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Advaita Vedanta A Birds Eye View

Outline of Advaita Vedanta
D. KRISHNA AYYAR
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Table o !ontents
Section 1 - Nature Of Self. Changing And Unchanging Consciousness
Distinguished................................................................................................... 3
Section - !rahman" #he Ultimate $ealit%.....................................................&
Section 3 - 'dentit% Of #he 'ndividual Self And !rahman..............................11
Section ( - )no*er - Consciousness + $e,ected Consciousness
-Cidaa.haasa/................................................................................................ 1
Section 0 - #ransmigration and )arma..........................................................1(
Section 1 - 2ree 3ill...................................................................................... 14
Section 4 - Status of the 3orld - Orders of $ealit%.......................................15
Section 5 - Creation...................................................................................... 6
Section & - #he Conce7t of 8a%a..................................................................(
Section 16 - #he meaning of 9i.eration..........................................................0
Section 11 - #he Signi:cance of 9i.eration....................................................1
Section 1 + )no*ledge; #he Sole 8eans of 9i.eration..................................33
Section 13 - )ramamu<ti................................................................................3(
Section 1 - Nature Of Self. Changing And
Unchanging Consciousness Distinguished
1. Let us start with finding answers to the questions raised in Part . !hatever you
perceive or "now as an ob#ect cannot be yourself. t is not difficult to understand
that am not the physical body. can see the body. $o, no thin"ing man will deny
the fact, % am not the body.& %'m the (praana) *divided into prana, apana,
vyana, udana and samana+, . e., the life forces that are responsible for the
respiratory, circulatory, assimilative functions etc., am aware that am
breathing. am aware that am hungry etc. $o, am not the prana. . 'm the
(karmendriyas), the sense organs of action, i.e., the faculties of spea"ing, lifting,
wal"ing etc, am aware that am spea"ing, wal"ing etc. $o, am not the
"armendriyas. 'm the (jnanendriyas,) i.e., the sense organs of perception, i.e.,
the faculties of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, am aware that see, hear
etc. $o, am not the #nanendriyas *' single name for the #nanendriyas and
"armendriyas put together is (indriyas) - sense organs, in .nglish+.
/. Next, we have to find out about the mind. n $ans"rit, the mind is called
(antahkarana). 'long with the antah"arana, there is reflected consciousness
called cidaabhaasa0 for the two together, the name is aham"ara. 'ham"ara
comprises manah *the faculty which receives stimuli from the outer world and is
the seat of emotions and feeling+, buddhi *the faculty of reasoning, decision,
speculation and imagination+, citta *the faculty of memory+ and the
ahampratyaya or ahamartha *ego+ *the () thought, the sense of ( am the
"nower, doer) etc.+. *n what follows, for the sa"e of simplicity, in many places,
the word, mind, is used as a synonym for aham"ara. !here the word, (mind) is
used for antah"arana alone, it will be obvious in the context+. *1he physical body
3
is called, sthoola sarira. 1he prana, the indriyas and the aham"ara are called
%sukshma sarira&. 1he prana that continues to function during deep sleep and
the indriyas and aham"ara that lie dormant in the deep sleep state are, together,
called %karana sarira.&+ *n $astra, the word, %aham"ara& is used not only for the
combination of antah"arana and cidabhasa, but, in some places, for the () notion
alone. 1o avoid confusion, in this paper, following $ureswaracarya, the word,
ahamartha, is used for the () notion and the word, aham"ara is reserved for the
combination of antah"arana and cidabhasa.+
2. 1he existence of oneself as a conscious entity is self evident. 1he question is %is
the mind itself the conscious self or is there a conscious principle other than the
mind, 'm the mind or am the other conscious principle,& 1o find out whether
am the mind, should apply the same test as applied earlier in regard to the
body etc. 1hat is, do experience my mind, 1he mind is an entity that expresses
as thoughts in the form of cognition of external ob#ects, emotion, reasoning,
decision, speculation, imagination recollection and conceptuali3ation. % "now
the pot is a thought& *1hought is called (vritti) in $ans"rit.+ % am angry at my
son& is a thought. % had ice cream yesterday& is a thought. %4lac" hole is a
mystery& is a thought. 'm aware of my thoughts, 1he answer is %yes0 am
aware of my thoughts&. Not only that, am aware of the that is engaged in the
thoughts in the form of cognitions of ob#ects, emotions, reasoning, decision5
ma"ing and conceptuali3ation. !hen perceive a tree, am aware that perceive
the tree. !hen entertain a desire for, say, ice cream, am aware that desire to
have ice cream. !hen get angry, am aware that am angry. !hen have an
idea for designing a new computer soft ware product, am aware that have that
idea. !hen solving a mathematical equation, am aware that am solving it. f
have learnt 6hinese, am aware that "now 6hinese. !hen recall anything am
aware that am recollecting it. 7nowledge or cognition produced by aham"ara
*whether it is cognition of external ob#ects or internal conceptuali3ation+ involves
the cogni3er *pramaata), the cogni3ing instrument and process *pramaanam+
and the cogni3ed ob#ect or conceived idea *prameyam+. 1his set is called triputi .
