20th Śrīmad Bhāgavata Tattva Sameeksha Satram (Dec 26 – Jan 2) Online.

Poojya Swamiji lighting the Inaugural Lamp.

Narayanashrama Tapovanam
Thrissur, Kerala 680 563, India
January 2022 Volume 57 No 04
 2

You are the Consciousness. You are like the ocean

with the world floating in you as its waves. There
is nothing the world can give you; nothing it
can take away from you. Because, nothing can
be added to Consciousness, nor removed from It.
Nothing can ever displace the ‘amness’ and the ‘I’
in you! Abiding in this Truth is the real sādhanā.

– Swamiji

Narayanashrama Tapovanam
Venginissery, P.O. Paralam,Thrissur
Kerala 680 563, India
Tel. (0487) 2277963/2278302/2278363
email: [email protected];
Website: http://www.SwamiBhoomanandaTirtha.org

January 2022 Contents

 3

Contents

Science of Inner Redemption – 134

The Lofty Yoga-vāsiṣṭha 5

Commentary on Viveka-cūḍāmaṇi – 4

Sixfold Inner Treasure 20

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam – the Nectar – 33

Purāṇas – Eternal Truths Hidden in Imaginary Stories 29

Desirelessness – Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha 40

Correspondence

Disseminating Our Spiritual Legacy 43

News & Notes 52

January 2022 Contents

 4

20th Śrīmad Bhāgavata Tattva Sameeksha Satram

(Dec 26 – Jan 2; Online, in Malayalam)

Poojya Swamiji during the inaugural discourse of his

8-day series on “Vedic Heritage from Ramayana and
Mahabharata to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam”

January 2022 Contents

 5

Science of Inner Redemption – 134

The Lofty Yoga-vāsiṣṭha

Fallacy of bondage & liberation
अचेत्यमेव चिन्मात्रमिदं जगदिति स्थितम ् ।
इत्येव सत्यबोधस्य बन्धमोक्षदृशौ कुतः ।।
ु ।
अनाकारं यथा वारि क्षीणं वहति नो पनः
अकारणं तथा दृश्यं ज्ञानच्छिन्नं न रोहति ।।
अविद्यामात्रमेवदे महमित्यादिकं जगत ् ।
चिद्व्योम्नव्ये स्थितं शान्तं शून्यमात्रशरीरकम ् ।। (6u.163.18,19,21)
Sage Vasishtha continued: For the wise one, who
knows the truth that this world, though thought
to be unknowable, is pure Consciousness itself,
how can the visions of bondage and liberation
ever be?
Like in a dried up river there will be no water
flow again, this visible world, rent asunder by
the power of true wisdom (knowledge), never
sprouts again.
This world, consisting of ‘I’, the ego, etc., is
nothing but ignorance, delusion. It is inhering in
sentience alone and is quiet,
Intense and ceaseless
peaceful. The body itself is
introspection alone
verily a void.
can immerse you
Intense and ceaseless introspec- in the depth of
tion alone can immerse you in Consciousness

January 2022 Contents

 6

the depth of Consciousness. The resultant experience is so

direct and wholesome that it makes you understand and
feel inseparable from Consciousness. The body as well as
the objects you perceive merge with the Consciousness
that you realize as yourself. The whole grossness dissolves.
Ideation and figuration become appearances in Conscious-
ness. Then where and what is bondage or liberation? The
only presence, cognition, is Consciousness. All ideas of
difference, inner and outer, subtle and gross, fall for ever.
You merge and float in the oneness of Consciousness.
Just as a dried up river takes away
With this
all flow of water in it, true knowl-
knowledge, gross
edge drives away the visible world.
worldliness will
Consciousness alone shines as body,
not sprout again.
mind, intelligence and ego, hence as
the world too. With this knowledge,
gross worldliness will not sprout again. The world is an
extension of your own awareness. It is an expression of ‘I’.
It is like a gigantic body and your own body is a perception
in the ‘I’; the world also. Nothing else!
If dream is unreal, waking too is unreal
इदं चिद्व्योम्नि चिच्छाया जगदित्येव भासते ।
शून्यशून् यैव चिच्चासौ शून्या चेत्येव निश्चयः ।।
स्वप्नदर्शनदृष्टान्तः के न नामात्र खण्ड्यते ।
ु तश्च स्वानभू
असन्मयोऽनभू ु तोऽप्यसन्मयः ।।
ु त ं न विद्यते ।
यथा स्वप्नेष ु मरणमनभू
मरौ जलेच्छाऽविद्येय ं विद्यमाना न विद्यते ।। (6u.163.22,23,26)

January 2022 Contents

 7

In the expanse of sentience, this world shines

as a sentient reflection. It is a void born of void.
Nonetheless, for sure, it is pure sentience itself.
By whom can the world’s alikeness with dream
creation be disputed, set aside? Though totally
unreal, it is experienced; though experienced,
it is still unreal.
Just as the death experienced in dream does not
really occur, water perceived in the desert does
not prevail, so too this ignorance displaying the
world also does not exist.
It must be clear to you by now that the world is a percep-
tion within the perceiving Consciousness. While sentience
is the animating inner presence, the world is an extensive
reflection in it, like waves and bubbles in water. It is like a
void emerging from void.
Dream is a very common recurring experience. It is an
inner display of the dreamer, nay the sleeper himself. It
cannot be denied at all. It is as living an experience as
waking. But everyone will agree, however true the dream
is felt, the entire dream becomes extinct the moment the
dreamer wakes up. Can you deny then that the wakeful
world is also a similar display?
Take two instances, one of dream and Be restful in the
another of waking. One experiences his Consciousness
head cut off in dream. Does he accept which displays
it as a fact? Likewise, one is walking these.

January 2022 Contents

 8

on a desert. He finds water at a distance. As he nears the

sight, he finds no water at all. He did see water, yet did
not find what he saw. Here is an experienced phenome-
non proving itself totally unreal! World is no different than
these. Discern its unreality. Be restful in the Consciousness
which displays these. Be free of delusion. No water ever
was or is in the desert!
Dissolve the sense of individuality
चिद्व्योम्ना काचकच्यं स्वं सर्गादौ व्योम्नि चेतितम ् ।
जगदित्येव निर्मूलं काकतालीयवत्स्वयम ् ।।
यथावयविनो रूपमेकं सावयवं भवेत ् ।
एकं जीवाद्यवयवं ब्रह्मानवयवं तथा ।।
आभासमात्रं दृश्यात्म चिन्मात्रं शान्तमव्ययम ् ।
स्थितमास्थाः किमेतस्मिन्स्वभावे स्वे विचार्यते ।। (6u.163.27,30,31)
Creation etc. arise as reflections in the sentient
crystal solely due to Consciousness and its cog-
nition. World has no ground and cause at all.
It is like kāka-tālīya, the crow sitting on a palm
tree and then a fruit falling therefrom.
Just as each part of the body is a constituent
of the whole body, the single soul is a ‘part’
of Brahman, which (of course) is part-less and
whole.
The visible world, the reflection in Self, is but
an inner imaginary creation. It is sentience itself,
quiescent and inexhaustible. Why foster any

January 2022 Contents

 9

interest in it at all? It is conjured up by and in

one’s own nature. Except appearance nothing is
there in the whole process or display.
Once you are clear that Conscious-
ness alone is, understand that all This is a knowledge
thoughts, feelings, etc. you cognize your intelligence
within the body are no additional alone can arrive
creation, like pots made from clay. at, not the senses.
They are but products of reflection
inside the Consciousness itself. Nothing else can ever be
within your body. This is a knowledge your intelligence
alone can arrive at, not the senses. Give it its full place
and worth, and be guided by it.
Each part of the body is a constituent of the body, with no
distinct independent status. Likewise, the individual soul
has no prevalence separate from Brahman. Dissolve the
sense of individualness and merge in universalness. This
is an enchanting, irresistible inner expanse. Let this inner
expansion manifest in its fullness.
Once the visible creation is known to be merely imaginary,
a display of Consciousness in itself, why bother about it
at all? It is all sheer ideation, resulting in nothing positive,
gross or solid.
Get rid of the very idea of ignorance
नाद्यन्तमन्तःकलनाः काश्चित्सन्ति परे पदे ।
तद्रूपमेवाविद्येय ं नाविद्या त्विह विद्यते ।। (6u.163.32)

