TEACHINGS

KARMA (ACTION)

Sri Krishna says in the Gita:

(What is action? What is inaction? As to this even the wise are deluded. I shall teach you about action. Knowing this you will be liberated from evil (Samsara).) When the Lord says that Karma's nature is perplexing it is certainly not without reason. One may wonder why its nature should be so perplexing. After all one is said to perform Karma when one is in action. Otherwise one does not perform Karma. So it is obvious that Karma is directly associated with bodily movement.

The Lord Himself clarifies by saying :

(He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, is wise amongst men, is a Yogi and is a performer of all actions (he has done all actions).)

All actions presuppose an agent and it is here that confusion arises. Even though one is the Atma which is devoid of all actions, by identifying oneself with the activities of the body and mind, one says, "I act". All this world is caused by Maya and in reality the actionless Brahman alone exists. Thus it is only on account of Avidya that one asserts that one is an agent - a performer of action. Likewise, people wrongly assume that they are inactive when they sit quietly. Even speaking from the standpoint of such people they are not really inactive at all because breathing, mental activity, other functions of Prana,etc., continue to be performed.

On the other hand the wise ones who have understood the nature of things never make this mistake. They know that activities pertain to the body and mind and never to the Atma which is beyond all actions. One may then ask what the remedy to this confusion is. The answer is that the remedy consists simply in not falsely attributing action to the Atma and in realising that the feeling "I act; I enjoy" is only due to Avidya and not due to anything else. This advice is suitable for spiritually advanced aspirants but others find it quite difficult to fully comprehend it. For their benefit the ancients have spoken of action from the stand point of the aspirant.

People perform various types of actions and reap the results accordingly. One may wonder whether it is possible for Karma to result in Mukti. The answer is that Karma is definitely not the cause of liberation. Bondage consists in the wrong conceptions that one is bound, that one undergoes birth, change and death and that one is happy, unhappy and the like. Actually one is the Supreme Brahman and the realization of this fact is liberation. The scriptures emphatically deny that Karma is the cause of liberation. On the other hand they assert that knowledge of the Atma alone is the cause of liberation. It is said :

(Not by action)

(Emancipation results from Knowledge alone.)

Just as light alone can destroy darkness so too Knowledge alone can destroy Avidya, which is the cause of bondage, and thereby confer liberation. The fruits of actions are always impermanent and so if Mukti were caused by Karma it too would be impermanent. This is absurd.

If action cannot confer liberation then what is its role in spiritual discipline? Action performed in a spirit of dedication to Ishwara brings about purity of the mind which is an essential prerequisite for the dawn of Knowledge. It is not the mere performance of action that brings about purity of the mind but its performance in the proper manner with the proper mental attitude. By itself action only serves to add to the store of fruits of past actions to be experienced in future births. When a man performs action for his own sake with attachment to the fruits, he gets tied down. It is only the sense of doership and the attachment to the fruits of action which is the cause of his bondage. Attachment, dislike and the like appear quite naturally but they must be overcome by the man who wishes to purify his mind and render it fit for the dawn of the Knowledge. All beings are continuously impelled to act and so there is no possibility of running away from the performance of action. Thus one who aspires for liberation must necessarily perform it in such a manner that it does not create bondage.

(None, indeed, even for an instant, ever remains doing no action, for everyone is driven helplessly to action by the Gunas (qualities) of Prakriti (nature).)

(And even the maintenance of the body would not be possible for you by inaction.)

Normally, one acts impelled by the desire for the fruits of action. One man works to earn money while another performs sacrifices with a view of going to heaven. Desire for the fruits of action, either worldly or otherwise, is always the cause of bondage.

At this stage one may ask whether the desire for Mukti is not also bad. It is true that desire for liberation is also a desire but it is that which impels one to strive on practising spiritual discipline to acquire Knowledge. Initially it must be nurtured to the extent that one has burning desire for liberation so that all other desires are forced to yield to this overwhelming desire. As one advances much in the spiritual path,even the desire for liberation must be discarded as a hindrance because the misconception that there is bondage is the cause of bondage and desire for liberation presupposes the existence of bondage. However, if the beginner attempts to destroy his desire for liberation he is only blocking his spiritual progress. The best way to handle Avidya would be to destroy it directly by realizing the Truth and thus putting an end to the problem of Karma as well.

In almost all cases this is not directly possible and so the next best course would be to renounce all sense of doership. One should abandon completely the feeling that one is the doer of action and should try to feel that one is a mere instrument in the hands of Ishwara who ordains the performance of everything. If one firmly possesses such an attitude one is not at all affected by the actions performed by the body and mind and is in a state of mind which is very suited to the dawn of Knowledge. This renunciation of doership can also be done only by fairly advanced spiritual aspirants. If one is not able to renounce the sense of doership at all times, then one should try to achieve that state by repeated practice. Less advanced spiritual aspirants may not find it possible to renounce the sense of doership even for small periods while engaged in action. For them,the course of action prescribed is that they should perform all actions purely for the sake of Ishwara. They should feel "I do this purely for the sake of Ishwara. The action and its fruits are only His and not mine. My role is merely that of one carrying out the command of Ishwara". Even this course may be difficult for some spiritual aspirants. For them the Lord prescribes the renunciation of the fruits of action. One should perform one's duties without longing for the fruits of actions. The fruits should be completely dedicated to Ishwara.

The aspirant should do his duty to the best of his ability but must not in the least concern himself with either success or failure. One should view all things with samesightedness, without like and dislike. It is not always that one encounters a situation which one likes. Quite often one has to face situations which one does not desire. In spite of this one must maintain an attitude of equanimity. Whether praised or criticized, helped or troubled one must feel neither elated nor dejected. The receiving of what is pleasant generally brings about joy and the receiving of the unpleasant, dislike. Both these must be avoided. Friends and foes, heat and cold and similar pairs of opposites must not be allowed to disturb one's state of equanimity. Anger, desire and greed must be eradicated by proper analysis, devotion to Ishwara, Dhyanam, company of sages and the like.

Freedom from attachment in no way implies laziness or not putting forth one's best. On the contrary, Karma Yoga, as this means is called, consists in the performance of one's duties to the best of one's ability with firmness and dexterity but without any attachment and egoism whatsoever. The practice may initially be difficult but as the aspirant persists in his attempts, with the increase of dispassion and desire for liberation and devotion to Ishwara,it becomes easier. No doubt some situations may be quite problem-ridden but these should be viewed as tests given by Ishwara rather than as big problems.

Brooding over the past is the habit that must never be indulged in. If one has done something wrong there should be repentance and a firm decision should be taken not to repeat the same but on no account must there be any brooding over the past. Thoughts of the future must be restricted to the absolute minimum. Some pre-planning, such as when buying a ticket before a journey cannot be avoided but unnecessary thought of the future should never be indulged in. In the beginning one is in a position to renounce the fruits of actions only with great difficulty but as one progresses this becomes more and more natural. As one advances one begins to feel more and more that one is an instrument in the hands of Ishwara. A stage is reached when one feels every action being impelled by Ishwara and one merely allows oneself to be guided on by the will of Ishwara and makes no conscious efforts to do anything on one's own accord. This is an exalted state and is brought about by constant efforts and by the grace of Ishwara.

Sri Krishna conveys these ideas clearly when He says :

(Fix your mind in Me exclusively. Fix in Me your intellect. Hereafter, without doubt, you shall live in Me alone.)

(If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then seek Me, O Dhananjaya, by the Yoga of constant practice.)

(If you are unable to practise also, then be intent on doing actions for My sake. Even by doing actions for My sake you shall attain perfection.)

(If you are unable to do even this, taking refuge in devotion to Me, abandon the fruits of all actions, remaining self-controlled.)

(Free from attachment, not given to egoism, endowed with firmness and vigour, unaffected by success and failure - such an agent is said to be Satvic.)

Karma can be spoken of as being of four types - 1. Nitya Karma; 2)Naimittika Karma; 3) Kamya Karma and 4. Nishiddha Karma.

Nitya Karma is that Karma which the Sastra enjoins to be performed regularly at prefixed times. Under this category comes the Sandhya Vandanam. By the proper regular performance of Nitya Karma,one wipes out the effect of one's sins and secures the grace of Ishwara. The practice of Nitya Karma results in Chitta Shuddhi (Purification of the mind). Nitya Karma must never be neglected. On the other hand it must be carried out with faith and devotion, without fail, regularly at the prescribed times. The performance of Sandhya Vandanam is to be done at the times when day and night meet, that is at dawn and dusk and also at mid-day. The scripture says that the non-performance of Nitya Karma leads to sin. No doubt, under the present day circumstances it may be difficult to carry out to the minutest detail all that is enjoined in the scripture but one must certainly do the best that one can and then leave everything to Ishwara. Neglect of Sandhya Vandanam is a very grave error. People find time to do so many other things like reading newspapers, going to pictures, etc., but when it comes to the performance of Sandhya Vandanam they are negligent. Some,not only do not perform Sandhya Vandanam,but also go to the extent of justifying the action by giving the lame excuse of not having time. Let them analyse their daily actions and without fail,they will see that they are wasting quite a lot of their time doing things which are not only unnecessary but also positively wasteful . Some even put forward the argument that they practise Vichara, Dhyanam and the like,and so it is unnecessary for them to perform what they term 'mere rituals'. To say the least, such arguments find no favour whatsoever in the scriptures. Such people merely accumulate the sin of not performing Nitya Karma. Such people find going to offices, games and the like quite spiritual and necessary but not Sandhya Vandanam. Yet others advance the argument that they are not in a position to do everything that the scriptures enjoin and that they are not in favour of doing things in bits and pieces and so they neglect Nitya Karma. This is another fallacious reason. It is true that one may not be able to do everything that is enjoined,but that is no reason whatsoever for not doing the best possible. If the reasoning of these people were to be accepted,then,one should abstain completely from eating if one is not able to get a stomach filling meal, students should stop studying because they cannot secure the highest possible marks for which the question papers are set,and people should stop going to their places of work because they cannot do the very best that could be done in the job. Performance of the Gayatri Japa is so good and yet people are very negligent. This is a very sorry state of affairs indeed.

As regards Naimittika Karma, these are actions enjoined by the scriptures to be performed on occasions. Kamya Karma is Karma performed motivated by desires while Nishiddha Karma is that Karma which is prohibited by the scriptures. Lying, cheating, gambling and the like come under the last category. Nishiddha Karma must always be eschewed. One should try to restrict one's Kamya Karma to the extent possible, as unnecessary actions like seeing pictures which are quite unhealthy for spiritual development.

Nitya Karma and other actions performed purely in a spirit of dedication to Ishwara are like cleaning nut powder added to water. Just as the powder settles down taking dirt with it, these cleanse the mind and then drop off of their own accord. As one advances spiritually actions drop off of their own accord. It is not that the Jnanis drop action. Actions fall off from them. If one is so absorbed in the bliss of one's nature that one is unable to perform Nitya Karma or even acts of bathing, eating, etc., then it is quite alright, for Karma in such cases had not been forcibly abandoned. Such a person is best suited for taking Sanyasa and spending all his time lost in the bliss of Brahman.

Usually one takes the credit for all success and at times of failure attempts to leave everything to Ishwara. This is a wrong attitude, for success and failure, good and bad, etc., must all be dedicated to Ishwara. It is also wrong to have the feeling "I have dedicated the fruits of my actions completely to Ishwara. So I should be quite successful". One with such an attitude has, in reality, not dedicated anything to Ishwara. This feeling must be avoided. Devotion to Ishwara plays a very great role in making one offer everything to Him. Devotion and dedication mutually reinforce each other.

Some people feel that they are not the controllers of their actions because everybody is forced to act in a manner predetermined by fate. A doubt regarding fate and freewill occurs quite commonly and so it is necessary to understand them in the right manner. Fate is nothing external to one. It is not as though fate is something external which forces events to follow a predestined course. One reaps the fruits of one's actions. What is called Prarabdha or fate is nothing but the actions of the past births which have begun to fructify. It is Prarabdha which brings about the present birth. Good actions bring about good fruits while evil actions bring about the opposite. Each man reaps what he sows. The human birth is a result of a mixture of good and bad actions. If one had many good tendencies in the past birth which were nurtured and developed in that birth, then in this birth also these manifest themselves. The present life must be viewed as a continuation of the previous life. If one realizes this, then it should not be difficult to see that what seems to be shaping events in this life is nothing but one's own activity of the previous births. Sufferings and comforts in this birth are due to actions performed in the previous births . Thus,if one suffers in this birth one has no one to blame except oneself. In the present life two factors are responsible for a given situation, namely the effects of the past actions and exercise of the will in the present birth.

It is ridiculous to suppose that Prarabdha can be more powerful than one's will. The reason for this is that Prarabdha itself is a creature of one's will. What one performed, guided by one's will in the previous births, is what is appearing now as fate. What one has brought about due to the exercise of one's will in the past births can certainly be overcome by exercise of will power in the present birth, provided one makes adequate effort. The force of Prarabdha is something one does not know apriori, When one wishes to undertake a course of action and finds obstacles, only then can one conclude that Prarabdha is opposing one's present intention. If one makes a strong enough effort, Prarabdha can certainly be overcome. This must necessarily be so because if one takes the view-point that all events are forced by fate then one has to contend with absurd conclusions.