n the case of action, the agent of action is called karta. n the case of en#oyment,
the one who en#oys is called bhokta and so on. 8or example, in % "now the pot&
or in % have an idea of what blac" hole is&, the is the pramata. n % am
repairing this cloc"& the %& is the doer 5 karta+. n % am en#oying the music&, or
% am sad about what happened in 7ashmir.& or % am sad at what my son is
doing&, the& %& is the en#oyer or sufferer 5 bhokta. n % am a father&, the is a
related individual - sambandhi. n % have a house&, the %& is a possessor 5
dhaarin. Not only am aware of the premeyam and the pramanam of the triputi
but the pramata etc., the )s that are pramata, "arta, bho"ta, sambandhi, dharin
etc. as well of the ob#ects which these )s perceive, the acts that they do, the things
that they en#oy or suffer from, emotions that they have and the ideas that they
conceive. 9ur thoughts, including these )s are changing from moment to
moment. 9ne thought arises, stays for a while and disappears and another
thought arises and so on. 1houghts arise in the mind. !e do tal" of the mind as
the entity that survives and travels after death or the mind in a dormant state in
deep sleep state. !hen we do so, we loo" upon the mind as a continuing entity.
4ut this is only flowing continuity *pravaaha nityatvam). 1houghts and the
mind are closely connected. Li"e a photographic plate which gets altered by the
light and shade patterns reflected by the ob#ect being photographed, the thoughts
occurring during the course of our experience of the external world and thoughts
occurring inside in the mind independently leave impressions in the mind
*vaasanas+. 1he vasanas alter the character of the mind. :ust as tissues are
replaced and the body of old age is not the body of youth, the emotional and
intellectual personality undergoes change. 8or example, a person who acquires
wealth becomes a proud man. ' person who becomes angry for everything we
characteri3e as a person with a short temperament. ' dullard in school turns out
to be an inventor in later life. n other words, the personality undergoes change.
$o, it is clear that the mind undergoes change. 1he question is, %s there an
awareness of these changes of the mind and if so how does that awareness ta"e
place,& 1hat which changes cannot itself be aware of the changes. t follows that,
besides the changing mind, there must be a changeless conscious principle. 1he
question is, %what is the proof,& 1he proof lies in the fact that, in spite of the
changes of the mind, regard myself as the same conscious entity. Yesterday
was angry. 1oday am calm. 1he angry mind and the angry disappeared
yesterday. 1he calm mind and the calm have come only today. 4ut regard
myself as the same person while saying % was angry yesterday0 am calm today&.
Yesterday was struggling with a mathematical problem. 1oday have happily
solved it. 1he struggling mind and the struggling disappeared yesterday. 1he
happy mind and the happy have come only today. $till, regard myself as the
same entity while saying, % struggled with the mathematical problem yesterday0
today have solved it.& 1his will be clearer when we compare the personality5
change over a period of time. !hen you meet a school5mate whom you "new as
an aggressive, selfish boy after a period of thirty years in $abarmati 'sram, you
may find a social wor"er with a calm temperament, but he regards himself as the
same person. 1hat means that there is a changing and an unchanging . 1he
unchanging , the constant that invo"e while ma"ing such statements as
mentioned above is an unchanging conscious principle. 1his unchanging
conscious principle is the immutable atma. t is also called saakshi since, when it
is invo"ed as the constant , it loo"s as though it was the witness of the changing
mind. t is also called pratyagaatmaa, since it is recogni3ed by us without the
mediation of any "nowing instrument. !hereas the mind is experienced, the
atma is not experienced0 it is only invo"ed as the constant . 1he invocation is
done by the mind0 the invo"ed is the sa"shi.
