Upadesha Saram

[DRPVSSNRAJU]

Upadesa Saram: Verse 27

Meaning:- The absolute knowledge which is devoid of relative knowledge and ignorance about objects alone

is real knowledge.This is Truth because in the state of self experience there is nothing to know other than oneself.

Comment:- The mere consciousness of one's own existence, "I am" which is devoid of both of feeling "I know"

and the feeling of "I do not know" alone is true knowledge.

That which knows other than itself is not true knowledge.Since self shines without another for it to know or

to make it known,it is true knowledge.Though devoid of knowledge and ignorance which are essentially relative

with reference to objects,it is not void--know thus.

[DRPVSSNRAJU]

Upadesa Saram: Verse 28

Meaning:- Thus enquiring "what is my nature",one finds oneself to be undecaying and unborn Pure consciousness bliss.

Comment:- If one knows what one's nature is through enquiry (Atma vichara),then what will remain and shine only is

the beginningless,endless,oneness of existence consciousness whose nature is bliss.

[DRPVSSNRAJU]

Upadesa Saram: Verse 29

Meaning:- Abiding in this state of self,having attained supreme bliss,which is devoid of bondage and liberation

amounts to abiding in God.When one enjoys the bliss which is not of this world, he is as divine as God

and in such a state there are no differences like Jiva (Individual soul) and Eswara (God).

Comment:- When we enquire into the one who feels that he is in bondage,the ever liberated one (Real self)

alone remains as unequivocal truth,since the thought of bondage and liberation cannot remain there.

The only service we can render to God is to cease rising as an individual (Ego) and there by refrain by making it

necessary for God to run to our rescue to serve us out of his all merciful attitude.

One who is established in self has no separative feeling with the God and hence he is not other than God,

the one supreme reality.God resides in him and his actions are actions of God.

[DRPVSSNRAJU]

Upadesa Saram: Verse 30

Meaning:- This self-enquiry which is devoid of "I-am-the-body" feeling,is the great penance which reveals the

"nature of self".This is the Truth as spoken by Bhagawan Ramana.

Comment:- The state of nonrising of ego which is the outcome of doing self-enquiry without any identity

to nonself  which reveals the nature of self is great penance says Bhagawan Ramana.

                                                 Om Sri Ramanarpanamastu.

[Subramanian.R]

The Verse 24 reads as under in Tamil:

Irukkum Iyarkaiyal Isa Jeevargal
Oru Porule yavarum Undhipara
Upadhi Unarve veru Undhipara

(Irukkum Iyarkai - in the nature of being.
Isa - Creator. Jeevargal - Jivas
Oru Porule - one Substance.
Upadhi Unarve veru - only the adjuncts/awareness.)

Osborne's translation:

In the nature of their being, Creator and the creature,
Are in substance one.
They differ only
In adjuncts and awareness.

Bhagavan Ramana says in Who am I? to Sivaprakasam Pillai: 
The only real thing is Atma Swarupa.  The world, the jiva (and
the personal gods) are only imaginations on It. But Bhagavan Ramana
adds here:  Like the silver in the oyster shell! 

The question arises therefore naturally in a seeker's mind, how then
can the world and the Jivas be imaginations?  What is imagination?
You are superimposing a false appearance on something real. Advaita
Vedanta gives different examples.  Like rope and the snake.  Like oyster
shell and the silver.  So, one imagines that the jivas and world are
superimpositions/false appearances/mithya on the Reality, Atman, Isa,
Isvara. Once this false appearance is removed, the Reality shines in Its
brilliance.  Then,  the creatures also appear as Real, because
all are Isvara swarupa!  Every individual soul is potentially Divinity. When
false adjuncts once removed, indivudal soul becomes Divinity.

Once there was a gentleman (I think it is Sofa Gounder), who was
earlier very intensely devoted to Bhagavan Ramana, but later became
troublesome to the Asram.  He even filed a suit against Bhagavan Ramana
and Chinnaswami claiming ownership of the Asramam.  Later Gounder
passed away in a pitiable condition, with disease and poverty.  When
the news came in the morning, the devotees were eager to hear from
Bhagavan Ramana, what He would say about Gounder.  Someone
started telling Bhagavan Ramana about Gounder's sad demise.  Bhagavan
Ramana kept quiiet for some time.  Then He said:  "O Gounder!  What
a spotless white dhoti he would wear always!"   Bhagavan Ramana could
see what was good in Gounder, because for Him, everything is Atma
Swarupa.

