge about the
Satya that is present in all vikaras. Only such a person can become an
ativadi through Satya.
The question comes up here, that even the vikaras are Satya, because it
is stated in the Shrutis that naama-roopa (name and form) are Satya,
and the prana is covered by them.
Naamaroope` satyam taabhyaamayam praanashchannah.
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1. 6. 3)
The Shruti also establishes that only the prana is Satya.
Praanaa vai satyam te`shaame`va satyam.
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 1. 20)
Therefore, it is correct that the Shruti says that vikars are Satya, but not
with the dependence on of the Paramartha (Brahman). It is a different
matter to gather internal knowledge through the senses and consider it
to be the Satya, and it is a different matter altogether to experience the
self-effulgent substratum, and call it the Satya. The gateways for the
experience of the Paramartha Satya are also called Satya.
Sanat Kumar wanted to make it clear to Narad that this Gnan, of the
prana being the Paramartha Satya. is mithya. He wanted Narad to rise
above this mithya Gnan. He wanted to give Narad the vigyan of the
Satya Bhooma (Brahman). A person who lacks the vigyan of the Sadvastu believes heat, water, and food to be the Sat, but the Paramartha
Satya is beyond these three, and needs the vigyan of the Paramartha
Satya.
Narad asked, Bhagwan, please tell me this vigyan.

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Sanat Kumar said, A person who does manana (meditation; profound

thinking) gets this vigyan. Manan is mental reflection. It is to ponder
with respect upon the topic of the meditation. Mere arguments and
theological debates are not manan. Manan is positive, respectful
thought given to obtain an understanding of the vastu.
When does manan happen? It happens when there is shraddhaa (faith)
in the heart. Shrat means belief, faith; and dha means to hold. Manan is
fulfilled with shraddha. When does a person have shraddha? When he
has nishthaa (firm conviction; full faith). What is nishtha? Nishtha is to
serve the Guru with a wish to obtain the vigyan of the Brahman.
Eagerness is important in nishtha.
When does nishtha come? It comes when some effort is made.
What effort?
The effort of restraining the senses and keeping the mind focused on the
Brahman. That means, the correct process of sadhan is vrittinishthaa
(a mental inclination for a firm conviction), shraddha, manan, and
vigyaana (applying your Gnan in your daily life). This vignan shows
the Satya.
When do these sadhans happen?
The method is common. We have to work to get some sukha in this
world nobody works to obtain dukha! Similarly, if we want to obtain
the Paramartha sukha and remove dukha totally, we must undertake the
sadhans of vritti, nishtha, shraddha, manan, and vigyan.
Narad said, Bhagwan, I ask you about the Paramartha sukha.
That, which is Bhooma (the Brahman), explained Sanat Kumar, is
great. Nothing is greater than Him. He is free of the limitations of
space, time and matter. He is free of the differences that exist within the
group, with different groups, and within Himself. That is sukha.
Yo vai bhoomaa tatsukham naalpe` sukhamasti. Bhoomaiva sukham.
Bhoomaa tve`va vijigyaasitva iti. (Chandogya Upanishad 7. 23. 1).
Vikars are at a lower level, therefore, they are alpa (small; petty). There
is no sukha in the alpa, because alpa-sukha increases trishnaa (thirst;
longing). Trishna is the seed of dukha. Therefore, the Bhooma is the
sukha that is the real sukha, and no sukha is greater than this. There is
no possibility of trishna, or any other seed of dukha in the Bhooma.
What is the Bhooma?

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The method of interaction is that the drashta is separate from the

drishya. The drashta sees the drishya through some instrument (eyes),
hears about it, gives thought to it, and knows it. However, this does not
happen in the Bhooma-Tattva. In the Bhooma-Tattva there is no other
who needs an instrument to see, think about, or know any other Tattva.
Yatra naanyatpashyati naanyachchhrinoti naanyadvijitaanaati sa
bhoomaa (Chandogya Upanishad 7. 24. 1)
Where some other sees another through some instrument, hears about it,
and knows it, it is alpa.
Yatra anyatpashyati anyachchhrinoti anyadvijaanaati tadalpam that
Bhooma is amrita (undying). The alpa is subject to death. Yo vai
bhoomaa tadamritam atha yadalpam tanmartyam. If you see the
Bhoomas pratishthaa (fame, dignity), it is in His own greatness. He
needs nothing to establish His glory. He is free of pratishtha and
aashraya (refuge).
Sve` mahimni yadi vaa na mahimneeti (Chandogya Upanishad 7. 24. 1)
Other things are established in other things, but nothing exists except
the Bhooma. The Bhooma is above, below, behind, in front, and on both
sides. Everything that is perceived as the idam (this) is the Bhooma.
Sa e`vaadhastaat sa pashchaat sa uparishthaat sa purastaat sa
dakshinatah sa uttaratah sa e`ve`dam sarvamiti (Chandogya
Upanishad 7. 25. 1)
Then is that, which is called the Bhooma, separate from the jeeva?
No; therefore, it is not mentioned through the ahankaara (subtle pride
of individuality), aade`sha (command), nirde`sha (description), and
upade`sha (teaching). It is I, who am the below, above, in front,
behind, and on both sides. Everything that exists is I.
Athaatohankaaraade`sha e`va ahame`vaadhastaat ahamuparishthaat
aham pashchaat aham purastaat aham dakshinatah ahamuttaratah
ahame`ve`dam sarvamiti (Chandogya Upanishad 7. 25. 1)
That is all right, but people who lack vivek consider their gross body to
be their I. To ensure that people dont make this mistake, it is clarified
that the I is the Atmadev. It is the Atma who is below, above, in front,
behind and on both sides. The Atma is everything.
Athaata aatmaade`sha e`va aatmaivaadhastaat aatmoparishthaat
aatmaa paschaat aatmaa purastaat aatmaa dakshinata aatmottarata
aatmaive`dam sarvamiti (Chandogya Upanishad 7. 25. 2)
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The Atma is like space, pervading everything, not bound to anything or

anyone. A person who experiences this attains a state of being attracted
to the Atma, playing in the Atma, loving the Atma, and being happy in
the Atma. He gets crowned on the throne of supreme independence
while still living, and also when the body is no more.
Sa vaa e`sha e`vam pashyanne`vam manvaana e`vam vijaanan
aatmaratiraatmakreeda
aatmamithuna
aatmaanandah,
sa
svaraanbhavati (Chandogya Upanishad 7. 25. 2).
Those who have not had this experience are dependent, and sorrowful,
and subjugated by others.
The Sadvidya propounds the theory that this world has been created in
the Sadvastu (the object that is the Sat). You (the Atma) are that
Sadvastu. When a person has the saakshaatkaara (direct personal
experience) of being the Brahman, the prana, desire, memory, space,
light, water, manifesting, merging, food, strength, vignan, meditation,
state of mind, resolve, feelings, speech, name, mantra, and action are
all done automatically by the Atma. For an Atmagya (one who knows
the Atma), all interaction is a form of the Atma. There is no death,
disease, or sorrow in his viewpoint. There are no divisions of the
drashta-drishya. He alone is one, three, five, seven, nine, eleven, a
hundred or a thousand, and everything.
Sa e`kadhaa bhavati tridhaa bhavati panchadhaa saptadhaa navadhaa
chaiva (Chandogya Upanishad 7. 26. 2)
What is to be observed in the life of a jigyasu is, what do his senses and
mind absorb and store? This is aahaara (food; consumption). If the
ahara is shuddha (pure according to the Shastras) his antahkaran
becomes shuddha. The Atmas light, pulsation, and reflection are seen
only in a shuddha antahkaran. When we see it, we recognize what we
are. Then we are no longer tied to any object that can be seen.
Aahaarashuddhau sattvashuddhih sattvashuddhau dhruvaa smritih,
smritilambhe` sarvagrantheenaam vipramokshah. (Chandogya
Upanishad 7. 26. 2)
The bondage of space, time, and matter is broken. There is no urge for
anything geographical or historical. All attachments and delusions for
individuals are removed. When nothing else exists, who is he to tie
himself to? What bondage can there be for such a person?

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This is how Bhagwan Sanat Kumar raised Narad, whose antahkaran

was pure, above the darkness of agnan.
Tasmai mriditakashaayaaya tamasaspaaram darshayati bhagavaan
sanatakumaarah (Chandogya Upanishad 7. 26. 2).
The fact is that agnan is the cause of grief. Once the kaarana is
removed, the karya is no more. The Sanat Kumars are the saakshaat
(incarnate) Bhagwan.
(c) Chid-vidya (Dakshinakshipurusha-vidya).
The Sadvidya and the Bhoomavidya have clearly propounded the
principle that there is no difference or distinction between the SatTattva, Atma-Tattva, and Brahm-Tattva. Various methods have been
used to indicate the complete absence of any kind of difference in the
Brahm-Tattva. Yet, a person of average understanding is incapable of
grasping the Paramartha Brahman; he can only understand the concept
of different objects. That being so, he cannot obtain Moksha, which is
the highest purushaartha (human achievement).
To Grace such people, the Veda Bhagwan gives the teaching of seeking
the Paramatma in the hriday-kamal the lotus of the heart. The AtmaTattva can be known only by believing in the object that is the Sat,
because the Brahman is nirguna (without attributes), and people with a
moderate understanding only want objects that have good qualities.
They prefer discourses that speak about qualities like satya-kaama
(fulfiller of desires) for their upasana.
Then again, although the vritti of those who have obtained Gnan about
the Brahman are naturally disinclined towards vishays, their sanskaara
(subtle subconscious impressions) caused by indulgences in past lives
linger to some extent. This is why the Vedas make the rules of
sadhans like brahmacharya (celibacy). Ultimately there is no coming or
going in the Atmavastu, but the gati (forward movement) has been
described for the sake of people who have the sanskaras of the steps for
spiritual progress, up to the Paramartha Satya. This is why we
commence with the Chid-vidya.
There is a miniscule lotus in this body, called the hraiday pundareeka or
hriday-kamal. This is where the Brahman is found. It is the place of the
Shaligram Shila (a round stone worshipped as a symbol of Bhagwan
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Vishnu). We should investigate that, which is hidden in the space inside

this lotus. We should ask about it.
What could be hidden inside a miniscule inner space? The inner space
is as vast as the outer space. It contains dyuloka (Heaven), prithivee (the
earth), agni (fire), vaayu (air), soorya (the sun), chandramaa (the
moon), vidyuta (electricity), nakshatra (stars), etc. Everything that a
person knows to be his, or doesnt know; whether he has it or not, is all
contained in the indivisible space of the hriday-pundareeka.
Yachchaasye`haasti yachcha naasti sarvam tadasmin samaahitam
(Chandogya Upanishad 8. 1. 3).
This lotus of the heart is not destroyed with the gross physical body. It
is unaffected by death and old age. It is filled with all the desires of the
individual. This is the Atma, unaffected by paapa-punya, old age, death,
sorrow, hunger-thirst, etc. It is satya-kama it fulfills the desires and
resolves of the individual. Everyone enters the lotus of the heart for
fulfilling their wishes.
Wishes are fulfilled according to karmas, whether they are of the
present birth or a previous one. Therefore the fulfillment of desires
depends upon karmas. Just as the present sukhas that are the fruits of
past good deeds are reduced as the punya is used up, so are the sukhas
of the paraloka (realms after death).
Tadyathe`ha karmajito lokah ksheeyata e`vame`vaamutra punyajito
lokah ksheeyate` (Chandogya Upanishad 8. 1. 6).
People venture into actions for the fulfillment of their desires, due to
agnan, and get bound by them. Their independence is lost. However,
those who obtain Gnan about the swarup of the Atma through the
teachings of a Shastragya (knower of the Shastras) act with their own
knowledge. They are able to move freely. They become satya-sankalpa.
They can get whatever they want, go to the realms of their father,
mother, brother, sister, friend, or any other, and meet them if they want.
Through their resolve they can obtain whatever they want, whether it is
honor, sensual indulgences, sukha, a wife, or something else.
The desired objects that seem to be satya are covered by the lid of
asatya. Actually, the satya padaartha (the matter that is Satya) is the
Brahman, but people dont recognize this. They wander around the
opening of a gold mine but get no gold. Alas! People go to Brahmloka

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(the land of the Brahman) every day, but dont know it because they are
carried away by the anrita (false).
Tadyathaapi
hiranyanidhi
nihitamakshe`tragyaa
uparyupari
sancharanto
na
vinde`yure`vamaive`maah
sarvaah
prajaa
aharahargachchintya e`tam brahmalokam na vindanti. Anrite`na hi
pratyoodhaah. (Chandogya Upanishad 8. 3. 2)
There is no doubt that the Atma stays in the hriday (heart). Hriday
means hridi ayam. The Paramatma stays in the heart. This Gnan is the
key to supreme sukha.
A person who uses vivek to separate his self from his gross body, and
the space that is not separate from his hriday, becomes established in his
swarup.
What is the swarup?
It is amrita (immortality), and abhaya (fearlessness). The indestructible
Bhooma is amrita and abhay, because there is no other. This is the
Bhooma that is called Satya.
This Atma is a se`tu (bridge) and vidhriti (that, which bears). Had the
Atma not borne up the world, the whole world would have been
destroyed. It is the boundary of all objects, those who work, and of
actions. Time, old age, death, sorrow, good and bad deeds, etc cannot
affect it. No karya can go beyond its kaarana. All the things mentioned
above are the karya of the Sat.
An object obtains another object, or surpasses it. A pot does not obtain
clay, nor surpass it. Whether the name is taken or not, they are all
paapmaa (connected to paapa), and come back without obtaining the
Sat. This is the Atma, the brahm-roopa loka (the realm of the
experience of the Atma, the Brahman). Once a person gets it, a blind
man does not remain blind, a wounded person becomes free of his
wounds, a dukhi becomes sukhi. Obtaining this turns night into day.
This Atma is always bright. It is the Brahman.
The sadhana of brahmacharya is recommended for obtaining this Atma.
Yagya is another name for brahmacharya. Ya+gya, meaning, the gyaata
is the Atma. The Ishta is also brahmachaya. It is through this that the
Ishwara is worshipped. The wish for the Atma is Ishta. Satraayana
(Satsang, spiritual discourses) is brahmacharya, and mauna (not
speaking as asceticism) is also brahmacharya because manan is done in
silence. Tapa (asceticism) is brahmacharya because it is avinaashee
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(indestructible). Aranyaayana (living like a hermit) is brahmacharya as

well. All these are sadhans for obtaining the Paramatma.
The question is what is the natural form of the objects of Brahmloka?
Are they made of clay, water, etc, like the objects of this earth, or are
they mental beliefs? Are they tangible like the objects of the waking
state, or merely imagined? In this, it is only the human imagination that
is connected; only mental images can be related to logic. All forms, like
a wife, son, and others seen in a dream are mental beliefs. Then, are the
objects of Brahmloka also mithya, like things seen in a dream?
The Shruti says that the fulfillment of desires in Brahmloka is real. How
can this contradiction be explained? Mental beliefs are also real. It is a
small matter to say that all the forms seen in dreams are according to
the desires of the waking state. The sense objects of the waking state are
also made from mental beliefs.
Light, water, and food are made from the Sadvastus eekshana
(looking), and all objects are a play of these three. Everything that rises
is the result of a resolve of the Atma. The dyaavaa (sky) and prithivee
(earth) are imagined. Creation, dissolution, and sustenance are done by
the pratyagaatmaa (the Atma in the individual). The fact is, there are no
differences between the imagined and the external. The satya of this
world and the realms beyond death is the same. To tell the truth, the
Atma of the adhyastha (superimposed object) is the adhishthaana
(substratum; the Brahman). The adhyastha pulsates because of the
identification with the adhishthana. Therefore, Sat is present in the
objects that are seen. Their forms are mithya, but their sanmaatra forms
(the subtle forms of matter) are Satya. Therefore, the coming and going
to Brahmloka is Satya through the sattaa of the adhishthana, and is
shrauta (part of the Shrutis).
The Atma that comes and goes is free of paapa-punya, old age, and
death. It is unaffected by sorrow, hunger, and thirst. It is satya-kama and
satya-sankalpa. It is worth investigating in this life, and worth asking
about. A person who knows this can get whatever he wants.
Ya aatmaapahatapaapmaa vijaro vimrutyurvishoko vijivatsopipaasah
satyakaamah satyasankalpah sonve`shtavyah sa vijigyaasitavyah,
(Chandogya Upanishad 8. 7. 1)
This was a discourse given by Prajapati (Brahmaji, the Creator) to the
Devtas and the Danavas. Oh, we will obtain this Atma, because then
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we can obtain any realm and fulfill every desire, they thought. Indra
the King of the Devtas, and Virochan the King of the Danavas
presented themselves before Brahmaji. They had not consulted each
other because they were jealous of each other. Both wanted the fruit of
Brahm-vidya (the knowledge of the Brahman). They left their kingdoms
and came with folded hands, to take refuge in their Guru. This shows
that Brahm-vidya is more precious than the kingdoms of the Devtas and
the Asuras.
Indra and Virochan observed brahmacharya and served Prajapati for
thirty two years. Then Prajapati asked them what they desired to obtain
by serving him. They told him that they had heard his discourses about
how all realms could be obtained, and all wished fulfilled, by
investigating the Atma and asking about it. They told him that they
wanted to obtain Atma-vignan.
Prajapati said, The Purusha seen in the eyes is the drashta Atma. Ya
e`shokshini
purusho
drishyata
e`sha
aatmaa
..e`tadamritamabhayame`tad brahm (Chandogya Upanishad
8. 7. 4). He looks out from behind the eyes. He is amrita and abhaya.
He is the Brahman.
What is seen in the eyes is also seen reflected in water or a mirror, said
Indra and Virochan. Which of them is the Atma?
Prajapati said, In all of them at the end and in the middle it is He
who manifests. Prajapati thought to himself, I had indicated that the
drashta connected to the eyes is the Brahman, but they have not
understood it correctly. He refrained from clarifying the matter because
both Indra and Virochan were proud of their learning and filled with
self-importance. It would pain them to be told that they were fools and
had failed to understand what was said. That would have affected their
jigyaasaa (desire to know). So Prajapati decided to undertake an
experiment to remove their bhram (mistaken understanding).
Look into a vessel filled with water. If you dont recognize yourself,
tell me.
Indra and Virochan did so, and said, Bhagwan, we see ourselves fully.
This is our reflection.
Prajapati told them to wear rich garments and jewels and then look at
their reflections. They did so and reiterated that they had seen
themselves richly clad.
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Very well, said Brahmaji. The origin of the reflection seen by you is
the amrita, abhay Brahman.
Both Kings were convinced that they had obtained knowledge about the
Atma. They set off for their homes, satisfied. Prajapati was concerned
that this lack of proper understanding would result in defeat for them.
Virochan went to the Asuras and told them, I have served Prajapati and
obtained Atmagnan. This body is the Atma. We should make it strong
and serve it, to get good fortune in this world and in other realms.
Virochans philosophy lives on. It is an aasuree (demonic) philosophy,
in which daana (charity), shraddhaa (faith) and Yagya have no place.
They dress up the body of the person who lives, and believe be will
conquer paraloka (realms after death).
Before reaching Devloka, Indra began to think, This body is a shadow.
It looks like the clothes and jewels it wears. The body may be blind,
cockeyed, or wounded; the reflection will be the same. The reflection
will die when the body dies. I left my home, with all its comforts and
luxuries, to get the Gnan that would enable me to attain all realms and
fulfill all desires, but I am returning empty handed. The fruit of
Atmagnan is drishya (seen), obtained in this very life. What did I get by
believing the reflection to be the Atma? He returned to Prajapati and
surrendered to him with shraddha.
I got nothing through this Gnan, said Indra, when Prajapati asked him
why he had come back.
What you say is true, Indra, said Prajapati. Observe brahmacharya for
another thirty two years.
Indra did so. The Prajapati explained, A body that is in the jaagrita
(waking) avasthaa (state) cannot be the Atma. It is the gross body that
is reflected in water or a mirror. The gross body is born and it dies. You
are separate from this gross body of yours. That, which is separate from
the body reveals its greatness during the svapna (dream) avastha.
During the dream state you obtain honor and sensual pleasures . That
state is the Atma that is present in the dream state, and it is separate
from your gross physical body. It is the amrita, abhay Brahman. Ya
e`sha svapne` maheeyamaanashcharita e`sha aatmaa
tadamritamabhayame`tad brahm (Chandogya Upanishad 8. 10. 1).
Indra went off, satisfied; but his vivek arose, and he began to see the
flaws in accepting the swapna-drashta to be the Atma. The purusha who
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is present in the dream state does not have the same faults as the
purusha in the waking state. However, the swapna-purusha does suffer
and get killed during the dream state. That being the case, what is the
benefit of being the swapna-Atma?
I do not want the sukha of paraloka, thought Indra. I want the
immediate Atma-sukha. Back he went to Prajapati and said, Maharaj,
you had told me about the amrita, abhay Brahman, but this experience
is not obtained even in the dream state.
Observe brahmacharya for five years more, said Prajapati. When five
years were over, he said, Indra! The fact is that the drashta who stays in
the eyes is separate from the eyes. The eyes have two golaka (spheres
of action) the left eye and the right but the power that sees is one. It is
the netre`ndriya (sense organ that sees). The world outside is seen
through the indreeya of the ne`tra (eyes).
There is no indreeya in the dream state, only the mana (emotional
mind). It spreads its Maya and sees its own prapancha (interactive
world). However, when it slumbers peacefully in sushupti, there is no
drishya, no vasana, no vikshe`pa (disturbance), and no awareness of
individuality. The waking state is forgotten during the dream state, and
both the waking and the dream state are forgotten during the deep sleep
state. That, which is unaware of everything meaning, has no feeling of
I and mine is the Atma. It is amrita and abhay. Tadyatraitat suptah
samastah samprasannah svapnam na vijaanaati e`sha aatmaa
e`tadamritamabhayame`tad brahm. (Chandogya Upanishad 8. 11. 1).
Indra was satisfied with this answer and set off for home. Once again
his vivek arose. What Atma is this? he thought. How can it be amrita
and abhay? It does not even know itself during the sushupti state, or the
things in the jagrit and swapna. In those states it seems to merge into
that, which is destroyed. Had Gnan been there, there would be an
understanding about the sad-bhaava (pure existence) of the gyata. It
seems I have not yet understood Prajapatis teaching properly. He went
back to Prajapati and asked for clarification. Prajapati was pleased with
Indras renunciation, detachment, discrimination, faith, and intense
desire for the knowledge of the Atma.
It is true, Indra, he said. Sushupti does not have amrita and abhay. It
has no sukha and no Gnan. How can it be the Sacchidananda Atma?
Observe brahmacharya for five years more. Indra obeyed. Then
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Prajapati told him, Indra! The Dharma of this body is to die. It gets
older and weaker, and closer to the jaws of death. The indreeyas and
mana stay in this body. Maghavan martyam vaa idam shareeramaattam
mrityunaa
tadasyaamritasyaashareerasyaatmanodhishthaanam
(Chandogya Upanishad 8. 12. 1).
You have seen the three avasthaa (states) jagrit, swapna and sushupti.
All three are separate from each other. The space, time and objects of
the jagrit are separate from those of swapna. If a man meets a friend in a
dream, he cannot say that he actually met the man, when he is awake.
Everything wealth, house, death, life, the body, etc is separate. The
earth, water, fire, air, space, Heaven, the sun, and moon of the waking
state are not present in the dream state; and those of the dream state are
no present in the waking state.
The vikars, karmas, and instruments of obtaining knowledge are also
separate. None of these exist in sushupti; no mother-father, husbandwife, Devtas-Danavas, paapa-punya, sukha-dukha, raga-dvesha, hinsaahinsa, etc. That means all these are vikars of the other states. The
length and breadth of this prapancha, ages, and eons of time, and the
variety of objects, are all a sport of the mind, since they do not exist
when the mind is absent or asleep.
One object, however, remains unchanged in all three states; nor does it
become agyaata (not known) when the states are agyata. That is our
shuddha Atma. It is amrita. It is ashareera (without a gross body), but it
is obtained in this shareera (body). The Atma identifies with the jeeva,
and superimposes the three states along with their gunas and Dharmas,
on itself.
When the Atma begins to believe itself to have a body, it considers the
things that are pleasant and unpleasant to the body to be pleasant and
unpleasant. When it considers the body that is transient, mortal, cause
of Dharma and adharma, connected to the pleasant and unpleasant, to
be itself, it succumbs to avive`ka (lack of discrimination), and develops
Aham (pride of individuality). It becomes a shareeradhaari (one who
has a body). He feels, I am a body. The death of the body, its follies
and suffering become his; In that state, the feelings of I and mine and
the sukha-dukha caused by pleasure-pain, are not destroyed. When he
knows himself to be separate from the body and mind, his aviveka is
removed. He rises above pleasure and pain.
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Aatto vai sashareerah priyaapriyaabhyaam. Na ha vai sashareerasya