;. 1his process of connecting a past condition of the mind and the present condition
is called %pratyabhinja&. !e can observe pratyabhin#a in situations connecting
the dream state *called %swapna avastha&+ and deep sleep state *called %sushupti
avastha&+ on the one hand and the wa"ing state *called %jaagrat avastha&+ on the
other. n the dream state, the mind pro#ects its vasanas to form a dream world
which it cogni3es as ob#ects existing outside it. !hen one wa"es up, one reali3es
that what he saw as a world perceived world existing outside one)s mind were
merely thoughts in one)s mind. 1hus, one says, for example, %last night dreamt
that got a lottery of one million rupees but now "now that don)t have a
paisa&. 'gain, this constant that is invo"ed by this thought as having existed
during the dream and as existing now is the sa"shi.
<. $imilarly when one in a state of dreamless sleep *sushupti+, the mind is bereft of
any "ind of cognition, emotion and conception. 1he aham"ara is dormant. 4ut
when one wa"es up, one says, % slept happily0 did not "now anything&
*%sukham aham aswaapsam; na kincit aveditam&+. $uppose you as" that
person, %!hen you were sleeping were you conscious of yourself ,&, he will say %
did not "now that was there&. 1he non5"nowingness and the happiness are
recollected when one wa"es up. 4ut the %& that he is referring to, while saying %
slept happily0 did not "now anything& cannot be the dormant ahamartha. 1he
%& that he is invo"ing must be an %& that was present even when ahamartha as a
part of aham"ara was dormant. 1his is the sa"shi , the changeless consciousness.
1hus, when we analyse sushupti, we can recogni3e the changeless consciousness,
the sa"shi, the atma, distinguished intellectually from the changing
consciousness, the ahamn"ara. 1he invocation of the changeless consciousness,
when one wa"es up, as the %& that was present during sushupti, is done by the
changing aham"ara, but the invo"ed (& is the changeless consciousness, the
sa"shi .
=. Sa"shi is not the "nower5consciousness. $o, it is not the entity cognising the state
of non5experience in sushupti. 'ham"ara, the "nower5consciousness is dormant.
4ut on wa"ing up, there is recollection of the state of on5experience. $o, what is
the explanation, 1hough, in sushupti, the aham"ara is resolved and is non5
functional as a cognise or conceiver, it retains the capacity to register its own
non5"nowing and non5thin"ing condition. t also registers the sukham
*happiness+ occurring as a reflection of the anantatva aspect of atma in the state
of calmness in which the aham"ara is in sushupti, though it is not aware of it at
that time. t is on the basis of such registration by the resolved aham"ara that the
aham"ara is able to say, when the person wa"es up from sleep, % slept happily0
did not "now anything - %sukham aham asvaapsam, na kincit avedisham&. .ven
so, the that is referred as having existed during sushupti is, as explained above,
not the ahamartha, the aham"ara , but the sa"shi . 1he further point to note is
that the source of happiness registered by the aham"ara in sushupti is neither an
external ob#ect nor internal recollection0 there is no contact with external ob#ects
and the memory is also non5functional. 1he only entity continuing to function is
the atma. 8or the happiness that is registered in the resolved aham"ara, the
source can only be the atma. 1he infinitude of the atma is reflected as
poornatvam translating into happiness in the resolved antah"arana and this is
what is registered in the resolved aham"ara.
1. Pratyabhin#a invo"ing a constant is also observed when we connect
different stages in our life. 9ur body and mind are changing entities.