It is only proper that one reaps the fruits of actions which one does with choice, for if one is forced to do a thing, like a machine without any choice whatsoever, then it is most unreasonable to hold one responsible for it. For instance, no one ever says that a car incurs sin if it is the cause of someone's death. A car cannot make decisions and so obviously it is meaningless to talk of a car reaping fruits of its actions. Man reaps the fruits of his actions because of his power to decide. This necessarily implies that Prarabdha cannot simply force one to do everything in a predestined manner.

One may then wonder why some progress rapidly while others do not seem to make much head-way in the spiritual path. The reason is that some progress easily, because of spiritual discipline practised in the previous births. One starts from where one has left. This in no way means that others cannot progress. It only means that they must put in much greater effort. When tendencies nurtured in the previous births are the same as those in the present birth then obstacles to a course of action are negligible . On the other hand when past and present trends are at variance the course of action is decided by the one which is more powerful. If one tries hard enough, one can certainly overcome the past tendencies. How hard one must try cannot be determined beforehand. Only when obstacles are encountered one must try harder and harder till one succeeds.

This is not to say that one can straightaway get whatever one wants. For instance parents, the surroundings in which one is born and the like are not under one's control. One may board a train to reach a particular destination but the train may meet with an accident. This also is not under one's control. One may wish to go to an examination but may fall sick. Thus it can be seen that life is moulded not only by present Karma but also by past Karma.

The fruits of past actions cannot be totally removed for this would mean that one does not reap the fruits of misdeeds and good deeds of the past births. By Japa, Homa, Sat Sanga (Company of sages), meditation, Puja and the like one gets the grace of Guru and Ishwara and thereby the force of Prarabdha is very much reduced and one is able to overcome the bad effects. For instance even though it may be clear from one's horoscope that one will lead a householder's life, if one has strong dispassion and wishes to lead a life of Brahmacharyam and practise spiritual discipline this can certainly be brought about by the grace of the Guru and by one's firm determination.

Thus there is no reason whatsoever to despair about one's spiritual progress. If one tries strong enough, one will certainly make much progress. After all, Prarabdha has been compared by Brahma, when advising Vasista (in the Mahabharata), to a seed. What one gets out of the field is determined not only by the seed but also by the effort that one makes to till the land. By proper manuring and the like the situation can be very much improved. It is meaningless if a man just sits quiet and expects fate to lead him on in the spiritual path. Only when one makes effort can fate be expected to come to one's aid. It is not necessary that one should be always at war with Prarabdha. Only when one is led astray from the spiritual path should one oppose the trends caused by the past. Otherwise one should take full advantage of the opportunities offered. It is said in the Yoga Vasista :

(Therefore indeed O Rama, by one's own courageous effort is attained higher good and not otherwise. If you are led away by good tendencies, then, in that auspicious manner, you will gradually attain the eternal state. But if bad tendencies lead you then this effect of the past must be overcome by you with effort. The river of tendencies flows along the auspicious and inauspicious paths. By manly effort, it must be led to auspicious path.)

Though so much has been said about Prarabdha, it should be borne in mind that the scriptures speak of it only for the benefit of one who has not got Brahma Jnanam and is beset with such doubts. Viewed from a higher stand-point the universe itself is just an appearance. What then need be said of Prarabdha? In Aparokshanubhuti it is said :

(Just as the body in a dream is superimposed (and so illusory) so also is his body (of the waking state). How could there be any birth of the superimposed (body of the waking state) and in the absence of birth (of the body) where is the room for that (Prarabdha) at all?)

(The body also being within the phenomenal world (and therefore illusory), how could Prarabdha exist? It is therefore for the understanding of the ignorant alone that the scripture speaks of Prarabdha.)

BHAKTI (DEVOTION)

Sri Shankara says in Vivekachoodamani :

(Amongst things conducive to liberation Bhakti alone holds the supreme place.)

What then is Bhakti? Sri Shankara clarified by saying

(The abidance in one's own (True) nature is designated as Bhakti.)

Here Sri Shankara has given the definition of the highest devotion. It is only on account of Avidya that one is not aware that one is the Supreme Brahman. The abidance in one's own True nature, without any Avidya whatsoever, is indeed the highest form of Bhakti. It is this Bhakti that leads to liberation from the cycle of births and deaths. By defining Bhakti in the aforesaid fashion, Bhagavatpadal does not imply that love of Ishwara, etc., do not constitute Bhakti. They too constitute Bhakti but of a lower form,since devotion based on dualistic tendencies is tinged with Avidya. In His Sivanandalahari, Bhagavatpadal says :

(Just as the seeds of the Ankola tree go and attach themselves to the tree, the needle sticks to the magnet, the chaste woman to her Lord, the creeper to the tree and the river merges with the ocean, so also if the thoughts of the mind reach the lotus feet of Pasupati, (Lord of the souls in bondage) and remains there always , that is called Bhakti.)

Generally Bhakti is thought of as strong love for Ishwara. By Bhakti man gains the grace of Ishwara, purifies himself, washes off his sins and soon, by Divine grace, gets Jnana and is liberated from the bondage of Samsara. The Bhakti of a Jnani is in itself its own fruit, for the Jnani has nothing whatsoever to attain. Sri Krishna speaks of four kinds of devotees. He says :

(O Arjuna! O Bull amongst the Bharatas! Four kinds of virtuous men worship Me - the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of wealth and the wise man (who knows the true nature of the Lord).)

(Noble indeed, are all these, but the wise man, I deem, to be the very Atma, for, steadfast he resorts to Me alone as the unsurpassed goal.)

The Lord considers the distressed seeker, the seeker of knowledge and also the seeker of wealth as being dear to Him because they seek Him, though with some motive. The Jnani, on the other hand, is regarded by the Lord as the dearest for he is not motivated by the desire for anything. The Lord clearly declares His concern for the welfare of His devotees when He says :

(To the ever steadfast ones I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.)

(To them, whose thought is fixed on Me, I become, before long, the deliverer from the ocean of mortal Samsara.)

The attitudes of devotees to the Lord varies. Some view him as a father (or mother), some as a friend, others as a child or as beloved or as a master. The attitudes vary with the temperament of the devotee. A fine attitude indicated is :

(When I think of myself as the body,I am Your servant. In identification with the Jiva, I am a part of You. When I realise that I am the Self, I am non-different from You. Such is my firm conviction.)

What then are the means of attaining supreme devotion to the Supreme? Prahlada says :

(Hearing the names of God, chanting His name, remembering Him, worshipping His feet, offering unto Him, paying obeisance, rendering service, cultivating friendship and self-surrender (are the characteristics of Bhakti ).)

The greatest impediment to Bhakti is the ego which repeatedly asserts itself and prevents self-surrender. Thus a man can truly surrender himself to Ishwara only if he annihilates his ego. Repeatedly thinking of Ishwara and practising spiritual discipline precisely in the manner indicated by the Guru go a long way in effacing the ego and engendering devotion. One must never doubt the wisdom of God and must never feel that attempts to reach Ishwara are not viewed continuously by the Lord who is an ocean of mercy. The Lord grasps the inner feeling and is not concerned with mere external appearances and so prayer must be performed with utmost sincerity. Even if one accidentally makes mistakes while praying, one need not be unduly concerned. It is said :

(The ignorant one says "Vishnaya" (wrong usage for "to Vishnu") while the scholar says "Vishnave" (correct usage). Both get the same merit for Janardana grasps the inner feeling.)

Neelakanta Dikshitar says :

(By offering a flower with the intention to worship, one is liberated. By attempting to give that flower with a view to injure, Manmatha was burnt to ashes.(Manmatha's arrows are made of flowers and he aimed his arrow at Siva who burnt him to ashes.) That God is indeed my God who grasps only the inner feeling and is unconcerned with the externals. Even the names of others I do not care to say.)

There is a story of a man who doubted the wisdom of God because He burdened the slender pumpkin creeper with a huge fruit while He gave to the huge margosa tree a tiny fruit. While thinking thus, a margosa fruit fell on his eye-lids and caused only slight pain. He then thought of what would have happened to him if the tree had had a huge fruit and reconsidered his views about the wisdom of God. The Lord knows precisely what to ordain and when to ordain. One should never think otherwise. If one suffers or is not able to make adequate progress one should blame oneself only and not Ishwara and should feel that it is only due to one's own Karma that one suffers. One must never lose faith in Ishwara no matter how trying situations may be but should regard adverse occurrences as a test of one's faith and remain firm.

In practising spiritual discipline the instructions of the Guru must be carried out, without fail, to the minutest detail. The Guru is the one who helps one to cross the ocean of Samsara and He should never be regarded as different from the Supreme. To regard Him as distinct from the Supreme is a grave error. One must always have complete faith in the Guru and have unstinted devotion to Him. The best disciple directly understands what his preceptor desires him to do, even without the Guru actually telling him anything. By devotion to the preceptor one attains the highest. If one has devotion to one's preceptor like Ekalavya who attained magnificent proficiency in archery by virtue of his faith in Dronacharya even without the latter actually teaching him anything, one need not have any fear regarding one's spiritual progress.

It must always be borne in mind that the Guru, who is a knower of Brahman, is an ocean of mercy and that He cares for the disciple without any selfish motivating factor whatsoever. His concern for the disciple is far greater than that of even parents who in their anxiety to give their children material comfort generally ignore the highest good.

There is the story of a man whose cow had fallen sick. The man approached a veterinary doctor who prescribed some medicine for the animal, stating that the medicine should be mixed with a lot of ghee before giving it to the cow. The man, on reaching home reasoned thus, "It is the cow which gives milk. Ghee is the product of milk. So the cow which has milk in its body would also have adequate amount of ghee." Thinking thus he gave the medicine to the cow without mixing it with ghee. The net result was that the cow got worse instead of getting cured. Likewise,if one does not strictly follow the instructions given by the Guru one is asking for trouble.

A man who wishes to tread the path of devotion must never criticise spiritually great people. God has no name or form of His own but appears before the devotee in the manner the disciple seeks. So it is quite proper for each man to have his own Ishta Devata (Chosen Deity). It is very wrong to forget that the Supreme Being is only one and so there is no difference whatsoever in the varied concepts of the Supreme such as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. That one is attached to one particular conception of Godhood is quite natural. For instance Bhartrihari says :

(I see no difference between Maheswara, the Lord of the Universe and Janardana, the Inner Self of the Universe, but still my devotion is to the one in whose crest there is the crescent moon (Siva).)

By devotion to one's Ishta Devata one attains Divine Grace.

Another important factor is great earnestness and faith with regard to the dictates of the scriptures and the Guru. Just because one is treading the path of devotion it does not mean that one is entitled to abandon one's Nitya Karma. Bhajana (Devotional chanting) etc., are very good but certainly they must not be done at the expense of Nitya Karma. Nitya Karma must always be properly performed until it drops off of its own accord. In fact one who is treading the path of devotion should perform Nitya Karma with even greater sincerity than others, for in doing so one is carrying out the behest of the Lord conveyed through the scriptures. What kind of a devotee indeed would one make if one loves God but refuses to obey His commands?

When praying to Ishwara it is best not to ask for anything. Asking Ishwara for worldly things is not a good practice at all. Ishwara knows what is best and one should leave everything to Him. A fine way of praying has been indicated by Bhagavatpadal in Sivanandalahari wherein He says :

(O Sambhu! You bear the responsibility for the welfare (of all beings). You are intent on giving all that is good. You teach the way to all desired ends, seen and unseen. You pervade everything from within and without. To You, who are Omniscient and merciful what should I make known? You are my inner-most Self - thus do I always think in my mind.)

One should love Ishwara purely for the sake of love. By keeping the company of sages one develops unmotivated devotion. Everything which one does should be completely dedicated to Ishwara. One should act for His sake and offer the fruits of all actions to Him.

Sri Krishna says :

(Whatever the devotee offers Me with devotion - a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water - I eat. Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give and whatever austerity you practise , do everything as an offering to Me.)

Devotion to the Saguna (with qualities) aspect of the Supreme gradually ripens into devotion to the Nirguna (devoid of qualities) aspect of the Supreme. Even though one may be an Advaitin par excellence, still one may have great devotion to Ishwara with form. Madhusudhana Saraswathi, the author of Advaita Siddhi says :

(With minds brought under control by meditation, if sages adept in Yoga perceive some supreme divine effulgence (of Brahman) that is devoid of qualities and actions, let them perceive. However, for us let that wonderful sight of Krishna playing on the sands of the river Yamuna always fill our vision.)

One must always fix one's mind on Ishwara. By doing so one's devotion ripens and soon a stage is reached when every step is guided by Divine Will and one becomes an instrument in the hands of Ishwara. Sri Krishna tells Arjuna :

(O Savyasachin! They (warriors) have already been slain by Me alone. Be a mere instrument (that is an instrument in the Lord's hands to show the world some cause for the deaths).)

Though one may be in the midst of worldly activities one must constantly think of Ishwara. The words of Sri Krishna are :

(Think of Me and fight.)