satah priyaapriyayorapahatirasti. Ashareeram vaava santam na
priyaapriye` sprishatah (Chandogya Upanishad 8. 12. 1).
The question is, if even the pleasant cant touch the ashareera Atma, it
becomes a state like the deep sleep state. It is like not existing!
However, that is not the case. The pleasant and unpleasant are created
by Dharma and adharma. They come and attach themselves to the
shareera. The ashareera Atma has neither Dharma nor adharma, neither
pleasure nor pain, neither sanyoga (meeting) nor viyoga (separation).
Therefore it is these that are negated here, not the anand that is our
essence. There is no negation of vigyaanamaanandam brahm, or
aanando brahm. That is the asheera Atma described in the seventh
chapter, or the Bhooma being sukha.
Another point worth pondering upon is that Indra did not want any
nirvishe`sha vastu (the best object, the Brahman that is free of
attributes). He wanted an object that knew itself, and others, as existing.
He did not want anything destructible. He wanted the drishya sukha
sukha that could be experienced. This is evident from his statement,
Naahamatra bhogyam pashyaami. He had heard that when a person
obtains Gnan, the unpleasant never touches him, and he attains all the
lokas and obtains all he desires. Then, why did Prajapati give him
teaching about the nirvishesha vastu?
The answer to this is that Prajapati is a Sad-guru a Guru established in
the Sat. He is a true well-wisher of Indra. He understands Indra and
wants what is best for him. The Atma is like space; it has no body. It is
the Atma of all beings, all lokas, and all desires. To obtain it is to obtain
all benefits. It is with this intention that Prajapati gives Indra the
teaching about the nirvishesha Atma. An Atmagnani does not get
different lokas and bhogas the way a King gets a Kingdom.
The Shruti states clearly, Ke`na kam pashye`t - who will know through
what? That means, the triad of the gyaata (knower), gnaana-kaarana
(the instrument that gives Gnan), and gye`ya (that, which is known)
does not exist in the Atma. Then, how can there be any teaching of,
These beings and I, who know them?

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Question: The Shruti says that a Gnani purusha is liberated even while
eating, playing, staying with women, traveling on a vehicle, etc. His
resolves come true. He can turn into many forms, and other abilities.
Jakshat kreedan ramamaanah streebhirvaa yaanairvaa gnaatibharvaa
nopajanam smarannidam shareeram. (Chandogya Upanishad 8. 12. 3)
How can this relate to the Shrutis purpose of ascertaining the Ishwara?
Explanation: The sarvaatmaa (Atma of all) is related to all fruits, just as
clay is related to all objects made of clay. In that case, would the Atma
be subject to all the dukhas? Let it! The dukhas are also our Atma; why
oppose them? The fact is that dukhas are imagined, due to avidya, like a
snake is imagined in a coiled rope. The false understanding is removed
when the person realizes the truth; the cause of dukha is removed when
agnan is removed. Where, then, is the relationship with dukha?
Dukha is a creation of the jeeva, not the Ishwara. The Ishwara creates
the bhogas of human beings through the superimposition of the shuddha
Sattva, and indulges in them by abiding in their bodies. The subject of
all the imaginings and prattle created by avidya is also the AtmaParamatma; no other. This is the principle of Vedanta.
Prajapati wanted to give Indra the teaching about the Brahman, but he
first gave the teaching about the reflected Atma, dream Atma, and the
Atma in the deep sleep state. Why did he do this? A person who is
attached to external objects may have become confused had he been
given the teaching about the Brahman straight away. Prajapati took
Indra forward step by step, making him eligible for the sakshatkara of
the vastu the Brahman.
If someone wants to point out a thin strip of the new moon, he points a
finger at a branch that seems to be just under it, and the other person
finds it easy to locate where the thin strip of the new moon is. This is
how Prajapati helped Indra to see the Atma. In this the fourth
teaching, Indra rises above the body that has three levels the gross,
subtle, and causal and knows himself to be the form of effulgence,
separate from the body. It is in this uttam purush the Atma that
eating, frolicking and indulging is done.
Please note that while describing all the states, Prajapati says that the
Atma is amrita and abhay. It is true that it is the Shruti that speaks in the
form of Prajapati. This cannot be shown to be false by using faulty
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arguments, because there is no pramaana (proof) greater than that of

the Shrutis.
If you say, This is dukha, this is apriya (unpleasant), it is a direct
personal experience, let it be so. Although a person knows himself to
be ajara (free of decay), and amara (free of death), he is also aware of
being old, fair, dark, etc. In the same way, sukha-dukha etc are natural
superimpositions and are perceived. The perceptions do not negate the
truth. What the Shrutis have said is absolutely true, but it is extremely
difficult to express. Indra does not know his Self. He says that the deep
sleep state is annihilation. Virochan went off believing himself to be
only the gross physical body. What Indra saw as dissolution and a sea of
fear, is where Buddha remained immersed, calling it the shoonya
(vacuum).
The Sankhya philosophy saw the drashta as being separate from the
body, but they rejected the proof given by the Shrutis and their vision
was restricted to duality. Where duality dvaita is, death is. The
philosophies of Vaisheshik, Nyaya, etc believe that nine gunas
(qualities) color the Atmadravya (the matter that is the Atma), and must
be washed away. The attention of the karma-kaandi (those who believe
in ritualistic worship) is also focused on external objects. They do
accept the Vedas as proof, but they believe that the Paramartha Satya,
the oneness of the Brahman and the Atma, is like annihilation. They
continue to wander in the cycles of higher and lower realms from birth
to birth. Under the circumstances, it is not surprising that other, lower
beings are not able to experience the oneness of the Brahman and the
Atma.
There are many things in this world like the breeze, clouds, lightning,
thunder, etc that are ashareera (having no gross body) in the
beginning. They appear before our senses for a while and vanish into
their essence again. The human form is also like them, and the Atma in
it is called the uttam purush. He pays no attention to the activities of
his body, where it is, its eating and frolicking, staying among ladies,
sisters and other people, etc. The mind may go anywhere, the body may
go anywhere, he knows himself to be the Brahman. He has no need to
keep the body and mind in any place, as a duty.
Just as a horse or ox is attached to a cart, the pranas are inclined to five
directions (as per the five senses), and attached to this shareera. The
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mind, intellect, and senses stay in the body which has become one
with the vigyaana-shakti (the power of Gnan applied in life), and
kreeyashakti (the power of action). As long as the fruits of the past
karmas remain, he continues to get them.
One area of this pramaataa (the one who proves) is the ne`tre`ndriya
(vision), through which he sees. The space that is in the black pupil of
his eye is not separate from the space of the Atma. It is the Atma who
sees, smells, speaks, hears, and thinks.
Atha yatraitadaakaashamanuvishannam chakshuh sa chaakshushah
purusho darshanaaya chakshuh. Atha yo ve`de`dam jighraaneeti sa
aatmaa..(Chandogya Upanishad 8. 12. 4).
The mana (mind) is the divya drishti (divine vision). It is through the
mana that the Atma experiences all the lokas and bhogas.
Atha yo ve`de`dam manvaaneeti sa aatmaa. Manosya daivam
chakshuh. Sa vaa e`sha e`te`na daive`na chakshushaa manasaitaan
kaamaan pashyan ramate` (Chandogya Upanishad 8. 12. 5).
The gyata in these upaadhi (superimpositions through conditioning) is
the separate non-dual Brahman. The prapancha of dualities glimmers in
Him without being real. This was the drashta Parajapati referred to,
repeatedly, when he concluded his teaching to Indra, about the amrita,
abhay Atma.
The Sad-vidya is a dialogue of this world of human beings. The Brahmvidya is a dialogue of the world of Rishis, and the Dakshinakshi-vidya
is a dialogue of the world of Brahmaji.
The adhikaari (eligible person) of the Sad-vidya has the dosha (fault) of
pride. The adhikari of the Bhooma-vidya has the dosha of shoka
(sorrow), and the adhikari of the Chid-vidya has the dosha of desire and
inclination for sensual indulgences.
In the Sad-vidya, the persons intellect flows from the sookshma (cause)
to the sthoola (effect). In the Bhooma-vidya, the flow of the intellect is
from the effect to the cause. In the Chid-vidya, however, there are no
thoughts like the cause-effect; the adviteeya Purush is made known
through His presence in the three states (waking, dreaming and deep
sleep) experienced by everyone. The world of the waking state is the
samashti (the whole of creation). The world of the dream state is also
the samashti. The seeds of both states are in the deep sleep state, but no

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awareness of them exists in the deep sleep state. The Purush is the only
chetan. This is indicated through dakshinakshi.
If we give some thought, it is seen that the chid-vastu (the object that is
the Chit the Brahman) is the only Satya, because it is abaadhya
(cannot be negated). The Sad-vastu is Chit, since it pulsates in all
forms; and, because it is free from any kind of suppression, the Sat-Chit
is Anand. Had this vastu not been abhinna (not separate) from the
Sacchidananda Atma, it could not have been a direct personal
experience. It would have been something unseen and imagined.
Had the Atma not been abhinna with the Sacchidananda, it would have
been asat (not Satya), jada (insensate), and the form of dukha.
However, it is completely contrary to our experience for the Atma to be
asat-jada. Moreover, we all experience that the Atma is that, which is
dearest to us. Therefore, the Atma is the Sacchidananda Brahman.
The beginning and end of space and time are always hidden in the form
of the Brahman. Even the objects created and destroyed in space and
time, their beginning, end, and numbers, are all unknown. This world is
perceived as a separate Satya because of our agnan about our swarup.
The Atma is adviteeya, it is the Brahman. It is amrita, free of death and
the imagination of dying, because there was never a time nor will
there ever be a time when the Atma doesnt exist. Someone may
imagine the abhaava (non-existence) of the Atma, but he cannot
experience it. The Atma is abhay. When nothing else exists, what is
there to fear? This Atma is the Brahman. E`tad brahm.
Prajapatis teaching dispelled Indraa agnan. He became one with the
aishvarya-anaishvarya (magnificence-lack of magnificence), srishtipralaya (creation-dissolution), jaagrita-sushupti (waking-deep sleep
states). No situation, condition, presence, or absence of things, good or
bad, getting or not getting the fruits of his actions, etc, could make him
shift from his pristine essence.
Brahm-vidya can be proved as the best and most superior Gnan,
through these three vidyas.
3. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (Yajur Veda).
(a) The Discussion between Yagyavalkya and Maitreyi (The Maitreyi
Brahmana).
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Maharshi Yagyavalkya wanted to leave the state of a married

householder the Grihastha Ashram and enter the state of renouncing
the world the Sanyas Ashram. He had two wives, Maitreyi and
Katyayani. Maharshi told Maitreyi, Come, I will give you your share
of my wealth.
Maitreyi was not a dhanaarthi wealth was not her goal in life. She
was filled with a longing for the Amrita-Tattva the Brahm-vidya that
gives immortality.
If all your wealth is given to me, will I get amrita will I become
Mukta (free from the cycle of rebirth)? she asked.
No, said Maharshi. Your life will be like the life of any other wealthy
person. You cannot hope to obtain the Amrita-Tattva through wealth.
Amritatvasya tu naashaasti vitte`na. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 4.
2)
The Amrita-Tattva is not the fruit of any karma; it is the siddha-vastu
(established object; the Brahman), and can be obtained only by Gnan.
To do any karma, a person needs some objects, instruments that help in
its implementation, eligibility, and the subtle pride of being the karta.
All these are contrary to Gnan. Karma and Gnan can never stay
together.
Hearing this answer, Maitreyi asked, Of what use is the wealth that
cannot give me the Amrita-Tattva? Ye`naaham naamritaa syaam
ke`maham te`na kuryaam (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 4. 3). Please
tell me that, which you know, and by which I can obtain the AmritaTattva.
Maitreyis words were prompted by an intense wish for Moksha and
Gnan. This inspired Yagyavalkyas teaching. He said, Wives and other
relatives love their husbands and others, but why? Is it for fulfilling the
requirements of the loved ones? A wife, son, wealth, worldly
advantages, the luxury of Swarga, and the Devtas, are not loved for
their own sake. They are loved for the sake of our own Atma. Na vaa
are` sarvasya kaamaaya sarvam priyam bhavati aatmanastu kaamaaya
sarvam priyam bhavati (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 4. 5).
Therefore, we should become detached from everything that is the
anaatmaa (not the Atma). We should obtain the sakshatkara of that
Atma, which is the dearest of all, and for whose sake all the anatma
objects are dear. For this, we should listen to discourses on the
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Upanishads that explain the essence of the Atma. We should give deep
thought that is supportive of the proof given by the Upanishads. We
should do nididhyaasana (bring the mind repeatedly to the object)
Nothing is worth seeing, except the Atma. Aatmaa vaa are`
drashtavyah shrotavyo mantavyo nididhyaasitavyah (Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad 2. 4. 5).
Why should we have the darshan of only the Atma?
Because the darshan of the Atma means obtaining Gnan that gives Gnan
about everything.
Aatmano vaa are` darshane`na shravane`na matyaa vigyaane`ne`dam
sarvam viditam (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 4. 5).
The rope is the essence of the snake (that is a superimposition due to
agnan). Similarly, the Atma is the real Tattva of this world of names and
forms. Just as when Gnan about the rope-tattva reveals the truth about
the snake being a false impression, Gnan about the Atma-Tattva reveals
the truth about the entire world. Therefore, only the Atma is drashtavya
worth seeing, not the world separate from it.
Why is it so? It is because those who see themselves as something other
than the Atma a Brahmin, Devta, or any other misses the amrita that
is the Atma, the Brahman.
Brahm tam paraadaat yo anyatraatmano brahm ve`da
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 4. 6).
Truly, a Brahmin, Kshatriya (of the warrior class), the lokas (the other
realms), Vedas, bhoo (the earth), are all indeed the Brahman. Idam
sarvam yadayamaatmaa ( Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 4. 6). Since
they have a samaanaadhikaran (common relationship) with the Atma,
the fact remains that only the Atma is Satya, and the Tattva of all. Just
as the rope is the tattva of the perceived snake, garland, crack in the
ground, stick, etc, the Atma is the Tattva of the imagined space, time,
etc.
This prapanch is not separate from the chidaatmaa (the Atma that is
pure consciousness). Many examples are given to explain this. What
must be understood is that when one thing is essential to understand
another, the two are not separate. For example, the dundubhi (kettle
drum) is being played. If a person is unable to hear, he will not be able
to know the beat, note, etc. So, the shabda-vishe`sha (particular sound)
is not separate from the shabda-saamaanya (common sounds). In the
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same way, this prapanch of name and form cannot be absorbed unless
the chid-vastu (the object that is pure consciousness) is absorbed; and
the interactive world is not separate from the Chid-Atma. When we see
any form we first see light and then the form, and after that, we see the
shape of the form. Similarly the Chid-Atma is established before the
world of name and form is perceived. Therefore, the world is nothing
separate from the Chid-Atma.
We gather firewood some dry and some green twigs. Sparks fly when
the wood is put into the fire, and smoke rises. Similarly, the inhaling
and exhaling of the breath of the Paramartha Atma, names, the names of
Rig and other Vedas, loka-paraloka (this world and other realms) are
created
automatically.
Asya
mahato
bhootasya
nihshvasitame`tadyadrigve`dah (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 4. 10).
The presence of the fire is the source of the sparks. Are the sparks a
form of the agni (fire), or are they something separate from fire? They
cannot be called separate; they are anirvachaneeya (beyond definition;
ineffable). Similarly, the millions of universes that scatter like sparks
emitted by the Paramartha Tattva cannot be described as the Tattva or
atattva (not the Tattva). The example of the ocean into which
everything is submerged during pralay (dissolution) is given to explain
how everything merges into the Paramartha. Just as clouds shower rain
that forms into streams and rivers, and reaches the sea, this prapanch
takes on names and forms, and ultimately merges into the Atma-Tattva.
Let us put aside the subject of nitya (daily), naimittik (incidental) and
praakrita (pertaining to Nature) pralay. When avidya is removed by the
vidya that the Brahman and the Atma are one, the illusionary world is
annihilated, and this is called Moksha. Then, there is no possibility of
the existence of anything except the Atma. It is because of this that the
Upanishad roars, The Atma is neither within nor outside. Tade`tad
brahm apoorvamanaparamanataramabaahyam ayamaatmaa brahm
sarvaanubhooh ityanushaananam (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 5.
19).
That means, there is nothing outside and nothing inside. It is only the
Atma. Kritsnah pragyaanaghanah (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 5.
13). Everything is pragyaanaghana filled with the pure intellect. The
Brahma Sutra says, Tanmaatram (3. 2. 16).