!hen one is young, one is strong and healthy and can win a cross
country race. !hen one becomes old one needs a stic" even to wal". n
early age, one can recite the entire 4hagawadgita and >panishads from
memory. !hen one becomes old, one doesn)t remember even the name
of his dearest friend. n one)s youth one is arrogant. !hen one has
become old, one has become humble. n spite of these differences, one is
regarding oneself as the same . 1he that is invo"ed here is the
unchanging , the unchanging consciousness, the sa"shi.
?. @ecognition of the unchanging consciousness can also ta"e place without a vritti.
$uppose you are listening to $wami#iAs tal" in the class. n your mind the
modifications of the mind registering the sound *%sabda vrittis&+ and
understanding the meaning corresponding to the words of $wami#i)s tal" are
ta"ing place. 't that time you are not entertaining the thought % am sitting here
and listening to $wami#iAs tal".& 1he mind can have only one vritti at a time. Next
day, if somebody as"ed you %did you attend $wami#iAs class yesterday&, you would
say %yes&. 1hat means that you were aware of the fact that you were sitting and
listening to $wami#iAs tal" without entertaining a vritti that you were sitting and
listening. 1his shows that to be aware of your own continued existence as a
conscious being does not, necessarily, require a vritti. @ecognition of a
continuous without a vritti is possible only if there is a constant consciousness
other than the momentary consciousness of the mind, a constant that exists
even when the mind is absorbed in thoughts relating to an external occurrence
and is, therefore, not in a position to entertain an ahamartha vritti. !hen
$wetasvatara >panishad 2.1B and 7aivalya >panishad /1 say, %t sees without
eyes, t hears without ears&, they are referring to this sa"shi.
Section 2 - Brahman, The Ultimate ealit!
1. 1he central theme of the >panishads is 4rahman, called also Paramaatma. t is a
conscious principle. 1he word for conscious principle in $ans"rit is %caitanyam&.
1he consciousness that is 4rahman is called %brahma caitanyam&. 1he seminal
sentence defining 4rahman which occurs in Taittiriya Upanishad *.i.1+ is
%satyam jnanam anantam rahma.& n .nglish, this is translated as %existence5
consciousness5infinity&. 1he words (.xistence), (6onsciousness) and (nfinity) are
not three separate entities0 they are three words denoting the nature of the same
entity. 1he word, (satyam) is synonymous with the word, sat, used in 6handogya
>panishad C.ii.1 -bhooma vidya ! in the sentence %n the beginning *i.e., before
creation+ existence alone was there, one only without a second. *Sadeva soumya
idam agra aasiid ekam eva advidiiyam+& 1he words, %satyam& and %sat& are
defined as that which is eternal and has independent existence. :uxtaposed with
the word %anantam& *which means %the infinite&+, the word *%sat") distinguishes
it from locali3ed existence and denotes all pervasiveness. n the sentence, %1he
word, %#nanam& in this context, means the undifferentiated changeless
consciousness as distinguished from aham"ara which functions as the
differentiated "nower5consciousness, *%pramaata&+&, for the words %in this
context&, substitute %#uxtaposed with the word, *%anantam&+&.
1he word, %#nanam& is #uxtaposed to show that it is not an insentient entity but is
6onsciousness. 1he word, %#nanam&, in this context, means the undifferentiated,
changeless consciousness as distinguished from aham"ara which functions as the
differentiated "nower5consciousness *pramaata+. *n $ans"rit, (#nanam)
denoting 4rahman is called (swaroopa jnaanam)0 the "nowledge obtained by the
pramata is called (vritti jnanam).+ 1he word, anantam is #uxtaposed to show that
t is a not a limited entity. 1he word, %anantam& means infinity. (nfinity) denotes
what is infinite not only in terms of space but in terms of time and entity. nfinity,
space wise indicates that t is all pervading *%sarvagatam&+. nfinity time wise
indicates that t is eternal *%nityam&+. nfinity entity wise indicates that t is non5
dual *%advayam&+, i.e., besides t, there is no other real entity. $ince it is all
pervading, it is formless *%niraakara&+, divisionless *i.e, without division+
*%nirvikalpa&+, devoid of movement *%acala&+ and devoid of parts
*%niravayava&+. $ince it is eternal, it is changeless *%nirvikara&+. $ince it is non5
dual, it is relationless *i.e., without any "ind of relation+ *%asanga&+. n some
places, 4rahman is also defined as saccidaananda.0 it is a compound word
consisting of % sat & which is the equivalent of % satyam &, % cit & which is the
equivalent of %#nanam & and % aananda & which is the equivalent of % anantam&.