Isvara, the Creator is Sarvajna.  Jiva is Khinchitjnan.  Isvara is Sarva
Saktan, Jiva is Asaktan.  Isvara is Virat, Jiva is alpa.  The adjuncts and
awareness are the differences.  On realization, Jiva becomes Isvara.

Arunachala Siva. 

[Subramanian.R]

The Verse 25 of Upadesa Saram, reads as under in Tamil.

Thannai Upadhi Vittu Orvadhu than Isan
Thannai Unarvadham Undhipara
Thaan ayi oLirvadhal Undhipara.

(Thannai - the individual soul.
Upadhi vittu Orvadhu - seeing/comprehending/realizing without
adjuncts. Isan Thanni Unarvadham - is to be God. 
Than ayi oLirvadhal - It shines ever as the pure Self.)

Osborne's translation:

Seeing oneself free of all attributes
Is to see the Lord,
For He shines ever as the pure Self.

Bhagavan Ramana said in the earlier verse that the adjuncts are the
only difference between Jiva and Isvara.  Now, what will happen, if
the individual soul frees himself of all attributes?  Then it becomes
Isvara, Lord, the Self. Advaita Vedanta speaks about the brahmara,
the worm.  The worm, on constantly contemplating to become
a bee or a fly, in due course, opens the cocoon, and flies! Tayumanavar also sings:  "When can I break open this house and fly?"  What is the
house?  Our body, our vasanas, our mind, our ego, our five conative and cognative organs, our prana.  But in a Jnani's case, many of these
adjuncts would continue to remain, not as chains but as vehicle, to continue the purpose of his life.

Once when Narayana Guru came to see Bhagavan Ramana, he wanted to leave some money with Palaniswami and also his own people in Tiruvannamalai, for feeding Bhagavan Ramana.  While going, Narayana Guru had made a comment:   The people around Bhagavan are Anna-kavadis.  So we should help them.  Narayna Guru meant that people
around Bhagavan Ramana were utterly poor even without food and begged food (Anna kavadi).  But this word Anna kavadi means a few more things in Tamil.  It means a lowly pauper.  Palaniswami became very angry about this comment.  Bhagavan Ramana said:  Why do you get upset Palaniswami?  We are all Anna kavadis, the carriers of the bodies as Vehicle!  Yes.  Jnani carries the body as a vehicle.  It is not a troublesome adjunct for him.

Arunachala Siva.                 

[Subramanian.R]

The Verse 26 of Upadesa Sastram, in Tamil, reads as under:

Thaanai iruthale Thannai aRithalal
Thaan irandu atradham Undhipara
Than maya nittaiyil Undhipara.

(Thaanai iruthale - to be the Self, Atma.
Thannai aRithalal - To know the Self; to comprehend the Self.
Thaan irandu atradham - The Self is non dual.
Than maya nittaiyil - in Brahma nishta. abidance as the Self.)

Osborne's translation:

To know the Self is but to be the Self,
For It is non dual.
In such knowledge,
One abides as That.

Bhagavan Ramana indicated the Mahavakyas: Thou Art That and
I am Brahman earlier in two verses.  Here, He tells the Mahavakyas
Prajnanam Brahmam, Consciousness is Brahman (Aitereya Up. 5.3)
and Ayamatma Brahmam, This Self is Brahman (Br.Up.2.5.19).  If
one knows the Self he is the Self.  What is this 'knowing'?  It is not
a "feeling", or "thinking"  but "realizing"  as explained in Verse 25.
Once you realize the Self, with a firm conviction, then you become
the Self. Realization is not a feeling.  It is being merged in the Goal.  The way and the goal are one and the same, as Bhagavan Ramana said.
On the way, it may appear as dual but the non-duality is achieved on merging with the Goal.  This knowledge is both knowing and abiding!