In reality it is Ishwara who is the ordainer of everything and one should never forget this. Not even a leaf can tremble without Ishwara willing it. At the same time one must never lose sight of the fact that Ishwara is ever ready to uplift one from the ocean of Samsara. Sri Krishna says :

(Ishwara dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, whirling by Maya all beings (as if they were) mounted on a machine.)

(Go to Him for refuge with all your being (and completely seek refuge) O Bharata. By His grace you shall attain Supreme peace and the eternal abode.)

(Abandoning all Dharma (and Adharma) seek complete refuge in Me. I will liberate you from all sins (all bonds of Dharma and Adharma). (Grieve not.)

Japa and Puja are great purifiers of the mind and go a long way in nurturing devotion to Ishwara. Japa consists in the repetition of a Mantra taught by the Guru. The importance of Japa is stressed by Sri Krishna when He says :

(Of Yagnas (sacrifices) I am Japa Yagna.)

The power of Japa comes from the Mantra and from the Guru. However in the case of the Gayathri Mantra there is an exception. Even if the father is a worldly man, still the Mantra is extremely potent. Some Mantras are taught for particular ends, such as for getting a child, to ward off some diseases, etc. Others are for achieving peace of mind and Moksha. Amongst these the "Bala Mantra" is very highly conducive to yielding peace of mind which is sine qua non for a man striving for Moksha. Sri Vidya and the like are more Sakthi oriented. The Shiva Panchakshari Mantra renders one fit for getting Jnana . The greatness of the Gayathri is well known. It is a great purifier of the mind.

When a man is performing Japa for any particular end it is necessary that he observes the rules strictly and that he meditates strictly according to the Dhyana Sloka. However, if he is desirous only of Divine grace he may perform Japa at all times, even while bathing, eating, etc. By this it is not meant that he must not perform "Nyasa" etc. It is only meant that apart from the time set purely for Japa he is free to do as much mental Japa as he can. Women in their periods may also do Japa but only mentally. All are entitled to be initiated into a Mantra but the Pranava (Om) and the like may be uttered only if the Upanayanam has been performed. Japa done by those desirous of Divine grace is always purifying. When the Mantra is uttered it purifies regardless of whether one is aware of it or not just as fire burns irrespective of whether one knows it or not.

If one does Japa continuously it soon becomes natural and the Mantra is uttered even in the dream state. When one does Japa continuously one's mind is rendered extremely pure and fit for realizing Brahman. That apart, the continuous performance of Japa wards off other thoughts and keeps the mind fixed on Ishwara. For beginners it is advisable to keep count when they do Japa but in the case of those for whom Japa has become or is becoming natural, this is not necessary during mental chanting. Japa may be uttered loudly or with the lips moving without sound coming out or mentally. Mental Japa is by far the best and is most purifying but those who are not able to do this must practise the other two forms.

Quite often many spiritual powers accrue to a spiritual aspirant but the true aspirant must never yearn or care for them. It is better to view the powers as mere obstacles. With each Vedic Mantra is associated a Rishi, a Devata and metre and these must be known by the performer of the Japa. The importance of Japa is seen from such verses as :

(May that Krishna be compassionate by repeating whose names, parrots, imitating the ladies of Vraja (Gopies) attained the state of sage Suka.)

Puja is of two forms - external and mental. External Puja may be done either for material gains or to secure the grace of Ishwara. In the latter case there are not many regulations. Through devout worship one secures the grace of Ishwara. Normally Panchayatana Puja is prescribed but for more advanced aspirants so much is not necessary and, for instance, Siva Puja alone is sufficient. Even if one is not in a position to perform elaborate rituals it is sufficient if one does a simple Puja with true devotion.

By Puja a devotee cleanses his mind and renders it fit for deep meditation. During Puja, in the case of less advanced spiritual aspirants, it is desirable to maintain a dualistic attitude. Vedic Mantras may be chanted aloud or with the lips moving but no sound coming out. If Vedic Mantras are chanted mentally during Puja, it is likely that due to some disturbance there may be a discontinuity. Those who do not wear the Yagnopavitam (sacred thread), such as women, may also perform Puja but without uttering the Pranava and Vedic hymns. What is important in Puja is devotion. Even very advanced aspirants may perform Puja but in their case the aim is not even Moksha. They merely enjoy the loving presence of Ishwara. Puja may be done in the mornings and, if time permits, in the evenings also.

Mental Puja requires no external accessories. It is akin to meditation. Here the devotee mentally imagines the form of the Ishta Devata. Gandham (sandal paste), flowers, Dhoopa (incense), Dheepa (lamp), Naivedyam (food offering), etc., are mentally conceived and offered. This Puja is superior to external Puja since here the mind is completely concentrated on the Ishta Devatha. The Siva Manasa Puja Stotram and the Mrityunjaya Manasa Puja Stotram are indicative of the method of performance of mental Puja. Bhagavatpadal says :

(You are my Atma. My intellect is Girija. My sense organs are Your attendants. The body is Your temple. Enjoyment of the objects of the sense is my worship of You. My sleep is Samadhi. All my moving about is my act of circumambulation. All words spoken by me are hymns to You and whatever action I perform is my worship of You, O Shambhu.)

Everybody is free to do mental Puja. Mental Puja is a fine way of purifying one's mind and securing Divine grace. Here communion with the Ishta Devata is more direct than in external Puja. However mental Puja is more difficult for most people than external Puja. Hence many people perform only external Puja. A very high form of Puja is indicated in the verse :

(The body is a temple. The Jiva is the eternal God. Abandoning the old flower of ignorance one should worship with the feeling "I am He (God)".)

CONTROL OF THE MIND

People very often complain that they are unable to control their minds, especially when they try to meditate. Arjuna echoes this sentiment when he says :

(The mind indeed is, O Krishna, restless, turbulent, strong and obstinate. I deem its restraint to be as difficult as that of the wind.)

The mind has very often been compared to a restless monkey. It is only in the case of very exceptional people that complete control of the mind comes naturally. In all other cases it is an uphill task. Even in these exceptional cases the ability is due to severe spiritual discipline practised in the previous births and due to the grace of Ishwara and Guru. The need for mind control is quite obvious. Only he who has control over his mind can be successful in worldly pursuits and be happy. Such being the case what need be said about the need for control of the mind in the case of spiritual aspirants? To study, to work and even to play well the mind must be concentrated on the task on hand and this deep concentration is possible only if one has control over his mind. Almost always the mind is outward turned and jumps from one sense object to another. This nature of the mind and the senses is brought out clearly in the Katha Upanishad where it is said:-

(The Self-existent Lord rendered defective the outgoing senses. Therefore one sees outer things and not the inner Atma. A rare discriminating man, desiring immortality, turns his eyes inwards and then sees the indwelling Self.)

The out-going mind and senses are indeed the cause of all the troubles. If the mind were inward turned and the Atma was realised then all one's troubles would cease and the cycle of births and deaths would come to an end.

Before analysing the means of controlling the mind, its behaviour must be understood. All people strive in some way or other for happiness and to get this,they do various things. For instance, people work so that they may be able to provide themselves and their families with food, shelter, clothing and the like. By this they feel that they shall be happy. Similar is the case with man's desire for wife and wealth.

It is not that the object is desired for its own sake. In reality it is for one's own sake that one desires objects. A man cares for his son not merely for the sake of the boy but because he feels that his happiness lies in the son's happiness. Even acts of self-sacrifice are motivated by the desire for happiness. For instance a man may be ready to lay down his life for the nation but even this is motivated by the satisfaction he feels he gets by serving the nation. Worship of Ishwara also is no exception, for the devotee worships Ishwara because he finds peace and happiness in doing so. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Yajnavalkya says:-

(Verily everything is dear not for its own sake but it is for one's own sake that everything is dear.) A man wanting to commit suicide desires to do so merely to terminate his unhappiness. Likewise a man goes to sleep so that he may ward off his tiredness and be happy. From all what we observe and also from the scriptural assertions it should be amply clear that the basic motivating factor for all actions is the quest for happiness.

Whether man finds the happiness he seeks is a different matter. Quite obviously people do not find everlasting infinite bliss resulting from their actions as otherwise their strivings would have come to an end. Why does one not find everlasting bliss? Is it because there is no such everlasting bliss to be obtained or is it because there is something basically wrong with the means adopted for attaining happiness?

The scriptures emphatically assert that everlasting bliss does exist and can be got. So we can definitely conclude that there is something basically wrong with the means adopted. Thus the means must be investigated. All people strive for sense objects and so it is necessary to investigate whether sense objects are the sources of happiness . A diligent investigation will clearly show that sense objects are not, and can never be, the source of happiness. For instance, a man desires a fruit and eating it gives him joy. But he does not care for that very fruit when he is sick. If it were true that the fruit itself were a source of joy, then one's desire for it should not wane when one is sick, for the state of sickness in no way reduces man's desire for happiness. The same argument can be extended to wealth, possessions, wife, children and in general to all sense objects. In all cases the desire for a particular sense object is found to wax and wane and at times there is even a positive dislike for an object that one formerly longed for.

Next it can be noted that in deep sleep where no sense objects are perceived it is the experience of everyone that there is absence of sorrow and even unawareness of the passage of time. Thus it is seen that though a sense object is present there may not be happiness and even when it is not present there may be happiness. Obviously there can be no cause and effect relationship between the sense object under consideration and happiness. The same is true for all sense objects, seen and unseen.

The question that naturally comes to the mind at this stage of the enquiry is "Why then does one desire sense objects if they are not the cause of happiness?" Before answering this question it would be easier to appreciate the situation if the factors on which the manifestation of happiness depends were known. The manifestation of happiness depends upon the state of the mind. The more agitated the mind is the less is the manifestation of happiness and the less agitated the mind is greater is the happiness. This is not to say that the mind is the source of happiness. The explanation at this stage is concerned with the manifestation of happiness.

In order to firmly accept this explanation two doubts must be resolved and these are "How is that people sometimes experience happiness on getting sense objects, even though it is true that the sense objects are not a source of joy?"and "Can the explanation that the manifestation of happiness depends on the state of the mind be substantiated by a consideration of the state of worldly experience of people ?" These doubts will be considered in greater detail by considering,what happens when a man desires a sense object, say a fruit. When one desires an object, a strong Vritti (mental wave) is created and at that time there is no manifestation of happiness. When the object desired is about to be got there arises anticipation of fulfilment and the mind becomes calmer. Hence one begins to experience happiness. The moment the desire finds consummation there is a very small time gap before the next thought arises. Hence there is experience of joy. The man devoid of discrimination takes this joy as the effect and the sense objects as the cause. Thus an artificial cause and effect relationship is mentally established between the sense objects and joy and this is engendered by further experience. It is because of this artificial cause and effect relationship that is mentally established that one longs for sense objects. Even on knowing this it is very difficult to get rid of this process of linking sense objects with happiness as this has been going on for a long time and is being continuously engendered by the undiscriminating man's daily experiences.

Whenever Rajasic moods characterised by anger and the like prevail, there is very little manifestation of happiness. On the other hand when Satvic (pure) moods, such as during meditation , prevail there is great manifestation of happiness. In Nirvikalpa Samadhi when the mind is perfectly calm and fixed on the Atma there is the greatest manifestation of bliss compared to which the greatest of worldly pleasures are but torture. Sri Krishna gives the above details in a nut shell by saying:

(Supreme bliss indeed comes to this Yogi whose mind is tranquil, whose (Rajas) passion is silenced, who has become Brahman and who is blemishless).

(With the Self unattached to external objects, he finds the bliss which is in the Atma. With the Self (inner instrument) engaged in the contemplation of Brahman he attains endless joy)

(Those pleasures which are born of contacts (senses with sense objects) are only generation of pain, having a beginning and an end. O son of Kunti, a wise man does not rejoice in them.) In the Panchadasi it is said:

(When the object desired is got there arises the sensation of delight, a peaceful activity. There is great happiness in that. If the enjoyment is had the happiness is greater. When there is only a chance of getting it there is little happiness.)

(In the case of dispassionateness, however, it is the greatest. This has been explained in Vidyananda (previous chapter). Similarly in forbearance and in generosity (happiness is there) as anger and greed are eliminated.)

The scriptures repeatedly assert that the Atma is the source of all happiness, it being of the nature of unalloyed bliss. It is a small fraction of this bliss that is experienced as the pleasure got from sense objects.Were it not for the bliss of the Atma no sense object could ever have given even a fleeting appearance of being a source of joy. In deep sleep the mind is free from disturbing thoughts and there is just the Avidya Vritti (state of ignorance). Here the blissful aspect of the Atma is experienced , though involuntarily and in a far greater manner than in moods such as anger. The blissful nature of the Atma and the fact that all other joys are only of fraction of the bliss of the Atma are clearly indicated in the scriptures. The Taittiriya Upanishad says:

(That is verily the source of joy for one becomes blissful by coming in contact with that source of joy. Who indeed, will inhale and who will exhale if this bliss were not there in the Supreme space (within the heart)?)