January 2022 Contents

 10

In the supreme abode, there are no notions at

all like beginning, end or in between. Ignorance
is at best its own nature, display. In the supreme
brilliance can there be darkness of ignorance?
Sole aim of spirituality is to get rid
of all ideas about gross existence Sole aim of
so as not to look for its beginning spirituality is to get
and the like. The supreme abode, rid of all ideas about
Brahman, is supreme in every way gross existence.
and hence it will not have any
beginning as the sensory objects make us feel. Using its
supreme power, Brahman first appears to display ignorance,
like darkness. Get rid of the very idea of ignorance as an
abiding presence. Move on in the steps of understanding
and be enlightened in full, to be yourself full and complete.
Turīya alone is the single presence
ु र्ु ये द्वे सदा स्वप्नेऽथ जाग्रति ।
स्थिते सषु प्तत
ु
जाग्रत्स्वप्नावेकमेव तर्ु यं वेत्ति त ु बद्धधीः ।।
जाग्रत्स्वप्नः सषु प्तंु च सर्वं तर्ु यं प्रबोधिनः ।
नाविद्या विद्यते तस्य द्वयस्थोऽप्येव सोऽद्वयः ।। (6u.163.34,35)
In dream and wakefulness, both sleep and turīya
(the fourth) are always present. The enlightened
one sees wakefulness and dream as turīya.
For the enlightened, wakefulness, dream and
sleep - all are but the one turīya, the fourth.
For him there is no avidyā, ignorance. Though

January 2022 Contents

 11

he abides in both (in apparent duality), he is

that single presence, the nondual.
Though we do refer to three distinct states of waking,
sleep and dream, when closely examined the perspective
undergoes drastic change. Every day wakefulness ceases,
sleep follows, but is followed at times by dream. Dream
again slips and wakefulness takes over.
From these repeated transitions, it is
clear that none of the three states A transitory state
has the power to be present inde- cannot be the
pendently. Each is displayed by its cause of another.
substratum, which remains the same
in all the three. A transitory state cannot be the cause
of another. Only an enduring substratum can be. So, is it
not right to say that turīya, the fourth, the ‘I’, is alone the
single presence? All the other three are its display alone.
Where is duality and non-duality
द्वैतमद्वैतमित्येतदहंत्वमिदमित्यपि ।
निरविद्यस्य कलना कुतः काप्यम्बरं कुतः ।। (6u.163.36)
For the enlightened, where is duality and
non-duality, where are ‘I’ and ‘you’ as well,
where is any multiple or distorting imagination?
Where is even the sky or space?
Duality-nonduality, ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘this’ – where can all this imag-
ination be for one whose ignorance is removed? Where
can any sky be?

January 2022 Contents

 12

Are there in reality any concepts at all? Or verily the con-

ceiving mind, presence, alone abides? Are not all concepts
a display, which the inner Presence effects out of its own
sovereign power? So, do not give any sense of reality to
concepts.
ु दभे ैर्वाक्यसंदर्भविभ्रमैः ।
द्वैताद्वैतसमद्
ु शिशवो बोधवृद्धा हसन्ति तान ् ।।
क्रीडन्त्यबद्धाः
ु भूत्वा विवादेन द्वैताद्वैतविचारणा ।
सहृद्
कृ ता हृदयगेहऽे न्तरविद्याभस्ममार्जनी ।। (6u.163.37,39)
The ignorant children alone sport liberally in
discussing the differences called duality and
non-duality. On these, the enlightened and ma-
ture ones merely laugh!
Deliberation on duality and non-duality is done
by the friend called argumentation. It is like
sweeping off the dust of ignorance from the
house of one’s own heart.
Vasishthadeva says it is abso-
lutely childish to think, discuss It is absolutely childish to
and debate upon concepts like think, discuss and debate
duality and non-duality. It is upon concepts like
all mere verbiage. The wise duality and non-duality.
scrupulously shun it outright.
Flair for argumentation alone leads one to entertain and
indulge in such a wasteful exercise. Dispense with it right
from the start and be free.

January 2022 Contents

 13

Lack of dispassion hampers spiritual progress

किं नामेदं किल सखं ु यद्राज्यादिमनोङ्कुरम ् ।
तत्त्वज्ञान ैकविश्रान्तौ देवराजपदं तृणम ् ।।
ु पश्यन्ति दृश्यं दृश्ये रता यथा ।
ु प्रबद्धाः
सप्ताः
तथा दृश्येऽरताः शान्ताः सन्तः पश्यन्ति तत्पदम ् ।। (6u.163.44-45)
What is this happiness gained by possessing a
kingdom and the like? It is but a sprout in one’s
own mind. For one resting in the knowledge of
supreme Truth, the abode of gods and kings is
but a blade of grass!
Sleepy and the wakeful see the visibles in the
sensory expanse. Likewise, the saints, not in-
terested in visibles, see the supreme abode
everywhere.
Viveka and vairāgya go together. Spir-
ituality will not serve any meaning Seeker is unable
or purpose unless it is accompanied to progress due to
by ample dispassion. The seeker is lack of dispassion.
unable to progress in his path solely
due to lack of dispassion towards the fleeting objects of
the world. Vasishthadeva, therefore, stresses the need for
developing dispassion. He points that even the abode of
Gods is but a blade of grass for the Knower.

January 2022 Contents

 14

The sanctity of Yoga-vāsiṣṭha

विना यत्नभरेणदे ं न कदाचन सिद्ध्यति ।
महतोऽभ्यासवृक्षस्य फलं विद्धि परं पदम ् ।।
इदं बहूक्तमेतने किमेतने ेति दुर्मतिः ।
न ग्राह् यैतावताप्युक्ते नादत्ते न ेदमज्ञधीः ।।
भूयोभूयः परावृत्त्या चिरमास्वाद्यते यदि ।
श्रूयते कथ्यते चेदं तज्ज्ञेनाज्ञेन भूयते ।।
ु ममाख्यानमध्येय ं वेदवत्सदा ।
इदमत्त
ु
व्याख्येय ं पूजनीयं च परुषार्थफलप्रदम ् ।। (6u.163.46-48,50)
Without effortfulness, this state will not be at-
tained at all. Know the supreme abode to be
the fruit of the great tree of perseverance.
By now, I have said enough. But vicious minds,
not grasping what I have conveyed, do not take
to what is said, their intelligence being steeped
in ignorance.
It is by repeatedly hearing the message explained
by a Knower and appreciating it for long that the
ignorant comes to the light of truth.
This great legendary dialogue is to be learnt like
the sacrosanct Vedas themselves. This, which
bestows puruṣārtha (the goal of human effort),
is to be commented upon and worshipped also
likewise.
World will always have ignorant people, given to disparage
others. Steeped in delusion, says Vasishthadeva, they will

January 2022 Contents

 15

not heed this dialogue. Only by repeated rumination of

what Vasishthadeva conveys to Rama, the ignorant will be
led to enlightenment. This dialogue is very sacred and has
to be heard and learnt with the same sanctity afforded to
Vedic study. It bestows the real goal of human life. Being so,
it has to be adored and worshipped in every possible way.
यदस्मात्प्राप्यते शास्त्रात्तत्तद्वेदादवाप्यते ।
अस्मिन्ज्ञाते क्रिया ज्ञानं द्वयं याति पवित्रताम ् ।।
कारुण्याद्भवतामेतदहं वच्मि न मायया ।
भवन्तस्त्ववगच्छन्ति मायामेतद्विचार्यताम ् ।।
अस्माच्छास्त्रवराद्बोधा जायन्ते ये विचारितात ् ।
लवण ैर्व्यञ्जनानीव भान्ति शास्त्रान्तराणि तैः ।। (6u.163.51,53,54)
Whatever is gained from this, that alone is ob-
tained from Vedas too. When this treatise is well
known, both rituals and knowledge attain purity.
I am speaking to you all this solely due to my
compassion, not by any delusional clinging. By
reflecting, you can know whether there is any
deception in my exposition.
For the reflective ones, from this sublime scrip-
ture arises true wisdom. From that the other
śāstras will shine best, like by adding salt all
dishes become tastier.
Sage Vasishtha says that Vedas have nothing more than
what Yoga-vāsiṣṭha contains and offers. The dialogue has
a purifying effect on Vedic rituals as well as spiritual