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Yagyavalkya explained, The water of the ocean, the earth, and heat
combine to make salt. The solid form of salt dissolves when it is put in
water, which is its kaarana. The salt disappears; we see only water. Just
as reflections of the sun and moon are seen in water, the combinations
of karya-kaarana are seen as different jeevas in the chetan. Different
forms are given different names. A person thinks, I am the son of this
person, I am a separate individual.
The teachings of the Shastras and the Guru give Brahm-vidya. A person
understands that the combination of karya-kaarana that glimmers
(without being real) on its substratum, is actually mithya. That means,
the world of name and form is just a perception. Just as the reflections
of the sun and moon vanish when the water in which they are seen dries
up, the feeling of being a jeeva vanishes when a person gets Brahmvidya. Only the Paramartha Brahman remains. This is called
pragyanaghana in the Shrutis. It is absolutely pristine and non-dual.
The conclusion of Yagyavalkyas teaching is the adviteeya
pragyanaghana. After this, it seems illogical to negate all jeevas by
saying that the jeeva does not remain after death. When Maitreyi
expressed her doubts, Yagyavalkya said, This Atma is avinaashee
(indestructible; eternal). Avinaashee vaa are` ayamaatmaa
anuchhittidharmaa (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 5. 14). I have not
negated the sangyaa saamaanya (all the people); I have negated the
vishe`sha sangyaa (the person who obtains enlightenment). The point is
that when a person feels that he is separate, he gets the vishe`sha
(particular, different) vigyaana (applied science) of different objects,
and a duality-like condition prevails. The karta is separate, the different
instruments of action do different karmas, and different forms are seen.
When this fragmentation of objects is removed by the Brahm-vidya, the
feeling of being a separate individual is removed. Just as the
knowledge, that it is a rope, removed the false impression of a snake,
only the substratum is left, and that is the Atma Brahman. All dualities
become nothing but the Atma when a person obtains Brahm-vidya.
When there is no duality, there is no question of any action or doer of
the action, etc.
Yatra
hi
dvaitamiva
bhavati
taditara
itaram
pashyati
..taditaram
itaram
vijaanaati.
Yatra
tu
asya
sarvamaatmaivaabhoot tat ke`na kam pashye`t tatke`na kam
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jighrati.. tatke`na kam vijaaneeyaad (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

4. 5. 15).
It is not possible to say that once the objects that seem real in duality no
longer appear separate, this person sees only his Atma, because the
Atma is self-effulgent. It has no difference of that, which is illuminated,
and that, which illuminates. Who will give the vigyan of that, through
which the vigyan of everything is given?
Ye`ne`dam
sarvam
vijaanaati
tam
ke`na
vijaaneeyaat?
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 5. 15)
Therefore, when the feeling of separation is removed, only the feeling
of pure pragyan remains.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad states clearly that ne`ti-ne`ti (not thisnot this, the method of negating everything that is not the Atma, until
only the Atma is left) is the method for obtaining Gnan. This is
agrihya (cannot be perceived), asheerya (does not deteriorate), and
asanga (does not get attached). It is free of all attachments and
suffering and diminishing. O Maitreyi, through whom can we know the
vigyaataa (one who knows the vigyan)? Sa e`sha ne`ti-ne`ti aatmaa
agrihyo na hi grihyate`; asheeryo na hi sheeryate`; asango na hi
sajjate`; asito na vyathate` na rishyati. Vigyaataaramare` ke`na
vijaaneeyaat (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 5. 15).
Yagyavalkya told Maitreyi that the rules of the Grihastha Ashram no
longer applied, and he entered the Sanyas Ashram.
(b) Madhu-vidya (Madhu Brahmana).
The fifth Brahmana (the portion of the Vedas that give the rules of
chanting hymns) of the second chapter of the Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad is popularly known as the Madhu Brahmana. Before this
chapter, the Brahmanas contain the dialogue between Yagyavalkya and
Maitreyi, in which it is explained that Atmagnan is the sadhan for the
Amrita-Tattva, because a person obtains the Gnan about everything
once he has attained Gnan about his Atma.
The Atma is the dearest of all, therefore, we should do shravana (hear
about), manana (think about), and nididhyaasana (bring the mind
repeatedly to the subject) of the Atma. Shravan should be from an
Acharya (Teacher) who knows the Shastras. Manan should be logical.
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Nididhyasan is the flow of the intellect towards the subject of shravan

and manan. For example, Aatmaive`dam sarvam is a pratigyaavaakya (a pledge). It is a part of shravan. The purpose of this is that the
creation, sustenance and dissolution of everything is by the Atma. This
is explained again as the logical conclusion. The Madhu-Brahmana is
predominantly Vedic.
Madhu (honey) is the essence of many kinds of flowers. Madhu can be
called the upa-kaarya (effect). In this Madhu-vidya the feelings of
effect-cause are given the name Madhu. The Upanishads are of the
opinion that this earth is the madhu of all beings; it is the effect because
it is the work of all beings. In the same way, all beings are madhu the
effect of the earth. The earth and the beings in it have a relationship of
effect and cause, but the substratum on which they both exist is the
Atma that is amrita, the Brahman, and sarva (everything).
Iyam prithivee sarve`shaam bhootaanaam madhu. Asyai prithivyai
sarvaani bhootaani madhu. Yashchaayamasyaam prithivyaam
te`jomayomritamayah
purusho
yashchaayamadhyaatmam
shaareeraste`jomayomritamayah
purushoyame`va
sa
yoyamaatme`damamritamidam brahme`dam sarvam (Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad 2. 5. 1).
One shareera (body) is the prithivee (earth), and the other shareer is its
madhu the bodies of its beings. The abhimaani che`tan (the
consciousness that has the subtle pride of individuality) seems to be two
the Prithvi Devta and the jeevaatmaa (the Atma attached to an
individual) of the beings. However, if you think about this, this contains
the feeling of the effect and the cause. Furthermore, from the viewpoint
of the chetan, both are chinmaatra (consciousness), prakaasharoopa
(the form of light) the effulgence of the consciousness and
therefore, amrita.
Thus. The prithvi, all beings including humans and the individual
jeevas are mutual madhu; they are the shuddha chetan, and that is the
Atma. Being one with space and time, it is the Brahman. None of these
is separate from the Atma, so the Atma is everything. This is the Atma
whose pledge is, Idam sarvam yadayamaatmaa (2. 4. 6). Gnan about
everything is obtained by this Gnan.
In the same way, the Atma is the madhu of water, fire, air, the sun, the
directions, the moon, electricity, clouds, space, Dharma, Satya, humans
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and other species, and everything. Also, the Atma and all the elements
and their adhidaiva (presiding deities) and adhyaatma (metaphysical
substances) are the madhu of this one Atma. That Atma is the Brahman.
The conclusion is that on the one hand there are the vyashti shareera
(individual bodies) and on the other hand there is the samashti shareera
(the body of the whole; the aggregate of things), like the earth, etc.
These are the vyashti (individual) adhibhoota (composed of the five
elements) and the samashti (aggregate) adhibhoota. They have a mutual
feeling of effect and cause, so they are each others madhu. The
adhidaiva and adhyatma of these individual and entire bodies are also
each others madhu. However, the one and only cause of adhibhoota,
adhidaiva and adhyatma is that one Atma Brahman. He is Satya; all else
are names.
How is the jeeva that is the abhimaani (having the subtle pride of
individuality), the Atma Brahman? The Shruti says, Purah sa pakshee
bhootvaa purah purusha aavishat iti. Sa vaa ayam purushah sarvaasu
poorshu purishayo naine`na kinchanaanaavritam (Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad 2. 5. 18). That means, the Ishwara first assumed the body of
a bird (a gender) and then entered the pura (city, indicating the body) as
the Purusha, the way the sun enters a pot of water as a reflection. He is
called a Purush, or the jeeva, because He sleeps in the pura of the body.
There is nothing in which the Purush is not present, within, and outside.
Thus, the entire world of name and form is not separate from the
Purush.
It is the Brahman that is external as the body and indreeyas, and within
as the Atma (jeeva). Roopam roopam pratiroopo babhoova
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 5. 19) every form is a reflected form
of the Brahman. However, every form is separate from every other
form. How and why did that one form become many forms?
The reason is, if the effect and cause were not utilized to manifest as
names and forms, even the nirupaadhika svaroopa (the essence that is
free of any upadhi) of that Vastu-Tattva which is beyond cause and
effect would not be known. And, it is through Maya that all this
happens. Indro maayaabhih pururoopa eeyate` (Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad 2. 5. 19). Maya means magic, sleight of hand, to not see
what is, and to see what is not, in that which is. It is because of not
knowing the Brahmans non-dual form that we see this interactive
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world the way people see a snake instead of the coiled rope. The fact is
that all this is magic; nothing has actually happened. It is just that One
established in His own essence.
Tade`tad brahm apoorvam anaparam anantaram abaahyam
ayamaatmaa
brahm
sarvaanubhooh
ityanushaasanam
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 5. 19). That Brahman has no kaarana
(cause) and no kaarya (effect). It is infinite and free of anything except
itself. This Atma is the sakshi Brahman that experiences everything.
This is the teaching of all the Devtas.
(c) Antaryami Brahaman.
Aruni Udalaka asked Yagyavalkya, Do you know that sootra (thread,
aphorism) and antaryaami (the one who is in all hearts), who controls
this world, other worlds, and all beings from within?
Yagyavalkya replied, Vaayu (prana) is that sootra. This prithvi, jala,
agni, all the bhootas like space hold everything in the same way. The
humans avid desires create their subtle bodies composed of seventeen
tattvas, including these five elements. When they leave, the parts of the
body are scattered like the beads of a necklace when the string that
holds them together breaks. Therefore, this is the sootra. Now, listen to
the description of the antaryami. The one who stays on the prithvi, is
inside the prithvi, not known by the prithvi, whose body is the
prithvi, and who controls the prithvi from within, is your Atma, the
antaryami amrita.
Ya prithivyaam tishthan prithivyaa antaro yam prithivee shareeram yah
prithiveemantaro yamayati e`sha ta aatmaantaryamyamritah
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3. 7. 3).
That means, you should first fix your vision deeper into the prithvi that
supports all beings. Then, take the vision deeper into the prithvi. The
internal boundary of the prithvi is the prithvis abhimaani de`vtaa (the
presiding deity who has the subtle pride of being the prithvi). He is not
the antaryami. The antaryami is the one who sees this Devta. It is in His
proximity that the body of the Prithvi Devtas pravritti-nivritti (activity
and withdrawal from activity) happens systematically. The antaryami
has no body or indreeyas that are separate from the Prithvi Devta, so the
body and indreeyas of the prithvi is the body of the antaryami. By this
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logic you can say that the prithvi is the body of the antaryami, but
actually the antaryami is ashareeri (having no body). All bodies belong
to Him who has no body of His own.
How are all the different bodies regulated? It is according to the laws of
Nature. The jeevas vasanas of past births create the body, senses, and
antahkaran in the five elements. Their activities or lack of activities
are inspired and done through the mind, body and senses. All this is
done with the authority of the antaryami, so it can be said that the
antaryami regulates all actions.
The state of the prithvi is also the state of the bodies of all beings that
are the effect of the prithvi. The one who stays in the body is within the
body, but is not the abhimani jeeva of this body. It is the pristine sakshi
chetan who the jeeva does not know, whose body the jeeva is, and who
rules the body from within. He is the jeevas Atma and antaryami.
Then, is the antaryami of the prithvi separate from the antaryami of the
jeeva? No. The Shruti says that both are one and the same. The prithvis
antaryami is the tat-padaartha (the matter that is Tat = the Brahman),
and the antaryami of an individual body is the tvam-padaartha (the
matter that is tvam = you, the Atma). The Tat-padartha is the tvampadartha. E`sha te` aatmaa antaryaamau amritah this is another form
of Tattvamasi.
Yagyavalkya is of the opinion that a sadhak should search for the
antaryami, and see Him not only in the prithvi, but also in water, fire,
space, mind, Heaven, Aditya (the sun), the directions, moon, stars, sky
and the external darkness that cloaks everything, and in effulgence
meaning, in all the adhidaivas. The one chaitanya that controls them
from within, is superior to the adhishthana of these, and is unknown to
them. The chaitanya is the illuminator of everything; He is the
antaryami to whom everything belongs. He is the chetan sakshi, in the
sakshis own body. Meaning, He is the Atma of the sadhak.
Similarly, a sadhak should seek the Atma in the adhibhoota (gross
matter composed of the five elements) and adhyaatma (the subtle forms
of matter; the metaphysical). He, who is seated in the prana, is within
the prana, who the prana does not know, and who controls the prana
from within, is the antaryami who is amrita and He is your shuddha
Atma. This is the desirable viewpoint regarding speech, vision, hearing,
mind, feel, vigyan, sperm, etc.
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How can one see the antaryami? My brother, you are trying to turn the
drashtaa (the one who sees) into the drishya (that, which is seen). That
is impossible. Yagyavalkya says, He is not the one who is seen; He is
the one who sees! He is not the object of the mind; He is the one who
thinks! He is not known; He is the one who knows! He has no other
drashta, shrotaa (the one who hears), manta (the one who thinks),
vigyaataa (the one who knows). He is no other than you, yourself!
Adrishto drashtaa ashrutah shrotaa amato mantaa avigyaato
vigyaataa. Naanyotosti drashtaa naanyotosti shrotaa naanyotosti
mantaa naanyotosti vigyaataa e`sha ta aatmaa antaryamee amritah
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3. 7. 23).
4. Aitareya Upanishad (Rig Veda).
Aatmaa vaa idame`ka e`vaagra aaseet (Aitareya Upanishad 1. 1. 1).
Only the Atma existed before the world was created.
Is the Sat of this Sad-vidya jada or chetan? Is it sva (the self), or anya
(another)? This Shruti says that He is chetan, not jada. He is sva, not
anya, because the use of the Atma is always for the Self. Moreover,
the consciousness in sva is self-established. Thus, the Sat-Chit Tattva
is at the root of creation. This is the principle of the Upanishads.
That, which is Sat, is the Atma; and that, which is the Atma, is the Sat.
The Sat is the Atma; the Atma is the Sat. If separated from the Atma,
the Sat will become jada, and the Atma will become kshanika
(temporary). However, three things can never be experienced by anyone
I do not exist, I am jada, and I am not dear to myself. The fact is that
these three are the descriptions of the Sacchidananda through the
method of vyatire`ka (negative exclusion). The Sacchidananda is nondual. What is Sat is the Chit and the Sat-Chit is the Anand, undivided by
space, time or matter. The separations are perceived when the persons
intellect shows divisions. They are not perceived when it doesnt, but
the Atma is abhe`dharoopa (free of fragmentation). The Atma glimmers
whether the differences glimmer or not.
The world that is seen was the Atma before the names and forms
manifested. That means, the awareness of the differences in this world
is the creation of this world. The continued awareness of this world is
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its substance, and the absence of awareness is the dissolution. The Atma
which is the essence of consciousness is at the root of all awareness.
Everything is known because the Atma is known, and that is the
Paramartha (the Supreme; the Brahman). Awareness is Gnan, therefore,
it is the Atma that is the world seen everywhere, at all times, having all
the different objects.
Here, agre` (before) does not imply time. It is the interpretation of the
kaak-vaasanaa (the desires of time) that is firmly settled in the mind.
The purport of this is that this srishti (creation) is the Atma from the
very beginning, in the middle, and at the end. Only the Atma exists, not
the srishti. It is written in the Shrimad Bhagwat that that, which did not
exist before this world was born, and will not exist after it is destroyed,
does not exist in the middle either. It is only imagined. It is also a fact
that an object is the same as the matter it is made of, and through which
it manifests.
Na yatpurastaaduta yatra pashchaat madhye` cha tatra
vyapade`shamaatram,
Bhootam prasiddham cha pare`na yad yat tade`va tatsyaaditi me`
maneeshaa.
(Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapurana 11. 28. 21)
According to this principle, it was the Sad-Atma that existed in the
beginning, not the world. Therefore, it is the Sad-Atma that exists even
now, not the world. This is the meaning of the Atma being adviteeya.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says, Brahm vaa idamagre` aaseet.(1.
4. 10) That means, the Sad-Atma is the Brahman. The earth is
perceived, but has no real existence. This is the principle of Advaita.
The Aitareya Upanishad starts with Aatmaa vaa .. and ends
with, pragyaanam brahm. Therefore, the purport of this Upanishad is
to show that the shuddha gnana-swarup of the Atma is the Brahman.
5. Mundaka Upanishad (Atharva Veda).
Brahmaive`damamritam purastaat
dakshitashchottare`na,
Aghashchordhvam cha prasritam
varishtham.
(Munduka Upanishad 2. 2. 11)
400

brahm

pashchaad

brahmaive`dam

brahm

vishvamidam

This Brahman is in front, behind, on the right and on the left, above
and below. This whole world is the sarva-shre`shtha (most superior)
Brahman.
The Shruti gives the teaching just as a knowledgeable person says, The
snake you see is actually a rope, to the man who mistakes the rope for
a snake. The Shruti takes the drishti (vision; view) of those who see
things with their avidya, and says that the jagat (world) perceived in
front, behind, on the left and right, above and below, etc, is the
Brahman. Else, the directions are imposed on the dik-tattva (the essence
of space), so the differences in them do not really exist in the pragyanaghana Brahman. The purport of the Shrutis is that everything is
actually the Brahman even if it seems to be anything other than the
Brahman.
It is surprising that the whole world swims in amrita, but people dont
recognize it or imbue it. On the contrary, they swim in the sea of this
world which is like a mirage.
Come; let us imagine that the sea of the Brahman ripples all around us.
The Shruti is not telling us the method for cultivating this feeling. If
you try to convince yourself that the snake you see is actually a coiled
rope, the snake may seem less of a danger, but you cannot have the
direct personal experience of the rope. The rope is a siddha-vastu (an
object that cannot be called unreal). It is before you, but you have to
remove the sarpa-drishti (the vision of its being a snake) from it. What
created the sarpa-drishti? It was created by avidya. It is the removal of
this avidya that is desired. The rope will be seen as a rope as soon as the
avidya is removed. In fact, the removal of avidya and the seeing of the
rope will be simultaneous. All doubts regarding it being anything but a
rope will vanish. In the same way, the Brahman is the siddha-vastu. The
avidya that makes us believe that the multiple forms are real has to be
removed. As soon as avidya is removed, we will see that it the Brahman
who is everywhere.
A-mrita means one who is not subject to mrityu (death); meaning, the
abaadhita-tattva the Tattva that cannot be negated, or, that, which is
not subject to death. It also means the pristine Gnan that is free of the
feeling of being the adhishthana, or, the method by which death does
not come. It is not possible for death to die. It is a bhram (false
impression) to believe that that, which is amrita, dies. Therefore, when
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the Tattva that is not separate from the chetan in the individual seems to
die, become insensate, and filled with sorrow, it is only a bhram. The
Atma-Tattva that is shown by the removal of bhram is the Brahman.
The Upanishads have described this bhaava (meaning; feeling) in many
ways. Brahmaive`dam amritam purastaat; aatmaive`dam amritam
purastaat; sa e`ve`dam amritam purastaat. Ahamaive`dam amritam
purastaat.
The meaning is that the Brahman, the Atma, Sah (the Ishwara), and
Aham are four names of the Amrita-Tattva. The Paramartha vastu is
one, and it is that, which is the jagat we perceive. The knowledge of this
adviteeya Tattva destroys all perceived differences, because they have
no real existence.
The Chandogya Upanishad is a part of the Sama Veda. The
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is a part of the Yajur Veda. The Aitareya
Upanishad is a part of the Rig Veda, and the Mundaka Upanishad is
from the Atharva Veda. Thus, the meaning of all four Vedas is the
Brahmatmaikya bodha the knowledge that the Brahman and the Atma
are one. This is the purport of all the Upanishads. For example:
1. E`katvamanupashyatah (Ishavasya Upanishad 7). There is no
sorrow or delusion for a person who sees that everything is the
One.
2. Pratibodhaviditam matam amritatvam hi vindate` (Ke`na
Upanishad 2. 4) every realization reveals the same Atma-tattva.
3. Purushaat na param kinchit saa kaashthaa saa paraa gatih.
(Katha Upanishad 1. 3. 11) nothing is beyond the Purusha. He is
the boundary line, the param gati (ultimate state).
4. Manasaive`damaaptavyam ne`ha naanaasti kinchana. Mrityoh sa
mrityum gacchati ya iha naane`va pashyati (Katha Upanishad 2.
1. 11) not the slightest variety exists. The person who sees
duality is caught in the cycle of rebirth.
5. E`kastathaa
sarvabhootaantaraatmaa
roopam
roopam
pratirooopo babhoova (Katha Upanishad 2. 2. 9 10) he alone
is the antaratma of all beings. It is he who manifests in every
form.
6. Sarvam hye`tad brahm. Ayamaatmaa brahm (Mandukya
Upanishad 2) all this is the Brahman. This Atma is the
Brahman.
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7. Purusha e`ve`am sarvam (Shve`taashvara Upanishad 3. 15) all

this is the Purusha.
The Gita and other books of Smriti, and also the Shrimad Bhagwat and
other Puranas, are filled with such statements.
Shri Shankaracharya Bhagwan says that when we understand these, and
other similar statements of the Shrutis to be the Brahmatmaikya bodha,
there is no scope to accept any other meaning. If we try to seek other
meanings, we are harming the real meaning by imagining things that are
not indicated.
The purport of the Vedas is, obviously, not to establish that the Atma is
the karta. The Upanishads contain the nishe`dha (negation; denial) of
the Atma having any doer, or fruit, of actions. For example, Tatke`na
kam pashye`t, etc. The Shruti of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says
that if we once know ourselves to be the Brahman, what object can we
possibly desire, that would induce us to inflict suffering on our body?
Aatmaanam che`dvijaaneeyaad ayamasmeeti poorushah. Kimichhan
kasya kaamaaya shareeramanusanjvare`t (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
4. 4. 12).
The Atma is naturally free of sadhans and their fruits. Sadhans and their
fruits are not the nature of the Atma.
6. Clarifications of some similar doubts.
Question. The Upanishads contain descriptions of many kinds of
upasanas of the Brahman. Studying them, it seems as though the
Brahmatmaikya Gnan is also a part of the method of upasana.
Clarification. All the upasanas in the Vedas are connected to
Tattvagnan, but Tattvagnan is not a part of any method of upasana. This
point should be understood clearly. Humans are inclined to take the
aashraya (shelter) of an unseen existence, or objects, for fulfilling their
worldly or other-worldly desires. Upasana of the Devtas is a result
of this inclination. An eligibility for de`vopaasanaa (upasana of the
Devtas) is different from an eligibility for Brahmgnan.
Brahmjigyaasaa (a wish to know about the Brahman) arises in the heart
of a person who does not consider sukha to be found in petty things.
Only a person who is detached from paltry sukhas seeks sukha in the
greatest. He sees the Brahman as the only sukha. The Brahman is the
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greatest object. He is the Bhooma. Bahunaama bhaavo bhoomaa the

one in the many is the Bhooma. Brahmjigyasa cannot happen if a
person is attached to the insignificant, whereas upasana of the Devtas is
included in the alpa-jigyaasaa (a wish to know the paltry).
Pleasure perceived in the alpa (paltry) makes you dependent and jada,
because you cannot obtain anand from the jada without identifying with
it. Ultimately, it results in sorrow. To be dependent and suffer separation
is contrary to the aananda-bhaava (existence of happiness). To be jada
and identify with another object is contrary to the chid-bhaava
(existence of consciousness), and destruction is contrary to the satbhaava (existence). Therefore, if any human being wants to get sukha
from anything other than his Atma, he is seeking sukha that will be
destroyed, sukha that is insensate, and sukha that enslaves him. The fact
is that he is suffering from a false understanding of sukha. He believes
that sukha exists in the things that ultimately give dukha. A jigyasu of
the Brahman should first be free of the idea that karma and upasana
give sukha, and take the sharan (refuge) of his Guru, to obtain
Brahmgnan.
In obtaining Gnan about the Brahman from the Guru, a jigyasu has
three aashraya (shelters; supports) aatmaashraya (the support of the
Atma), eeshvaraashraya (the support of the Ishwara), and
saadhanaashraya (the support of sadhana).
If you let go of everything external and sit within your Self, you will
automatically get the Paramatma. This is Atmashraya. If you worship
the Ishwara whole-heartedly, so that He is pleased and gives Gnan, that
is Ishwarashraya. If you hold on to a sadhan that automatically results
in Gnan, that is sadhanashraya. The support of sadhana, renunciation,
upasana of the Ishtadev etc, comes in this category. The Atmashraya is
also like sadhanashray, except that in this, the direction of the action of
sadhana is pratiloma (reversed), and the feeling of being the doer is
reduced. However, neither Atmashraya not sadhanashraya have the
capacity to remove the false understanding of being the karta and the
bhokta. Regarding the removal of the bhrantis, like being the kartabhokta, through the support of the Ishtadev, there is a feeling of being a
karta towards the paroksha (unseen) Devta. This is not the path of the
aparoksha saakshaatkaara (the personal experience) of the vastu (the