(Suppose there is a young man in the prime of life, good, learned, most expeditious, most strongly built and most energetic. Suppose there lies for him this earth filled with wealth. This will be one unit of human joy. Hundred times this human joy is one unit of joy of the Manushya Gandharvas and so also of a knower of the Vedas unaffected by desires. If this unit of joy of the Manushya Gandharvas be multiplied a hundred times it is one unit of joy of ....)

(He understood that bliss is Brahman.)

Thus the source of bliss is not something external but is one's own True nature, the Atma. Not realising this the man devoid of discrimination seeks happiness in the external objects. It is because of the mistaken feeling that happiness can be got from things external that the mind goes outwards. A subtle meaning of Sankalpa is this feeling that there is an external object that will bring happiness. This is the seed of all desires. If this seed is destroyed by discrimination and dispassion, obviously one will become freed from desires and will enjoy the Supreme bliss of one's own nature.

Desire for external object is engendered by thinking of them. By repeatedly thinking of an object the mind develops an attachment to the object. This attachment in turn grows into a strong desire. Thus brooding plays a major role in generating desire. Sri Krishna says:

(When a man thinks of objects,attachment to them arises. From attachment springs desire and from desire (frustration of desire) arises wrath.)

Coming to the means of controlling the mind basically two things are prescribed namely Vairagyam (dispassion) and Abhyasa (practice). Sri Krishna tells Arjuna in answer to his query regarding the difficulty in controlling the mind:

(Doubtless O Mighty armed one, the mind is hard to restrain and is restless but by practice,O son of Kunti, and by dispassion it can be restrained. )

Dispassion is the absence of desire. It is brought about by discrimination. Discrimination must be resorted to, to annihilate the idea that external objects give happiness. One method is to repeatedly note the defects in sense objects. By repeatedly noting the defects , the mind gets less and less attached. This approach is referred to as Pratipaksha Bhavana (opposite feeling). Attachment is caused by viewing objects as pleasurable and hence by noting defects in them the false feeling is destroyed. The aim is not to have hatred or dislike for sense objects, for hatred or dislike is as bad as attachment, but to acquire a state of indifference. The mind naturally goes outwards and so discrimination must be incessantly resorted to. Just because one begins to experience a state of indifference one must not rest on one's laurels, for the mind is very likely to go outwards again. It is only when one gets Brahma Jnana that the mischief of the mind is completely quelled. Attachment to wealth , name and fame, property and the like must be destroyed by generating dispassion.

Our ancients have furnished us with graphic descriptions of the ephemeral nature of the world. By repeatedly imbibing what was said by them dispassion is generated. It is said:

(In worldly enjoyment there is fear of sickness. In the family there is fear of fall from a high status. In possession of wealth there is fear of the king . In honour there is fear of the ignominy, in strength fear of a strong foe, in good appearance the fear of old age, in scriptural learning fear of an opponent , in good qualities the fear of an evil one and in the body the fear of death. All objects are fraught with fear for man. Dispassion alone is free from fear.)

About the body over which people devoid of discrimination dote, it has been said in the Yoga Vasista:

(Pervaded by blood and flesh , with destruction alone as its Dharma, tell me, O Sage, how there can be delight in such a body.)

(What is there in the cage like body, ever restless like machine, of a woman, who is but a doll made of flesh consisting of nerves, bones and joints?)

There is difficulty in procuring wealth, difficulty in conserving it and sorrow when it is lost. By thinking in such a manner attachment to wealth can be nullified.By perceiving faults in objects and noting their transitory nature the mind gradually becomes more and more detached. The lack of attachment must be cultivated not only with regard to all objects of the senses which are perceived but also with regard to the joys of heaven and the like. Even the joys of heaven pale into total insignificance when compared to the bliss of the Atma. Further they are transitory and most certainly have a beginning and an end. Enjoyment of pleasures only deadens the discriminative faculty and, at any rate, does not enhance it. Thinking thus one should make one's mind indifferent to heaven. Of heaven, it has been said:

(All who are desirous of heavenly joys,perform hundreds of actions to achieve that end. At the end of their short stay in heaven, when their wealth of merit has been exhausted, they are treated there as does an unchaste woman her paramour when he is devoid of wealth. Therefore seek the bliss of Moksha which is true and eternal.)

The story of Nachiketas told in the Katha Upanishad is worth remembering. Nachiketa's father once performed a sacrifice and gave away as gifts decrepit cows. On seeing this the boy, desirous of his father's good asked his father, "Whom will you gift me to?" When the question was posed for the third time the father told him in anger, "I will give you to Yama". The boy went to the abode of Yama. When Yama returned home he found Nachiketas waiting. To expiate for the sin of not having attended to his guest, Yama said, "I offer you three boons of your choice." Nachiketas' first boon was that his father's wrath should subside and he (father) should behave with him as before when he returned home. The second boon pertained to the means for attaining heaven. The final boon was for knowledge as to whether there was an immutable Self which was distinct from the body, which persisted even when the body died. Wanting to test the boy before answering this philosophical question pregnant with import, Yama asked him to choose some other boon. He also tried to variously tempt Nachiketas by saying,

(Ask for sons and grandsons that will be centenarians. Ask for many animals, elephants, gold,horses and a vast expanse of earth. You yourself may live for as many years as you like. If you think that some other boon is equal to this then ask for that. Ask for wealth and a long life. Become a ruler of a vast region. I make you fit for the enjoyment of all delectable things. Whatever things there be that are desirable but difficult to get-pray for all these cherished things according to your choice. Here are these damsels with chariots and musical instruments such as those which mortals can never have. With these (female attenders), who are offered by me, get your service(such as washing of feet), O Nachiketa. Do not inquire about death.)

Inspite of being tempted thus Nachiketas remained unperturbed like a great lake and replied:

(O Death, ephemeral are these and they waste the vigour of all the senses that a mortal has. All life, without exception, is short indeed. Let the vehicles be yours alone. Let the songs and dances be yours alone.)

Extremely pleased with Nachiketas' dispassion, Yama taught him the Truth and the boy became freed from the bondage of Samsara. The spiritual aspirant must strive hard to attain that state.It cannot be achieved in a day or two and requires a long arduous practice. Without yielding to despondency the aspirant must strive to bring the mind under perfect control.

A way of practising discrimination , suited to advanced spiritual aspirants, is to repeatedly impress upon the mind that in reality there is only Brahman. In the Panchadasi it has been said about the world:

(What else is Indrajala other than this, namely (that) the semen that was in the womb, becomes endowed with several sprouts(that came out as the hands and legs, is conscious and is clothed in several disguises such as childhood, youth and old age and sees,eats,hears, smells,goes and then comes?)

(Like the body, consider carefully and look at the banyan seed,etc. Where (how small) are the seeds and where (how big) is the tree? Therefore conclude that it is Maya.)

In the Mandukya Karika it is said:

(In as much as the diverse things are found to be similar on the strength of the familiar grounds of inference (that things are equally either the perceiver or the perceived, or on the logical grounds of being perceived), the wise say that the dream and waking states are one. )

(The Self effulgent Atma imagines Itself through Itself by the power of Its own Maya (as possessed of different forms). The Self Itself cognises the objects. Such is the definite conclusion of Vedanta.)

These and similar other numerous passages furnish a way for the advanced aspirant to train his mind by repeatedly impressing upon it the illusory nature of the world and the reality of Brahman.

People are often devoid of dispassion. The reason for this is lack of discrimination. Dispassion may dawn due to some calamity but that dispassion is only temporary. Only that dispassion that results from discrimination is lasting. The importance of burning dispassion can never be over-emphasised. It would not be wrong to say that much of the trouble which people encounter in controlling the mind is due to want of Vairagyam.

Mere Vairagyam cannot give liberation. Only Brahma Jnana can give Mukti. To attain Jnana , the means prescribed by the scriptures are the repeated attainment of Nirvikalpa Samadhi and the practice of Vichara(enquiry). Hence it is necessary to train the mind to make it fit for doing enquiry and for experiencing Nirvikalpa Samadhi. The performance of Japa, practice of Dhyanam, Puja and keeping the company of sages are effective methods of uplifting the mind. The devotee should train himself to perform Japa continuously with devotion.Soon, by practice, a time comes when Japa becomes spontaneous and is uttered even in dreams. When such a stage is reached the mind is continuously fixed on Ishwara even though one may be in the midst of actions. Such a mind is then in a very pure state. Puja, performed mentally and also with external accessories, engenders devotion to Ishwara and cleanses the mind.The company of sages is extremely vital. It has been said in the Yoga Vasista:

(For him who has bathed in the cool Ganges of the company of sages, what need is there for giving gifts, visiting holy places, practising Tapas (austerity) and performing sacrifices?)

In the presence of the great ones the mind becomes calm of its own accord and it is the sages who can elevate one's spiritual state.

By far the most important things in spiritual discipline are implicit faith in the words of the Guru and the scriptures and unbounded devotion towards Ishwara and Guru, who should never be viewed as different from Ishwara. If the aspirant has doubts he should have them clarified by his Guru. The reasoning adopted by him should be in consonance with the teachings of the Guru and the scriptures and must,at no time, be perverse. It is by the grace of the Guru that one is led from the state of ignorance to the state of everlasting infinite bliss. Therefore one must show the greatest respect to the Guru and always act perfectly in accordance with His words. In the Shvetasvatara Upanisad it is said:

(These expounded truths shine forth in that high souled one who has supreme devotion to God and an equal degree of devotion to the Guru.)

The body and the surroundings have an influence on the mind and this fact should be used to advantage by the spiritual aspirants. When a man is very sick it is very difficult for him to focus his mind. Thus care should be taken by the spiritual aspirants to keep the body healthy. This does not mean that undue attention must be paid to the body but its health must not be neglected. It is not good to sleep excessively or to sleep too little. Both extremes do not favour healthy meditation. For healthy young people about six to seven hours of sleep is enough. Going to bed between 10 and 10-30 p.m. and getting up between 4-30 and 5 a.m. is a very good practice. Dawn and dusk periods are well suited to meditation and one must not fail to perform Sandhya Vandanam, the associated Gayathri Japa and meditation at these periods. Just as excess sleep as also too little of it is bad, so too,is the case with eating and working. The influence of food on the mind is quite obvious from direct experience as well as from the statement made in the Chandogya Upanisad that:

(Food, when eaten, becomes divided into three parts. Its grossest ingredient becomes faeces , its middling component becomes flesh and its subtlest part becomes mind.)

Food should never be eaten in excess nor should one indulge in prolonged fasting. Those desirous of controlling the mind should take only Satvic food. Satvic food described by Sri Krishna as:

(Food which increases life, energy, strength, health, joy and cheerfulness and which is savoury, oleaginous, substantial and agreeable is dear to the Satvic.)

It is good to completely avoid coffee, onions, non-vegetarian food and the like. Likewise, eating unclean food should be eschewed and , as far as possible,only pure food cooked at home, should be eaten.

One must not indulge in excessive exercise but everyday some exercise is quite necessary . This is particularly true in the case of people who are not old. Recreation should not be in the form of watching pictures and dramas. These things must definitely be avoided.

The performance of Nitya Karma must never be abandoned or done with indifference for,it effaces the effects of past sins and confers purity of mind.

The influence of Prana(life breaths) on the mind is certainly there. Even casual observations show that when the mind is very agitated,breathing, which is associated with the activity of Prana, is more rapid than under normal circumstances, while when one is asleep and relaxed, the breathing is slower. Pranayama is integral part of Sandhya Vandanam, but its elaborate practice must be done with caution and that too only after receiving guidance from a competent teacher. Likewise the practice of Yoga Asanas is very good but one must do them only after one has learnt them properly from a competent teacher. While there are numerous Asanas, Sirshasana, Sarvangasana, Paschimottanasana, Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana, Mayurasana, Padmasana and Siddhasana may be mentioned as some of the Asanas worth practising daily. This list in no way precludes the practising of other Asanas which also have many good effects.

When performing Karma, one must maintain a state of equipoise neither longing for that which is pleasant nor despising that which is unpleasant. It is not possible to always encounter situations which one desires. Many a time one has to encounter situations which are not to one's liking. At these times the spiritual aspirant must have same-sightedness. Attachment and dislike towards sense objects are difficult to overcome but one must always strive hard, by repeated practice, to do so .

Brooding over the past must never be done. What is done is done. If one has done something wrong then one must feel sorry for it and not repeat it again. But at no time should one indulge in brooding over the past actions. Likewise one must not unnecessarily think of the future. Of course one cannot completely abstain from thinking of the future, as for example a person wanting to travel to some other place must buy a ticket in advance. Thought of the future must be restricted to a bare minimum. The importance of same sightedness in pleasure and pain, heat and cold and the like is repeatedly emphasised by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. He has said:

(Therefore, without attachment, constantly perform action which should be done, for by performing action without attachment, man reaches the Supreme.)

(Think of Me and fight.)

are termed austerity of mind.)

One must not be afflicted mentally by the world nor should one cause affliction to others. It is said by Sri Krishna :

(He by whom the world is not afflicted and who is not afflicted by the world, who is free from joy, envy, fear and sorrow, he is dear to Me.)