January 2022 Contents

 16

knowledge. The rational subtlety and refinement embod-

ied in the Text are sufficient to make the seekers adept in
Vedantic tenets as well as dialectics.
It is very touching to note that Vasishthadeva exposes
the supreme spiritual truths only due to fondness and
sympathy he feels for the Ayodhya Prince. He adds that
the exposition is free of any kind of stealth or deception.
One who reads and understands this Text will be able to
absorb other śāstras far better. The other Texts will indeed
shine more with Yoga-vāsiṣṭha exposure. Knowledge of
this dialogue is like adding salt to all dishes, making them
more delicious. Disregard to Yoga-vāsiṣṭha will drown one
in worldliness and destroy his own self.
Wisdom leads to the singular Self
तातस्य कू पोऽयमिति ब्रुवाणाः
ु
क्षारं जलं कापरुषाः पिबन्ति ।
यथा भवन्तो विविचारवन्त-
स्तथानिशं मा भवताज्ञताप्त ्यै ।। (6u.163.56)
Dull-witted people go on drinking the caustic
water from a well, saying “it was made by my
father”. Likewise, even being thoughtful and
reflective, do not remain a prey to the deadly
heat of worldliness. Similarly, do not give in to
misguided contemplation, which will lead to
ignorance.
Superstition can delude human mind to any extent, any-

January 2022 Contents

 17

time. The ignorant, non-thinking people continue to draw

polluted water from a well, on the ground that it was dug
by their father. Likewise, closing the door to knowledge only
brings disaster. Vasishthadeva warns that such a plight is
to be avoided with discretion.
The seekers should understand that
the sole effort of Sage Vasishtha is The natural climax
to instil in the young Prince the most of this inner
powerful notes of spiritual introspec- churning is to
tion. These when faithfully deliberat- remain afloat in
ed upon, make mind and intelligence the Singular Self.
purer, finer and sharper. The natural
climax of this inner churning is that it brings forth, like
butter from butter milk, kaivalya-navaneeta - fresh butter
of the Singular Self - to remain afloat distinctly.
Deep, faithful and repeated introspection alone is the
means for purifying the seeker’s inner framework, to shine
exquisitely with its own sovereign lustre.
(to be continued)

January 2022 Contents

 18

I had often wondered how the young prince of

Ayodhya, as depicted in our epic Ramayana,
could rise to such heights of love, sympathy
and sacrifice on more than one occasion! There
must have been something which empowered
him to withstand the challenges and miseries of
the world. The Text Yoga-vāsiṣṭha gives us a full
answer to this question.
– Swamiji

January 2022 Contents

 19

Mahasamadhi Day of Mataji Sulabha Devi

(17 Dec 2021)

Poojya Swamiji along with Nutan Swamiji and Ma

Gurupriyaji in the Samadhi Mandir

January 2022 Contents

 20

Commentary on Viveka-cūḍāmaṇi – 4

Sixfold Inner Treasure

(Ṣaṭka-sampattiḥ)

[Ṣaṭka-sampattiḥ is an important aspect of sādhana-ca-

tuṣṭayam – the fourfold pursuit that forms an essential
guideline for spiritual aspirants. These qualities, namely
śama, dama, uparati, titikṣā, śraddhā and samādhāna, as
covered in Shankaracharya’s text, are presented below, with
Poojya Swamiji’s commentary.]
विरज्य विषयव्राताद्दोषदृष्ट्या महुु र्मुहु: ।
स्वलक्ष्ये नियतावस्था मनस: शम उच्यते ॥22॥
virajya viṣaya-vrātād-doṣa-dṛṣṭyā muhur-muhuḥ.
sva-lakṣye niyatāvasthā manasaḥ śama ucyate..22..
Turning dispassionate to the sense objects,
seeing the evil inherent in them, and dwelling
steadily in one’s ideal, namely Brahman, is the
quality of the mind called śama, desire-freeness.
Having described discrimination and dispassion, Shankara
takes up the composite of six virtues called ṣaṭka-sampat-
tiḥ, beginning from śama or desire-freeness. By assimilat-
ing the message deeply, the seeker must try to cultivate
the quality in himself.
Spiritual pursuit is wholesomely mento-intellectual, a point
all should note without fail. Through Knowledge alone the
seeker has to gain the purification needed for realizing
the Self.

January 2022 Contents

 21

Śama has two facets. Understanding clearly the transitori-

ness of all sense enjoyments, is the first. On its strength,
the mind has to feel impelled to turn away from sensory
attractions for good.
In Bhagavad Gita, while listing 20 spiritual virtues constitut-
ing spiritual wisdom, Krishna states (13.8): “See constantly
birth, death, old age, disease, misery and evil all around.”
All spiritual treatises emphasize the same qualities. Seeker
can cultivate and strengthen them by practice. How deeply
he dwells upon the torments that sense objects bring, will
decide how soon he will recede from them.
The second facet consists in the mind steadily dwelling in
Brahman. The first leads to the second. There is no sep-
aration between them. It is like ice melting by heat, or
butter becoming ghee.
विषयेभ्य: परावर्त्य स्थापनं स्वस्वगोलके ।
उभयेषामिन्द्रियाणां स दम: परिकीर्तित: ।
बाह्यानालम्बनं वृत्तेरेषोपरतिरुत्तमा ॥23॥
viṣayebhyaḥ parāvartya sthāpanaṃ sva-sva-golake.
ubhayeṣām-indriyāṇāṃ sa damaḥ parikīrtitaḥ.
bāhyānālambanaṃ vṛtter-eṣoparatir-uttamā..23..
Dama is dissuading both the action and knowl-
edge organs from the objects and making them
rest in their own respective centres. The best
uparati is when the mental functions do not
relate to or depend upon any external objects.

January 2022 Contents

 22

Ever since birth, every one interacts through the senses

with the objects seeming to be spread around. Thus, all
the effects and influences in the mind come from objects,
with the result the mind has no chance of thinking about
anything besides objects.
But, it is the mind that employs senses and interacts with
the objects. As the mind does this, it can also, when willed,
withdraw from senses and keep away from objects, as hap-
pens for hours in sleep, when senses are not functioning
and objects too become non-existent. Guided by this fact,
the seeker has to cultivate dama and uparati.
Dama is withdrawing the senses and making them rest in
their own centres. Uparati is making the mind-functions
not relate to the objects outside at all.
Objects alone cannot cause interactions. Objects become
so only with reference to a Subject, which is within. Ask
the mind to reflect upon the Subject, which interacts with
objects. Then the ‘I’ becomes the focus for the mind. In
fact, objects are not separate from you. They are but im-
prints your mind makes in itself.
So, there is no ‘outer-ness’ in our interactional life at all.
It is all inner alone! Reflect upon this truth relentlessly.
Krishna in his last message to Uddhava points out that
sukha-duḥkhas prevail in heaven as well as hell (Śrīmad
Bhāgavatam 11.8.1). What does this mean? Sukha-duḥkhas
are inevitable not only in our life here on earth, but also
in the so-called heaven and hell. No special effort need be