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object that is the Brahman). This is the path of a madhyama adhikaaree

a sadhak whose eligibility is of the middle level.
The uttam adhikaaree a sadhak of the highest level for Brahmgnan is
a person who feels detached from the alpa. The madhyam adhikari is a
person who takes the ashray of his own intellect; and the manda (dull)
adhikari is one who takes the ashray of a paroksha Devta.
Question. Is upasana to be done before Tattvagnan, or after?
Explanation. Upasana is done before Tattvagnan, because all actions,
the doer, and fruits of the action which are part of the world of duality
lose their importance after Tattvagnan is obtained. Superimpositions
or worship are neither required, nor possible, once a person gets
Tattvagnan, because as soon as he realizes that everything is that one
essence, the Brahman, the mithya Gnan of duality disappears. Neither
the Brahman nor the Brahmgnan are included in the method of upasana.
The descriptions of the Brahman, or Atma, in the Upanishads like
sarvakarmaa (the one who does everything), sarvagandha (all
fragrances), sarva rasa (all flavors), etc can be accepted as a part of
upasana by focusing the mind on these qualities. However, the
nishe`dha-vaakya (the statements of negation) give words like
ashabdam (without voice), asparsham (without touch), aroopam
(without form), or naantah pragyam (without intellect) etc or where
the oneness of the Atma and the Brahman are described, like
Tattvamasi and Aham Brahmasmi, they cannot be considered a part
of upasana. They speak of the experience of the Satya.
The proof of the statements of Vedanta do not conclude in being the
shaastra-vachana (statements of the Shastras), but in obtaining their
direct experience. They are authenticated by experiencing the Atma as
the Brahman. Other statements of vidhi-nishe`dha (rules of instituted
and forbidden actions) that do not contain the subject of this world we
see, are pramaana (proof) given by the Shastras. Sentences that refer to
the pratyaksha (known by the senses) are interpretations of the things
that are established by anvaya-vyatire`ka (positive and negative
assertions); meaning, they are proved by other methods. Therefore, they
are not independent proofs.
The Atmas being the Brahman is not proved by other methods; nor can
it be negated. It can only be understood by the Vedanta-vakya, and
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hence, the Brahman is a direct personal experience that is established

only by the Shastras.
What is the reliability of the Vedanta-vakya? It is like
Dashamastvamasi you are the tenth. Every person in the group of
ten fools is the tenth, but forgets to count himself. When told, You are
the tenth, nobody is lost, they all get the paroksha Gnan about the tenth
person.
Similarly, the Atma is the Brahman. It is aparoksha (known, but not
through the senses), but has become paroksha (unseen) because of
agnan. The Vedanta-vakyas merely remove the agnan that prevents us
from experiencing the Brahman. The fruit of Gnan is the removal of
agnan; the Brahman is always aparoksha.
Question. The Vedanta-vakyas create the sanskaara (subtle
subconscious impressions) of the Brahman, and this leads to the Gnan
and experience that the Atma is the Brahman. What if we believe that
the Atma is not actually the Brahman?
Explanation. It is an attribute of the Atma-vigyan (science of the Atma)
that it neither creates sanskaras, nor is it created by sanskaras. All other
vigyans create sanskaras and are created by sanskaras because they are
connected to karma-kaanda (rituals of worship).
Sarvatraiva hi vigyaanam sanskaaratve`na gamyate`,
Paraanganchaatmavigyaanaadanyatre`tyavadheeyataam.
(Shri Sureshvaracharya)
Once you know yourself to be gnaanaghana (filled with Gnan), your
belief that Gnan contains sanskaras will be removed.
Chick peas are made of the pancha bhoota (five elements) and have
beejatva (fertility). They are different from other grains like wheat and
barley. They all grow, flower, and fruit because of the beejatva, but the
fertility of the seeds is destroyed if they are roasted, even though the
pancha bhootas remain. That means, the sattaa (existence) has no
beejatva. Beejatva is a sanskara. The beej (seed) can be burnt, but not
the sattaa.
In the same way, the sakshi chetan is Sat. It is nirbeeja (infertile). It has
no sanskara of any dravya (matter), karma, bhaava (feeling of being),
or vidhi (process; being the right thing to do). We continue to get
sanskaras as long as we identify with our antahkaran. The antahkaran is
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negated when we get Gnan, so how can Atma-vigyan create sanskaras?

Had the Atma been created by sanskaras, it would have been
experienced for the sake of the sanskaras. Had that been the case, your
antahkaran would have been negated right at the beginning. There
would have been no feeling of I and mine, but it is a fact that we do
have these feelings. Therefore, the Atma is not created by sanskaras.
I am, is not a sanskara; it is an experience.
I am the body, is a natural Gnan.
I am a human being, is a social Gnan.
I am a jeeva, is a Gnan given by the Shastras.
I am the Brahman, is not a superimposition of the Brahman upon the
I; it is a negation of the natural, social, and Shastriya conditioning.
The experience that the Atma is the Brahman is not born from
sanskaras. It is indicated by the negation of all sanskaras.
The Shruti said, Everything is the Paramatma. Everyone heard this
Shruti, but had different reactions. The believers of Karma Yoga said,
Since everything is the Paramatma, we should render service to all
beings. The believers of Bhakti Yoga said, Since everyone is the
Paramatma, who can we have raga-dvesha for? We should consider
everyone to be the Paramatma. The believers of Yoga Shastra said,
Since everything is the Paramatma, we should practice not perceiving
the perceived multiplicity. The Vedantis said, My brother, what is
there to do or not do? The Shruti reveals one Satya. Since everything is
the Brahman, I am the Brahman and nothing exists that is separate
from me. A persons life is fulfilled by this knowledge.
Thus, the Vedanta-vidya is not a part of any karma or upasana. It does
not create sanskaras, nor is it created by sanskaras. The pramaana
(proofs) give us the sakshatkara of the prame`ya (that, which is
established). The prameya of the Vedanta-vakya is the Atmas being the
Brahman, not some vidhi-nishedha. If your mind is free of doubts and
negative thoughts about the praman of the Shrutis, that the Atma and
the Brahman are one, you will obtain Brahmgnan just be hearing
Tattvamasi, or any other Mahavakya, because the Upanishads certify
that the Brahm-shastra is authentic.
Question. Then, the conclusion is that Brahmgnan gives Moksha, is that
right?
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Explanation. No. Brahmgnan is Moksha. Brahmgnan destroys the

agnan about the Atma, and simultaneously shows the Moksha that is the
form of the oneness of the Atma and the Brahman. No action separates
Brahmgnan and Moksha. Personal experience and a number of Shrutis
are proof of this. For example:
1. The Mundaka Shruti says that a person who knows the Brahman
becomes the Brahman; Brahmve`da brahmaiva bhavati.
(Mundaka Upanishad 3. 2. 9). Where the drashta and drishya are
separate, the drashta of the ghata is separate from the ghata that is
seen. But, where the drashta is not actually separate but seems to
be separate from what is seen, due to avidya it becomes obvious
that they are one as soon as their apparent separateness is negated
by the knowledge of the Atma. We believe ourselves to be a jeeva
because of avidya, and believe the Brahman to be separate, to be
the substratum. The pramaataa (the one who establishes) is the
tvam-padartha you, the Atma and the prame`ya (that, which
is established) is the Tat-padartha the Brahman. But, the Shruti
Tattvamasi says, Tvam is Tat. Their being separate is a bhram.
As soon as this is understood, the difference between the pramata
and the prameya is ended, and the knower of the Brahman being
the Brahman becomes evident. Agnan shows the Atma as being
separate from the Brahman. There is no other karma, vasana, or
apaasanaa (knot of complication). Therefore, the very instant
Gnan is obtained, Brahmvid brahmaiva bhavati.
During the period of agnan, the Brahman is the object of agnan, and
I, the jeeva, is the ashray. When that Brahman becomes the object
of Gnan, and the person gets the feeling, I am the Brahman, he sees
himself as the Brahman. Agnan creates the duality of the aashrayavishaya (the refuge- the jeeva; the object- the Brahman). Gnan shows
them as being one, destroying the agnan. The Gnan-swarup Brahman
always exists.
2. The Mundaka Upanishads second Shruti is: Bhidyate`
hridayagranthishchhidyante`
sarvasashayaah,
ksheeyante`
chaasya karmaani tasmin drishte` paraavare`( 2. 2. 8). When a
person obtains the sakshatkara of the paraavara (Atma of all)
Brahman, the imaginary knot of avidya is removed, all doubts are
cut away, and all karmas are destroyed.
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Paravara means the akhilaatmaa the Atma of all, the Brahman, the
substratum of the entire animate and inanimate world. Seeing the
paravara means seeing the Ishwara as our Atma. Para is the
kaarana, the Ishwara; and avara is the karya, the jagat. The jeeva is
also the avara, compared to the Ishwara. Therefore, to see the
paravara is to see the vyashti-samashti (individual-totality), jeevaIshwara, and jagat-Ishwara superimposed upon our self-effulgent
Atma. What will this viewpoint achieve? Karmas, doubts, and avidya
will be destroyed.
Your sitting in one antahkaran as I and mine, in spite of being the
infinite, complete Brahman, is the hriday-granthi the imaginary
knot that ties the Chit to the jada. Bhraanti (false understanding),
adhyaasa (a superimposition caused by conditioning), and the Chidjada-granthi are all names of the hriday-granthi.
What are sanshaya (doubts)? They are also created by agnan, and are
ubhayakotyagaahee they create doubts. For example, are they
dvaita (having duality) or advaita (non-dual)? Are the Atma and the
anaatmaa (that, which is not the Atma) two, or are they one? Is
Mukti obtained by Gnan? Do the loka-paraloka (this world and other
realms) exist or not? Is the Atma the Brahman, or isnt it? All these
are sanshays.
What is karma? Here, the word karma indicates the feeling of janya
that, which is created, and the janaka the one who creates; the
father. Vasanas result in karmas, and karmas lead to vasanas. The
combination of vasanas and karmas results in the cycle of rebirth.
This is karma. Gnan cuts across the avidya-granthi (the imaginary
knot of avidya that ties us to the cycle of rebirth), all doubts are
removed, and the combination of vasanas and karmas reduces so
drastically that the chain of rebirth is broken. This is Moksha.
These fruits of Gnan are obtained the very instant a person obtains
Gnan. There is no time gap in between.
3. The Shruti of the Taittireeya Upanishad says, Aanandam
brahmno vidvaana na bibhe`ti kutashchana (2. 9), meaning, a
person who knows the Ananda of the Brahman fears no one.
Yagyavalkya describes the same fruit of Tattvagnan to Raja Janak.
Abhayam vai janaka praaptosi (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 2.

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4) O Janak, you have definitely attained abhaya (freedom from

fear).
The words are, Brahmanah aanandam, meaning, the Ananda of the
Brahman. Anand and the Brahman seem to be two different things,
and the vidvaana (learned person) who knows them is a third object.
However, in the Taittireeya Upanishad itself, anand is called the
Brahman aanando brahme`ti vyajanaat. The Srishti (this world) is
created by this Anand Brahman. It is also written, Aanadaaddhye`va
khalvimaani bhootaani jaayante`
Thus, it is stated that if you are not an agnani, and have no vasanas in
your heart, you will obtain anand that is many more times greater
than the highest anand anyone gets normally. That means, you,
yourself are Ananda-swarup you are the essence of bliss. In the
same Upanishad, the characteristic of the swarup of the Atma is said
to be Satyam gnaanamanantam brahm. Everything stated here
leads to the conclusion that you are the Sacchidananda Brahman.
Who would a person fear, once he got the Gnan of being the
adviteeya Brahman? Fear is for another, or for dukha. The Brahman
has no other, and not even a shadow of dukha.Abhayam vai brahm
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 4. 25). Dviteeyaadvai bhayam
bhavati (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1. 4. 2).
The root of all fears is the form of death, and this fear is removed by
Brahmgnan. Other fears lose their relevance. The Sat is always
avinaashee (indestructible). A Gnani is not afraid that he will become
an agnani, or insane, because these cannot even be imagined in his
Chit-swarup. It is immaterial whether the buddhi is in a state of
Samadhi or vikshe`pa (disturbance). A Gnani fears nothing and no
one. He has no dear of vishays or the absence of vishays; of bhogas
or the absence of bhogas; of karmas or the absence of karmas. You
have read about this in the Chandogya Upanishad, Jakshan kreedan
ramamaanah (8. 12. 3).
4. The Brihadaranyaka Upnishad Shruti is, That jeeva knew himself
to be the Brahman. This Gnan made him sarva
(everything).Tadaatmaaname`vaave`d aham brahmaasmi iti
tasmaat sarvamabhavat (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1. 4. 10)
The ghataakaasha (the space inside a pot) is aakaasha (space). The
space in a pot is called the ghata-akasha because of the upaadhee
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(superimposition connected to an object) of the ghata. Similarly, the

jeeva is the Brahman who has been called a jeeva because of the upadhi
of the body and antahkaran. The Brahman, called the jeeva, knew
himself. What was special about that? Everyone knows himself! The
Charvaks know themselves to be the body, or the four bhoota
(elements). The Buddhists know themselves to be a kshanik vigyaani
(having a temporary knowledge). The Naiyayiks know themselves to be
the karta-bhokta. The followers of Sankhya and Yoga know themselves
to be the drashta. The Upasakas know themselves to be a tiny part of
the Ishwara. Everyone claims to know himself.
The Shruti said, We will create a samvidhaana (constitution; set of
rules). Whoever know this, knows the Satya. What is this samvidhana?
It is, Aham brahmaasmi (I am the Brahman). A person who knows
himself to be the Brahman has the right knowledge. I am the Brahman,
undivided by space, time and matter. The differences of sajatiya,
vijatiya and svagat bheda do not affect my eternal Sacchidananda
Tattva. This entire interactive world glimmers in me. This is the correct
knowledge.
What is its fruit? It is the Gnan, I am everything.
The desired Gnan is, I am the Brahman, but the abhimaana (pride) of
being the Brahman is not desirable. The Gnan of being the Brahman is
desirable because it negates the abhiman of thinking that you are a body
or a jeeva. The jeevatva (feeling of being a jeeva) is a bhram. It is a
shrauta bhram, a false understanding created by what you have heard.
It is not accepted by seeing your jeevatva. Had you been able to see
your own jeevatva, you would have known yourself to be separate from
it. Jeevatva is not our swarup; it is a superimposition on ones Self, to
think that you are a separate object, a drishya not the drashta.
This world of sensatory experiences glimmers in me, the Brahman,
without having any real existence, because of my avidya. From the
viewpoint of Gnan, that, of which we are aware, is not separate from
the consciousness that is the Atma. Therefore, the jagat is abhinna (not
separate) from the I that is the Brahman.
5. The Ishavasya Upanishads mantra is: Yasmin sarvaani bhootaani
aatmaivaabhood vijaanatah. Tatra ko mohah kah shoka
e`katvamanupashyatah. (7). Once a person realizes that every

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being is no other than the Atma, he feels no shoka (sorrow), no

moha (illusion).
Thus, Brahmgnan gives the Atma which is the form of Moksha a
release from the factors that block it. Brahmgnan does not say that any
duty or upasana must be done to obtain Moksha. The Shruti does not
accept that any karya separates Brahmgnan from Moksha. In the case of
karmaanushthaana (ritual of worship), the karma of the anushthaana
(ritual) separates the Gnan of the ritual from its fruit. The fruit cannot
be obtained unless the anushthan is done. In Brahmgnan, however,
Moksha is obtained along with the Gnan. This is the principle of the
Shrutis.
Vamdev Rishi got the bodha (realization) of being the Brahman. The
fruit of this Gnan was that he began to tell people, It was I who was
Manu.
It
is
I,
who
is
the
Surya
(sun).
Taddhaitatpashyannushirvaamade`vah pratipe`de`ham manurabhavam
sooryashcha (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1. 4. 10). This is an example
of the feeling of being the Atma of all. From the viewpoint of the tvampadartha, it is the Atma that is the substratum that illuminates the mind
and eyes. No kaarya (effect) links Brahmgnan to sarvaatmabhaava (the
feeling of being everything).
Narad prayed to Sanat Kumar to help him cross over the ocean of
sorrow. Sanat Kumar did so by giving Gnan, as given in the Chandogya
Upanishad,
Question: Brahmgnan means to have Gnan of the Brahman. That
means, in Brahmgnan, the action of knowing leads to the effect of the
Brahman, or you can say that the Brahman is the object of Gnan.
Explanation: The Shruti says that the Brahman is the avishaya (not the
object) of Gnan. Anyade`va tadviditaadatho aviditaadadhi (Kena
Upanishad 1. 3). That Brahman is separate from both the known and
the unknown. The pratyaksha (experienced by the senses) is vidit
(known), and the apratyaksha (that, which cannot be known by the
senses) is avidit (unknown). It could be something like another country,
or something heard but not experienced by anybody, like Swarga it is
all avidit. The Brahman is separate from both the vidit and the avidit.

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In that case, the Brahman must be some paroksha (unseen, not known
by the senses) Devta, because a Devta can also be separate from the
vidit and avidit. A Devta obtains a name and form because of upasana.
No, the Brahman is not paroksha. He is known to us all, as our I.
Therefore, the Brahman is nitya (eternally) aparoksha.
Yatsaakshaadaparokshaad brahm is a well-known Shruti of the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. However, even here, the Brahm-vastu (the
object that is the Brahman) is different from the way the I is known
and unknown. How will you know that, by which everything is known?
This is also the Shruti of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Ye`ne`dam
sarvam vijaanaati tam ke`na vijaaneeyaat (2. 4. 14)?
You may say that the Brahman is not an object of the vritti (mental
tendency/inclination), it will remain agye`ya (unknowable)! If that be
the case, it is useless to talk about Brahmgnan. It would also be contrary
to the statements that the Shastras are the creation of the Brahman, but
it is not so. This should be understood properly.
Even renowned Vedantis want that their Gnan should have some effect
on their body or mind, just as buried wealth gives a feeling of sukha.
That means, they consider Brahmgnan to be a method by which a
human body can get sukha! This is identifying with the body; it is not
Brahmgnan.
The only fruit of Brahmgnan is the removal of avidya, which leads to
removing the feeling of being a jeeva. The feeling of being a jeeva
means to consider any separate object to be I or mine. It includes the
belief that a body that is a few feet tall, weighs about eighty kilos, and
is fifty years or so, to be I and mine. It also includes the feeling of
being a paapi or punyatma, sukhi-dukhi, one who comes and goes, and
has an individual personality. This false understanding is because of
our not knowing our Self. Vedanta brings no shine to the face. Nor does
it give wealth or cure illness, It only removes avidya.
Only if it is the Atma, can the Brahman be the avishaya (not the object)
of Gnan. That, which illuminates the vishay is the avishay. The Atma
that shows us the vishays, the different kinds of vishays, and the
absence of vishays; the one who knows the vishayataa (having the
characteristics of a vishay) is the Atma that is totally free of any vishay.
I know, therefore, I, the Atma, am nirvishaya (free of vishays). The one

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who stays aloof from the vihays and illuminates them, is nirvishay.
Nirvishay does not mean an absence of vishays.

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PART VII
THE REALIZATION OF ONENESS.