Here the importance of Brahmacharya must be emphasized. For any earnest spiritual seeker it is very important.A 'true Brahmachari attains spiritual success very quickly. One possessed of strong Vairagyam and having a strong desire for liberation from the snares of Samsara would do well to lead a life of Brahmacharyam, for to such an aspirant married life is a mere obstacle serving no useful purpose. This is not to derogate married life. Even Sri Rama and Sri Krishna led lives of house-holders. It is the house-holder who sustains a Sanyasi. By leading a life of detachment, even though in the midst of worldly activities the householder not only raises himself up spiritually but also becomes a great source of good to the world. By dedicating all actions to Ishwara and acting as an instrument in His hands the married man is not tainted even though he is in the midst of the world. By constantly performing Vichara and Dhyanam he can definitely go along the path of spirituality. There have been house-holders who have been Jnanis and such are there even today. Though all this is true, for those possessed of strong and not mere wavering Vairagyam, a life of Brahmacharya is by far the best. A Brahmachari has no concern with wife and children and is free to dedicate himself, with complete body and mind to spiritual discipline. His mind is very fit for the spiritual enquiry and meditation. He has a good power of concentration. As per the instructions of the Guru the spiritual aspirant can straight away take up Sanyasa and dedicate himself completely to getting Self realisation or he can remain in the midst of the world as a Brahmachari for some time and then later take up Sanyasa. A period of worldly actions may be recommended by the Guru. This may be done to allow the aspirant to study the world and become fully convinced of its worthlessness so that at a later time, as a Sanyasi no desire can develop for beholding worldly activities and pleasures. Alternatively the Guru may feel that by his disciple living in the world, good to the others may accrue, or there may be some other reason best known to the Guru. The scriptures also sanction Sanyasa for those house-holders who have attained strong dispassion and are fed up with worldly life.

Taking up of Sanyasa is broadly spoken of as of two types - 1. Vividisha Sanyasa or Sanyasa taken with a view to get Self realisation and 2. Vidvat Sanyasa or Sanyasa taken after the dawn of knowledge. The second type is quite obviously superior to the first. One who is devoid of desire, pure in mind and in whom there is neither attachment nor revulsion for the world is fit for Sanyasa. Though regulations regarding bathing etc., are prescribed for Sanyasis they are meant only for the unenlightened beginners in the life of Sanyasa. In fact the scriptures permit the Sanyasi to abstain from bathing, dressing, observing regulations and the like and to remain day and night lost in the bliss of Brahman. The Sruti mentions a four-fold division of Sanyasa as Kuteechaka, Bahoodaka, Hamsa and Paramahamsa. Complete shaving of the head, including the removal of the tuft and casting away of the Yagnopaveetham are the singular external peculiarities of the entrance into Paramahamsa life. In South India, Smartas generally do not think of the lower forms of Sanyasa at all. Sanyasa represents the state in which there is concern with neither action nor ritual and there is consideration only of Brahman.

Some people say that it is absolutely essential for a person to experience a householder's life before taking up Sanyasa and argue that it is wrong to lead a life of Brahmacharyam or to take up Sanyasa directly from the state of a Brahmachari. They even quote the scriptures in support of their view-point. Such an objection is totally unfounded and finds absolutely no support in the scriptures. True, the scriptures do speak of the necessity of a householder's life but this is not meant as a rule and is only for the unenlightened ones who are not possessed of strong Vairagyam. To such people the scripture recommends married life not for the gratification of desire but to help them in training themselves for the stage of Sanyasa. That the scriptures do sanction the direct taking up of Sanyasa or the leading of one's life as a Brahmachari is made amply clear by the scriptures many times.

In the Jabala Upanisad it is said:

(From the stage of a celibate he should resort to that of a householder. From domestic life he should become a forest dweller and then embrace monasticism. Alternatively, one may embrace monasticism from the stage of the celibate, or the householder or the recluse.)

It is also said यदहरेव विरजेत् तदहरेव प्रव्रजेत्

(On that very day when he becomes dispassionate let him renounce.)

In the Brihadaranyaka Upanisad it is said:

(The ancient knowers, it is said, did not desire progeny, thinking "What shall we, who have realised this world, this Self, do with progeny?)

In the Brahma Sutras

there is a discussion as regard to whether there is expiation for a fall from the vow of celibacy in the case of Naistika Brahmachari (one who observes the vow of life long Brahmacharyam). The discussion pertains to the fall from such a state. This would not have been considered if Naistika Brahmacharya were itself forbidden. The lives of Sri Suka, Bhagavatpadal and our Poorvacharyas (earlier teachers) are standing examples to disprove false views advanced by some.

It is always a good practice for a Brahmachari to abstain from talking to females. It is best to keep some distance away from them. He may speak bare minimum to his female relatives. People who want to observe life long Brahmacharyam and are possessed of Vairagya always have My (Acharyal's) complete blessings.

The more one's mind is centered on liberation the less is the desire for the world. The desire for liberation may be classified into three types. The lowest type is that of a man who would like liberation but is not interested in making any serious effort. The second category is that of a man who strongly desires liberation and practises spiritual discipline to achieve it. The third kind is that of a man who has a burning desire for liberation. He is not even ready to wait a moment for it. He is like a man rushing to put out a fire on his head. If one has such a strong desire for liberation one is liberated in no time from Samsara. One is bound so long as one feels that one is bound. If one has the firm conviction that one is free then one is free, for the misconception that one is bound is indeed the cause of bondage. In the Astavakra Gita it is said:

(He who considers himself free is free and he who considers himself bound is bound.)

This simple utterance has a great import. Generally, however, the misconception that one is bound is so strong that it cannot be destroyed easily. In the case of a very advanced spiritual aspirant, purified on account of great discipline practised in the previous births, Knowledge dawns the moment he hears the Truth from the Guru. It is said:

(Consciousness is Brahma)

(This Atma is Brahma)

(I am Brahma)

(You are that)

In the case of other spiritual aspirants varying degrees of spiritual discipline must be practised. Dhyanam, Vichara, Karma Yoga, etc.,are prescribed by the Guru depending upon the disciple. Control of the mind cannot be had in a moment or two. Considerable practice is required and so one must never yield to despondency. With faith in Guru and Ishwara one must carry on and can rest assured that sooner or later one shall by Divine grace attain liberation.

VICHARA (ENQUIRY)

The performance of Vichara is a means to getting Brahma Jnanam which is the direct cause of liberation. Generally Vichara and Dhyanam are spoken of as two direct means to getting Jnanam. While some may find Dhyanam more suitable, others may prefer Vichara. This in no way implies that one can be practised only to the exclusion of the other. In fact, in most cases a harmonious blending is very advantageous. A man who is given to the performance of Dhyanam is also likely to practise Vichara frequently but in his spiritual discipline much greater prominence is given to Dhyanam. On the other hand some seekers may give much greater importance to Vichara.

The process of Vichara is characterised by Sravanam, Mananam, and Nididdhyasanam.The disciple's hearing of the Truth at the feet of the Guru constitutes Sravanam. In the case of exceptionally competent disciples, Jnanam, dawns the moment they hear the Truth. But this is an exception and not the rule. Mananam or cogitation is the repeated contemplation on the meaning of what was taught so as to eradicate doubts. By logically analysing what is taught, doubts are destroyed. Nididdhyasanam is one pointed concentration of the mind on the purport of the scriptures known beyond doubt by adopting the two courses of Sravana and Manana. For practising Vichara first of all the disciple endowed with burning Vairagya and desirous of liberation should approach , with faith and humility, a Guru who is the knower of Brahman.

The scriptures convey to us that this world which is seen is nothing but a product of Maya and that Brahman alone is absolutely real. The Jiva, in reality, is no different from the Supreme Brahman. Bondage and liberation are terms that can be applied to the Jiva but not to the Atma which is never subject to bondage of any form. Mukti or Liberation results spontaneously when Avidya is destroyed. The destruction of Avidya can be brought about only by the dawn of Jnanam and never by Karma of any kind. For instance if one mistakes a rope for a snake then that delusion can be destroyed only by the true knowledge of the rope and not by thousand Garuda Mantras. Karma is itself is a product of Avidya and so cannot eradicate delusion. Everything that has a beginning must necessarily have an end. The fruits of an action have a beginning and therefore must necessarily have an end. If Mukti were to result from Karma then it can never be permanent, by the fact that it has the beginning and is but the effect of an action.

Since bondage is not a reality, even though it is beginningless, it can be destroyed. The Atma is ever free. It is the realisation that one is the ever free Atma that is Mukti. It is not the achieving or creating of something. Hence the task before the spiritual aspirant is the mere destruction of the misconception that there is bondage.

Jiva is the experiencer of the fruits of action of the body and mind. The basic nature of the Jiva is however that of being the Atma. The Jiva is spoken of variously by Advaitins, though they all quote Bhagavatpadal and the scriptures to support their view points. The differences are all superficial and all are agreed on the basic tenets . The superficial nature of the differences is clearly stated by Sri Sureswaracharyal when He says:

(By whatever means there dawns in a man knowledge of the inner Atma, that way should be known to be good and there is no end to the number of such ways.)

Some speak of the Jiva as the reflection of the light of Consciousness in Avidya taken together with the substratum, while others view the Jiva as the Supreme viewed through the veil of Avidya. Likewise Ishwara is viewed variously. The Shvetasvatara Upanisad clearly declares the basic nature of Ishwara in the words:

(One must know Maya as the root cause and the Lord of Maya as Maheswara.)

Ishwara is the material and efficient cause of the universe. He is the inner controller and the bestower of the fruits of action. In the Mandukya Upanisad it is said of Ishwara:

(This one is the lord of all. This one is omniscient. This one is the inner director of all. This one is the source of all. This one is indeed the place of origin and dissolution of all beings.)

The scripture directly declares the Truth in such utterances as:

(You are That; I am Brahman; Consciousness is Brahma; This Atma is Brahma.)

In the Upadesa Mahavakya तत्वमसि the true import of त्वं (You) is the Jiva devoid of its limiting adjuncts, such as the mind, while the import of तत् (That) is the Ishwara devoid of His limiting adjuncts such as His glory. Devoid of adjuncts the Jiva is nothing but pure Consciousness and so is Ishwara. The Mahavakya declares the identity of Consciousness. The Mahavakya is not to be misunderstood as indicating the identity of the Jiva with its adjuncts and Ishwara with His adjuncts, for such a postulation is absurd on account of colossal differences between the two.

Likewise in the Mahavakya अहं ब्रह्मास्मि the word अहं (I)refers not to the body, nor the senses, nor the mind but to the True Self. When the import of the Mahavakya is realised as a matter of experience, Avidya is destroyed. So long as the import is known only inferentially it is said to be Paroksha Jnanam (indirect knowledge) while when it is known as a matter of experience it is called Aparoksha Jnanam ( direct Knowledge). Obviously indirect knowledge precedes direct knowledge. Some opine that Sravanam, creates only indirect knowledge but a better view is that it creates direct knowledge which,on account of numerous obstructions created by Avidya, appears as indirect knowledge.

Repeated cogitation on the Truth taught by the Guru is necessary to eradicate doubts and to impress the import firmly on the mind. The disciple should approach his Guru to have his doubts dissolved. The logical analysis which the aspirant performs should be in accordance with the teachings of the scriptures. Illogical reasoning must never be indulged in. "Sound is not eternal. The Veda is of the nature of sound. Therefore the Veda is not eternal. " This is a typical example of illogical reasoning. Bhagavatpadal has specifically stated in Upadesa Panchakam:

(There must be complete cessation of wrong reasoning. Logic in consonance with the scriptures must be resorted to.)

Analysis must be done till all doubts are cleared and the mind firmly grasps the import of the Mahavakyas.

The method by which Truth is to be expounded is decided by the Guru by taking into consideration the state of the disciple. He, who has not advanced , will find it very difficult to comprehend the waking state as being similar to the dream state. To cater to the doubts of such people as regards creation,the scriptures speak variously of origination. Such descriptions are merely meant to put an end to the doubts of the not very advanced seeker and the scriptures are actually not concerned with creation at all. Similar is the consideration of rebirth and the like.

To very advanced aspirants the Guru is very likely to expound the Drishti-Srishti-Vada (Perception is creation school of thought). The creation of an object is nothing but its perception. Apart from perception there is no object. Be it the waking state or the dream state all objects perceived therein are unreal as they have no existence apart from perception. Whenever an object is cognised the mind has the corresponding Vritti and when the mind is quiet, as in deep sleep, no world is perceived. Thus the world has no existence apart from thought. In the dream state the mind assumes the dual facets of the perceiver and the perceived. Similar indeed is the case of the waking state. If the world is real why does it not shine when there is no Vritti? It does not, because it has no existence apart from thought.

One may wonder how it is possible to say that the waking state is similar to the dream state when one is able to directly perceive objects, feel pain and pleasure and communicate with others in the waking state. The objection is quite unfounded because the same experiences are had when one experiences the dream state and all logical people agree that the dream state is unreal. One may state that when one wakes up the dream ceases and may say that a similar experience is not had with regard to the waking state. This is not so for this will indeed occur when one wakes up from this dream of the waking state and not before . When will one wake up from this dream may be the next question. The answer is that one wakes from this when one realises that one is the Supreme Self, beyond all bondages.