January 2022 Contents

 23

made to have or avoid them. They appear during worldly

interactions. So, any thought or effort to redress duḥkha
becomes unfounded, irrelevant.
If duḥkha, despite the effort to avoid it, transpires, and
sukha, its counterpart is also sure to be had, where is
the need or occasion to think of getting concerned about
either?
If this truth is known, the task of avoiding duḥkha or
making any endeavour for sukha does not arise. Naturally,
forbearance becomes a natural response to duḥkha. This
quality cannot but adorn the seeker, if he is able to discern
the inevitability of grief and happiness alike.
So, what Shankara states is absolutely true. The seeker must
develop such a forbearance towards all torments that he
will not think of redressing them even.
Sukha and duḥkha go together and no redress is called
for. What is required is to be discreet, be unaffected and
transcend sukha-duḥkhas altogether. This is the right
spiritual effort, for making which the whole life is a cease-
less opportunity. In fact, this is the way for achieving a
nir-dvandva state, as Gita exhorts, one in which the seeker
becomes free of the hold of dvandvas, pairs of opposites,
- the glorious goal of spiritual seeking!
सहनं सर्वदुःखानामप्रतीकारपूर्वकम ् ।
चिन्ताविलापरहितं सा तितिक्षा निगद्यते ॥24॥
sahanaṃ sarvaduḥkhānām-apratīkāra-pūrvakam.
cintā-vilāpa-rahitaṃ sā titikṣā nigadyate..24..

January 2022 Contents

 24

Undergoing all miseries without any intent of

redressing them, also without any undue delib-
eration and lamentation, is spoken of as titikṣā,
tolerance.
How well has Shankara defined and described the quality
of tolerance or forbearance! Titikṣā, forbearance, is not a
sensory quality or virtue. Senses only contact the objects
around, and send electrical pulses to the brain centres. To
interpret them properly, as pleasure or pain, comfortable
and uncomfortable, etc. is the role of brain.
In other words, titikṣā is a quality or virtue, involving the
mind. It is a very refined note of enrichment, embellishment
for mind and intelligence, as a result of which the seeker
does not like brooding, feeling unduly hurt or afflicted by
anything that life brings.
Here the important note is that the seeker should not feel
the least sense of misfortune or disfavour about what he
apparently suffers from or undergoes.
As life endures in the world, a variety of experiences will
be had. There may be many instances, incidents or acci-
dents, episodes of different kinds and natures, apparently
caused by external or internal factors. It may be a lack or
a denial, a disharmony or conflict of one kind or another.
Then what? Treat them all alike as part of one’s broad and
complex life. Give a place for everything and feel unruf-
fled habitually. When this quality becomes part of your
character, your response becomes effortless.

January 2022 Contents

 25

ु
शास्त्रस्य गरुवाक्यस्य ु
सत्यबद्ध्यवधारणा ।
सा श्रद्धा कथिता सद्भिर्यया वस्तूपलभ्यते ॥25॥
śāstrasya guru-vākyasya satya-buddhyāvadhāraṇā.
sā śraddhā kathitā sadbhir-yayā vastūpalabhyate..25..
Having the unwavering conviction that the scrip-
tures as well as the instruction of the Teacher are
true to the core, is said by the Wise as śraddhā,
by which the Truth is attained.
Śraddhā is a very important quality. It is most relevant in
the field of learning. In the spiritual sphere, the sole focus
is to understand and realize the Self, the inmost imperish-
able presence within the body. As senses cannot penetrate
there, śraddhā becomes paramount.
The word does not have an English equivalent. At best it
can be defined as ‘assiduous application of the mind’. Not
knowing what the mind is, one has yet to apply it steadily,
devoutly. The process is extremely subtle. But without śrad�-
dhā, spiritual pursuit will not be meaningful or effective.
Senses are the only organs we have and can apply to look
at the world and its contents. But they are inert. Mind
employs them to comprehend objects and make their im-
prints within. These inner imprints alone we experience and
know every time. So, in all sensory applications, mind is the
crucial, fore-running factor. The seeker has to be assiduous
in applying the mind. Though a subtle process, one can
learn and excel in it, if only he strives with discernment.
Senses can perceive only outer things, whereas the Self

January 2022 Contents

 26

is inner. The senses are powerless in searching the Self.

Our śāstras reveal only what is non-evident to the senses.
They will not say fire is hot, for we know it already. We
feel we are the body. Śāstras say, we only have the body.
We are not the body, the object. We are the subject Self.
Naturally, to understand the non-object, the subject Self,
śāstras as well as the Guru, who has experienced Self,
are the sole means and help.
The question is whether you are humble, open and loyal
enough to accept the place and role of Scriptures; also,
whether you equally accept the place and role of the
Knowers, the Teachers. It is the Master Knowers that explain
the Scriptures, emphasizing their message with proper rele-
vance and importance, to enlighten and guide the seekers.
The seeker must have a firm feeling that the Scriptures are
verily true. So too, to understand and to gain clarity on
Truth, he must devoutly rely on the Teacher, who knows
the Scriptures and has realized their message himself.
Does the seeker have unwavering reliance on both, and
will he be guided by what they say and instruct? Herein
lies the supreme role of śraddhā.
‘Śraddhā-anusārīṇī vidyā’, is a proverb. Gaining knowledge
follows the measure and depth of śraddhā the student has.
In the case of spiritual seeking, this is all the more true.
So, śraddhā cannot be overemphasized any time. It is the
sole determining factor in approaching the Self and real-
izing it oneself in the core of his heart as the undeniable,

January 2022 Contents

 27

supreme and all-pervading Presence.

ु शद्धे
सर्वदा स्थापनं बद्धे: ु ब्रह्मणि सर्वदा ।
तत्समाधानमित्युक्तं न त ु चित्तस्य लालनम ् ॥26॥
sarvadā sthāpanaṃ buddheḥ
śuddhe brahmaṇi sarvadā.
tat-samādhānam-ity-uktaṃ
na tu cittasya lālanam..26..
Fixing the intelligence always on the ever-pure
Brahman, the ultimate Reality, is said to be
samādhāna, self-settled-ness, not the mind’s in� -
dulgence (in spiritual and philosophical thinking).
Samādhāna is the sixth of the six-fold spiritual treasure. It
is the doubtless outcome of true discrimination pursued
tenaciously.
Mind is the source of peace and happiness. All objects,
including Brahmā the Creator, are equally evanescent, with
no power to bestow any lasting benefit. If this is the truth,
why should we look at anything outside for getting peace,
poise and delight?
This one thought is sufficient to make the intelligence turn
definitely away from all the visibles around, and be settled
in Brahman, the ultimate Reality. Shankara cautions that
this should be a well-considered step the intelligence takes,
distinct from any superficial flair it fosters to merely read
and think about spiritual and philosophical matters.
Every quality, including samādhāna, has its place only to-

January 2022 Contents

 28

gether with the rest of the prerequisites mentioned here,

dispassion (vairagya) being the second in the list. In the
background of dispassion, how can the intelligence think
of merely indulging in theoretical deliberations about
spiritual enunciations, without any real striving? Any such
attempt without making the earnest effort to realize the
Self will be more a mockery than any meaningful pursuit.
* * *

January 2022 Contents

 29

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam – the Nectar – 33

Purāṇas – Eternal Truths

Hidden in Imaginary Stories

Passion for religious rituals

King Prācīnabarhis, grandson of Emperor Pṛthu, was ob-
sessed with Vedic rituals. Indulging in this passion, he
slaughtered many animals. To awaken him from this de-
lusion, Narada came and told him: “O King, what will you
gain by these elaborate rituals? True inner elevation and
felicity (śreyas) lie in attaining unconditioned happiness,
which these Yāgas cannot bestow.”
Though he sensed the import of the message, Prācīnabar-
his could not extricate himself out of his delusion.
Narada cautioned the King: “Just look at the cows you
have slaughtered in hundreds in the name of holy Yāgas.
When you proceed in your journey to higher worlds, after
dropping your body, these very animals, remembering what
you did to them, will tear you with their sharp horns.”
Narada then narrated a story full of vivid imaginations
and allegories:
King Puranjana’s infatuation
There lived a King named Puranjana. He had a friend, Avi-
jñāta, whose attributes none could decipher, because he
had no special concern for good or bad. The King went to
live in a nine-gated big city on the south of Himalayas, with