Chapter XVIII
The Vivek of the Awareness of the Oneness as given by the
Mahavakyas.
The ultimate goal of the Upanishads is to establish the Brahmatmaikya
bodh the awareness that the Brahman and the Atma are one. That is
why these statements of the Upanishads Pragnaanam brahm
(Aitareeya Upanishad 5. 1), Aham brahmaasmi (Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad 1. 4. 10), Tattvamasi (Chandogya Upanishad 6. 8. 7), and
Ayamaatmaa brahm (Mandukya Upanishad 2; Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad 3. 5. 19) are called Mahavakyas. There are other
statements that say that the jagat and the Brahman are one, like
Sarvamkhalvidam brahm, Brahmaive`dam sarvam, Aatmaive`dam
sarvam, that are considered in the same category as the Mahavakyas.
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This is because it is not possible for the Atma and the Brahman to be
one if any other Satya exists in between. This chapter describes the
connection between words through indication.
1. Pada-samanvaya (lakshanaa) the connection between words,
through indication.
Vedanta says, Tattvamasi, means, You are That. Then, is the
Ishwara, indicated by the word Tat the jeeva, indicated by the word
tvam? It cannot be true that He, who is the cause of all, all-knowing,
all-powerful, all-pervading, Ishwara is the separate karta-bhokta, sukhidukhi, sansari jeeva whose powers are limited. Either this statement of
the Shrutis is apramaanika (un-established), or else, that is not the real
meaning of this statement. The first opinion is clearly unacceptable, so
we should try to find the real meaning.
When we cannot clearly accept the straightforward meaning of any
statement, we have to use lakshanaa (metaphor). We have to understand
that the words in the sentence are giving certain indications. Lakshana
means an indication. There are three kinds of lakshanas
jahallakshanaa, ajahallakshanaa, and jahadajahallakshanaa, or
bhaagatyaaga-lakshanaa (Jahat means tyaaga, to give up).
Jahat-lakshanaa is when the basic meaning of the words is given up,
and a connecting meaning is accepted. For example, if you call out to a
man wearing spectacles, O, Spectacles! your meaning is not to address
the spectacles, but the man wearing spectacles.
Ajahat-lakshanaa is when the main meaning is retained but another
meaning is also understood. For example, if you tell someone, Have a
bite with me, your meaning is that he should share a meal with you, not
just one bite. In this, having one bite is included, and many more bites
are indicated.
Jahat-ajahat-lakshana is when some part of the meaning of the words is
ignored and some part accepted. For example, you get a gold bangle
made into a necklace, and tell your friend, This is that same bangle.
You have left out the name and form of the erstwhile bangle and also
the name and form of the present necklace. The implied meaning is that
the gold in the necklace is the same gold that was in the bangle. This is

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also called bhaaga-tyaaga-lakshanaa leaving out a part, while

indicating something.
In Tattvamasi, the bhaaga-tyaaga-lakshanaa is accepted. The Tat
(Ishwara) cannot be the tvam (jeeva), and the tvam cannot be the Tat.
But, if the name, form, upadhi, and kaarya (effect) of both are left out,
and the chinmaatra (consciousness), sanmaatra (existence) and
aanadndmaatra (bliss) Tattvas are accepted, the Tat-padartha is the
tvam-padartha; and the tvam-padartha is the Tat-padartha. Thus, the
sentence Tattvamasi indicates the Gnan through the bhaaga-tyaagalakshanaa, that the one chetan Tattva is in both the jeeva and the
Ishwara.
Tattvamasi is a Mahavakya from the Sad-vidya portion of the
Chandogya Upanishad, described in Chapter 17. The quintessence is
that the Sat-Tattva (pure existence) that is at the root of this world is
chetan-swarup, which is ananta (infinite). It is not a paroksha vastu; it
is no other it is you, your Self. You are the Sat-Chit- vastu that seems
to be other objects when you have avichaara (lack of profound
thought). Tattvamasi!
Tat means the Ishwara. The Ishwara is the gyaataa (knower) of this
world made of the pancha bhootas. He is the gyata without having any
indreeyas; therefore, He is sarvagya (all-knowing). However, tvam
meaning the jeeva knows things through the indreeyas, therefore, he
is alpagya (having limited knowledge).
Being the karta sans indreeyas, the Ishwara is all-powerful, whereas the
jeeva, being the karta with indreeyas, has limited powers. The Ishwara
is sukhi without having a buddhi, so He is the essence of sukha that is
not dependent on any. The jeeva has a buddhi and feels sukha. He feels
that he is a sukhi who depends on other factors for his sukha. The
upadhi of the Ishwara is separate from both the Sat and the asat; it is the
Maya that cannot be defined, and which is the cause that creates
everything. Therefore, the Ishwara is all-pervading. The upadhi of the
jeeva is the body, senses, and fourfold mind de`ha, indreeya,
anatahkaran which are the effects of Maya. Therefore, the jeeva is
parichhinaa (a separate object).
The Sat that is the antahkaran is not split by the differences of name and
form. Nor are there any differences in the Chit that shows us
everything. Therefore from the viewpoint of the Sat, and the viewpoint
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of the Chit, there is no difference between the jeeva and the Ishwara.
The Sat that has no consciousness is merely an imagination, and an asat
Chit is a verbal obstacle. Therefore, that, which is Sat is the Chit, and
that which is the Chit is the Sat.
The Chandogya Shruti says that this is the substratum of all names and
forms. It is the Sat and it is the Atma that is the form of consciousness.
Thus, the Sat is Tat, and the tvam, the I in that Chit-swarup. This is
the meaning of Tattvamasi. All the differences between the Ishwara
and the jeeva are created by upadhis. The jeeva has the upadhi of the
karya and the Ishwara has the upadhi of the kaarana. The jeevas chetan
is that of an individual, and the Ishwaras is that of the whole, the
aggregate. The jeevas limited knowledge and the Ishwaras complete
knowledge are in their upadhis; else, both are the same Chit-vastu.
2. The Vada-Prakriya the methods of the different opinions.
The four main methods are:
a) Drishti-srishti vada
b) Bimba-pratibimba vada
c) Avacheda vada
d) Abhasa vada
The drishti-srishti vaada is also called the e`kabeejavaada . In this
vaada (opinion; theory), there is no unknown sattaa (existence). The
world is created simultaneously with the drishti (vision), neither before
nor after. Drishti (gnan) is perceived as the srishti I am the body and I
am agnani. I am the Atma, huge, the Brahman, is all gnan. We are
whatever our present gnan is. This method is dominated by time. That,
which seems separate when we have avidya, is our swarup when we
have vidyaa (right knowledge).
In a dream, the person who sees the dream is the drashta. He is a jeeva.
They are jeevaabhaasa (shadows that seem to be jeevas). Similarly,
only the one Atma-Brahman is the real jeeva; the rest are perceptions of
Aham (I) and idam (this). They are all jeevabhasa.
The jeevas seen in a dream are not known to be reflections during the
dream. It is only after the dreamer wakes up that he becomes aware of
this. In the same way, it is only when the buddhi awakens in the
Tureeya Tattva (the essence of the non-dual Brahman) that this world of
duality is perceived as an abhasa, not during the period of agnan.
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The jeeva, jagat, and Ishwara are the vilaasa (sport) of the drashta who
is the only true jeeva. The Aham (tvam-padartha) that is experienced as
separate during the period of agnan, is experienced as the Brahman (the
Tat-padartha) when the person gets Gnan. The world of differences
between the tvam and the Tat is also the drishti of the drashta, so it is
not separate from the drashta. That being the case, the difference
between tvam and Tat is established by agnan; whereas the abhe`da
(lack of differences; separateness) is established by Gnan.
The drishti-srishti vada accepts only two sattas the paramaarthika
(pertaining to the Brahman) and the pratibhaashika (pertaining to
perceptions). The drashta the Atma or Brahman has a paramarthik
satta that can never be negated. The drishya (world perceived through
the senses) has a pratibhasik satta (a dream-like existence), whether it is
of the bhautik (made of the five elements), or daivik (subtle or
metaphysical). All that is drishya is the effect of avidya, and seen
directly by the sakshi. The triad of the pramaataa-pramaana-prame`ya
(the one who establishes, the proof, and that, which is established) is
also a perception, like the triad of the dream, dreamer, and the
experience of the dream.
The jaagrita (waking) state is also attatvika it is unreal, like the dream
state. This is the method of the Mandukya Upanishad. The Mandukya
Karika takes the ashray of this, and establishes ajaatavaada the
theory that that the Ishwara is not born; He manifests.
b) Bimba-pratibamba vada. The Vivarana Prasthana and
Ratnaprabhakara believe that the Brahman the shuddha chetan
is the bimba (the real object). The jeeva is the pratibimba
(reflection or shadow) in avidya, and the Ishwara is the pratibimba
in Maya. Maya is trigunaatmaka having the three gunas of
Sattva, Raja and Tama. The malina sattvaatmaka avidya (the
nescience that is a sullied existence) is the upadhi of the jeeva.
Therefore, the jeevas knowledge is limited. The shuddha
sattvaatmaka (pure existence) Maya, is the upadhi of the Ishwara,
therefore, the Ishwara is all-knowing. In spite of being a
pratibimba, the Ishwara is not mithya; He is Satya. Therefore, the
interpersonal difference between the jeeva and the Ishwara is
Satya.

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The shuddha chetan Brahman that is free of all upadhis is the bimba
that has no scope for the differences of jeeva and Ishwara. The oneness
in Tattvamasi is based on the bimba, not on the pratibimba. If avidya
and Maya were to be considered the same, the Brahman would be
called the Ishwara. When a jigyasu who has the wealth of sadhans like
mental and physical self-restraint, negates the upadhis of the malin satta
through shravana-manana-nididhyaasana (listening, pondering over
what is heard, and bringing the mind repeatedly to the object), and has
the experience of being the bimba, the difference between the jeeva and
the Ishwara is destroyed, although interactive differences remain.
c) Abhasa vada. In this method, the saadhishthaana (with a
substratum), saabhaasa (with an abhasa) avidya is the jeeva, and
the sadhishthana, sabhasa Maya is the Ishwara, The avidya is
kaaryopaadhika a superimposition connected to the effect, a
malin satta. Maya is kaaranopaadhika a superimposition
connected to the cause, the shuddha satta. The adhishthana of the
jeeva is the kootastha (immutable, unaffected object) and the
adhishthana of Maya is the Brahman. Whether the abhasa is in
avidya or in Maya, it is mithya.
Thus, there are three things on the side of the jeeva the kootastha
adhishthana, the antahkaran-avidya, and the chidabhasa the shadow of
the shuddha chetan that is the Brahman. There are three things on the
side of the Ishwara the Brahm-adhishthana, Maya, and the Ishwara
that is the abhasa in the chetan of Maya.
The jeeva is the immutable chidabhasa indicated by the word tvam,
and the Ishwara combined with the Brahman, is the Ishwara indicated
by the word Tat. Oneness is not desired in the meaning of Tattvamasi.
The refined form of the jeeva is the immutable sakshi, and the refined
form of the Ishwara is the Brahman. If the karya (avidya) and kaarana
(Maya) are negated, only the immutable Brahman remains. That is
where tvam and Tat are one. This is the method given in the
Panchadashi and Vichara Sagar.
Three sattas are accepted in Abhasa vada. The paramarthik satta in
which the kootastha and Brahman are one satta; the pratibhasik satta,
and the vyavahaarik (connected to interaction) satta. The pratibimbas of
the jeeva and the Ishwara have a vyavaharik satta. This Gnan makes it
certain that they are mithya. Gnan destroys the pratibhasik satta of
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agnan, but the effects of agnan the antahkaran and the body are
perceived as long as the bodys praarabdha (fruits of past deeds) lasts.
d) Avacheda vada accepts abhasa. The jeeva is chetan with an
antahkaran, and the chetan connected to the antahkaran is the
sakshi. In the same way, the chetan with Maya is the Ishwara, and
the chetan connected to Maya is the Brahman. The antahkaran is
the karya (effect) and Maya is the kaarana (cause). The word
tvam indicates the jeeva, and the lakshya (that which is pointed
out) is the sakshi. The word Tat indicates the Ishwara, and the
lakshya is the Brahman. The sentence Tattvamasi reveals the
oneness of the sakshi and the Brahman.
All these methods are given with the purpose of creating awareness in
the jigyasus, according to their capacity to understand. The emphasis is
on establishing that the Atma and the Brahman are one, and the jagat
and the Atma are also one. Agnan and Maya have been placed inbetween, in all of them, because these are accepted as mithya by all the
theories. The same applies to other Mahavakyas.
The Abhasa vada method discriminates between the chetan in the effect
(jeeva) and the chetan in the cause (Ishwara), and says that they are one.
The Drishti-Srishti vada presents the states of avichar and vichar.
During avichar, the chetan we believe to be paroksha because of our
agnan, is the Tat-padartha by the upadhi of being unknown; by the
upadhi of being known it is the tvam-padartha. Despite these
differences they all accept the Atma and the Brahman to be one.
The Vedanta Sampradaya (Sect) accepts many methods of interpreting
the Mahavakya Tattvamasi. The Avacheda vada believes in the upadhi
of de`sha (space), and does the vive`ka (discrimination) between the
antahkaarana-avachhinna-che`tan (the chetan in an individual
antahkaran) of the jeeva, and the maayaa-avachinna-che`tana (the
chetan in Maya) of the Ishwara. Thereafter, it shows that both are one in
the chetan that is free of upadhis.
3. Ekya Paddhati the method of oneness.
The Shastras give four paddhati (ways) of showing oneness.
1) The method of adhyasa (superimposition caused by conditioning).

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When a person has bhram he believes two different things to be the

same, due to avidya. For example, Idam rajatam this is silver. In
this, idam is used for mother-of-pearl that looks like silver. The
baadha paddhati (method of negation) is used for removing the bhram.
2) The Baadha Paddhati the method of negation.
When an object seems to be something else because of adhyasa, the
faulty understanding is removed by the method of negation. For
example, to say, This is silver when you see mother-of-pearl, the silver
is adhyasa. However, if you say, This silver is mother-of-pearl, the
silver is negated and the mother-of-pearl is established. When there are
two words in a sentence, and the meaning of one is negated, the other is
established. This is called the oneness of the Baadha Paddhati.
Ayam sarpah this is a snake, is an adhyasa; and, yam sarpo rajah
this snake is a rope, negates the snake and establishes the rope. Since
the snake and the rope are based on the same substratum, this method of
establishing oneness is called baadha-sammanya-adhikaarana.
Wherever the Shastras speak of the Brahman and the jagat being one, it
should be understood in the style of the badha-samanya-adhikaran.
For example, Sarvam khalvidam brahm (everything is the Brahman).
In this, the name and form of everything is negated. It is called
mithyaa (a relative truth), and the Brahman is abaadhita impossible
to negate. This world is seen in the Brahman the way a snake is seen in
a coiled rope, or silver in a sea-shell. Brahmai ve`dam sarvam know
that everything is the Brahman, Aatmaive`dam sarvam know that
the Atma is everything. Sarvam hye`tad brahm all that is, is the
Brahman. Idam sarvam yadayamaatmaa all this is my Atma, and
other such Shrutis should be understood by the Baadha Paddhati.
3) Visheshan-vishesya Paddhati (the method of adjectives and the
objects described).
When the oneness is pointed out through the abhe`da (absence of
differences) of the guna (attributes) and the gunee (the one who has the
attributes), it is called the vishe`shana-vishe`shya-paddhati. For
example, neelam utpalam the lotus is blue. Here, the lotus and its
color are one. Neelam (blue) is the adjective, and the utpal is the lotus

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that is described. Both words refer to the same object, so the method
used here is the Visheshan-visheshya Paddhati..
4) Mukhya-samanadhikaran Paddhati. When a sentence has two words
that are in the same vibhakti (part) and the same meaning is implied for
both, it is the method of the Mukhya-samanadhikaran Paddhati. For
example, Soyam de`vadattah this is the same Devdatta. Here, the
person seen in the present is said to be the same person seen on a past
occasion. This is not the adhyaasa-shailee (the style of adhyas) because
the person is one and the same. Nor is it the Baadha-shailee, because
the meaning of this and same are accepted. It is not the Visheshanvisheshya shailee either, because neither is an adjective of the other.
Here, Sah devdatta the Devdatta seen earlier is ayam devdatta
the Devdatta seen now. The differences of space, time, dress,
surroundings, etc are negated, and the person being the same is implied.
Therefore, this is an example of the Mukhya-samanadhikaran Paddhati.
Tattvamasi, Aham Brahmasmi, Ayamatma Brahm, Pragnanam
Brahm all these Mahavakyas give up the upadhis of the jeeva and the
Ishwara, and say that they are one, and a part of the Sacchidananda
Brahman. This is an example of the Mukhya-samanadhikaran Paddhati,
through the baahya-tyaaga lakshana.
In Tattvamasi, Tat and tvam are united. In Aham Brahmasmi, the
Aham and the Brahman are united. In Ayamatma Brahm, the Atma
and the Brahman are united. In Pragnanam Brahm, the pragnan and
the Brahman are united. These show the Mukhya-samanadhikaran
Paddhati.
4) Tattvamasi.
Tat means Sat. The Shruti says, Yattat tatsat yatsat tattat, meaning,
that, which is Tat is Sat and that, which is Sat is Tat. Tanoti
nikhilam jagat iti tat the warp and woof of the fabric of the world is
the Tat. In the Sadvidya, it is described as the adviteeya che`tan sattaa
the existence that is pure, non-dual consciousness. This is the Ishwaras
Paramartha form the Brahman.
Tvam means the shuddha sakshi. This is the shodhita (refined) form of
the Atma.

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Tattvamasi means that the refined ahamartha (feeling of individuality)

of every person is the Brahman. The sakshi that seems to be your own
swarup, and separate from others, and the different objects in this
world, are the one, aparichinna (not separate), akhanda (not
fragmented) adviteeya (non-dual) vastu (object, the Brahman). The
Ishwara described by the Shastras as the substratum of this world, is no
other. It is you, your Self, by whom the world is seen.
Have you seen tiny particles of dust floating in the air, in the direct rays
of the sun? There are three factors in this: the light, space, and the
particles. You, the one who sees them, are the fourth factor. Imagine
that you are seeing innumerable worlds floating in space, in the light of
the sun. Your pure, unadulterated existence is the space, your presence
is the light, and the innumerable separate objects are seen only by you.
Just think of it!
The people who believed that particles exist and are seen, and that the
light is noticed because of the particles, became the Charvaks. The
people who believed that all particles were created by one light, became
the Ishwaravadis. The people who said that there are no particles at all,
there is only one vacuum substratum, became the Buddhists. In their
opinion, even the Atma made of particles does not exist.
However, the people who not only believed, but also knew, that the
nirvishe`sha (free of attributes) infinite space which you see as the
adhishthana of the particles; the light in which the particles are seen
is the adhishthana of everything, and illuminates everything, is
you, your Self. It is the Atma that sees. The particles are a perception
of your Self. These are the Vedantis. Tattvamasi. That is you!.
The Sadvidya starts with E`kame`vaadviteeyam (One, and nondual), and ends with, Tattvamasi. This means that there is no such
thing as the Atma separate from the Sat. That, which existed before
the world was created, will remain after it is destroyed. It is that, in
which Creation-Dissolution come in-between. It is the Atma.
There is no middle section of the anaadi-ananta (that which has no
beginning and no end). Every present moment is the in-between
moment. Then, how can this world that has no beginning, no end,
and no middle, be separate from the Sat that is anadi-anant?
E`tadaatmamidam sarvam everything is our Atma.

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First, experience the vive`ka (discrimination; separating two things)

of the drashta-drishya the sakshi of the pancha kosha, the sakshi of
the three bodies (gross, subtle and metaphysical), and the sakshi of
the three states (waking, dreaming and deep sleep). You are the
kootastha, immutable Gnan that is beyond the body and all the
abhimanis connected to it. It is you who reveals them all. This is the
tvam-padartha.
However, this is not yet poorna (total) Gnan, because you experience
the differences between the drashta and the drishya, and also
between two drishyas. You experience the satta of the adrishya
(invisible). You feel that there must be a Creator of this world, who is
separate from you, and is not known to you. To know Him, it is
essential for you to investigate the Tat-padartha that is the swarup of
the Ishwara. Using the method of kaarya-kaarana (effect - cause),
adhishthaana-adhyastha (substratum - superimposition), and
meditating on the method of laya (where one element merges into
another until only the Brahman is left) given in the Shrutis, as well as
other methods like upasana, helps to fulfill the Gnan about the
Paramartha swarup of the Ishwara.
After this, you should give thought to the Mahavakya Tattvamasi.
In this, the difference between the swarup of the jeeva and the
swarup of the Ishwara, the methods negating the differences, and the
methods that are helpful in understanding them, should be meditated
upon. At the end, if necessary, you need to develop an unbroken
vritti (mental inclination) for the meaning that establishes their
abheda.
An adhikaaree (eligible person) who has vairaagya (detachment)
develops a brahmaatmaikya vritti (a mental acceptance that the
Brahman and the Atma are one). Then he gets the bodha
(knowledge) that his Aham is the Brahman. It is the principle of
Vedanta that whoever understands the inclination of the tvam and the
Tat, will obtain enlightenment as soon as he hears Tattvamasi. The
practice of manan-nidishyasan is only for making the indicated
meaning clearer. It is a miracle of Vedanta that you hear Tattvamasi
and become liberated!
(Please see Chapter 17 of the Sadvidya for further details.)

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5) Aham Brahmasmi (I am the Brahman).