Bhagavan Ramana used to give a fresh interpretation about the old
proverb about Tiruvarur, Chidambaram, Kasi and Annamalai.  In the
old saying, it is said, that one when is born in Tiruvarur, or when one
sees Chidambaram, or when one dies in Kasi or when one remembers
Annamalai, he gets liberation.  Bhagavan Ramana said:  To be born
is to kill the vasanas and taking birth. To see is to know or 'realize'.
To die, is to vanquish the vasanas, to remember is to constantly contemplate the Self, all these confer liberation or merger with the Self.
(See Talks). Janmanam Kamalalayam, darshanam Chidambaram, maranam
Varanasim, smaranam Arunachalam.  Janmam/darshanam/maranam/
smaranam all mean to know or comprehend or realize the Self, after
killing all vasanas.

Arunachala Siva.

[Subramanian.R]

The Verse 27 of Upadesa Saram, in Tamil, reads as under:

ARivu ARiyamaiyum Atra ARive,
ARivahum unmai idhu Undhipara,
ARivatharku onRilai Undhipara!

(ARivu - knowledge, empirical, worldly knowledge.
ARiyamai - ignorance.
Atra - without these.
ARive - Knowledge.
ARivahum unmai - that is the real pure knowledge.
ARivatharku onRilai - no object is to be known.)

Osborne's/K.Swaminathan's translation is as under:

That is true knowledge which transcends
Both knowledge and ignorance
For in pure knowledge
Is no object to be known.

The worldly knowledge implies, "I know".   The ignorance implies,
"I do not know".  The Self Knowledge, which is Pure Knowledge,
is not both.  It is:  I AM.  Once this state is attained or merged with,
there is no object to be known.

The Brahma Jnana or the Truth is the "Sat".   It is only a conviction,
I AM THAT I AM.  In this state of 'anubhuti' there is no empirical
knowldge or ignorance.  It is beyond these two.  IT IS JUST IS.
Further, since there is nothing other than the Self, there is nothing
to be known or be ignorant of.  Hence there is no object to be known.

Then the question is:  How then the Brahma Jnani moves about in
the world?  How does he have empirical knowledge for various activities?  The answer is:  Since He is the Self and since there is nothing other than
the Self, the Self 'does' the activities of seeing, writing, speaking, teaching, attending to minimum required bodily needs.  Then a further
question:  How does He 'see' others and move with them.  Since there
is nothing other than the Self, He 'sees' every being as the Self. 

We have numerous incidents in Bhagavan Ramana's life.  After merging
in the Self, all the emprical knowledge comes of its own accord, and
in perfection!  For example, Stephen Hawking, the great astrophysicist,
joined the undergraduate course at the age of 12 in Cambridge.  Having
joined the undergraduate course at the age of 12, for a genius, will it
be difficult to tell the Multiplication Table 12?  The multiplication tables
are empirical knowledge, he, a genius was already at the undergradauate
class at the age of 12 studying Newton and Einstein.  Like that Bhagavan
Ramana, even though he never entered the kitchen in Tiruchuzhi or
Madurai, could be culiniary expert in the kitchen in the Asram.  He could
tell about each leaf and herb in the Hills and explain the medicinal
properties.  He could stitch leaf-plates in perfection.  He discussed
the theory of relativity with one Swami from SRK Math, Paris and told
him that the relativity theory is the pinnacle of human wisdom but the
Self-Knowldge is much beyond that!  While relativity assumes two
observers from different spots to know the relavity of time, the Self
Realized Person is the only observer of all phenomena!  Such a realized
soul is beyond the time-space continuum!

Arunachala Siva. 

[Subramanian.R]

Verse 27 continues....

We have seen as how the Self realized Jnani, is beyond empirical knowledge and ignorance.  He adds that in pure knowledge, there
is no object to be known.  We have seen how Bhagavan Ramana
who merged in the Self in Madurai, exhibited empirical knowledge,
since Knowledge is One without the second, hence all the secondary
knowledge is displaed through the Self, and the Self alone.  The
verse also says, in pure knowledge is no object to be known.  Then,
how Bhagavan Ramana "saw" the people in the Hills and in the Old
Hall and later in the Jubilee Hall and Nirvana Room?  He saw them
all as the Self.