January 2022 Contents

 30

forests, gardens, mansions, playgrounds, recreation-hous-

es and spacious halls. He met a beautiful young woman,
chaperoned and protected by a five-hooded serpent, ac-
companied by a number of attendants, both males and
females. After marrying her, Puranjana virtually became
the queen’s pet puppet. He spent all his time in conjugal
indulgences with her.
One day, Puranjana, who was an adept archer, went hunt-
ing in Pañca-prastha forest in a two-wheeled chariot, with
three flags, drawn by five horses. The charioteer holding
five reins sat at its head. The chariot had two yokes, five
types of weapons, seven shields, five reins. It was orna-
mented with gold. During the hunting expedition, Puranjana
killed many animals.
Days passed. The royal couple begot a number of children
and grandchildren. Immersed in Yāgas and Yajñas, the King
became old and frail.
The fall of Puranjana’s kingdom
In due course, one Gandharva named Chandadeva invaded
Puranjana’s prosperous kingdom. In the battle, the serpent,
which was protecting the King so far, became weak. King
of Yavana, named Fear, allied with Kāla-kanyā, the daugh-
ter of Time (whom everyone considers unfortunate), along
with the King Yavana’s brother Prajvāra and his large army
attacked Puranjana’s kingdom. Old-age had already robbed
King Puranjana’s physical prowess as well as discrimination.
At last, even his children, grandchildren and wife aban-

January 2022 Contents

 31

doned him. Meanwhile Prajvāra set fire to the city.

The enemies dragged the King like the sacrificial cow to the
altar. When Puranjana City fell, the sentry serpent followed
the Master. In pitch darkness, Puranjana could not recognize
Avijñāta, the friend standing close by. All the cows the King
had slaughtered avenged the King’s atrocities on them, by
piercing him to pieces with their horns.
King Puranjana died wailing, remembering his wife, and
got born as the daughter of King Vidarbha. On growing up,
the princess married the Pandya prince named Malayadh-
vaja and had a daughter and seven sons. Malayadhvaja,
apportioning the kingdom among his sons, left for Malaya
Mountain with his wife, to do intense penance and worship.
By the brilliance of the lamp of wisdom, Malayadhvaja re-
alized the Self permeating everywhere, distinct from all. By
the strength of this realization, he withdrew himself from
the world completely and gave up his body. His wife (King
Puranjana in the previous birth) prepared a pyre, placed
the body on it, and was about to enter into the flames.
Unveiling Puranjana’s delusion
Right then arrived that old Brahmana friend Avijñāta, and
said: “About whom are you so aggrieved? Who is this
person by your side? Do you recognize me? I was always
moving with you; I am your friend, Avijñāta.
“You went in search of a comfort resort, leaving me! For
thousands of years, we were together as swans. And es-

January 2022 Contents

 32

chewing that long company, you sought the Puranjana City

and stayed there, allured by the mistress in the city. You
forgot yourself, resulting in this pitiable plight.
“You are not Vidarbha King’s daughter. Malayadhvaja lying
here is not your husband. You only deemed yourself as a
man earlier, and now as a woman. Both identifications are
false. In reality, we are pure swans. Truly I am God, you
are but my shadow, the living spirit jeeva. I am you, and
you are I. He who finds no difference between God and
Jīva, is called a Knower.
ु आत्मानं एकं आदर्शचक्षुषोः ।
यथा परुष
द्विधाभूतमवेक्षेत तथ ैवान्तरमावयोः ॥ 4.28.63
“Just as a person, seeing with his eyes the reflection in
mirror, finds his own self as a second one, even so is the
difference between us.”
In this manner, when the “friend Swan” was enlightening
the other “Swan”, Puranjana regained his memory.
Narada concluded: “O Prācīnabarhis, I have thus instructed
you indirectly on the Truth of the Self through this imagi-
nary parable. Such indirect instruction is what the Lord of
the world relishes and prefers.”
“Deluded by rituals and such other actions, our intelligence
begets agitation,” confessed Prācīnabarhis, and requested
the Sage to explain his symbolic message further in simple
words.

January 2022 Contents

 33

Explanation of symbols
Sage Narada continued: “Puranjana is the indwelling cre-
ative power. He creates the nine-gated city, meaning the
body, for him to dwell. The friend, accompanying him, is the
supreme Lord, Paramātmā, with no recognizable attributes,
transcending anything good or bad, or other dualities.
“The Puranjana’s mistress is the intelligence, generating
egoism and mine-ness. Male attendants are the ten sens-
es, female ones their activities. The five-hooded serpent is
the prāṇa, doing five distinct functions. Army chief is the
powerful mind, regulating knowledge activities.
“Dream is the hunting expedition. Body is the chariot. Five
organs of knowledge are the steeds; virtue and vice the
wheels. Three flags are the guṇas, mind is the rein of five
strands – the five life forces. Intellect is the charioteer.
Heart is the seat. Happiness and misery are the two yokes.
Five sensory objects are the five weapons. Seven shields
(āvaraṇa) are the seven elements (sapta-dhātu).
Jeeva sitting in the chariot (the body), indulges through five
senses in sportful slaughter, pursuing the mirage. King of
Gandharvas, Chandadeva, is the period called year. Old-age
is the daughter of Time, called Kāla-kanyā, whom none likes.
Death alone accepts Time as sister. Yavana-army consists
of mental and bodily diseases. Thus Narada explained the
allegory employed in Puranjana story.

January 2022 Contents

 34

Evaluation of the Episode

Eradicating threefold affliction (tāpa-trayam)
The Sage authoring Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, a Pāramahamsya
Saṃhitā, is not prepared for any compromise in fulfilling
the objective he has set forth right in the beginning. The
threefold affliction (tāpa-trayam) that torments human
mind must somehow be obliterated. This is what the Sam-
hitā aims at – tāpa-trayonmūlanam. For that, the mind
has to be purified and cultured. In this mission, discreet
guidance of the intelligence alone is the way. Enlightened
intelligence is bound to exert its influence on mind.
Worldly interactions taking place in daily life, generally, do
not provoke deep introspection and enquiry. What should
be done then, becomes the Seer’s concern.
Transcending rituals
On one side is the need and compulsion to redeem the
human from the world’s undesirable impacts. On the other
is the expedient application of imagery to achieve the goal.
Karma-kāṇḍa rituals of Vedas are the outcome of imagi-
nations blossoming in intelligence when these two blend.
Spiritual exploration the Sage author invents to bring forth
the ultimate merit of these ritualistic exercises, is com-
prehensive. To evaluate an imaginary creation, another
imagery is employed! It is in such a context that the Sage
author brings Narada on the scene to speak critically on
Yajñas and Yāgas, trying to enlighten Prācīnabarhis about

January 2022 Contents

 35

the true status and significance of rituals.