/. n his commentary on the 1aittiriya >panishad mantra, $an"aracarya first
clarifies that the sentence, %satyam, #nanam, anantam brahma& is meant as a
definition of 4rahman not one that denotes the attributes *%guna&+ of
4rahmanDD.$atya is a thing which does not change the nature that is
ascertained to be its own. D. *1o indicate that t is not the insentient material
cause+ it is said that 4rahman is consciousness. *>sed along with the words
(satyam) and (anantam) 5 infinitude+ - 1he definition excludes the concept of the
agent of "nowing. f 4rahman be the agent of "nowing, satyam and anantam
cannot be part of the definition. f it is the agent of "nowing, t becomes
changeful and as such t cannot be satyam and infinite. 1hat indeed is infinite
which is not limited by anything. f t be agent of "nowing, t becomes delimited
by the "nowable and the "nowledge. 6handogya C.xxiv.1 says, %1he nfinite is
that where one does not "now anything&. 1he words, (satyam0 (#nanam) and
(anantam occurring in mutual proximity, and restricting and being restricted in
turns by each other, distinguish 4rahman from other ob#ects denoted by the
words, (satyam) etc. n his commentary on the 6handogya mantra, $an"aracarya
explains, %1he word (sat) means mere .xistence, a thing that is subtle, without
distinction, all pervasive, one, taintless, partless *i.e., without parts+,
consciousness, which is "nown from all the >panishads. 1he word (eva) is used
for emphasis. *Sadeva - sat iti astitvamaatram vastu nirvisesham
sarvvagatam, ekam, niranjanam, niravayavam, vijnaaanam yat aagamyate
sarvavedantebhyah. #kasabdah avataaranaarthah+D4efore creation, it was not
possible to grasp it as possessed of name and form. D.4y the words, (9ne only), is
meant that there was nothing else coming under the category of its product.
DD.)without a second) means that t *.xistence+ has no second thing different
from tself&.
Section " - #dentit! Of The #ndi$idual Self And
Brahman
'tma conditioned by the sthoola sarira and the su"shma sarira is called
jiivaatma or jiiva. 1here are various >panishad passages which tal" of
4rahman, the all pevading consciousness, rahma caitanyam, as being
available for recognition as the atma behind the mind in the #ivatma.
1he >panishads also expressly state that 4rahman is not only non5dual
*%advayam"+ but divisionless *i.e, without division+ *%nirvikalpam"
$nishkalam"+. 8urther, we have the definition of 4rahman in 1aittiriya
/.1 as (satyam, #nanam, anantam) where each word governs and is in
turn governed by the others. 1he words, (sat *existence+) and (#nanam
*consciousness+) governed by the word, (infinitude) means that
.xistence56onsciousness is all pervading. 1his means that both
existence and consciousness is the same in all things and beings,
though, for recognition of the consciousness, a particular medium may
be required. )1herefore 'dvaita Cedanta says that the atma, the
unchanging consciousness, in you, in me, in other human beings, in
gods *devas), in demons *asuras+, in the animals, the birds, the insects,
the plants and, in fact, in all living beings, whether they are deni3ens of
this world or other worlds, is identical with the non5dual, divisionless,
infinite 4rahma caitanyam. . 4rahman and atma are not different. 1hey
are #ust two words for the same entity. 1here is only one unbro"en,
undivided, all pervading consciousness *Eakhanda caitanyamE+. !hen
the focus of teaching is on the all pervading aspect, it is generally
referred to as 4rahman and when the focus is on the same
consciousness recogni3ed in the #ivatmas, it is generally referred to as
atma or pratyagatma. !hen the focus is on the source of cidabhasa, t is
referred to as sa"shi. 1hus it is none other than the 4rahma caitanyam
itself that is invo"ed as the unchanging, constant by a pratyabhin#a
vritti.