Objecting to the fact that objects do not exist apart from perception one may assert that even when one does not think of an object, that object exists and it is seen by others. This is a false view. Before answering this objection it must be mentioned that this teaching is meant for very advanced spiritual aspirants and that to others it is likely to cause great confusion. If the aspirant clearly analyses the situation it will not be hard to note that the awareness that other people see the object is itself just a thought. That other people and things exist is itself just a thought. That they tell one something is also just a thought. When the mind is silent, where indeed is the world? Where is one's so called body or senses or world or even Ishwara? To the advanced spiritual aspirant, in fact, the waking state may appear more unreal than the dream state for in the former state the objects perceived change even while they are being perceived.

It must be noted that thought too has no real existence as it just appears and disappears. That which is existent cannot suddenly become a non entity. Due to Avidya one has this long dream that one is born, lives, suffers and so on. The moment one wakes up from this dream, Avidya ceases and one realises that one always was,is and will be the Supreme Brahman. Even this statement is made from a relative standpoint as from the highest standpoint where is time or space or causality? The supreme state is described in the Mandukya Upanishad in the words:

(They consider the fourth(Turiya) to be that which is not conscious of the internal (as in dream), nor conscious of the external (as in the waking state), nor conscious of both the internal and the external (as in some intermediate state) nor a mass of consciousness (as in deep sleep) nor a simple consciousness (that is awareness of everything simultaneously.) nor unconsciousness (inert), which is unseen, beyond empirical dealings, beyond the grasp (of the organs of action), uninferable, indescribable, whose valid proof consists in the single belief in the Atma (or that it is to be spotted by the unchanging belief that it is the same Atma that subsists in the waking state etc.,), in which all phenomena cease, which is unchanging, auspicious and non-dual. That is the Self and that is to be known.)

Sri Gaudapadacharyal says in His Karika on the Mandukya Upanisad:

(In as much as the diverse things are found to be similar on the strength of the familiar grounds of inference (or on the logical ground being perceived), the wise say that the dream and waking states are one.)

(That which does not exist in the beginning and in the end, is equally so in the present. Though they (objects) are in the same footing with the unreal, yet, they are seen as though real.)

(There is no doubt that the mind though one, appears in dream in dual aspects (of perceiver and the perceived). So also in the waking state the mind though one, appears to have two aspects.)

(Cause and effect spring into being so long as there is mental preoccupation with cause and effect. There is no origination of cause and effect when engrossment with cause and effect is attenuated.)

(The self effulgent Atma imagines itself, through itself by the power of Its own Maya (as possessed of diverse forms) The Atma Itself cognizes the objects. Such is the definite conclusion of Vedanta.)

(When the Jiva sleeping under the influence of beginningless Maya is awakened, he realises the birthless, sleepless, dreamless and non-dual Truth.)

(There is no dissolution nor origination, none in bondage, none striving, or aspiring for liberation and none liberated. This is the highest Truth.)

All this cannot be grasped by many. The Guru teaches them at their level. To them He explains that though from the standpoint of the absolute , Maya has no reality, still from a standpoint of logic it cannot be described as either existing or not existing. It is not real because it is negated by knowledge and yet it is not non existent because the world caused by it is perceived. It just defies description and is said to be सदसद्भ्यामनिर्वचनीयं (cannot be described as Sat or Asat).

At this stage it must be emphasized that erudition in the scriptures may be certainly necessary for one who aims at scholarliness but is certainly not necessary for the genuine aspirant. The aspirant needs the scriptures only to the extent of his firmly grasping the truth by shedding his doubts. Unnecessary addiction to books is quite unnecessary. As Bhagavatpadal says in the Vivekachoodamani:

(Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the scriptures and likewise erudition-these merely bring on some enjoyment to the scholar but are no good for liberation.)

(The study of the scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is not known and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.)

Scriptural study is certainly not unnecessary. It is quite essential. What is meant is that mere obsession with scriptural texts should be avoided.

Regarding Maya, in Maya Panchakam, it is said

(Even in me who am pure Consciousness having no equal, eternal, partless, integral and not admitting of any doubts, misconception etc.,-she brings about differences such as the world, Ishwara and Jiva. Such is Maya who is very clever in bringing what cannot be brought about). This Maya is the cause of all troubles and by constantly practising Vichara under the guidance of the Guru one must strive to destroy the veil of Maya.

(Everyday till death, one must constantly fix one's mind in Vedantic enquiries.)

In the beginning even the intellectual conception of the Truth is unsteady. With progress intellectual conviction arises and soon direct experience is had. The experience of the Truth in the waking state gradually spills over to the other two states of dream and deep sleep. When this occurs, with the destruction of Vasanas (mental impressions), the knowledge of the Truth becomes firmly established and all bondages cease for ever.

The exact method of Vichara depends on what is prescribed by the Guru. To some it may commence with a detailed study of the scriptures , to some it may take the form of directly tracing the root of all thoughts, while to some exceptional others the process terminates no sooner than the Truth is heard.

DHYANAM AND SAMADHI

Dhyanam is the one pointed fixation of the mind on the object of the concentration . Bhagavatpadal in His Gita Bhasyam, speaks of Dhyanam, as the proximate means to Self realization. Basically Dhyanam is of two types (1) Saguna and (2) Nirguna.

In Saguna Dhyanam one meditates on a form or sound while these are absent in Nirguna Dhyanam. The final aim of Dhyanam is to bring the spiritual aspirant face to face with the Truth. Saguna Dhyanam must be practised till one is competent to perform Nirguna Dhyanam. This does not, however, preclude the possibility of one who is an adept in Nirguna Dhyanam performing Saguna Dhyanam. The actual method of spiritual discipline to be practised is to be decided only by the Guru and the procedure is likely to vary from person to person on account of differences in temperament, state of spiritual development, conditions and the like. This being the case it is not possible to describe a unique way of practising meditation.

One method of performing Saguna Dhyanam which is suitable to many is concentration on one's Ishta Devata as seated in a red lotus in one's heart. One should imagine the red petalled lotus in full bloom with the Ishta Devata seated in it in the manner described in the appropriate Dhyana Shloka. Concentrating one's mind on the form of the Ishta Devata one should perform Japa.

Another method of performing Saguna Dhyanam is to imagine the Ishta Devata as seated in front of the Sadhaka. This may be easier to some than concentrating on the Ishta Devata in the heart. Another method is to meditate upon a Jyotis (effulgency) in the space between the eyebrows, while performing Nama Japa. Meditation on the Guru can also be practised.

These methods of meditation may be very difficult for some who are unable to mentally, clearly visualise their Ishta Devata. For them a simple method would be to sit in front of a picture of the Ishta Devata, look at the picture and perform Japa. Because of the presence of the picture, the difficulty in visualising the Ishta Devata's form is reduced. Japa may be done either audibly or with the lips moving but without sound coming out, or mentally, the last one being the best. As one gains in concentration one can begin to close his eyes for brief periods of time and visualise the Ishta Devata as seen in the picture. With due practice, meditation can be performed without the aid of the picture. Saguna Dhyanam can also be done by concentrating one's mind on the Mantra alone without taking recourse to the form of the Ishta Devata.

Two types of difficulties are generally encountered when people practise Saguna Dhyanam. These difficulties are (1) Extraneous thoughts keep disturbing the meditation process and (2) The aspirant feels sleepy. The inability to keep one's mind fixed on the object of meditation is a difficulty which almost all Sadhakas have to face. It is only exceptionally few people, who, on account of the grace of Ishwara and Guru and on account of the great spiritual discipline practised in the previous births, do not encounter this problem.

The method of tackling this problem consists in being vigilant at the time of meditation so that one does not remain unaware that one's mind is not fixed in meditation and in bringing the mind back again and again to the object of meditation. In most cases it is futile to attempt to simply force the mind to remain on the object of meditation. Therefore as and when the mind goes out one has no other choice but to watch its movement and bring it back. A slight aid is to hold one's breath for a moment or two when one finds the mind going out. This will block the outward going trend of the mind for that period or at least reduce the intensity of its outward going tendency thereby giving the aspirant time to again take hold of the mind and fix it in meditation. Another aid at these times is to visualize the presence of the Ishta Devata in whatever object the mind chooses to think about . By doing this the mind is made to think of the Ishta Devata. Uttering the Japa with somewhat greater vigour, also helps one in gaining control. If one notices the commencement of distraction, more than half the problem is solved as one can refix the mind on the object of meditation. In most cases people become aware that the mind has deviated from the object of concentration only after some time has elapsed. Vigilance, stressing on the mind,the transitory nature of external objects and their inability to produce any happiness should be resorted to hold the wandering mind. Perception of faults in the objects to which the mind runs acts as a brake on the wandering mind. These are some aids to which one may take recourse to curb the wandering of the mind but it must be borne in mind that these are , as it were, emergency measures adopted during the course of the meditation period.

Unless and until one practises proper discipline at times other than the meditation periods, one cannot hope to be successful in meditation. The mind is a restless monkey and will go out again and again to external objects even when one wants to meditate.

The second commonly encountered difficulty is that the aspirant becomes drowsy. Some people feel that they get good meditation but what they actually experience is sleep. This is also difficult to tackle, for the aspirant is quite often not aware that he is entering a state of torpor. The state of dullness may sometimes be caused by physical or mental exhaustion. In such cases one must not force the mind to meditate. The aspirant should get up and practise meditation later. It is harmful to force the mind to meditate when one is mentally or physically exhausted. If on the other hand, one is neither physically nor mentally exhausted and still the mind tends to become dull,it must be woken up and forced to meditate. The aspirant can sense the onset of dullness only if he is vigilant and so he must never cease to be alert. When he senses the onset of torpor he may enhance the vigour with which he does Japa or may utter it audibly for a while. If these methods do not work he can open his eyes for a moment or two and then continue his meditation or in the worst case wash his face , walk few brisk steps, and again continue the meditation.

Some other factors help in ensuring good meditation. One of them is a consideration of the Asanam ( Posture). For good meditation a comfortable firm posture should be adopted. The back and the neck should be held erect. Padmasanam and Siddhasanam are two very good poses though it is not necessary that one take recourse to them if one does not find them comfortable. In the Gita Sri Krishna says:

(A Darbha grass on which is spread deer skin on which is spread a piece of cloth (is a good Asanam) .) One must not be seated either too high or too low. It is always good to practise meditation in a place where noise and other external disturbance are absent. As it is,the mind is restless and so what need be said of the situation wherein the outgoing tendency of the mind is further stimulated by external conditions?

The performance of Pranayama before the commencement of meditation aids in ensuring good meditation. It must be borne in mind that Pranayama practised wrongly is dangerous and so one must practise it only after one has learnt it from a competent teacher. The time prior to sunrise and just after sunset are good for meditation. At these times the mind is generally calm and the natural setting for meditation is very appropriate.

Despondency is a problem that hounds many who find that their sincere attempts at meditation end up rather unsuccessfully with the mind wandering as it pleases. Despondency is something to which no spiritual aspirant must ever yield. Achieving success in meditation is a slow process and no sincere attempt ever goes in vain. After all, the accumulated Vasanas of the previous and present births are there impelling the mind to wander and so it is no wonder that it wanders. The scriptures emphatically assert the importance of not yielding to despondency. Sri Krishna says:

(Yoga must be practised with determination, without the mind becoming despondent.) Sri Gaudapadacharyal also stresses the point when he says:

(Just as an ocean can be emptied with the help of the tip of a blade of Kusa grass that can hold just a drop, so also can the control of the mind be brought about by the absence of depression.)

As one progresses in meditation one begins to experience greater and greater joy. In the case of meditation on the form of the Ishta Devata, Japa automatically ceases and the mind is completely focussed on the Ishta Devata alone. Loss of awareness of the surroundings and the body also takes place. The perception of just an expanse of Jyotis accompanied by great happiness is another experience one may get as one goes into deeper meditation. In high stages of Saguna meditation one may feel that one is not bound by the body but is on the verge of merging into the form of the Ishta Devata, Jyotis, or Akasha.

Some people experience jerks in the body, during meditation. This is nothing to get worried about and is either due to weakness or the arousal of Shakti.On continuing spiritual practice these jerks will cease by themselves. Some others experience expansion and feel nervous. Here again there is no cause for worry for this is a good sign and not something to be feared.

Brahmacharyam,complete faith in the Guru, Bhakti, Vairagyam and practice are all very necessary to achieve success in meditation and one who has these need have no worry about not achieving success.

In Nirguna Dhyanam one does not take the aid of any form or sound. This is suitable only to advanced spiritual aspirants. Here the mind is focussed on the Supreme Atma which is beyond all name and form and which defies any positive conception. Nirguna Dhyanam leads to Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the highest state of meditation where one directly experiences the Supreme Reality. Some of the general methods only can be described because what is a matter of direct experience can never be adequately described.