Vedas are divine and the same divinity should be ascribed
to their ritualistic prescriptions too. That is how Prācīnabar-
his, regarding Yajñas and Yāgas to be the most benedictory,
remained engrossed in them. But lo, how many innocent
cows he butchered mercilessly in the name of Vedic rituals!
While the mind is strongly drawn to heavenly rewards, it
can blindly embrace stunning cruelty. How such attractions
enslave man is a grave mystery! Even in these modern times
we hear of children being sacrificed at the altar of some
deity for material or supernatural gains. But our objective
should be to remove this travesty as early as possible.
Narada’s effort was on this.
Narada, finding the transformation he wanted to instil in
the King did not work, resorted to epic imagination and
presented Puranjana story. All the limbs in the narration
are, as the Sage explains, imaginary. Any imaginary illus-
tration must have reasonable, factual basis.
The art and skill of narration
All epic and mythological imaginations have arisen from
man’s mind alone. There need be no doubt about this. But
on what all facts and perceptions the mind builds these
imaginary props, is the pertinent question. The Sage author
provides the answer by presenting Prācīnabarhis before us.
Puranjana is the power creating the body and residing in
it as the indweller spirit. Body consists of millions of cells,

January 2022 Contents

 36

innumerable parts. To conceive of all these, together with

their respective powers, activities and interactions, to give
shape to them biologically, to connect them all, and with-
out disharmony empower their combined operation, is no
small task. When we think thus, finding how complex a
city is our body, we can also think of that great sculptor
who shaped the body!
Thus, encompassing individually and distinctly all facets of
human personality, including sleep, dream and wakefulness,
giving them their relative importance and relevance, Śrīmad
Bhāgavatam points enchantingly the assault of delusion and
destruction befalling all these. It is a reflective excellence
making any rational thinker wonder with admiration the
art and skill of narration! Without such art, it may be im-
possible to break the rigid hold of delusion.
When explaining the stronghold of tamo-guṇa, Krishna in
Bhagavad Gita (18.22), speaks quite relevantly:
ु म ्।
यत्तु कृ त्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतक
अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमदु ाहृतम ् । ।
- In any field, to regard a particular point of view alone as
true and disregard all other considerations without caring
for the cause-effect sequence, is the notoriety of tāmasika
intelligence.
Stopping derogatory practices
Can Krishna’s words become more meaningful? Śāstras
provide this kind of analysis, solely to alert people about

January 2022 Contents

 37

the unwelcome influence of tamo-guṇa. But human mind

is not ready to heed the message in time and avoid pitfalls.
How blind and treacherous are the slaughters one commits,
deeming them to be sublime part of a grand religious cer-
emony! The Yāga performer drags a mute innocent animal
to the holy scene and strangulates it to death in the name
of religion!
This kind of double standard in human nature is an enigma.
How in the same mind can such conflicting notes coexist,
without instilling any sense of contradiction and redemp-
tion? To extricate the human from this labyrinth may not
be easy. But, with this pretext, one cannot permit or allow
the derogatory customs to continue.
Unwinding the twisted mind
When Narada first spoke his mind, Prācīnabarhis under-
stood the truth and its compulsion, and yet was not ready
to correct himself straightaway. Then did Narada use the
weapon of imagery and narrated the legend.
Man with his two hands and legs, with a mind that employs
these, is capable of killing an animal much bigger than
himself, by choking it. His ruthless skill and the animal’s
helplessness are both obvious. But death is inevitable for
animals and humans alike. No one’s body awaits permission
of the mortal, before rendering the body itself life-less!
After such a fall, one will be bereft of his senses, hands
and brain. It is then that Narada forecasts, the same ani-
mals slaughtered earlier for the Yajñas and Yāgas, will be

January 2022 Contents

 38

waiting to take revenge. For the crimes committed desiring

imaginary promises of Vedas, imaginary punishments too
are ordained!
King’s mind, unable to see the grave disharmony earlier,
suddenly becomes awakened and repentant on listening to
the Puranjana episode. It is not easy to unwind the twisted
mind. However, the task has to be accomplished. It is due
to this innate insistence that Vyasadeva, Narada and Śuka
alike, without reluctance or lethargy, infiltrate into the heart
of the listener, to polish it to its pristine brilliance. Herein
lies the excellence of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. No extent of
appreciation will be an excess for the missionary zeal the
ascetic stalwarts display!
(to be continued)

January 2022 Contents

 39

20th Śrīmad Bhāgavata Tattva Sameeksha Satram

(Dec 26 – Jan 2; Online, in Malayalam)

Sadhu Padmanabhan welcoming

Prof. Sriman Vaidyalinga Sharma
to deliver the Benedictory Speech on the inaugural day.

January 2022 Contents

 40

Desirelessness
Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha
People often ask: Can anybody work sincerely and effi-
ciently without desire?
The truth is: Sincerity becomes natural and efficiency
reaches its peak when actions are no longer motivated
by desires.
Desire makes the mind cling to the thoughts of future gain
or loss, instead of the present task at hand. Desire accom-
panies expectation or anxiety and fear. It affects attention
and performance.
We are born with an insufficiency or lack that makes us
look for happiness. We are born with the delusion that
something from the world will fulfil that lack, will make
us happy.
Has anybody ever become permanently happy by gaining
anything from the world – be it money, power, compan-
ion, fame or appreciation? Even the most overwhelming
happiness lasts till the mind picks up some other lack, or
a fear of losing what we have gained.
The truth is: It is not the fulfilment
of our desires that makes us hap- It is the elimination
py. It is the elimination of desires of desires that truly
that truly makes us happy!  makes us happy!

When a desire is fulfilled, the mind

becomes ‘desireless’ for a while. It remains contented and

January 2022 Contents

 41

peaceful till another desire for gaining something, or fear

of losing something, agitates it again. It is the undisturbed
state of the mind that makes us happy. It reveals for a while
the placid joy that is always there within – as a natural
characteristic of our inmost identity, the Self. It is like seeing
the bottom of the lake clearly when there are no waves.
That is why we experience unprecedented joy or bliss in
meditation when the whole world is forgotten, and the
mind gets absorbed in its Source.
The day we realize that joy comes
from within, it is a natural proper- Desires make us
ty of our Self, we understand that unhappy because
desires make us unhappy because they take us away
they take us away from the Self. If from the Self.
joy lies within, why should we run
after external objects seeking joy?
If we do not expect happiness from the objective result
of our work, what will be the motivation for work?
The motivation for work will be – just the objective result
of the action, and not “gaining happiness from the desired
objective result”.
In the absence of any desire, our mind will be naturally
placid and fulfilled. We shall do whatever the circumstances
need and what is within our capacity. No more shall we
work expecting happiness. We will do whatever is to be
done – as an expression of joy. And such desireless per-
formance can produce the best objective result!

January 2022 Contents

 42

Tremendous activities are going on constantly in the Uni-

verse. The earth is running around the sun; the moon
around the earth. The rivers flow. Plants grow. Flowers
blossom – each with its own colour and beauty. Nowhere
there is desire. When desires fall, we too blossom like
flowers with our own colour, own natural qualities (sv-
abhāva), spreading our own fragrance around.
* * *

January 2022 Contents

 43

Correspondence

Disseminating Our Spiritual Legacy

10 October 2021
Dear and blessed K:
Harih Om Tat Sat. The three books sent by you – ‘Thus
Spake Krishna’, ‘Meet the Ancient Scriptures of Hinduism’
and ‘Gems of Sankara’ – are before me. I have glanced
through them.
Dear K, the excellence of modern education clubbed with
the majesty and sublimity of our spiritual wisdom, is an
enriching combination radiating its exquisite harmony,
wherein both shine with an additional ineffable lustre. But
such an exhilarating fusion can take place only in one en-
dowed with the requisite cultural elegance and the spirit
of scientific enquiry.
Fortunately, you are one graced by such a splendid integra-
tion. I am very happy to know about you from Srinivasan.
Your ‘dedication’ to your father, who amply embodied our
Vedic culture and its enchanting sublimity reveals how
much you are attuned to your father’s cause and conse-
quently imbued with the cultural elegance of this holy land!
Having been born and grown up in a completely rural at-
mosphere, the cultural affinity that took roots in me was
very strong. We had no access to a clock or a newspaper,
much less to a dictionary or a library. Nonetheless, the
education we received in the primary and higher classes