The tvam-pada (word tvam) in Tattvamasi indicates the shuddha
sakshi chetan, and the word Aham in Aham brahmasmi indicates
that the shuddha sakshi is the Brahman. The Brahm in the
Mahavakya is the same as the Tat in Tattvamasi. Thus, the
meaning of both Mahavakyas is the same. The Guru tells the
disciple, Tattvamasi that Brahman is you (the Atma). The learned
disciple obtains the experience, Aham brahmasmi I am the
Brahman.
Here, Aham brahmasmi is not validated by merging the Aham into
the Brahman, or by merging the Brahman with the Atma. Both are
bhaava (feelings). If the alpagya (with limited knowledge) Aham
merges with the Brahman, who will say, Aham brahmasmi? And, if
the Brahman merges with the Aham, when was He ever separate?
This is not the practice of upasana, karma, or Yoga-Samadhi, because
the word asmi (I am) implies sattaa (existence), not baadha
(negation). It is true that even without the Gnan of the connection
between the two words, a person can develop a feeling of Aham
brahmasmi that will lead to a Sampragyata Samadhi (a state of deep
meditation where the pure intellect is awake) that is supported by
asmitaa (pride of individuality). Nor is this sentence a mantra that
purifies a body or mind by giving sanskaras, because these
statements are not used for any karmas. It is not even that the Aham
is established as the Brahman by self-assessment, and both the Atma
and the Brahman are imagined without having any foundation. The
meaning of Aham brahmasmi in Vedanta is separate from all these
options.
Ahamasmi I am. Everybody always has this Gnan, but Aham
brahm asmi I am the Brahman is not known, even though the
Atma is aparoksha. On the contrary, people have the gnan, Aham
brahm naasmi I am not the Brahman. The Brahman is known as
some other, unknown and unseen existence by the secondary
statements of the Shastras. The statement Aham brahmasmi tells us,
That unknown, unseen Brahman is the aparoksha Atma that is
known to us. When a person develops the unshakeable conviction of
Aham brahmasmi, the false idea of being separate from the
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Brahman is removed. The Brahman is no longer unknown, another,

unseen. Along with the removal of agnan, the self-effulgent chetan
Brahman is known and established as ones own Atma.
Aham brahmasmi is a statement that negates every superimposition
on our Atma. I am the body is a natural adhyas caused by
conditioning. I am a person with a certain name, of a certain gotra
(lineage), certain varna (social class), certain aashrama (stage of
life), dark or fair, fat or thin, hungry, thirsty, learned or ignorant, a
karta, bhokta, sukhi or dukhi, separate jeeva who is a sansaaree (of
the interactive world). All these are superimposed upon our Atma by
society, Dharma, and the Shastras. Their presence does not hinder
social interaction, but it is a hindrance in the experiencing the swarup
of our Atma. Furthermore, a person cannot be free of worldly
sorrows as long as avidya remains.
Aham brahmasmi explains that our Atma is a form of
superimposition on our artha (material success), and vyavahaara
(behavior). This ahamartha (mistaking the pure Atma to be a jeeva)
should be purified, and we should experience the Aham as the
shuddha sakshi chetan. To achieve this, a person should think about
the methods of drashta-drishya, the de`ha-traya (the three bodies),
pancha kosha (the five imaginary sheaths of the body), avasthaa
traya (the three states of the body), and the laya-chintan (immersing
one element into another until only the Brahman remains).
After that, the sentence, Aham brahmasmi is used to obtain the
experience of the adviteeya Sacchidananda Atma that is free of all
the differences like sajaatiya, vijaatiya and svagat-bheda. Since this
is the swarup of the Brahman that is the refined Atma.
Aham brahmasmi does not mean that the Aham of a man called
Mohan or Sohan, is the Brahman. That is demonic gnan. The
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says: Before the creation of this world of
name and form, only the Brahman existed. He knew Himself, I am
the Brahman, and immediately became everything,
Rishi Vamdeva realized, It was I, who was Manu. It is I who have
become the sun. Even today, a person who knows himself to be the
Brahman becomes everything (identifies with everything).
Brahm vaa idamagra aaseettadaatmaaname`vaave`t. Aham
brahmaasmeeti. Tasmaattatsarvamabhavat. Tadyo yo de`vaanaam
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pratyabudhyata sa e`va tadabhavat. Tathaarsheenaam tathaa

manushyaanaam
tadvaitatpashyannrishivaamade`vah
pratipe`de`ham manurabhavam sooryashche`ti. Tadidamapye`ttarhi
ya e`vam ve`daaham brahmaasmeeti sa idam sarvam bhavati tasya
ha na de`vaashcha naabhootyaa eeshate`. (Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad 1. 4. 10)
The Chandogya Upanishad says that before the creation of this world
of name and form, there was only the Sat.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says that there was only the
Brahman, and the Aitareya Upanishad says that there was only the
Atma. That means, the Sat is the Chit-Atma, which is also the
Brahman. That is why the Mahavakya Tattvamasi of the
Chandogya Upanishad, Aham brahmasmi of the Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad, and Pragnanam brahm of the Aitareya Upanishad
establish the same principle.
The fruit of Aham brahmasmi is that the person who knows this
becomes everything. He feels he is all beings. This means, agnan
shows the Aham as being separate from the Brahman and all other
things; and Gnan removes this wrong impression. The Atma is the
substratum of everything, essential free of vikaras, and is non-dual,
but it seems to be different things, which is an illusion.
That, which is my I, is the Paramatma. That, which is the
Paramatma, is my I. The world that is seen is also not separate
from my I, my Atma. Aham brahmasmi is the discussion, and
the known proof of this Gnan. To obtain this Gnan, a person needs
the vritti born from the Mahavakyas, here and now, when he is wide
awake.
6) Pragyaanam brahm (the pragnaan is the Brahman).
Pragyaayate` ane`na sarvamiti pragyaanam. Pragyaan is that, by
which everything is known, and the absence of everything is known.
The pragyaan is your Atma, it is you, and it is the Brahman. The triad
of the gyaataa (knower), gnaana-kaarana (the instrument that
provides the knowledge), and gye`ya (that, which is known) is a
perception in the Gnan that is free of this triad; and that Gnan is
called the pragyaan. Pragyaan means prakrishtha gnaana
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superior Gnan. To accept differences in Gnan is to fragment it, but

Gnan is never fragmented. Gnan is what illuminates the differences.
The states of jaagrita (waking), etc have different vishays and their
abhimanis. The source of illumination is one, and that is none other
than you, yourself. This Mahavakya says that you are the aparichinna
Brahman.
The infinite aparichinna vastu cannot be an object of the buddhi. Had
it been an object of the buddhi, you would have known it by now.
The ananta is an avishay (not an object) of the buddhi
Is it possible for you to see the aadi (beginning) or anta (end) of
time? Can you know the beginning and end of East and West through
your buddhi? Nobody can, because it does not exist. The buddhi can
only absorb that, which is parichinna. That being the case, we need
someone who knows the infinite and can establish it for us. That
gyaapaka (one who knows and teaches) are the Mahavakyas, of
which Pragyaanam brahm is one.
A Mahavakya accepts an unknown, imagined Sacchidananda Tattva
that is at the root of the seemingly endless world we see. Then it
establishes its oneness with the aparoksha Sacchidananda Atma, and
negates the perceived separateness of objects that are superimposed
on the Atma. The Atma which is pure Gnan is revealed when all
separations are negated, and this is the pragnaan, the Brahman.
Aham pragyaanam gnaanamaatram brahm adviteeyam paripooram
asmi ityarthah.
The pragyaan is the refined Aham (the tvam-padartha) and the
Brahman is the Tat-padartha.
(For further details see chapter 14. 3 Svaprakash Brahman.)
7) Ayamatma brahm (this Atma is the Brahman).
This Mahavakya is given in the Mandukya Upanishad as well as the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. In this, the word ayam (this) is like a
finger pointed to show that the Atma is the Brahman. It becomes
clear that the well-known aparoksha Atma-Tattva in this de`ha
(body) is the Brahman.
The first mantra of the Mandukya Upanishad says that the omkaara
(the word Om or Oum) is sarva (everything; all). The second mantra
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gives the purpose because everything that is, is the Brahman.

Sarvam hye`tad brahm. (Mandukya Upanishad 2). The Brahman is
that object, whose name is the Omkara. Being the abhinna-nimittaupaadaana kaarana (the cause that is also the matter and the
instrument), everything is the Brahman. And, since the pranava
(Om) signifies the Brahman, Om is everything. That is what is said.
What is this Brahman? Where is it? What connection does it have
with me? In answer to such questions the Shruti says, Ayamaatmaa
brahm. This Atma is not separate from you. It is not paroksha. It is
the same you that is in your body. You the Gnan-swarup Atma, are
the Brahman.
How can we know this?
Soyamaatmaa chatushpaat, meaning, that Brahman who is seen as
this world, and is the Atma of all, has four paada (feet) Vishwa,
Taijas, Praagya and Turiya. The Turiya paada in this is the Atma, and
it is the Brahman. Thus, in Ayamatma brahm, the Atma signifies
the Turiya Tattva, and brahm signifies the Omkara that is the
Brahm-Tattva seen in the form of the world.
Sarvam hye`tad brahm. Ayamaatmaa brahm. Soyamaatmaa
chatushpaat. (Mandukya Upanishad 2).
The Vishwa is the first paada of the Atma. It is seen during the
jaagrita avasthaa (the waking state). The gross objects are known
through the body, mind, and senses, with the gyata believing himself
to be the karta-bhokta. In this, the Atma is bahish-praagya seeing
His external form. The Taijas is the second paada of the Atma. It is
seen during the svapna avasthaa (dreaming state), as the gyata, karta
and bhokta of the subtle world of dreams. In this paada, the Atma is
antah-praagya his pragnaa is within himself.
The Praagya is the third paada of the Atma. It is known in the
shushupti avasthaa (the deep sleep state), in which nothing else
exists, except the drashta. The Atma absorbs all pragyaans into
himself, and becomes the bhokta of anand. However, the seeds of the
other states remain, and arise as soon as the person leaves the deep
sleep state. Therefore, the Praagya is the beeja-avasthaa (the seed
sate) of the Vishwa and the Taijas.
Who is the Atma in this? It is the chetan Tattva that remains after all
three states are negated. This is the Turiya, the sakshi. When the bahi
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(outer) is removed from the bahi-praagya Vishwa, and the sthoola

(gross) is removed from the sthoola-bhuk (enjoyer of gross objects),
the Vishwa is the sakshi Atma.
In the same way, remove the antah (inner) from the antah-praagya
Taijas, and the sookshma (subtle) from the sookshmabhuk (enjoyer of
the subtle), the Taijas is the sakshi Atma.
The Praagya is also the sakshi Atma; we just have to let go of the
beejatva (potential fertility) and the adarshan (not seeing) of the
deep sleep state. The purport is that the Atma that is the sakshi of the
avasthaa-traya (three states) is the Turiya. The difference in the
states does not affect the Atma in any way.
This sakshi is in the body that much is understood clearly; but, is it
also outside the body? The fact is that the body and its inside-outside
are all seen by the sakshi. The Atma is Gnan-swarup; space, time,
and objects, and their differences, are all imagined in Gnan.
Therefore, everything is in the womb of Gnan. The perception of all
the different things is their existence, and they are not separate from
the Chit-swarup sakshi. Bhaana (awareness; perception) is gnan.
Therefore, this sakshi is the adviteeya Brahman.
Just think, I am not the separate chaitanya Vishwa that has the
upadhi of the waking state. I am not the separate chaitanya Viraata
(the world experienced during the waking state) that has the upadhi
of the gross world. I am not the Taijas that is the separate chaitanya
with the upadhi of the dream state. I am not the chaitanya
Hiranyagarbha (the universal intellect) that has the upadhi of the
deep sleep state. Nor am I the Ishwara of the upadhi of the beejasamashti (the world in a seed state).
Then, what am I?
I am the illuminator of these states, and the upadhis of vyashtisamashti (individual - total). Without me, they have no existence;
therefore, I am also their adhishthana. I am, thus, the sakshi Atma
Brahman.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says, Tade`tad brahm
apoorvamanaparamanantaramabaadhyam ayamaatmaa brahm
sarvaanubhooh ityanushaasanam (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2. 5.
19). This Brahman is apoorva it has no kaarana. It is anapara it
has no karya. It is ananta there is nothing that is separate from it.
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This Atma is the Brahman. It is the Atma who experiences

everything. This is the teaching of all the Vedas.
Here, the word sarvaanubhooh indicates that the Atma is the
sakshi. That, which is the sakshi, is the Brahman; and that, which is
the Brahman, is the sakshi. Yachchaapnoti yadaadatte` yachchaatti
vishayaaniha. Yachchaasya santato bhaavastasmaad aatme`ti
kathyate` - the one who experiences the objects during the waking
state, and imagines the objects during the dreaming state, and
swallows the objects during the deep sleep state, and remains
unchanged in all three states, is called the Atma. This Atma is the
sarva-adhishthaana (substratum of everything), sarva-avabhaasaka
(illuminator of everything), abhe`da-svaroopa (the form of nondifferentiation and non-duality) Brahman.
8) Ekyasadhaka Yukti (Methods to establish oneness).
There is a question how long does it take a jeeva to become the
Ishwara?
The answer is, as long as it takes a Hindu to become a human being.
A Hindu (or any person of any religious sect) is a human being. As
soon as the abhiman of his sect is removed, he is just a human being.
In the same way, a jeeva is the Ishwara, when his subtle pride of
being a jeeva is removed. De`haabhimaana (the subtle pride of
identifying with the body) is jeevatva (the feeling of being a jeeva).
All you have to do is to separate your Self from the pancha koshas,
pancha bhootas, dehatraya, and avastha traya, and understand that
this is the chetan jeeva with the upadhis of the body, senses, and
mind; but you are the shuddha sakshi.
You have to separate the Maya that creates the upadhis, from the
Ishwara. It is not possible to experience the shuddha sakshi as well as
the Ishwara, at the same moment. The nir-upaadhi (having no
upadhi) vastu (the Brahman) is one. All multiplicity is in the upadhi.
It is well-known that the drashta is separate from the drishya, but is this
a fact?
No.
The drashta sees the drishya and also the abhaava (absence; lacking) of
the drishya. The drishya-abhava cannot be separate from its
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adhishthana, so the drashta is the adhishthana of the drishya. Hence, the

drashta is separate from the drishya, but the drishya is not separate from
the drashta. The drishya is seen in that, in which it is absent. Thus, the
drishya is mithya because it is perceived in the adhikarana (substratum)
of its own absence.
Is there any meeting point between the drashta and the drishya that
demarcates where the drishya ends and the drashta begins? What lies
in-between? It can be neither a drishya nor the drashta, because the
question is, what is the point of their connection?
Perhaps it is the drishti (vision)! However, that is the swarup of the
drashta. The darshan (seeing) will be the kaarana (instrument), but that
will also be a part of the drishya. The fact is, the only thing that is inbetween the drashta and the drishya is the agnan that the drashta is
aparichinna. When a person has agnan about the point that separates the
drashta from the drishya, the difference between them is based on
agnan.
Where is the difference between the drashta and the drishya?
When we speak about the drashta that has the upadhi of buddhi,
the drashta is parichinna. Then, he is called the pramaataa (the
one who establishes). There is a difference between the pramatas
caused by the upadhis of their buddhi. However, if there is no
upadhi of the buddhi, there are no differences in the shuddha
drashta.
If we accept differences in the drashta because of the difference in
upadhis, then, separate upadhis exist in different places. The question
comes up whether the upadhis are in one place, or are the places the
upadhis? That means, are separate upadhis in a place, or in different
places, perceived as upadhis? In the first, the place is not negated
when the upadhi is negated, and the person cannot obtain Moksha. In
the second, the question itself is wrong, because it cannot be said that
different places are the ashray of upadhis. Therefore, there is only
one upadhi avidya that shows the whole world; and therefore, the
drashta is also only one. Everything else is jeeva-aabhaasa (an
illusion of the jeeva).

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 What is between the jeeva and the Ishwara? What is between one
jeeva and another jeeva? What is between the jeeva and the jagat?
What is between the jagat created of the jeeva and the jagat
created by the Ishwara?
All these questions have only one answer it is agnan. It is the agnan
about the adhishthana and the prakaashaka (illuminator) being one.
It is agnan about the ashray and vishay of agnan being one. All
differences are created by agnan, and agnan is removed by Gnan.
The fruit of Gnan is abhe`da absence of differences.
People who believe karma and vasana to be the cause of the
difference between the jeeva, jagat, and Ishwara, believe that
Moksha is obtained through Dharma and upasana. However, their
Moksha cannot be permanent.
Vedanta believes agnan to be the cause of differences, therefore, they
believe Moksha is obtained by Gnan, and their Moksha is permanent.
If the jeeva and the Ishwara are separate, how are they separate?
Are they two, in fact, or are they two in time?
If they are two in time the jeeva at one time and the Ishwara at
another time both will be vinaashee (subject to destruction), and
time will be established as the Tattva! If they are two in separate
places, then the Ishwara will be in one place and the jeeva will be in
another place who will be the bhe`daka (separating factor)?
The fact is, the jeeva and the Ishwara are not two, because both are
Sat-Chit. If you say that the Ishwara is the form of anand, and the
jeeva is the bhokta of the anand, it means the Ishwara is meant for
the jeeva, making the jeeva greater than the Ishwara!
If there is a difference in the kaarya (action; effect) of the jeeva and
the Ishwara, it is a difference caused by the upadhi; it is not factual.
The upadhi of the Ishwara is the Maya that is the form of the
kaarana (cause),whereas the jeevas upadhi is the antahkaran that is
the karya. This makes it clear that all the differences between the
jeeva and the Ishwara are because of the abhiman of the upadhis. The
truth is that it is one chetan that is the jeeva because of
de`haabhimaana (the subtle pride of being a separate body), and the
Ishwara who is free of abhiman.

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The Shastras describe the bhe`da (difference) between the jeeva and
the Ishwara as well as the a-bhe`da (lack of difference), and both
have a purpose. Bheda is meant for upasana, to reduce vasanas, and
develop an inclination for Gnan. The abheda is merely a statement of
the Satya. It is the poornataa (fulfillment) of Tattvagnan.

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PART VIII
THE METHOD AND FRUIT OF VEDANTA

Chapter XIX
The Method and Fruit of Vedanta.
1. Sadhan and the Fala.
The saadhan (method) and fala (fruit) of Vedanta are extraordinary.
Dharma is based on aade`sha (commands) and upasana is based on
shraddhaa (faith). Vedanta is based on proof.
The vidhi (methodology) is predominant in Dharma. Pre`ma (pure love)
is predominant in upasana. In Vedanta, the predominating factor is
vichaara (deep thought) that is favorable to the statement of the Shrutis.
This is also the sadhan in Vedanta. In other words, shravan is to hear,
from the lips of the Guru, the principle and logical conclusions of the
Upanishads.
Shrut (heard) meanings, yukti (methods), tarka (arguments) and other
pramaana (factors that establish) leading to the conclusions that the
Atma and the Brahman are one, and meditating on them, is manan. To
direct the flow of the buddhi towards the shrauta-mata (the opinion of
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the Shrutis) of the Mahavakyas, is nididhyasan. An uttama (highest

