67. महावाक्यविवेकज्ञः Mahāvākya-viveka-jñaḥ

One who knew, through discrimination, the import of the mahāvākyas

The mahāvākyas are profound statements that occur in the scripture and make known the oneness of the Ātman and Brahman. Four mahāvākyas, one belonging to each of the four Vedas, are particularly esteemed, and are as follows: (1) ‘prajñānam brahma (Consciousness is Brahman)’¹⁸⁴ of the Aitareya-upaniṣad, Ṛg-veda, (2) ‘ahaṁ brahmāsmi (I am Brahman)’¹⁸⁵ of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad, Yajur-veda, (3) ‘tattvamasi (You are That)’¹⁸⁶ of the Chāndogya-upaniṣad, Sāma-veda, and (4) ‘ayamātmā brahma (This Ātman is Brahman)’¹⁸⁷ of the Māṇḍūkya-upaniṣad, Atharva-veda.

The mahāvākya ‘ahaṁ brahmāsmi’, for instance, states “I am Brahman,” where “I” is not to be understood as what is not the Ātman, such as the body, mind, I-sense or intellect. Here, viveka, which is the power of discrimination between the Ātman and what is not the Ātman, is a sine qua non in order to understand properly and completely, the import of the mahāvākya; trying to understand it without viveka would either be an understanding at a superficial level not marked by experience, or would result in gross misinterpretation which could turn out to be calamitous. This nāma, therefore, specifically includes the word ‘viveka’ to convey that His Holiness was One who had the knowledge of the mahāvākyas from discriminative insight. Indeed, such knowledge of the mahāvākyas found complete consummation in Him, for He was established in their import, Brahman.

❧

[After repeatedly attaining savikalpa-samādhi on Brahman (as described briefly under nāma 59), His Holiness further cogitated as summarized below, on the import of the mahāvākyas, and attained nirvikalpa-samādhi.]

On the afternoon of 10^th December, 1935, His Holiness read and pondered on the verses of Śrī Sadaśiva-brahmendra’s Ātma-vidyā-vilāsa. Calling to mind the portion that conveys, ‘The Supreme Ātman shines pure, enlightened and devoid of all variety’¹⁸⁸ and, specifically, the part ‘vigalita-sarva-vikalpaḥ (devoid of all variety)’ therein, He reflected as follows.

“Even in samādhi, I have not realised the Ātman as shining totally free from diversity. After all, the sense of ‘I’ and the awareness of the distinction of the concentrator, concentration and the object of concentration also shine, no matter how feebly. I do understand from the words of the scripture, supportive reasoning and my savikalpa-samādhis that I am pure consciousness. The ripening of my present understanding and conviction into firm realisation would be greatly facilitated by the disappearance of even the vestige of duality during samādhi, leaving just the Ātman as residue. The thorough vanishing of duality during samādhi would, for me, be helpful.

“Further, while I almost become identified with bliss in samādhi, nonetheless, I do, to a minute degree, stand apart from it as the one who enjoys it. Infinite bliss is, on the authority of the scripture, my very nature. What is my very nature cannot, undoubtedly, be known objectively by me. It is avidyā that conjures diversity in the Truth, which is non-dual. Thus, no matter how great it may be, bliss experienced by me as an object lies in the realm of avidyā. It must not be savoured but transcended.”

He discerned that by establishing His mind on the Ātman and remaining without any thought, He would be acting in accordance with the Lord’s instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā, ‘One should gradually withdraw by means of the intellect endowed with firmness; making the mind established in the Ātman, one should not think of anything.’¹⁸⁹

He then opened Bhagavatpāda’s Viveka-cūdāmaṇi at random. His eyes fell on a verse in which nirvikalpa-samādhi is spoken of. He read it and also the succeeding three verses; they too deal with nirvikalpa-samādhi.

The import of these four verses is, “When thus purified (of misunderstanding and the like about the Truth) by continuous practice, the mind merges in Brahman (by remaining without any thought, in the form of Brahman), then there is nirvikalpa-samādhi, which brings about the effortless experience of non-dual bliss. By this samādhi, there occurs the destruction of the knot of impressions (rooted in ignorance), the annihilation of all one’s actions (leading to rebirth) and the manifestation, without effort, of one’s true nature, within and without, everywhere and forever. Reflection (on the Truth) is a hundred times superior to hearing (the Truth). Meditation (on the Truth) is a hundred thousand times greater than reflection. Nirvikalpa-samādhi is infinitely superior to that. Brahman, the Reality, is realised clearly, with steady certitude, by means of nirvikalpa-samādhi but not otherwise, for, then, because of the inconstancy of mental activity, the realisation would be mixed up with other notions.”¹⁹⁰

182 68. Mahā-mahima-saṁyutaḥ

His reading enhanced his keenness on going beyond the stage of savikalpa-samādhi.

That evening on the hill when He started His dhyāna, His mind entered savikalpa-samādhi. Though the bliss was very great, He restrained Himself from being overwhelmed by it and thought, “I am not the one experiencing bliss but am bliss itself.”

Suddenly there was a sharp change, and He plunged into nirvikalpa-samādhi (as described in the context of nāma 1).

After about two hours, when He opened His eyes, He could see the scene in front of Him and yet did not see it, for He was quite indifferent to the apparent diversity rooted in names and forms. So clear was the realisation that He was of the very nature of absolute existence that He apprehended nothing whatsoever as existing apart from Him. Everything was like bubbles on the ocean that was Himself. When He rose after some time, His body felt light like cotton wool and as He walked down the hill, it seemed as if He were on a moving canoe.

❧