When some one was asking a question, it was not the Self that was
asking the question but only the mind/ego!  So, He replied them
succinctly as the Self!  For people, who did not ask any questions
to Him, but merely stood or sat in silence, in utter surrender and
devotion, He 'looked' at them and made their minds to stop working!

Once in the Hall, a photograph which was being seen by everyone,
suddenly got lost.  Everyone was searching.  At last, they found it
inside the book of a devotee, who had kept it, without knowledge.
Bhagavan Ramana was witnessing everything.  Maruice Frydman asked:
Bhagavan!  We were all looking at the photo. Then it got lost. Then
we found it.  There was anxiety in between. What was Bhagavan's
view about the whole episode?"  Bhagavan replied: "The photo, it being
seen by all of you, its being lost, its being found out, in between the anxiety and then the peace, ALL THESE I AM WITENSSING AS A DREAM,
but  WITHOUT TAKING PART IN THAT DREAM!

Arunachala Siva.   
 

[Subramanian.R]

Verse 27 continues....

For a Brahma Jnani, who is Knowledge, that transcends both knowledge
and ignorance, there is no object to be known.  All the worldy knowledge
comes of its own accord from the Self-Knowledge.  There is a story
of Sri Sankara.  Someone asked him, whether he knew how to stitch
torn footwear.  Sankara said that he had seen that activity of cobbling,
but had not done it but he could still do it.  The torn sandals, the iron
block, pieces of leather, needle, wax, and thread were brought and given
to him.  He took out the thread, scratched its end on his nose!  Then
he started fixing it inside the eye of the needle.  The observers were
amazed! Any cobbler, before he starts the work, takes the thread and
scratches it on his nose.  The moisture on the nose, makes the thread-end
straight and sharp to get into the needle!

Bhagavan Ramana composed Akshara Mana Malai and Upadesa Undiyar
and Ulladu Narpadu at the request of others.  Only Arunachala Padigam
came of its own accord.  All his works were composed on request by
others.  He was well read in Tamil but definitely not a poet.  He learnt
Sanskrit, Telugu and Malayalam in no time.  For a Jnani who is the Self
all the worldly knowledge was as simple as drinking water.  The Truth
within Him, is clearer than the gooseberry on the palm, as He Himself
has said.  From that Truth emanates, all the emprical truths in life.

Arunachala Siva.   

[Subramanian.R]

The Verse 27 continues...

I shall close this verse, with one anecdote on Bhagavan Ramana.
One Mr. Noles, an Italian, not more than 30 years old, yet well-
read in philosphy, both Western and Eastern, and eager to imbibe
the spirit of Bhagavan Ramana's teachings came to the Asramam,
once, and he had very many interesting talks with Bhagavan Ramana.

One morning, Bhagavan Ramana was telling the state of a jivan
mukta; how he is the ever-aware Self, the Witness-Consciousness
transcending space and time and causation, the fullness of Being,
Sat-Chit-Anada, the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss; how he is the
non-actor, non-enjoyer, and yet at the same time the greatest of
actors, the greatest of enjoyers and so forth.

Well, this was too much for Mr. Noles  , to digest. He put a straight
question to Bhagavan Ramana: "Are you or are you not talking to us?"

By an answer to this questin, he wanted to know how Bhagavan Ramana
expressed Himself consistently.  Others would eagerly watched for
what would fall from Bhagavan Ramana's lips!

Bhagavan Ramana gave Mr. Noles, a meaningful look and said in a
most emphatic tone: " I am not talking to you!"

In an ecstatic mood Mr. Noles echoed:

No. Bhagavan is not talking to us.  Bhagavan Ramana simply, IS.

All the devotees enjoyed the conversation.

(Source: AT THE FEET OF BHAGAVAN. Sri T.K. Sundaresa Iyer.
Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai.)

Arunachala Siva. 

[Subramanian.R]

I said that last evening, I was closing my posts on Verse 27.  While
reading, English version of Guru Vachaka Kovai, of David Godman, 
some thoughts came.

While writing on Verse 594 of Guru Vachaka Kovai, David Godman
writes:

Verse 594:

Through its power, maya, which does not exist in truth, completely
deludes even those with powerful and sharp intellects, making them
believe that it alone exists.  She smiles within herself, feeling proud
of her victory!