level) jigyasu obtains the brahmakara vritti by just hearing the
Mahavakya. A madhyam (middle level) jigyasu and kanishtha (lower
level) jigyasu needs manan and nididhyasan. The brahmakara vritti
destroys agnan, which is why it is the ultimate method in the sadhan
portion of Vedanta.
The fruit of Dharma is sukha, which includes the sukha of Swarga, and
auspicious bhoga-sukha in the next birth.
The fruit of upasana is a tadaakaara vritti (a mental tendency that
identifies with the object of worship), and Ishta-darshan a vision of
the Ishtadev. The fruit of upasana of the saguna-saakaara (with
attributes and form) is the mental experience of the antaryaamee (the
one who abides in the heart), which results in the buddhi surrendering
to Him. The maanasa-pratyaksha (direct mental experience) of the
Brahman is not possible in Vedanta, because the Brahman is nirguna
free of attributes, and niraakaara without form. Therefore, what is
desired in Vedanta, is just the removal of avidya about the Brahman and
Atma being one. The Brahmakara vritti merely removes avidya. The
Brahman is the Atma of the mumukshu. Vedantas fruit is the removal
of avidya.
After negating all bhaavanaa (feelings or ideas) and sanskaara (subtle
subconscious impressions) - meaning, after negating vrittis altogether,
and removing the fala-vyaapti (the fruit that is the knowledge), to
obtain the sakshatkara of our swarup the Paramatma as He is, is the
sakshaat (visible) sadhan of Vedanta. This sadhan means removing the
avidya regarding the essence of the Paramatma by awakening the
Brahmakara vritti.
The Brahmakara vritti is not the fruit of Vedanta, because the vrittignaana (Gnan obtained through a vritti) removes avidya, and is, itself,
removed after that. The removal of avidya removes all sorrows. The
person is established in his swarup of supreme bliss that is selfestablished, and always with him as his Atma. This is the fruit of
Vedanta, and it is the swarup of Moksha.
Question: Vritti is caused by agnan; how can it remove agnan?
Explanation: Where the feeling of nivartya-nivartaka (that, which is
removed - the one who removes) is real, the vritti-gnan that is the karya
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cannot remove the agnan that is the kaarana. However, everything that
has a feeling of karya-kaarana (effect-cause) with avidya, is false. The
vastu created by avidya is not really created; the feeling of effect and
cause is a bhram. This is why vritti-gnan has the capacity to remove
avidya. The feeling of the prapancha being the karya-kaarana of avidya
is imagined. Where there is a feeling of karya-kaarana, the removal of
the karya removes the agnan that is the karya.
The fact is that neither the sadhan, nor the feeling of the fruit, exist in
our swarup. The vritti does not do the aavarana-bhanga (breaking the
covering of avidya that hides the Atma). It is the chetan astride the vritti
that shatters the veil of nescience. The Brahmakara vritti is created by
hearing the Mahavakyas, and the chetan that sits in this vritti removes
avidya. After that, the vritti itself is negated. Only chetan remains.
Once again, I remind the mumukshu about the original pre`ranaa
(inspiration) that prompts him towards Vedanta Gnan; meaning,
towards the effort to be completely free of dukha, and obtain
Paramananda, or Moksha.
Dukha comes from avidya; sukha is seated in the Atma. If a person
succeeds in removing avidya through the Brahmakara vritti (created by
hearing a Mahavakya) the seed of all sorrow is destroyed.
Then, what is left?
The self-effulgent Brahm-sukha the sukha of the Brahman. This is
Moksha. Moksha is the name of the Atma that is revealed when avidya
is removed. This is the fruit of Vedanta-vidya.
Moksha is not a state of the mind, or body, or sadhana. It is a name of
the Atma that is the swarup of the Self. Moksha is the abhe`da-drishti the outlook that is free of differences. It is the highest tripti
(satisfaction; contentment). It is un-curtailed independence.
In Moksha, the differences of vide`ha mukti (being free of identification
with the body) and jeevana mukti (being free of the feeling of being a
jeeva) are the result of avidya. The fact is that Mukti is achieved at the
very instant Gnan is obtained.
In the Shastras, videha mukti is meant as a consolation for a mumukshu
of a lower level, and jeevan mukti is in praise of Atma-bodh. Therefore,
both come within artha-vaada praise of the realized soul. Na tasya
praanaah utkraamanti ihaiva pravileeyante`. This Shruti says that the
prana of a person who is mukta does not go anywhere when the body
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dies. It is not carried into another birth. By clearly refuting videha mukti
after death, certain Shrutis like, Sa svaraad bhavati. Na karmanaa
vardhate` no kaneeyaan, etc, describe the absolute independence of a
jeevan mukta. He becomes an emperor. His work brings no prestige,
lack of work does no harm.
Question: Who becomes mukta?
Explanation: Actually nobody becomes mukta. He, who had the bhram
of being bound, and the abhiman of being bound, becomes free of the
false impression. The Atma is nitya-mukta (eternally free). It was never
bound, so how could it be freed?
The body has always been bound by the rules of Prakriti (Nature), and
always will be. There was a bhram of being bound in the chidaabhaasa
(reflection of the consciousness) jeeva, because he has the false
understanding of being separate from the Brahman. This bhram is
removed by Gnan, and the jeeva realizes, I am the nitya-shuddhabuddha-mukta (eternal-pristine-enlightened-free) Brahman.
Vimuktashcha vimuchyate` only a mukta becomes mukta. This is the
declaration of the author of the Vartika.
In Mukti, even the differences of the introductions are not
paaramaarthika (in the real sense). Every person who has a body lives
according to this nature, whether he is a Gnani or an agnani.
Question: Does the Gnanis praarabdha (fate created by past deeds)
continue to give fruits?
Explanation: Whose prarabdha? For a Gnani, the body is asat. How can
the asat have a prarabdha? The Atma cannot have a prarabdha. Even in
interaction, the prarabdha is of the shareera (gross physical body), not
of the Atma. It is because of identification with the body that an agnani
jeeva accepts prarabdha. This identification is destroyed when a person
gets Gnan. Therefore, an enlightened person does not believe that he
has any prarabdha.
Even so, in order to help people who lack Gnan find a logical
explanation for the actions of an enlightened person, the Shastras speak
about the prarabdha of Gnanis. In view of the bodhavaana
(enlightened), the world is nitya-nootana (ever-new) and brahm-

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abhinna (not separate from the Brahman). Where is the scope for
mine-others, and for prarabdha?
2. Nirvivada Satya (Satya that cannot be disputed)
The Atma is not the object of any indreeya. It has no connection with
feelings. Even the sakshi of ones self cannot make the Atma the
drishya. That being the case, it is totally illogical to have differences of
opinion regarding that atma vastu (the Atma that cannot be defined).
Differences of opinion are possible only about the drishya, the
samve`dya (known by the mind), or by the indreeyas. The clamor of
mata-vaada (different theories) cannot touch the Atma that illuminates
the rising and vanishing of opinions and theories; the Atma which needs
no proof to establish itself, and is self-effulgent. The dig-bhe`da
(difference in the directions) are also intellectual. So are the differences
of time, matter, sajatiya-vijatiya-swagat-bheda.
Mati (the intellect, understanding, opinion) means the manifesting of
name, form, and action. It can have divisions like being anaadee
(without beginning) saadee (having a beginning), or being aastikanaastika (theist-atheist), but nobody can ever have the experience of not
existing. Therefore, it is clear that the Atma is free of all arguments and
investigations, and it does not come within any group like singlemultiple, with attributes-without attributes, Sat-asat, sensate-insensate,
sukha-dukha, separate-not-separate, etc. This is why the theories of
different philosophies do not touch the Atma. The Atma remains
unaffected, whatever people say, believe, or think about it.
All speculations about the Atma, seeing the interactive world like its
being shoonya-Sat, chetan-jada, karta-akarta, bhokta-abhokta, going to
other realms after death, mortal-immortal, sukhi-dukhi, paapipunyatma, etc are imaginings that have no base.
Anumaana (inference; a guess) needs an aadhaara (support) of an
earlier experience based on worldly interaction. None of these can be
the cause of the vastu (object, the Atma) that is heard, but cannot be
proved, and is unknown. Therefore, none of the methods of establishing
things have any value as far as the vastu described by Vedanta is
concerned.

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The point is that every indreeya absorbs its own object, its kind, and its
absence; but no indreeya can absorb anything beyond its own field.
None of the sense objects sound, feel, appearance, flavor and
fragrance can be absorbed fully; nor do the sense organs have equal
capacity for absorbing. They can only know the objects within their
range, and according to their capacity. Their power and scope are
limited. When we set out to investigate things that are separate from the
Atma, it results in the darkness of ignorance. We begin to imagine
things and get bound by our own beliefs.
For example, if a person tries to find the starting point of East-West,
North-South, above-below, etc, he will exhaust himself in the effort
without achieving anything. There is no end to imagined things. The
adi-anta of space and time cannot be found in space and time; it is
found in the subtlest part of the inner self, where awareness exists. The
beginning and end of space is not in any other anant it is the swarup
of the inner self, where awareness exists.
It is the same regarding time. If you set out to find the adi-anta of the
past and the future, you cannot fix the limits of the present, either.
Seeking the present will bring you to the same state as seeking the
limits of the past and the future. All these boundaries are imagined and
born of agnan.
Similarly, an investigation of your lineage will compel you to feel
satisfied with the thought that it is anadi; which is also a result of agnan.
This is also the swarup of all the external objects that are nitya.
The fact is, for the sakshatkara of the Satya, it is useless to search in any
place, time, or matter. You have to turn your search away from the
drishya. The drashta is Gnan; bhaana (awareness) is experience.
Therefore, to turn away from the drishya and face the Atma within, is
the only way. This is jigyaasaa the wish to know. You can see for
yourself whether you want Satya to be the object of Gnan the gyata
or whether you want to break the aavarana (covering) that hides the
Atma, and which is created by your own agnan.
Whether you admit it or not, you can cut away at the avaran as much as
you wish, but if you give importance to the objects of the drishya world
whatever they may be, in the inner or outer world, in a body or in the
ashareeree (that, which has no gross form), the Aham, idam, tvam, Tat,

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or anything else that you consider important you cant remove the
avaran.
So, give up the thought of some future Samadhi you may enter. Give up
the greed for some future realm like the Brahmloka, and give up the
attachment for obtaining any precious object. Be firm in your search for
the Atma that is the form of consciousness, through which everything is
seen, which needs no other source to illuminate itself or any other.
The buddhi has a natural tendency to focus on the drishya, which can be
either internal or external objects, forms that are lowly or praiseworthy,
desirable, worth giving up, etc.
As long as the buddhi gives importance to these, it will not be capable
of removing the avaran of avidya that hides the Satya Atma that
illuminates everything. The buddhi will remain engrossed in the things
it likes, and move away from what it dislikes. The buddhi needs to be
limpid and translucent to know that it is not separate from its own selfestablished, self-effulgent substratum. This method is called nivritti
(withdrawal from worldly considerations), vairaagya (detachment), or
antahkaran shuddhi (purification of the fourfold mind) in the ShrutiShastra.
Our duraagraha (prejudice) has two forms. One is that it is natural to
be partial to our individual body, whether it is the gross, subtle, or
causal body. The other is to be partial to the Shastras impositions for
this world and the realms after death.
The duragraha of the objects superimposed by the Shastras are negated
by the vichaara (deep thought) of the Shastras, but the natural partiality
for our individuality needs strong determination, and an examination of
the Atma, for its removal. Our partiality for our self is rooted so firmly
in our mind that we want to adorn our individuality even through the
Ishwara, Samadhi, or by obtaining Moksha.
The sakshatkara of Satya is not an adornment of any individual it cuts
away the difference between the vyakta (manifested) and avyakta (unmanifested). Whether it is a vyaktitva (individuality) or bhe`da
(difference), it is always connected to its opposite. It will always be
open to debate, because it is seen from different viewpoints, and the
drishya will always have different levels that support them.
Individuality can never be free of dispute and contradiction, whether it
is an Ishwaras, a jeevas or of the jada. Therefore, the Shruti, Shastras,
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Sat-Sampradaya (Sects that believe in Bhagwan) say that we should not

throw ourselves into any box of any grade of the drishya. The only
nirvirodha (unopposed; non-conflicting), nirvivaada (undisputed),
Satya is that, which is adrishyam (invisible), agraahyam (cannot be
understood), amatam (indefinable; ineffable), avigyaatam (not possible
to know), adrishtam-drishtta (the subtle object like the mind, that can
be known, but not through the senses), and which removes raga-dvesha
completely.
It is certain that everything separate and different is the drishya. Hence,
they become subjects of different opinions. If you attach any adjective
to Satya, it will give rise to an opinion that counters that adjective.
Unless something is vishe`sha (having some attributes), there is no
cause for dvaita (duality; its opposite). Nirvishe`sha (having no
attributes) means adviteeyataa (being non-dual). The non-dual cannot
be any other, because if he or this is accepted as the non-dual, the
Atma will be separate from it, and the one who illuminates it.
Gnan is the swarup of the Atma; the Atma is bhaana-maatra (pure
consciousness). Any other known or unknown will be the object of
your imagination, whether you are aware of it or not. It will not be the
prakaashya (the illuminator). Adviteeyataa (being non-dual) or
poornataa (wholeness) is not an adjective of the Atma. It is the Atmas
swarup. Or, you can say that it is a superimposition of the Shastras, for
the purpose of removing the bhram of apoornataa (being incomplete; a
fragment), or sadviteeyataa (duality; not being adviteeya). It is clear
that the difference between the Atma and the anatma meaning, an
imagined satta that is separate from ours is based on individuality.
The abhiman of being an individual separates us from others, and others
from us. This abhiman is definitely due to our agnan about the
Paramartha Satya. The Shastras have been tireless in their efforts to
remove agnan.
We hear that the Atma is apoorvam , meaning, nothing existed before it,
in the form of time, space and matter. We hear that the Atma is
anaparam, meaning, nothing will exist after the Atma in the form of
time space and matter. We hear that there is nothing which is outside or
inside the Atma, and that the Atma is our own Self, our own swarup of
our experience. We hear that the sakshat aparoksha Atma is allknowing, and free of divisions. When we hear these things, there is no
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scope for any doubt regarding the Atma being the Brahman. This is why
the author of Vivaran Prasthan believes that shravan is the only method
for removing avidya. Shravan means the certainty of the Atma being the
adviteeya Brahman.
Even so, if any doubt remains regarding the pramaana-prame`ya (the
proof and that which is proved), it can be removed by doing manan,
using the arguments that support what the Shrutis say. If there is
viparyaya (negative thoughts), the chitta should be kept steady on the
meaning of the Shrutis, which means, nididhyasana is required.
An intense jigyasu, whose buddhi is pure does not need repeated
shravan, leave alone manan or nididhyasana. As long as there is an urge
to accept individuality, the body, or anything separate as Satya, and
identify with it, the Brahmakara vritti will need to be repeated. We
should be vigilant that this aavritti (repeated vritti) does not make the
Atma vrittimaana (having vrittis).
When agnan, sanshaya (doubts) and viparyaya are removed, a person
becomes firm in his convictions about being absolutely non-dual, and
free from fear. Nirbhayataa (being free of fear) niratishaya vaidushya
(knowing all vigyans through the vigyan of one), and sarvaadhipatya
(having the capacity to give up everything) is the natural fruit of
Tattvagnan.
All buddhis and shaktis are eager to serve a Tattvagya (one who has
Tattvagnan), because he is the form of the Brahman who is the
adhishthana of the buddhimaana (one who has buddhi) and
shaktimaana (one who has shakti). The sarvagya (all-knowing) and
sarva-shaktimaana (all-powerful) Paramatma is seen in the adviteeya
Atma when a Tattvagya sees the prapanch, not by swarup drishti (that,
which appears to be real but is not the Satya).
Removal of avidya enables a person to see that the Atma is always
shuddha-buddha-mukta. The Atma has no connection to any kind of
kartavya (duty), bhavanaa (feeling), abhyaasa (habit), or repeated
vrittis. If even enlightenment were to lack independence, the person
would not be free of animality. Bodha (enlightenment) that lacks
independence is mala (dirt), and independence that lacks bodha is
paamarataa (foolishness). Uchhrinkhaltaa (utter lack of restraint) is
animality.

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Our swarup is free of all duties, feelings, habits, and repeated

inclinations. No matter what is present in the form of the drishya
shakti, shaktiman, vritti, vrittiman, Samadhi, Samadhivan, upaasakaupaasya (worshipper-worshipped) everything is seen in the
substratum of its own nature; hence, it is mithya. When a person obtains
bodha and his avidya is removed, the karya-kaarana and sadhya-sadhan
no longer have any value.
Whether it is an aabhaasa (illusion) or pratibimba (reflection), whether
it is a srishti-drishti (as you see, you become), or a drishti-srishti (as
you think, so you become), it is all meant to help a jigyasu to
understand the Satya. In no way is it proper to have duraagraha
(prejudice) about them. They are necessary, to prove a point in a debate,
or strengthen our faith, but that too, in the early stages. Where there is
no kriyaa-vikriyaa (action-opposite action), prakriyaa-sanskriyaa
(reaction-refined action), has no purpose. The upaadhi-upahita (a
superimposition connected to somethingpervading, reflected
influence), avachhe`daka-avachinna (one who separates - that, which is
separated), bimba-pratibimba (object-its reflection), the origins, etc, are
all indications that we are the Brahman. Therefore, ultimately, they all
become meaningless. They become the iti-padaartha (this factor) in
the process of ne`ti-ne`ti (not this, not this. The method of negating
everything that is not the Brahman, till only the Brahman remains). The
word iti, or this is used for that, which is to be negated; the things
that are not the Atma, and are momentary.
But, who illuminates the negation? Who is the substratum? That, which
remains after everything else is negated, who is that?
It is our Atma. Space, time, matter, sajaateeya-vijaateeya-svagat-bheda,
etc, come into the category of the things that are negated. The
differences of the jagat, jeeva and Ishwara are also in the same category.
That being the case, the only thing that is not negated is our Atma, and
our Atma does not have even a whiff of bhe`da (differences). To argue
about the bheda in the drishya is like arguing about the depth of the
water in a mirage. Let those who believe in different philosophies
demonstrate their intellectual abilities and debate about the depth and
the blueness of the sky! To argue about how good or bad the drishya is,
is tantamount to quarreling over imagined objects.
Shravan, only shravan!
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Very well, but why only shravan?

There are two reasons that explain that no other proof, argument, or
method of obtaining Gnan is possible. The first is that it is only by
shravan that we can know about the nitya-paroksha (that, which is
eternal, but not known through the senses), like Swarga, Brahmloka, the
cause of the jagat, etc. It is only by shravan that we can know how the
known sadhans are connected to the eternal, divine objects that cannot
be seen. Shravan is the only method that gives Gnan about the existence
of the nitya-paroksha vastu, and the methods by which it can be
obtained.
The second reason is that shravan is the only way to get Gnan about
that, which is nitya-aparoksha (always known, but not through the
senses), but unknown, like the Atmas being the Brahman. This can
only be known through shravan.
The Atma is aparoksha, needing no proof or vritti. It is present even in
the deep sleep state. It can never be paroksha; it is nitya-praapta
(always with us), but hidden by an aavarana (covering) of agnan. The
Atma cannot be known by the indreeyas. It is not paroksha like Swarga.
The essence of the vrittis like I, I, I, is only the Atma.
Bheda comes in the category of the drishya. The Atma Tattva that is
separate from all differences seems un-obtained, because of agnan.
That, which seems un-obtained due to agnan, is actually already with
us. Therefore, there is no other method except Gnan for removing
agnan.
The only thing Gnan does is to remove agnan. It does not obtain or
remove any object. Therefore, Gnan becomes redundant when agnan is
removed. That means, there is no need to obtain Gnan repeatedly.
Gnan removes agnan, but it does not give rise to the abhiman of having
Gnan. Apart from the Atma, knowledge about anything else creates the
subtle pride of knowing, and repetition is also required. The Atma is,
itself, the swarup of Gnan.
Keep in mind the remarkable fact that the Gnan of everything except
the Atma, leaves a sanskaara (subtle subconscious impression). Its
memory rises on occasion, and the object is considered either he`ya
(worth giving up) or upaade`ya (worth having), and is either given up
or accepted. Some action or practice is needed for this. However, there
is no sanskara in the Gnan of the Atma. If the object becomes paroksha
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after Gnan is obtained then a memory of the sanskara, or the object

seated in the sanskara, remains. The Atma, however, remains in the
form of a self-effulgent experience after avidya is removed, and leaves
no memory or sanskara.
The second point to keep in mind is that the objects that are drishya
have an angaangee bhaava ( feeling a part of the whole), therefore, the
Gnan of any drishya object will be a part of karma, upasana, or Yoga;
and kartitriva (the feeling of being the doer) will remain even after
obtaining this Gnan.
There is no feeling of angangi in the Atma, therefore, once a person
obtains Gnan about the Atma, there is no kartavya (feeling of being the
karta or having duties), upaasitavya (being the doer of upasana), or
bhoktavya (feeling of being the bhokta). Hence, there is poornataa (a
feeling of being complete) in Atmagnan. Nothing can shelter this Gnan
or reduce it. This Gnan is, itself, the adviteeya Brahman that is free of
the divisions of the gyaataa (knower) and gye`ya (that, which is
known).
It has been stated at the beginning, that all disputes and arguments
occur in the drishya. Paksha-vipaksha (for and against) have no place in
the adrishya (unseen), agraahya (that, which cannot be understood),
adviteeya Brahm-swarup. Therefore, all the pratipatti (acquiring) or
vipratipatti (getting what you dont want) is because if bahirmukhtaa
(turning to the outer world). To focus on the external world is the work
of agnan. There is nothing surprising when agnanis quarrel among
themselves. A Tattvagya experiences both as mithya, in his own swarup,
the self-effulgent Atma that is the substratum of all.
This is why it is only this kaivalya-svaroopa (the essence of oneness)
Brahmatmaikya Gnan that uproots raga-dvesha completely. The
person is always in anand; anand is everywhere; everything is the
form of anand, because anand is always there, everywhere, and all
words means only the adhishthana and nothing else. The nirdvaya
(non-dual), nirbhaya (free of fear), sangraha-parigraha-shoonya
(free of accumulations of all kinds) Atma, and the Atma alone, is the
Satya.
3. Jeevanmukti.