January 2022 Contents

 44

was amazingly classical and thorough. English was our

first language and Sanskrit my second language. It will be
a matter of surprise for everyone in the modern world as
to how the students of those days could imbibe such a
strong foundation both in English and Sanskrit.
I still remember Shekhara Warrier, my Sanskrit Teacher, who
used to come to the classes with a button-less half shirt, its
sleeves hanging below the elbows, a dhoti not extending
up to feet, and a second cloth put like a garland on the
shoulders! He had no book or notes with him any time.
It is what he had taught those days that has made me
meander the world, thundering the Sanskrit heritage of
our great land, reaching Washington, New York, California,
London, Gulf countries, Singapore, Malaysia etc. I value
his teaching and what it still means to his students. It is
worth mentioning that my poorvashrama mother’s father,
Shankaranarayana Shastrigal, whom even Kodungallur pal-
ace members used to consult when needed, was a Sanskrit
scholar, with strong affinity to Ramayanam. I have not seen
him. We four sons apparently have inherited the Sanskrit
affinity from him.
When I followed my brothers to Kolkata, intending to
pursue a professional life, I could never think of getting
exposed to an enlightened spiritual master, my Gurudev.
Right from the first meeting I had in our flat, my heart
blossomed with a fondness. It continues still with the same
measure and intensity. I was delighted and surprised, when

January 2022 Contents

 45

I saw him speak chaste English. At that time, I could not

converse in English. My fondness for him led to my deeksha
from him into ‘Brahmavidya’.
After the three-day deeksha, I told my Gurudev: “Please do
not ask me to read any books. I shall pursue the deeksha
you have given me. I want to experience the Truth and
not study about it”. He smiled and said: “OK, you need
not read. But when the time comes for you to read, the
book will come to your table.”
It happened exactly so. In less than two years, one day I
found Mundakopanishad on my table. It was a small book.
I opened it and started reading. The Sanskrit content was
inspiring and ecstatic. I read non-stop. Brahmā, the first of
Gods, called his children and taught them the science of the
supreme Reality, ‘Brahmavidya’. He felt it was the treasure
he had to bequeath to his children. I read on and on. The
content and message were quite enchantingly inspiring,
invigorating and enlightening. It was poetic with a rhythm
and melody that appealed to my heart and aroused my
intelligence alike.
Before going to Kolkata, I had said goodbye to Sanskrit, as
it was of no use in professional life. Now suddenly I dis-
covered the unique closeness and taste I had for Sanskrit
with its arresting relevance. It was an exciting revival.
Mundakopanishad presents everything in ‘Brahmavidya’.
Shounaka, a great householder, unable to find the answer
he looked for from rituals and ceremonies he assiduously

January 2022 Contents

 46

performed for decades, decided to proceed to the woods

in search of someone, who could provide him what his
heart was yearning for. Elderly householders around him
were of no help to quench his inner thirst.
Reaching the august presence of
Shounaka
sage Angiras in his forest hermit-
submitted: “By
age, Shounaka submitted the sole
knowing what, O
prayer of his heart: “By knowing
lord, will all this
what, O lord, will all this become
become known?”
known?” ‘Ah’, I wondered, ‘is this
Vedanta, the essence of Vedas?
So, the entire Vedic life leads ultimately to a knowledge
enquiry as Shounaka evidences! What is the place and
relevance of rituals then?’
Shounaka was seeking to know ‘by knowing what in par-
ticular, everything in existence will have become known in
full’. Is this not the end of knowledge then, I wondered! My
mind was feeling a connection with something supreme,
ultimate, about which I had no idea. If this was Vedanta,
the Upanishadic treasure, then I could yearn for nothing
more!
The experiential sādhanā I was intensely pursuing, ever
since my Brahmavidya-deeksha, I felt, had its spiritual and
philosophical bearing on what Mundakopanishad discusses
and communicates. From then on, my study of Vedanta
began in full swing.
The meditative experiences and theoretical exposure, both

January 2022 Contents

 47

blended so well, deepening my inspiration and pursuit

alike, leading to my embracing sannyasa at the age of 23.
Once, while I was in Poornashram, Dakshinkhanda, where
lived my Gurudev, in answer to my enquiry about the
restless nature of the mind, Baba recited the verse from
Bhagavad Gita (6.34):
चञ्चलं हि मन: कृ ष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम ् ।
ु
तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सदुष्करम ्॥
The mind is desultory by nature. It is turbulent,
powerful and unbending. To bring control or
moderation to the mind is like controlling the
wind.
This marked my initiation into Bhagavad Gita. The first
time I read it in full was when I was huddling in my room
in Kolkata with chicken pox. As I read Krishna’s words
Bhagavad Gita (2.24):
अच्छेद्योऽयमदाह्योऽयमक्ले द्योऽशोष्य एव च ।
नित्यः सर्वगतः स्थाणरु चलोऽयं सनातनः ॥
The Soul cannot be cut, cannot be burnt; it can-
not be soaked, cannot be dried up; it is eternal,
all-pervading, fixed, immovable and ancient.
‘What’, I wondered, ‘is there a presence like this within my
body? It cannot be cut, burnt, wetted or dried! It means
that neither earth nor water nor air and fire can inflict it.
These are the four visible elements of the world. And none
of these can act on this inner presence! How firmly does

January 2022 Contents

 48

Krishna say this, and that too to console Arjuna by remov-

ing his grief and doubt about the war he was out to do!
‘Is this Bhagavad Gita, the song of the soul?’, my mind mur-
mured. It is of immense value to the world; not something
to be recited, learnt and pursued only in the hermitage of
secluded forests. Here is the most trying and painful situ-
ation in the world, with 4.5 million warriors assembled in
full array, to fight a deadly battle, killing one another, until
one team wins over the other. Everyone had arrived at the
battlefield with his own individual wish and resolve. There
was no room for any doubt, fear or inner oscillations, to
pursue the most intense human vicious activity. What for?
To ensure righteousness as the right option of humanity to
govern individual and societal life any time!
‘This is obviously what my heart and mind seek and want,’
I felt. I read impatiently further with more alacrity and
earnestness.
I found the Gita verses over-
whelmingly inspiring and ener- I found the Gita
gizing. I read the whole of Gita verses overwhelmingly
during that sick spell of seclusion. inspiring and
I found the scriptural recitation energizing.
and study were an undeniable
complement to the practical
sādhanā I was doing. It was an empowering infusion to
make the theoretical study deep, wholesome and ecstatic.
From then on Bhagavad Gita ran parallel to my mind,

January 2022 Contents

 49

heart and intelligence throughout my life. In all my Jñāna

Yajñas I used to make Bhagavad Gita the main topic for
the evening general sessions.
The more and more I read
Upanishads and Prakaraṇa I felt that this
Granthas, the more and more great knowledge is
I felt that this great knowledge the bequest which
is the bequest which intellectu- intellectuals of this
als of this country should not country should not miss.
miss. Somehow the intellectual
community should be exposed
to the rational exposure of Upanishads and allied texts.
Dear K, I find your background of Vedic tradition and cul-
ture, and your mathematical erudition, are an enriching
combination giving a special compulsion to the intellec-
tuals for assimilating the eternal message and values of
this land with their right modern relevance. It is a timely
effort in every way. Fortunate are those who will read your
presentations and be persuaded to assimilate the ancient
spiritual message with its unquestionable relevance to
modern science and research.
We have four scientists in our Ashram. Three are physicists
and the fourth a veterinary scientist. Swami Nirviseshanan-
da Tirtha, in particular, emphasizes that it is his scientific
enquiry that led him to spiritual science as well, with its
unique compulsion and promise! Both scientific and spiri-
tual enquiries originate from the same mind and culminate

January 2022 Contents

 50

in its very source.