One method of performing Nirguna Dhyanam suited to very advanced aspirants, is to completely still all thoughts and fix the mind on the Atma. This method can be fully appreciated only by those who are in a position to practise it. A relatively simpler method consists in standing back as a witness of all thoughts. Here one does not forcibly still the mind but merely dissociates oneself from the thought process. A doubt may arise as to how it is possible to stand back as a witness, when the watching process itself is done by the mind. This doubt stems from a misunderstanding of the method. The Atma requires no light to illumine. In the process suggested one seeks to identify oneself with the Atma, the witness consciousness. No doubt the process commences by watching the thoughts that are rising and going like bubbles in water but it is not the same as watching a show. Here one should remain totally unconcerned about the thoughts, neither liking the fact that good thoughts arise nor feeling depressed otherwise. The aim is to detach oneself from the thought process. Idle observation is also to be avoided. While attempting Nirguna Dhyanam one must not lose sight of the fact that one is the Para Tatvam (Supreme Reality) which is described even by the Sruti as Neti Neti (not this, not this) and that it is only on account of Avidya that one thinks that one is bound. Withdrawal from the thought process can take place only after one has lost consciousness of the surroundings and the body. Hence this must necessarily precede Samadhi.

As indifference to the thoughts increases,it will be found that the frequency of the rising of thoughts goes on decreasing and one begins to experience greater and greater joy.

Samadhi is not the mere absence of worldly thoughts. If it were so then sleep would be Samadhi.In Samadhi one is fully aware of one's own nature and is lost in an ocean of bliss whereas in sleep one is covered, as it were , by darkness. Hence the aim of the Sadhaka is not merely to suppress thought. One must impress upon oneself that one is the Supreme Brahma which is beyond all mentation and that one is of the nature of unalloyed bliss.

As an alternative approach to starting the process of meditation (by observing the mind and then generating the feeling "I am Brahman" one can commence by feeling that one is free from all bondage and that one is of the nature of bliss. Which method is to be adopted depends on the nature of the Sadhaka and has to be decided by the Guru. What in the initial stages of meditation is a mere feeling becomes a matter of direct experience as the meditation progresses. Yet another method of commencing Nirguna Dhyanam is to feel that one is expanding and becoming all pervasive. This approach may be adopted if one finds it difficult to directly dissociate oneself from the surroundings, body and mind.

If in the attempt at meditation the mind tends to wander, two approaches are possible. One consists in forcibly stilling it and the other in impressing more firmly the feeling "(I am Brahma)". If the mind tends to become dull, it must instantaneously be roused by assertion of divine nature. In Nirguna Dhyanam there is yet another major obstacle. This is the state wherein the mind is neither dull nor is it dispersed amongst sense objects and yet is not in Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

When aspirants reach such a state they are likely to mistake it for Nirvikalpa Samadhi. This must never be done for if one continues only in this state one does not get knowledge. On the contrary if one passes away in this state one ends up as a Prakriti Laya (absorbed in Prakriti) and not as a Videha Mukta (liberated and disembodied). The trouble arises because the Sadhaka begins to enjoy the bliss and is content. So long as the distinction of experiencer, experienced and experience remain,the state is not that of Nirvikalpa Samadhi. It is only through watchfulness that one can recognise this trouble giving state which is the final obstacle to Samadhi. One must go beyond this state and this is to be done by ceasing to long for the blissful experience of that state and generating a thought, "I am not the experiencer of bliss but am bliss itself." No doubt this is tantamount to creating a thought when one is aiming at thoughtlessness but this thought serves as a force to push one beyond this state and then vanishes of its own accord. Sri Gaudapada charya has summed up all this very nicely in His Karikas.He says:

(With the help of the proper means, one should bring under discipline the mind that is dispersed amongst objects of desire and enjoyment. One should bring it under control even when it is in state of torpor, for torpor is as bad as desire. Constantly remembering that everything is full of misery, one should withdraw the mind from the enjoyment prompted by desire. Remembering always the fact that the birthless Brahman is everything one does not surely perceive the born (i.e. the host of duality). One should wake up the mind merged in sleep. One should bring the dispersed mind again into tranquility. One should know when the mind is in a state of latency and should not disturb the mind established in equipoise. One should not enjoy happiness in that state but should become unattached through the use of discrimination. When the mind, established in steadiness, wants to move out,one should concentrate it with diligence. When the mind does not become lost in torpor nor is again dispersed amongst objects, when it is motionless and does not appear in the form of objects, then it becomes identified with Brahman.)

Nirvikalpa Samadhi is the culmination of the meditation process. In it the threefold distinction of experiencer, experienced and experience ceases. The Atma shines forth clearly in its own glory. Sleep is a state wherein one is covered by the thick veil of ignorance. This is the opposite state where one is lost in the Jnana Jyotis. It transcends all descriptions and has to be experienced to be understood. A rough description is as follows. In this state one is lost in an ocean of bliss compared to which the choicest of worldly pleasures is but an unbearable torture. Yet another rough way of looking at this state would be from a consideration of the state of sleep. If one were in the same state as in deep sleep without the least of thoughts arising and yet have complete awareness then it would be something like the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi. In Samadhi there is absolute unawareness of time, space and objects. The Atma alone shines. The experience of this state deals a blow to the"knot of the heart", desires. It is very highly eulogized by the scriptures and by the ancients. Sri Krishna says:

(One attaining which one does not consider any other gain to be greater.)

It is the best way to annihilate the effect of accumulated sins. The activity of Prana is reduced to an absolute minimum. The body remains erect and the head does not droop to the chest and to all appearances the person is dead. Some opine that the activity of Prana ceases completely but this is wrong.

The distinction from the state of deep sleep must be clearly borne in mind. In sleep there is only Tamas (darkness) while here there is only Prakasam (brightness-not ordinary light but the light of Consciousness). It is absolutely ridiculous for people to assert that this can be brought about by drugs or hypnotism. Drugs and hypnotism can at best condition the body and mind but here the realm of thought is completely transcended. Jnana alone can give Moksha and it can never be brought about by drugs or hypnotism. In fact meditation is not an attempt at hypnosis but at dehypnosis. On account of Avidya one mistakenly feels that one is bound when in fact one is totally free, one imagines that one is unhappy when one is actually the embodiment of bliss and meditation aims at removing these misconceptions and not at creating some new conceptions.

He who has experienced the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi requires nothing to confirm it other than his own experience. When the experience is so direct what need is there for him to waste his time in resorting to reason to confirm it? Even if a Sadhaka were to later get a doubt whether he had actually experienced Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the Guru will clear it.

Unless one's Prarabdha Karma is completely exhausted one must come down from the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi. As the mind gradually regains world consciousness the meditator begins to feel that he alone exists and everything is just a mere appearance in him. He feels as it were like an ocean with the appearances like bubbles in the ocean. This experience generally does not last permanently. It fades away after some time and it is only by repeatedly resorting to Nirvikalpa Samadhi that one gradually makes the experience constant. Even in the states of dream and deep sleep the awareness of one's true nature remains. It is only when the state has become natural that one may be called a Jivanmukta (liberated while alive). It is only then that the Hridaya Granthi (knot of the heart) is torn asunder. Hence one must not be complacent even after attaining Nirvikalpa Samadhi but must strive to make the awareness of one's true nature stable. Till such stable knowledge is had there is a chance of fall.

One doubt regarding Nirvikalpa Samadhi troubles some and this is as to how people who have experienced Nirvikalpa Samadhi can later, on coming down, recollect that state. Such a recollection of the blissful experience is definitely possible as all those who have experienced Nirvikalpa Samadhi know. To explain it,one has to state that even in the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi there is just one Vritti in the mind and that is the Akhandakara Vritti. This Vritti is different from other Vrittis in that it is the cause of the destruction of Avidya while others are the cause of strengthening the veil of Avidya . The mind has for its object, at the time of Nirvikalpa Samadhi, only the Atma. When the mind cognises sense objects it assumes their form. Brahman has no name or form and when the Akhandakara Vritti is there , the mind becomes indiscernible from the Atma. There is no question of the mind actually taking the form of the Atma for the Atma has no form. The Sadhaka, who is in Nirvikalpa Samadhi is, however not aware of this Vritti. If he were aware of it that would constitute the three-fold distinction whose absence is what characterises Nirvikalpa Samadhi. The presence of the Akhandakara Vritti in the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi can be understood only by a process of inference necessitated by the need to explain the possibility of a later recall of the state of Samadhi.

While the normal Sadhaka struggles to get an ordinary meditation, the Sadhaka who experiences Nirvikalpa Samadhi should know how to bring down the mind from that state. An experience preceding attainment of Nirvikalpa Samadhi is the feeling that one is expanding and as it were,merging into Akasha. Then there is a change of situation and all threefold division of experience, experiencer and experienced ceases. Any control that one wishes to experience over the mind must be done prior to the transition, for after that one is lost in an ocean of bliss. The method of bringing the mind down from Samadhi consists in creating a Sankalpa of the form "I must come down in an hour" prior to entering the divine state. This Sankalpa will later cause the mind to come down lightly and once the three-fold differentiation begins to manifest,the mind can be consciously brought down. The Sankalpa need not be of the form indicated and could well assume many other forms such as "I will take some water".

One may wonder why the mind should be brought down from Samadhi at all. Two factors are responsible for sustenance of Samadhi. One is the initial effort propelling one to Samadhi and the other is the Punyam (virtue) that aids a stay in that state. Usually, it takes some time after descending from Samadhi before one can perform normal activities. On descending from Samadhi one feels as if one's body is floating in space or walking in a moving wooden canoe and hence till this feeling stops it is very difficult to act. It is a good practice to sit quietly for a few minutes after coming done down from Samadhi. If one remains continuously in Samadhi for long periods, the body goes without food and the like and this may later tell on the health,a thing,which can be avoided if Samadhi is practised in a regulated manner. Of course all this is not a hard and fast rule and if a man has renounced the world there is no reason for him to make any attempt to come down from Samadhi . When and how meditation should be practised will be decided by the Guru and instructions are likely to be different for different Sadhakas.

Some fear Nirvikalpa Samadhi which, to them, means the loss of personality but such a fear is totally unfounded for one does not lose oneself, rather one becomes Purna (full). Commenting on this Sri Goudapadacharyal has said अभये भयदर्शिनः (Seeing fear in the fearless Brahman.)

Savikalpa Samadhi is a stage just short of Nirvikalpa Samadhi in which the three-fold differentiation is not obliterated. For instance, in the case of those practising Saguna Dhyanam on their Ishta Devata, a stage is reached when there is awareness only of the Ishta Devata , Japa having automatically ceased. This is a form of Savikalpa Samadhi. Another experience of Savikalpa Samadhi is one in which one experiences just a vast expanse of Jyotis or Akasha accompanied by an experience of great bliss. Savikalpa Samadhi is a stepping stone to Nirvikalpa Samadhi and so Saguna Dhyanam should not be looked down upon at any time. If one wishes to go to the top of a building by climbing a flight of stairs one must climb up from where one stands and not foolishly attempt to jump directly to the top. Likewise the Sadhaka must practise meditation depending upon his current state as decided by the Guru and not simply try to directly get Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

There may be a misconception which stems from a misunderstanding of Sri Krishna's words:

(Gazing at the tip of one's nose.) Some may interpret the verse literally when in fact they should not. Bhagavatpadal points out in His commentary on this verse that if these were so then the concentration would be on the tip of the nose and not the Atma and it is quite absurd to expect Sri Krishna to exhort this. The verse means "as if gazing at the tip of one's nose".

In the course of meditation one is likely to have visions of the Guru , of a flash of light, or hear the sound of Pranava or a peal of bells ringing. These and other such visions should be viewed as good signs, indicative of one's progress. Another experience which some may get is that of tiny dots of light in space expanding and moving closer to the observer. This generally lasts for a moment or two and should be viewed as an encouraging sign. One is also likely to get various powers such as that of mind reading, clairvoyance, clairaudience but the sincere spiritual aspirant must never care for them. They lure one away from the path of enlightenment and so should be viewed more as obstacles than anything else. However if powers manifest themselves automatically without one's caring for them in the least then one can take it that it is the wish of Ishwara that they appear for some Divine purpose of His. A Jnani, of course, is unconcerned whether powers arise themselves or not.

A word of warning is necessary to sincere spiritual aspirants. There is no short cut to Samadhi and it is quite dangerous to resort to drugs, peculiar practices, auto suggestion etc., to achieve it. Samadhi will not result from all these nontraditional practices. One must not deviate from the traditional path as prescribed by a competent Guru who, as the Mundaka Upanisad puts it

(Well versed in the scriptures and established in Brahman .) The so called short cut techniques will lead the seeker on, merely like a mirage in a desert. Progress in meditation can be slow but there need be no despondency if one has true faith in the Guru. Even if one finds that one is making practically no headway,there is no cause for concern because knowledge alone is the cause of immortality and Samadhi, while being an excellent means to acquiring it, is not the only method. There is the method of Atma Vichara which also leads to freedom from the bondage of Samsara. By "शक्ति पात" (transfer of Shakthi) it is possible for the Mahatmas to raise the state of the spiritual aspirant even to the level of Samadhi. However, the disciple should leave it to his Guru to decide how and when he is to be uplifted. Of course if he has any problem in his spiritual path he must not hesitate to approach his Guru to get them solved.