Bhagavan Ramana also narrated another interesting incident.  While
translating the original Forty Verses into Sanskrit, Kavyakanta Ganapati
Sastri, it seems, demurred to the 12th Verse which says:

"True Knowledge is devoid of both knowledge and ignorance."

Almost of all us also think that knowledge, book knowledge is necessary
for understanding Brahman.  But Brahman is beyond the words of Upanishads, as they themselves declare.  Bhagavan Ramana has also
warned us, in Who am I?, that since "Thaan" is within five sheaths,
how to enquire it in books which are outside the sheaths?  Hence
limitless reading of books is of no use.

When Nayana, like most of us, had the doubt whether "Muruganar could
say that Knowledge, is beyond knowledge and ignorance, and even
pandits get deluded on this, by Maya,", Bhagavan Ramana reminded
Nayana that he(Nayana)  himself had written the commentary for the
27th Verse of Upadesa Saram, which expressed the same idea. Then
Nayana was satisfied!

(Source: Guru Vachaka Kovai, Tr. and commentary by David Godman,
Avadhuta Foundation, P.O. Box 296, Boulder, Colorodo, USA. Copies
can be had from Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai.)

Arunachala Siva.   

[Subramanian.R]

The Verse 28 of Upadesa Saram, in Tamil reads as under:

Thanadhiyal yadhena Thaan therigir pin
Anadhi Ananda Sat Undhipara
Akanda Chit Anandam Undhipara.

(Thanadhiyal - one's true nature.  Yadhena - what is it, thus enquiring.
Thaan therigir pin - if one abides in that as Being.
Anadhi Ananda Sat Undhipara - with no beginning and no end.
Akanda Chit Ananda   - unbroken consicousness and bliss.)

Osborne/K. Swaminathan has translated as under:

Having known one's nature one abides
As being with no beginning and no end
In unbroken consciousness and bliss.

We have seen earlier, that in Verse 22, Bhagavan Ramana said about
the Real or Sat aspect of Brahman.  In Verse 23, He again said about
Awareness - Ananda - bliss aspect.  Here in Verse 22, Bhagavan Ramana is
saying about both Chit and Ananda aspects, the consciousness and
bliss. 

Hindu sastras believe that the state of the Self or Brahman is Existence-
Knowledge-Bliss, unlike Buddhists who call it as Void or Sunya.  This
is purely experiential and no one who has not experienced It can say
it in words.  We have seen how Annamalai Swami, who was helping
Bhagavan Ramana to bathe, was suddenly embraced by Bhagavan
Ramana while explaining the bliss of ganja, and Annamalai Swami
stood speechelss for more than 15 minutes.  And that is experience.
Many devotees by the mere look of Bhagavan Ramana have experienced
this bliss.  Lakshmana Swami, Wolter Kiers, Sri Sadhu Om, Papaji are
a few examples. 

Bhagavan Ramana also says in Who am I? to Sivaprakasam Pillai,
under Question No. 27 as under:

Q : What is the difference between enquiry and meditation?

B:  Inquiry consists in retaining the mind in the Self.  Meditation consists
in thinking that one's Self is Brahman,  Existence-Knowledge-Bliss.

When Vaishnvaites told Bhagavan Ramana that they did not want to
merge into the Self but merely 'see' Narayana as a child tasting sugar
candy.  Bhagavan Ramana said, that "becoming sugar candy" is a
state of non duality, and tasting it from outside implies duality.  Unless
you become sugar candy yourself, you cannot describe the greatness
of sugar candy, which is far greater than 'tasting'.  But this is
experiential and not descriptive.  Saint Tayumanavar says in his poem:
"If you become That, That will tell you what is Its nature?"  Here again
'telling' is a poetic expression for 'experiencing.'

Arunachala Siva.     

[Subramanian.R]

The Verse 28 continues:

Bhagavan Ramana has explained to devotees as to the nature of
the Self within, Sat Chit Ananda, the Existence-Knowledge and
Bliss, on many occasions.  These are codfied in Padamalai of
Muruganar. For example in Verse 137 while describing the ghora
vritti, rajasic mind, David Godman says about the following entry,
in Suri Nagamma's letters to Sri Ramanasramam, entry dated
18th May 1947.