In fact, our whole life is ‘experiential and mental’. Mind
alone cognizes the body, imprints the objects through
senses, and makes them experienced each time. Sensory
perceptions are not ‘external’ at all. Perceptions belong
to the ‘perceiver’ and the ‘perceiving process’ is clearly
‘internal’.
External and internal are both but ‘ideas’ of the mind. The
entire life with these experiences, imaginations and findings
is sourced by pure Consciousness. It is neither matter nor
energy. Everything is an expression and extension of Con-
sciousness. The Ultimate existence, Brahman, is neither
matter nor energy. It is Consciousness, prajñānam. India
is the Nation which discovered and realized it for the first
time. It has enviably preserved its cultural heritage for
yugas unbrokenly – a bewitching wonder by all means!
I am sure your presentation will have its special relevance
and applicability to the modern world, especially to the
scientific and rational brains. May your books break the
ice for many students, seekers and scientific enquirers.
I wish you all satisfaction and fulfilment. Have good health.
Love and āśīrvād. Nutan Swamiji and Ma also send loving
good wishes to you.
Antarātmā, Swamiji

January 2022 Contents

 51

20th Śrīmad Bhāgavata Tattva Sameeksha Satram

(Dec 26 – Jan 2; Online, in Malayalam)

Chorus Bhajans led by

Swami Nigamananda Tirthapaadarji

January 2022 Contents

 52

News & Notes

Message from Poojya Swamiji
Vicharasethu SUBSCRIPTION Month –
January 2022:
Harih Om Tat Sat. “Vicharasethu – The Path of
Introspection” is being published every month
for more than 57 years. Knowledge has to be dis-
seminated and our dissemination will be effective
only when each one of you takes it up and tries to
widen the readership. This should be done for your
own benefit and the welfare of humanity. Unless
some people cherish Vicharasethu and preserve
it, it cannot remain for the next generation. So,
it is a great responsibility that all of you should
feel and act upon.
Let January 2022 be the month to widen Vich-
arasethu-readership. Each of you should try to
enlist at least 5 subscribers, thereby enriching the
younger generations to imbibe India’s message of
Eternal Truth.
Love and āśīrvād, Antarātmā, Swamiji
To observe the Vicharasethu SUBSCRIPTION Month,
free 1 year subscription to e-Vicharasethu may be
availed through email (publications@bhoomanan-
da.org) or WhatsApp (+91 8547960362).

January 2022 Contents

 53

q 5th Global Bhagavad Gita Convention (GBGC) will

be held online from Feb 19-21, 2022 on www.youtube/
globalgita.org/live. The daily programme will be from 7:00
- 10:30 PM (IST). Program details will be published in Feb
2022 Vicharasethu.
q Maha-samadhi Day of Mataji Sulabha Devi was ob-
served in the Ashram on Dec 17. Mataji had attained Ma-
ha-samadhi in 1989. During the first part of the programme
in the Ashram Vijnana Bhavan, Poojya Swamiji spoke on
Mataji. Ma also spoke.
Poojya Swamiji spoke
about the role of Provi-
dence in an individual’s
life: “Nothing in this world
is achieved by anybody all
by his own efforts. Always
there is a close inter-twin-
ing of Paurusha (self-effort)
and Daiva (Providence). In
coursing through the diffi-
culties and challenges of
life, Providence intervenes
with its own design that turns the course of events.”
Poojya Swamiji explained how in his life as well as the
growth of the Ashram, the two significant Providential
developments were: First, Mataji Sulabha Devi joining him
in establishing the Ashram in 1963, and then the arrival

January 2022 Contents

 54

of Nutan Swamiji and Ma

Gurupriyaji in 1987, when
Mataji’s health was already
declining fast. Both these
rare Providential develop-
ments were very significant
in determining the course of
Swamiji’s life and the growth
of the Ashram.
Poojya Swamiji narrated:
“Mataji used to get up very
early and sweep the Ashram
floor while singing beautiful
devotional songs. Everything she would do while singing
devotional songs. She was very steadfast about her routine.
She would spend at least one hour in the pooja room,
reading a few chapters of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.
“Whenever her mind was upset, she would take the śruti
box and start singing. After half an hour of singing, the
problem would have dissolved and she would sit with eyes
closed. A beautiful brilliance used to adorn her face. She
was a very austere person, not interested in any kind of
prosperity or otherwise. …
“It is very unfortunate that her health failed towards the
end of life. She was treated in AIIMS, Delhi. The brain
tumour was removed, but I don’t think it did any good.
Two years before she dropped her body, Ma and Nutan

January 2022 Contents

 55

Swamiji arrived to look after us. …

“The one summary sentence I want to make is this: In
any kind of good, dedicated life, you will find Providential
elements guiding you further to new stages. We are not
alone. Everything seems to be done, making a good man
great. In that greatness, at every point he is helped by
Providential elements.”
Ma said: “When we came here, the Ashram was a guru-gṛha
(Guru’s cottage) with very few residents – Swamiji, Mataji
Mahasamadhi Day of Mataji Sulabha Devi
Ashram workers offering praṇāms to Poojya Swamiji
and Mataji’s Samadhi (17 Dec 2021)

January 2022 Contents

 56

and Mataji’s mother. There was a breeze of vairagya and

an atmosphere of devotion.
“Devotion and vairagya were Mataji’s treasure. She would
be chanting ślokas and singing bhajans right from morning.
Until she had her brain surgery, she was mostly singing
‘Hare Rama’ or lines from some bhajans, seemingly obliv-
ious of what was going on in the Ashram.
“I feel now, simultaneously with the constant hectic ac-
tivities, there should be more of a devotional air, which
will soften our hearts, which will make us love each other
more. Compared to those days, we are now doing much
more for the people around - poor people. But, our hearts

Prasāda in Ashram Annakshetra

January 2022 Contents

 57

must soften with devotion. We should own everybody -

not only the people who are staying here, but also those
who come and go, our workers and helpers. For all, for
the Ashram itself, for our Guru and his mission, we must
have more sensitivity, love, and sacrifice.
“In our 2 years of association with Mataji, we had the
opportunity to serve her. She was sick. But with all that
sickness, she always had a smile on her face. That smile
was full of vairagya. She would sit on the upper veranda
parapet and chant ślokas, or sit in her kuṭiya (leaf-cottage
that was near the present ramp). She would take very sim-
ple food, the same food everyday, and after food would go
and lie in the kuṭiya ……. What has remained in my mind
is the vairagya and bhakti in her.”
Ma read out an article written by Mataji in Vicharasethu
January 1981 – “Devotion vs Self-realization”, in which
Mataji talks about the importance of Bhakti. She empha-
sizes that we must feel and experience God everywhere
– “Yatraiva yatraiva mano madīyam ….” .
After the Satsang in Vijnaana Bhavan, Poojya Swamiji led
all of us in procession to Samadhi Mandir, chanting the
Maha-mantra “Hare Rama … Hare Krishna ...”. Ashramites,
resident devotees, staff and workers offered flowers at
Poojya Swamiji’s Feet and Mataji’s Samadhi, and received
prasāda from Swamiji. Beautiful bhajans, sung in Mataji’s
deep penetrating voice, were played during the praṇāms.
Everyone was offered bhakti-bhojanam in the Annakshetra.

January 2022 Contents

 58

q 20th Śrīmad Bhāgavata Tattva Sameeksha Satram: The

event (in Malayalam) is being webcast on Ashram’s You-
Tube channel www.youtube.com/Bhagavata Tattvam from
December 26, 2021 to January 02, 2022. Detailed report
will appear in Feb 2022 Vicharasethu.
q Houses for the Homeless – Four homes will be com-
pleted by end of December 2021 for the owners to enter
by the 1st week of January 2022. Nine more are in varying
stages of construction.
n

Vicharasethu Subscription
Printed version
Annual 3 years’ 6 years’ 12 years’
India Rs 100/- Rs 250/- Rs 500/- Rs 1000/-
Foreign (by Air) Rs 1000/- Rs 2500/- Rs 5000/- Rs 10000/-
e-version
Annual 3 years’ 6 years’ 12 years’
India Rs 100/- Rs 250/- Rs 500/- Rs 1000/-
Foreign Rs 500/- Rs 1250/- Rs 2500/- Rs 5000/-
Contact: [email protected]
Cheque/draft may be sent in favour of ‘Narayanashrama Tapovanam’
Printed by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha, and Published by him for Narayanashrama
Tapovanam, PO Paralam, 680563, Thrissur, India & printed at Sastha Printers, Venginissery,
PO Paralam, Thrissur & published at Thrissur. Owner & Editor: Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha.

January 2022 Contents