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The actual meaning of I is the Atma, the Sacchidananda-swarup. The

adjectives of baddha (bound) and mukta (free) cannot be attached to it.
Baddha means to forget your Self; mukta means the Gnan that removes
the false impression of believing yourself to be bound. That means,
baddha and mukta do not exist, from the viewpoint of the Atma. They
are real from the viewpoint of vyavahaara (worldly interaction). If we
begin to think about vyavahar from the viewpoint of Paramartha, and
think about Paramartha from the viewpoint of vyavhar, the pure form of
both will be lost. So, when thinking about the baddha, mukta, etc, we
should use only the viewpoint of vyavhar.
It is not possible to imagine dvandva (duality; friction) in the infinite
Chit-Anand Satta; and interaction is done only in duality. Vyavhar has
always entailed dualities like good-bad, paapi-punyatma, Mahatmaduratma. This is essential for maintaining order in society. It helps a
mumukshu to obtain Moksha. However, these lakshans do not apply to
the jeevanmukta Mahapurushas. They are enlightened souls. They have
no need for Gnan about their own lakshans; they are established far
beyond, in their inner swarup. Lakshans are made for ordinary jeevas
who suffer worldly sorrows and wish to find repose in the lap of infinite
peace. Therefore, we will have to decide upon their lakshans from our
own viewpoint. We have always chosen and always will choose the
Mahatmas according to our own ideals, preferences, and activities.
However, we cannot free ourselves from the cycle of Maya by doing
whatever we feel like. We have been enslaved by our desires over
countless lifetimes. We are now mixed into the same kind of
circumstances, and have become used to them. We want to avoid any
suggestion that is contrary to our beliefs and preferences. We consider
the Satya of our puny buddhi to be irrefutable, and remain estranged
from the real Satya.
Then, what should we do? Whose shelter should we take?
It is for this that the Shastras give us the lakshanas of the Sants
(Mahatmas) and Jeevanmuktas.
The Shruti uses words like shrotreeya (knower of the Shastras),
brahmanishtha (established in the Brahman), braahmana (Brahmin),
brahmavid (knower of the Brahman), etc. The Gita uses words like the
sthitapragya (one who is established in his pragya), bhakta, and
gunaateeta (one who has risen above the three gunas), etc. The
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Yogavasishta uses words like jeevanmukta, videhamukta, etc. The

Puranas use words like ativarnaashrami (one who is above the varnas
and ashrams) etc. All these are indications of the same state. These
different names are because of the different sadhanas that help achieve
enlightenment.
For example, the Gita says that a person, who considers karma to be the
primary method, and bhakti-Gnan to be secondary, is called a
sthitapragya. Similarly, a person who considers bhakti to be primary,
and karma-Gnan to be secondary, is called a gunateet. They all obtain
the same state of enlightenment. They are all fully established in the
Paramartha, and they all have a full measure of karma, bhakti and
Gnan. Even so, the different names indicate the different methods of
sadhana.
Shri Vasishtha has given many lakshans of a jeevanmukta on the Yoga
Vasishtha. They are given below:
1) Yathaasthitamidam yasya vyavahaaravatopi cha,
astangatam sthitam vyoma sa jeevanmukta uchhyate`.
When the world seen around us is folded up along with our de`ha
indreeya (body and senses) meaning, when multiplicity is absent the
world fades away. However, this does not happen for a jeevanmukta.
The entire prapanch remains as it is, and vyavahaara (interaction)
continues. Since there is no pralay, other people continue to experience
everything as before, but the jeevanmukta no longer perceives the
world. His state is similar to a person in a deep sleep state. The
difference is that when people wake up, they see the world as it was
when they dropped off to sleep, but for the jeevanmukta, even the seed
of this world is destroyed. He never perceives the interactive world
again.
2) Node`ti naastamaayaati sukhe` dukhe` mukhaprabhaa,
yathaapraapte` sthitiryasya sa jeevanmukta uchhyate`.
Whether a person gets sandal-paste and garlands due to his prarabdha,
or whether he loses loved ones and wealth, faces insults and scorn, a
jeevanmukta retains his mental tranquility. He, who is always in a state
of inner peace no matter what comes his way, making no special effort
for anything, is called a jeevanmukta. Firstly, since a jeevanmukta is
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always established in his swarup, he does not perceive these worldly

objects. However, if he does perceive them occasionally, his Gnan
ensures that he has no feeling of heya-upadeya, and feels no elation or
depression. It must be kept in mind that prarabdha gives the causes of
joy and sorrow, but not the joy and sorrow that follow.
Events happen according to the cycle of past karmas, but sukha and
dukha are the results of aasakti (attachment). For example, we may not
get food one day because of our prarabdha, but it is our attachment to
food that makes us unhappy. Attachment is a result of agnan. We get
attached to some place, time, or object, because we do not know the
wheel of sansara, and our own swarup. This is why we feel happy or
sad about the things that happen. Why should a jeevanmukta feel happy
or sad about these things? His equanimity is his special quality.
3) Yo jaagarti sushuptistho yasya jaagranna vidyate`,
yasya nirvaasano bodhah sa jeevanmukta uchhyate`.
A jeevanmuktas external senses are settled in their own golaka
(spheres), they are not uparata (deadened), which is why he is aware.
However, because his vrittis are turned towards the internal or
because they are not focused on the external world he is in a state akin
to being asleep. His senses do not notice the sense objects, and the
characteristics of the jaagrita (waking) state do not function fully, and
therefore, his state can be called neither a jagrit state not a sushupti
(deep sleep) state. It is a state of realization, but not one that is
connected to vasana, such as in the svapna (dreaming) or jagrit states.
At times, he gets the vritti, I am a knower of the Brahman, which is
indicated by the word vaasanaa. When a person thinks, I have
obtained knowledge about the infinite Brahman, who is the swarup of
Chit, there is a superimposition of being the one who has this Gnan.
This cannot be called shuddha (pure) Gnan.
Then, the kartritva (feeling of being the karta) and gnaatritva (feeling
of being the one who has gnan) are negated. The triad of the gyata,
gnan, and gyeya is no more. Only bodha (pure awareness) remains, and
this is called nirvaasanik bodha knowledge that is free of desire.
Being the swarup of bodha is the swarup of a jeevanmukta.
4) Raagadve`shabhayaadeenaamanuroopam charannapi,
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yontarvyomavadatyachhah sa jeevanmukta uchhyate`.

People think that a jeevanmukta behaves just like any ordinary person
who has raga, dvesha and bhaya. A jeevanmuktas daily habits like
bathing, going to the toilet, eating, etc are according to his liking. He
eats Sattvik food, gives up everything Tamasik, all vulgar activities, and
wrong company. It is seen that he shows fear at the sight of dangerous
animals, snakes, etc. This happens because of baadhitaanuvritti
(repeated thoughts of negation) or poorvaabhyaasa (past habits),
continues even after enlightenment, but his antahkaran is limpid, so it
remains unsullied. Does space get sullied by the particles of dust that
float in it? Similarly, a jeevanmuktas mind is always free of impurities,
regardless of the situation he is in.
I want to make it clear that there are jeevanmuktas in all varnas and
ashrams, but they do not flout the rules of their varna and ashram. Why
should they, when they consider all activities as equal? It is certainly
proper to give up an action in order to do something better, but the
traditional rules should not be neglected. Being a jeevanmukta should
not be used as an excuse for any kind of wrongdoing.
5) Yasya naahankrito bhaavo buddhiryasya na lipyate`,
kurvatokurvato vaapi sa jeevanmukta uchhyate`.
When somebody does something, he gets the subtle pride of having
done that work. His intellect is tainted with the thought that he will get
the fruit of his action, either in this world or after death. When he
restrains his limbs, senses, and mind, he gets the subtle pride of having
restrained their activities. His intellect is sullied with the hope of
obtaining Mukti.
However, whether a jeevanmukta is seen to be active or withdrawn
from worldly activities, he develops no such pride that taints his
intellect. He never feels that he is the karta or a tyaagee (one who
renounces).
The state of a jeevanmukta is svasamve`dya (known only to himself).
The Mahapurushas who have risen above kartritva are untainted by
pride, attachment, or the intellect. All their actions are sahaj karma
(natural actions). The Gita has also described sahaj karma. Or, you can
interpret sahaj as the sajaateeya karma (the same kind of karma) as
the karmas done just prior to enlightenment. Because their flow is
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downwards, and because they are curtailed from the vasanas that carry
them to other karmas, they continue to do what they are used to doing.
One thing is necessary, and that is that there should have been no paapakarma at the moment of enlightenment, else he would not have obtained
Gnan.
In my opinion, all kinds of situations can arise in the life of a
jeevanmukta, because of his prarabdha, but his sankalpa (resolves)
made before obtaining Gnan do not have the capacity to bear fruit
since he no longer feels that he is the karta, and has no attachments. He
sees everything as his own Atma; therefore his actions give no fruits.
6) Yasmannodvijate` loko lokaannodvijate` cha yah,
harshaamarshabhayaanmuktah sa jeevanmukta uchhyate`.
Worldly people get agitated at the thought of being harmed, or when
they experience anything that is contrary to their beliefs and habits.
Even a mumukshu feels agitated when he sees people burdened by
envy, hatred, etc, and attached to worldly considerations. A
jeevanmukta, however, feels that everybody is his Atma. He never feels
apprehensive about anyone being against him or harming him, so why
should anyone fear him? His sadhana is not obstructed by worldly
considerations of others. His sadhana is sahaj (natural), not artificial.
There is no fear of its being curtailed by what others do. That is why he
does not feel afraid of anyone. He has everything he wants, and is not
elated with anything he gets. He has no competitor, and feels no anger
or jealousy. Fear exists in duality. We fear some other. For a
jeevanmukta, there is no other, so who will he fear? He is always fully
content in himself.
7) Shaantasansaarakalanah kalaavaanapi nishkalah,
yah sachittopi nishchittah sa jeevanmukta uchhyate`.
Worldly people are always agitated by conflicting feelings like, This is
an enemy; this is a friend; this man is not bothered about me; this is
respect; this is an insult, etc. A jeevanmukta has no such ambiguities;
he is naturally untroubled by such thoughts. Even if a jeevanmukta has
all the virtues, skills, and talents, he remains free of pride, because a
jeevanmukta has no pride and does not interact the way worldly people
do.
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Or, you can say that even though a jeevanmukta seems to have a body,
prana, etc, he is free of them he is avyakta (un-manifested). We may
think him to have a chitta, but the fact is that he is free of the chitta
because no vrittis arise in him.
8) Yah samastaarthajaate`shu vyavahaaryyapi sheetalah,
paraarthe`shviva poornaatmaa sa jeevanmukta uchhyate`.
Worldly people go to the house of their friends and relatives when there
is an important function, to help with the work. So do jeevanmuktas
who are not bothered by considerations like profit, harm, happiness,
sorrow, or any other vikar. From the viewpoint of a jeevanmukta,
everybody is his Self; nobody is alien. He remains free of vikars while
interacting with others. His heart is always at peace. It is not that he
faces no obstacles or hindrances; he is at peace because he is always
seated in his unchanging paripoorna (whole; fulfilled) Atma-Tattva.
As long as his body lives, we call such a Mahapurusha a jeevanmukta.
We feel fortunate when we take his sharan (refuge). It is said that when
a jeevanmuktas body is over, he becomes a videha-mukta. Nothing
more can be said about him.
The status of a jeevanmukta is obtained when he has no vasana or vritti
left, and he gets Tattvagnan. All three are needed. The fact is that these
three are inter-dependent. None can be obtained without the others, so
all thee must be practiced together.
4. Videha Mukti (The seven bhoomikas [roles] of Gnan).
I once asked Shri Udiya Babaji Maharaj, What is the difference
between jeevanmukta and videha-mukti? At once he said, Oh, the
mention of both is amangala (inauspicious), in the swarup!
The fact is that the Atma is abhe`da-svaroopa (the essence of nonduality; the form of being indivisible). The Atma that becomes free
of avidya is called Moksha. Therefore, the difference between
jeevanmukti and videhamukti is almost non-existent. When the light
of Tattvagnan comes into the antahkaran, the proportion of shraddha,
bhakti and dhyana create Gnan, the role of which has been described
in the Vedanta Shastras. A jeevanmukta is a living person who is
aware of his body and the world, is enlightened, and liberated.
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When an enlightened Saint is alive, but not aware of his de`ha

(body), he is called a videha-mukta. When the body is no more, his
individuality ceases, and there is no question of rebirth for him. Na
cha punaraavartate`, na cha punaraavartate` (Chandogya
Upanishad 8. 15. 1). He is not reborn. Na tasya praanaah
utkraamanti (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 4. 6). His prana does not
leave the body (it merges into the elements).
(Some people who have faith in Aham brahmasmi and practice the
ahamgraha upaasanaa developing identification with their pristine
Atma, which is the Brahman but die before their sadhana is
fulfilled. The prana of such people leaves their body and goes to
Brahmloka by the path of light, called Uttarayana. There, he is
given teaching, and he becomes liberated along with Brahmaji. This
is called the krama-mukti.
(Some people worship an Ishtadev [chosen form] by the method of
sakaama karma [actions done for fulfilling some desire] or
nishkaama karma [actions free of desire]. Their prana leaves their
body and travels either by the path of dakshinaayana [Southerly
path] or uttaraayana [Northerly path]. Both paths take them to the
realms they desire. They enjoy the joys there, and return to this
mortal world. See Chapter 8 of the Gita, Chapter 5 of the Chandogya
Upanishad, and Chapter 4 of the Brahadaranyaka Upanishad.)
The principle of the Shrutis is that a brahmave`ttaa (knower of the
Brahman) is the Brahman. Brahm ve`da brahmaiva bhavati
(Mundaka Upanishad 3. 2. 9). Brahmaiva san brahmaapye`ti
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4. 4. 6). That means, he obtains the
Brahman by becoming the Brahman. Therefore, a Brahmavid who
knows the Brahman becomes mukta (liberated; enlightened) the very
instant he gets Gnan. The Mundaka Upanishad says, Aatmakreedah
aatmaratih kriyaavaan e`sha brahmavidaam varishthah (Mundaka
Upanishad 3. 1. 4)
The Brahmavetta who takes delight in the Atma, loves the Atma, and
interacts with the Atma, is the superior Brahavetta.
The Yogavasishtha takes the support of this Shruti to describe the
seven bhoomikaa (roles) of Gnan. They are given below.
The seven bhoomikas or preambles are, shubhe`chhaa,
vichaaranaa,
tanumanasaa,
sattvaapatti,
asansakti,
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padaarthabhaavanee, and turyagaa (Yogavasishtha Utpatti

Prakaran 118. 5- 6).
Shubhechha is dominated by shraddha. Vicharana is dominated by a
combination of shraddha and bhakti. Tanumanasa is dominated by
dhyana. Sattvapatti is dominated by a combination of bhakti and
Gnan. Asansakti is dominated by asangataa (detachment), and
Padarthabhavani is dominated by a reduction in the feeling of being a
body, due to the vrittis being strengthened by dhyana. Turyagaa is
when the consciousness of the body turns into a complete lack of
awareness.
The Characteristics of the Bhoomikas.
1) Shubhechha. When the antahkaran develops vairagya and
mumuksha, that state is called the bhoomika of shubhechha
(Yogavasishtha Utpatti Prakaran 118. 8). Its characteristics are
vive`ka (discrimination between the Atma and the anatma),
vairaagya (detachment), shatsampatti (the six qualities needed in
sadhana), and mumukshaa (a desire to be liberated from rebirth).
2) Vicharana. To have vairagya, and to study the Vedanta Shastra as
a daily routine; to associate with Satpurusha who are established
in the meaning of Vedanta; to do shravan, manan and
nididhyasam, and live according to the strictures of the Shastras.
This lifestyle is called vicharana. It is the second bhoomika
(Yogavasishtha Utpatti Prakaran 118. 9). Gurupasadan (sitting
near the Guru) is included in this.
3) Tanumanasa. When the states of shubhechha and vicharana
ripen, the senses lose their attachment for sense-objects. The
mind becomes tanu (tiny) meaning subtle and the vrittis stop
flowing towards their refuges the sense objects and worldly
indulgences. The mind is quiet. It begins to settle in the Atma.
This is the third bhoomika, called tanumanasaa (Yogavasishtha
Utpatti Prakaran 118. 10). This is a maturing of dhyana. This
state can also be obtained by doing the vivek of the tvampadartha or the Tat-padartha provided it is done with
vairagya.
These three are the bhoomikas of Gnan.
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4) Sattvapatti. This is a bhoomika for obtaining Gnan. The practice

of the first three bhoomikas, and developing vairagya, gives rise
to the Brahmakara vritti. Then, the oneness of the tvam-padartha
Atma, and the Tat-padartha Ishwara, is experienced. The
mumukshu gets established in his own swarup. This is the
sattvapatti state, and the fourth bhoomika of Gnan
(Yogavasishtha 118. 11). This is the state where avidya is
removed. A person who has reached this state is called a
Brahmavid.
5) Asansaksti. When the first four bhoomikas become ripe, the
chitta becomes completely unattached to all sense objects. The
mumukshus life is enveloped with the Brahmaimaikya-bodha.
This bhoomika is called asansakti. It is the fifth bhoomika
(Yogavasishtha 118. 12). It is the state of jeevanmukti. In this
state, the person is given the title of Brahmavidvara (superior
among the Brahmavids). For a jeevanmukta Brahmavetta, the
whole world seems like a dream. The Atma is completely free of
the feeling of being a karta, bhokta, or an individual of this
world. He may be continue with any of his past activities or
withdraw from them. The first four bhoomikas can be obtained
by purushaartha (human endeavor); the fifth is the fruit of
bodha. Most of the Mahapurushas are established in this
bhoomika.
6) Padarthabhavani. In this bhoomika, the antahkaran of the
Mahapurusha usually has no awareness of any padartha (matter;
object), because the ripening of the first five bhoomikas ensures
that the names and forms of this world are known to be mithya;
the only Satya is the swaroop. Therefore, the Mahapurusha
occasionally become aware of the existence of the objects of this
world. The interaction of a person in this state is usually through
another person (Yogavasishtha Utpatti Prakaran 118. 13-14).
This is the first bhoomika of videha-mukti. A person in this state
is called a Brahmavidvareeyaan. This state cannot be reached
by any personal effort; it rises when the prarabdha of the body of
a jeevanmukta nears its end, or some earlier vasana establishes
itself.

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7) Turyaga. This state is the ripening of the sixth state, the

padarthabhavani state. The persons padaartha-buddhi (the
intellect that sees the objects) and de`ha-buddhi (the intellect that
sees the body) is destroyed completely. His mind does not
descend by itself, or by any other, into awareness of his body
(Yogavasishtha Utpatti Prakaran 118. 15). Therefore, he does not
emerge from this state again. It is also said that nobody can
survive in this state for more than twenty one days. It is clear that
this state rises when the prarabdha is about to end. This is also
the last bhoomika of the videha-mukti. A person in this
bhoomika is called a Brahmavidvarishtha.
The bhoomikas mentioned above belong to the chitta, or jeeva; not to
the Atma. The Atma is unchanging, unmoving, and always the same.
From the viewpoint of a jigyasu, the shubhechha, vicharana, and
tanumanasa can be compared to the jaagrita avasthaa (waking state);
the sattvapatti and asansakti can be compared to the svapna avasthaa
(the dream state), and the padarthabhavani and turyaga can be
compared to the sushupti avasthaa (deep sleep state).
From the viewpoint of a Tattvagya, the order is reversed. The turyaga
and padarthabhavani are like jagrit. The asansakti and sattvapatti are
like the swapna, and the tanumanasa, vicharana, and shubhechha are
like sushupti.
From the viewpoint of the Atma, the Brahman the Tattva, everything
is the Atma.
(The last chapter has been written by Shri Vishnu, who edited
Vedanta Bodha in 1984, because no article by Maharajji was
available for an appropriate conclusion of this book.)

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Glossary
Aanupoorvik serially
Aaropita superimposed
Aashraya the refuge; the shelter
Aatmaa the indestructible soul that is not separate from the Brahman
Abhinna not separate
Abhinna-nimitta-upaadaana the cause that is also the matter
Adhibhoota the form of the tanmaatras in gross matter
Adhikaran substratum
Adhyaasa superimposition caused by conditioning
Adhyaatma pertaining to the spiritual; metaphysical
Adhyaropa superimposition
Adhyastha superimposed
Agnaana lack of Gnan
Aham I, the Atma
Ahamartha to mistake the pure Atma to be the individual I
Ahankaara the subtle ego of individuality; pride
Anaatmaa that, which is not the Atma
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Anavasthaa illogical
Anirvachaneeya that, which cannot be defined
Antahkaran the fourfold mind, or subtle body, composed of the mana,
buddhi, chitta and ahankara
Avidyaa ignorance or nescience
Avive`ka lack of discrimination
Avyaakrita unmanifest
Ayukta about separate illusions
Bhraanti wrong impression
Bhram false understanding
Brahmaatmaikya bodha knowledge about the Brahman
Brahman the essence of the substratum of everything; the Ishwara
without attributes
Buddhi the intellect
Chaitanya pure consciousness
Che`tan conscious
Chitta the present state of mind; mental inclination
Darshan to see with reverence; a school of thought.
Drashtaa the one who sees, the Atma
Drishya that, which is seen; the world
Idam - this
Indreeya the five sense organs
Jada - insensate
Jagat the world
Jeeva the Atma attached to an individual
Jeevatmaa the individual that lives on after the body dies
Kaarana cause
Kaarana shareera the causal body that is a result of birth
Karan the five organs of action
Laya - merging
Maayaa the Ishwaras power of illusion
Mahaa vakya the ultimate statement of the Vedas that say You (the
Atma) are the Brahman
Mahat tattva the universal ego that gives individuality
Mana the emotional mind; the heart
Mithyaa a relative truth; something that has no eternal existence
Naaraayana the Ishwara who abides in all hearts
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Naasamajhee lack of right understanding

Nara a human being
Ne`ti-ne`ti negating everything that is not the Atma
Pancha bhoota the five elements, earth, water, fire, wind and ether
Pancha kle`sha the five factors that cause suffering; avidya
(ignorance), asmita (pride), raaga (attachment) dve`sha (aversion) and
abhinive`sha (fear of death)
Paramatma the supreme Atma
Praagya The Ishwara; the universal right intellect
Praarabdha fate created by actions of past lives
Pragyaa the intellect that shows what is right
Prakarana Section
Prakriti Nature
Pralaya Dissolution
Prapancha the interactive world created by five elements and five
senses
Pratyaya belief
Pratyaya thought; present inclination
Sacchidaananda the Brahman who is Sat = pure existence, Chit = pure
consciousness and Ananda = pure bliss
Samashti the total
Sambandhaadhyaasa an illusionary relationship
Sansaara the interactive world
Sansargaadhyaasa an illusionary proximity
Sookshma shareera the subtle body
Srishti Creation
Sthoola shareera the gross body
Svaroopa the original form or essence
Tanmaatraa the subtle form of matter
Tat-padaartha the object that is That = the Brahman
Tattvamasi a Mahavakya that says, Thou (the Atma) are That (the
Brahman)
Tvam-padaartha the object that is tam = you, the Atma
Upaadhi a superimposition connected to something
Upahita pervading influence (reflected influence)
Viraata the colossal; the whole world
Vivarta something seen as something else
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Vive`ka khyaati a mistaken discrimination

Vritti mental inclination
Vyashti individual

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