Devotee:  Brahman is said to be sat-chit-ananda swraupa, the
true nature of being-consciousness-bliss.  What does it mean?

Bhagavan: Yes. That is so. That which is, is only Sat.  This is called
Brahman.  The lustre of Sat is Chit and and its nature is Ananda.
These are not different from Sat. All the three together are known
as Sat-Chit-Ananda.  It is the same in regard to attributes of the Jiva,
Sattvam, Ghoram and Jadam.... Sattvam that remains when the other
two are removed, is only Sattvam, Brahman or Sakti or anything you like!
If you know that that is yourself, everything is lustrous, everything is
bliss, ananda.

Again, David Godman while describing a Padamalai verse on mukti
and mounam, gives this entry of Day by Day of Devaraja Mudaliar,
dated 22nd November 1945.

Devotee:  Why do we imagine that we are all bound and that we
are having imagine that we are having all these pains?

Bhagavan: Enquire to whom has this ignorance come and you will
find it never came to you and that you have always been that Sat-
Chit-Ananda.  One performs all sorts of penance to become that
what one already is.  All effort is simply to get rid of this vipareeta
buddhi, this mistaken impression, that one is limited and bound by
the woes of samsara.

Again, while commenting on the Verse 41 of Padamalai, under
Advice to Sadhana, David Godman makes the following entry of
Who am I?

"Bhagavan distinguished between meditation from self enquiry.
Keeping the mind fixed in the Self at all times is called self enquiry,
whereas thinking oneself to be Brahman which is Sat Chit Ananda,
is meditation.  Eventually all that one has learnt will have to be forgotten."

(Source: Padamalai. David Godman. Avadhuta Foundation. Boulder,
Colorodo. USA. Also sold by Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai.)

Arunachala Siva.     

[Subramanian.R]

The Verse 28 of Upadesa Saram, continues....

Muruganar has also explained Bhagavan Ramana's views on
Sat-Chit-Ananda, in Guru Vachaka Kovai.  David Godman's
wonderful commentary on GVK mentions these entries.

Under 737 and 738 of GVK, Muruganar says:  "Meditation is only
the mental imagination of conceiving oneself to be the supreme
reality that shines as Sat-Chit-Ananda.  Enquiry is to establish the
mind in the Self such that the seed of false delusion (the mind)
perishes like the grains in the milling querns.

Always keeping the mind fixed in the Self alone is called self-
enquiry, whereas meditation is thinking oneself to be Brahman,
which is Sat Chit Ananda. (Who am I? Essay Version as given by
Sri Sadhu Om, in the Path of Sri Ramana, Part I.)

Guru Vachaka Kovai, verses 971 and 972 also speak of Sat Chit
Ananda. 

Intellectual knowing is the infatuation of the mind, that wants to
know the non-Self.  By checking and reversing it, the mind reaches
the Heart, whose nature is to exist unchanging and without corruption,
whereupon beautiful Sat Chit Ananda is realized. 

When the mischievous movements of the mind, which is (in truth),
consciousness (chit) are stilled, it will experience itself as Sat, (being).
The remaining aspects, (ananda), the supreme bliss, that abounds
when sat (being) and chit-sakti (the power of consciousness) merge
-- can it be other than the Self?

Under Verse 1176 of GVK, Muruganar again says:

Do not vainly argue through the reasoning power of intellect, which
ignores the Self and clings to the non-Self..... Only the mouna that
shines forever as the unfailing experience of Sat Chit Ananda is
true religion.

Under Verse 1221 of GVK, Muruganar again says:

In a mind that enquires into itself, through investigating, Who am I,
that am bound? the thought of bondage completely falls away.         
Consequently the thought of release from bondage also ends.

Bhagavan says:  We are all in reality Sat Chit Ananda. But we imagine,
that we are all bound and are having all these pains.

(Source: Guru Vachaka Kovai. Commentary by David Godman.
Avadhuta Foundation., Boulder. Colorado. USA. Also sold by
Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai. )

Arunachala Siva.