THE STATE OF A JIVANMUKTA

The scriptures assert

(Liberation results from Knowledge alone .)

(By knowing Him alone one becomes immortal here. There is no other path .)

(On knowing the Effulgent One, bondages cease .)

The scriptures repeatedly state that the knowledge that one is Brahman is alone the cause of liberation from the bondage of Samsara. Action, on the other hand can never be the direct cause of liberation as is clear from scriptural assertion such as

(Not by action nor by the progeny...)

One who is possessed of the knowledge "I am Brahman" and is devoid of tendencies is a Jivanmukta (One Liberated while alive). Brahman certainly cannot be known objectively as one knows a book or food, for it is the innermost Self, the Cogniser and not the cognised. The innermost Self, Atma is indeed the Supreme Brahman.

(This Atma is Brahma) say the scriptures, That Brahman cannot be known objectively is made amply clear by scriptural assertions such as :

(Through what should one know That because of which all this is known?)

(That is surely different from the known.)

One may then wonder how one can know Brahman, for it cannot be known objectively. True, Brahman cannot be known objectively but it certainly can be known. The knowledge consists in the awareness that one is Brahman. Certainly such an awareness is not same as cognising an object, for it is ridiculous to assert that one can know oneself objectively. The moment the Avidya is destroyed, the Atma shines of its own accord. It, being of the nature of Consciousness, needs no other light to make Itself manifest. All that one has to do is to destroy Avidya. Sri Krishna says of a Sthitaprajna (one whose knowledge is steady):

. . . . . . . . . .

(When a man, satisfied in the Self and by the Self, completely casts off all the desires of the mind, then he is said to be one of steady knowledge. He whose mind is undistressed in calamity, from whom all longing for pleasures has departed, who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage, a man of steady knowledge. Then what is night to all beings (Supreme being), therein the Self controlled one is awake. Where all beings are awake (Avidya), that is night to the sage who sees.)

These descriptive verses are not meant for people to identify Jnanis. As Bhagavatpadal has pointed out in His commentary on these verses, these characteristic attributes of the Jnani are taught as a means for attaining that state. These attributes, which are attainable by effort, also constitute the means to the end. By continuous practice of spiritual discipline for many births one's mind becomes so pure that the Jnana Jyotis shines and destroys Avidya. Detachment and the like which characterise the state of knowledge also constitute the means to be practised to attain knowledge.

Is the Jivanmukta's awareness that he is the supreme Brahman a thought or is a matter of experience? Can a Jnani perform action? Does he feel pain and the like? Does a Jnani have supernatural powers? These are some of the commonly asked questions about a Jnani. When considering questions such as, "Can a Jnani feel pain?" one thing must be borne in mind and that is the standpoint from which the answers are given. From the standpoint of the Jnani, he sees absolutely nothing apart from himself. The entire universe of name and form appears to him like bubbles in a vast expanse of water that is himself. He is constantly aware of his own nature as a matter of direct experience. Waking, dream and deep sleep mean nothing to him. His awareness of the Self at no time waxes or wanes. In fact from his standpoint it is even meaningless to talk of space and time. Meditation and action both mean nothing to him. He is not aware of bondage. In fact he feels no delimitation by either the body or the mind. Hence from this standpoint it is meaningless to talk of Prarabdha,supernatural powers and the like. In the Ashtavakra Gita it is said:

(Where is Dharma, where is Artha (worldly prosperity), where is Kama (sense enjoyment) and where is discrimination for the Yogi who has transcended such dual notions as "this is to be done" and "this is not to be done"? Where is delusion, where is the universe, where is renunciation and moreover where is liberation, for the great souled one who rests beyond the world of desires?)

Even the talk of liberation is meaningless from this standpoint.

From the standpoint of the observer however the answers are given in a different manner. Here the questioner's attitude is something like this: "I see the Jnani acting and feeling pain and the like. It is well known that the Avidya is the cause of Karma (action). Such being the case, if Avidya is destroyed how can there be action?".

It is to satisfy such questioners that the scriptures have given answer from the standpoint of the observer. While it is true that Avidya is the cause of Karma, it must be noted that Maya has two characteristics, Avarana (veiling) and Vikshepa (projection). In the Jnani, Avarana alone is totally destroyed and hence the Truth shines clearly. On account of this he is freed from the cycle of births and deaths. Further the Sanchita and Agami ( actions that are yet to fructify ) Karmas are destroyed. On the other hand Prarabdha Karma (actions which have begun to fructify), which is the cause of the present birth, is not destroyed and terminates only when it has yielded fruit. Thus, it is the Vikshepa of Maya, as represented by Prarabdha, which brings about the actions of the Jnani. Such actions however can in no way cause bondage since the knowledge that one is Brahman shines. An example is that of a seed which has been fried. Such a seed cannot sprout but it can be used for eating purposes.

The force of Prarabdha, is stronger in the cases of some Jnanis than others. Depending upon the force of Prarabdha, as seen from the duration of time spent by the Jnani in Nirvikalpa Samadhi Jnanis are classified into four categories: 1. Brahmavid 2. Brahmavidvara 3. Brahmavidvariyan and 4. Brahmavidvarista (literally translatable as the best of the knowers of Brahman). The activity of the Brahmavid is greater than that of the other three. He who spends all the time in Nirvikalpa Samadhi is classified as the best because in him the force of Prarabdha is the least. It is the standpoint of the observer that Sri Shankara adopts in His commentary on the words of Sri Krishna:

(In like manner the fire of Knowledge reduces to ashes all actions)

He states that सर्व कर्माणि (all actions) refers to Sanchita and Agami Karmas, Prarabdha Karma having to be experienced to terminate it.

The body of a Jnani is no different from that of others and so it stands to reason that a Jnani does have sensations, such as pain. There is however a difference between the Jnani and the ignorant man in the reactions to such experiences. While the ignorant man is overwhelmed with grief on receiving that which is unpleasant and overjoyed on acquiring, that which is pleasant, the Jnani views both with same-sightedness on account of his knowledge of his true nature. He is, as it were, like a brave soldier who continues to fire at the enemy ignoring the pain caused by an enemy bullet having penetrated his flesh.

As regards supernatural powers, it may be said that a Jnani will have them if he so desires. If it is the will of Ishwara that some good of the world is to result from a Jnani's powers then they will manifest themselves. At any rate the Jnani himself is not at all obsessed with such attainments. In some Jnanis, supernatural powers clearly manifest themselves even without their desiring them while in others they may not manifest themselves.This depends on their Prarabdha. The manifestation of powers, however is certainly not the gauge of their knowledge, for powers can manifest themselves even in people who are not Jnanis. The greatest power of the Jnani is his steady knowledge.

Some people say , "Neither response to an external stimulus nor performance of action is possible unless there is at least some degree of identification with the body and the mind. If identification with the body and the mind are totally absent in Jnanis how can they feel pain, heat, cold, etc., and recognise people and surroundings?" A logical answer given from the second standpoint is that a Jnani does have a highly refined ego. It is because of this that he is able to carry out his bodily and mental functions. This highly refined ego cannot certainly bring about rebirth for the knowledge of the Supreme precludes such a possibility, as is clear from the scriptures. It is however not the same as the ego of other people, for to others identification with the body and the mind is extremely strong whereas in the case of the Jnani such an identification is extremely mild. In Jnanis who are quite active, this ego is greater than in those who spend most of their time in Nirvikalpa Samadhi. This is another reason why Brahmavidvarishta is classified as the greatest amongst the knowers of Brahman. Janaka ruled a kingdom while Sadasiva Brahmendra was more or less oblivious of his surroundings. Both were Jnanis but in the case of Janaka , Prarabdha caused activity to be greater. Jnanis who spend more and more time in Nirvikalpa Samadhi enjoy greater bliss and experience lesser worldly pains than those who are more active. On account of extremely refined nature of a Jnani's ego, awareness of his true nature and the awareness of the ephemeral nature of the universe, he is extremely detached. Any attachment, which is observed in him, is quite superficial. The Jnani is characterised by lack of fear and amazement. What amazement indeed can be there for one who has pierced the veil of Maya? Emotions no doubt are perceived by observers but these emotions have no binding effect on the Jnani nor do feelings such as those of anger persist. They just come and go and the Jnani is as indifferent to them as to any other thoughts, for he has realised that he is not the mind.

Jnana can arise only in one who has done considerable Sadhana(spiritual discipline) earlier and who has brought his mind under complete control. These qualities persist even after the rising of Jnana and it is because of this that most Jnanis are mines of compassion and repositories of all good qualities. The devotion of a Jnani to Ishwara is generally unparalleled. This is because the Jnani loves Ishwara for love's sake and has nothing to seek not even liberation. Bhagavatpadal's devotional compositions serve as an illustration. In fact Sri Suka says:

(Even sages who revel in the experience of the Atma, though free from all texts,still engage themselves with no motive, in devotion to Hari. Such is the excellence of Hari .)

It is stupid to question the possibility of a Jnani having Bhakti (devotion) after conceding that a Jnani can perform actions, such as eating and sleeping. Surely a Jnani who can eat, sleep and talk can exhibit devotion to the Supreme. If one argues that devotion to Ishwara implies at least some feeling of duality it may be retorted that a similar argument can be extended to a Jnani's acts of eating, sleeping, talking and the like. That the latter actions are possible has been explained by stating that Prarabdha Karma is not destroyed by Jnani and that a Jnani has a very highly refined ego.

Some examples can be given to clarify the situation. A Jnani can be compared to a sleeping child. To the observers the child rolls in sleep but the child itself is unaware and motivation, as such, cannot be attributed to it. Another example is that of a man walking briskly. His arms may be slightly swinging back and forth as he walks but certainly this action is quite involuntary. Yet another example is that of a man turning a wheel. Even after the man takes his hands off the wheel, the wheel continues to turn for sometime perhaps making it appear to a distant observer that the man is still turning the wheel.

While, in general, the Jnani is an ocean of compassion there is no hard and fast rule about his behaviour. He may behave as an idiot, an inert thing, a mad man, or a ghost depending on his Prarabdha Karma. In general it is said about the behaviour of a Jnani:

(Enjoying the behaviour of the various people .) The Jnani usually behaves in such a fashion as to bring about the upliftment of others. In Panchadasi it has been said:

(If the knower happens to be in the midst of such people (people attached to activity for the attainment of heaven and the like) he does all the actions with his body, mind and speech in conformity with them. If however he is in the midst of those desiring to know the truth let him, with a view to their getting knowledge, censure all actions and himself also give them up. The behaviour of the knower in conformity with the ignorant is quite proper, as the father of a babe in arms behaves in conformity with it. That acting must certainly be done by which this (ignorant man) will get knowledge. Here, for the knower, there is nothing to do other than the raising up of the ignorant.)

Generally the knower behaves in such a way that he does not expose his state of mind. Sri Gaudapadacharya says

(Having attained the non dual one should behave in the world as though one were dull-witted (that is without advertising oneself as "I am such and such" ).)

Though a Jnani acts, in reality he does not act at all as he is constantly aware that he is the Atma which is actionless. His will is the will of Ishwara and his actions are perfectly in consonance with the divine will. He is unfettered by Punyam (merit) and Papam (sin). As Sri Krishna says:

(He who is free from the sense of doership, whose mind is not tainted, though he kills these worlds (creatures in the world) he neither kills nor is he bound.)

Sin and virtue cannot attach themselves to him because of his knowledge.

When the Prarabdha of a Jnani is exhausted the body falls and reference is made to him as a Videhamukta (disembodied liberated one). The mind and the Pranas cease to function and do not enter any new body. He remains forever as Brahman, beyond all notions of duality, shining as the light of pure consciousness and merged in the bliss of Brahman. The difference between a Jivanmukta and Videhamukta is only for the observer and not for the Jnani himself for to him death and life mean nothing. He realises the Truth and he remains as Brahman. That is all.

The attainment of Jeevanmukti is the greatest of all achievements and the scriptures abound in the description of the Jivanmukta's state. For instance the Mundaka Upanisad says:

(When the Self, Which is both high and low (cause and effect) is realised, the knot of the heart is torn asunder, all doubts are solved, and all one's actions become dissipated .) It has been said:

(Let a Jnani rule a kingdom or beg for alms. He is unaffected by defects just as a lotus is not wetted by water). A Jnani is a perfect instrument to carry out the will of Ishwara and is a source of enlightenment for the world. People may or may not know it but all are purified by contact with Jnanis. Who else but a Jnani can lead the spiritual aspirant from the state of ignorance to the state of everlasting bliss? Who else can bring about the cessation of the cycle of births and deaths by kindling the fire of knowledge ?

The state of Jivanmukti is attained after very many births in which great spiritual practice have been practised. In His Vivekachoodamani Bhagavatpadal says:

(Mukti is not to be attained except through the well earned merits of a hundred crore births.) It is also said

(It is only by the grace of Ishwara that the Advaita Vasana arises in two or three and saves them from the great fear (of Samsara ) .)

Such is the exalted state of a Jivanmukta and all must strive to attain that supreme state.