Section % - &no'er - Consciousness ( eflected
Consciousness )Cidaa*haasa+
1. n the definition of 4rahman as )satyam, #nanam, anantam), as mentioned earlier,
since the word (infinitude) governs the word (satyam) and (#nanam), the
consciousness aspect as well as the existence aspect is all pervading. 4ut we see
that what we call inanimate ob#ects li"e table, chair etc. are insentient, whereas
living beings are sentient and the antah"arana of a living being functions as a
"nower. !hat is the speciality of living beings, 4eing a "nower involves
limitation, because "nowerhood excludes the "nowing and the "nown. 1he
#nanam that is atma recogni3ed as atma * the atma caitanyam+ in living beings
cannot be the "nower, because if atma is the "nower, atma will become limited0
this is not possible because the word, (#nanam) is governed by the word,
(infinitude). Foreover >panishads tal" of 4rahman as devoid of the instrument of
ob#ectifying "nowledge *amanah). So, we have to conclude that the antah"arana
of a living being has a special capacity to become the "nower5consciousness. 4y
itself, the antah"aram, evolved as it is from the inert elements, is non5sentient.
!e have also specific passages to show that mind is a product of food *vide
6handogya =.<.;, =.=./. =.<.<+. $o we have to conclude that in the presence of
atma caitanyam, mind becomes the "nower5consciousness. 1he atma caitanyam
is reflected in the antah"arana and the antah"arana becomes the "nower5
consciousness. 1his reflected consciousness is called cidaabhaasa. t is
cidabhasa, together with antah"arana that functions as the "nower5
consciousness0 the original 4rahma caitanyam, #ust by its presence, enables the
antah"arana to acquire cidabhasa. 6idabhasa undergoes modification along with
the antah"arana. !ithout cidabhasa, the antah"arana cannot perceive ob#ects,
cannot "now, cannot thin", cannot react, cannot recall cannot theori3e and
cannot imagine. 1he mind, in turn, lends the cidabhasa to the sense organs and
the body0 that is how the mind, the sense organs and the body become sentient.
's mentioned earlier, the combination of antah"arana and cidabhasa is called
aham"ara. $ince antah"aranas are many, aham"aras are many. .ach one of us
has a separate aham"ara, functioning as separate pramatas, "artas, bho"tas, etc.
1he reflected consciousness pratibimba caitanyam+ of abhasa vada is different
from atma caitanyam and is of a lower order of reality than the atma caitanyam.
/. 1he aham"ara perceives the external perceived world through the sense organs
and cogni3es one ob#ect after another and entertains one thought after another.
!hile the recognition of the existence of oneself as a constant conscious entity, as
the same person, in spite of the changes which the body and aham"ara undergo
cannot be explained without the atma, the perception of particular ob#ects or
entertainment of particular thoughts, one after another, cannot be explained
without aham"ara. 'nd it is the aham"ara that cogni3es differentiated ob#ects
of the external at one time and differentiated of ob#ects of a dream world at
another time and becomes dormant at a third time. 'tma is there all the time,
without undergoing any of these changes. f the mind was not there and the
changeless atma alone was there and the changeless atma were a "nower, there
would be permanent, simultaneous perception of everything together *which will
be utter confusion+. f the changeless atma *which is apramata, i.e., which is the
non5ob#ectifying consciousness+ was alone there, without aham"ara, there would
be no cognition or conception at all.
Section , - Transmigration and &arma
1. 'nother fundamental tenet of 'dvaita Cedanta - indeed of all schools of
philosophy in Ginduism - is that the su"shma sarira with cidabhasa in it survives
the death of the sthoola sarira and is involved in transmigration from one world
to another among the fourteen worlds *lokas+ mentioned in $astra and entry
into different sthoola sariras in successive births *janmas+. 'ssociated with this
tenet, there is the theory of "arma. 'ccording to this, for the actions and thoughts
of #ivatmas they incur what are called %punya" and %papa" *merit and demerit+
and have to undergo, and the punya and papa have to be discharged as
karmaphalam in the form of en#oyment or suffering in future #anmas and,
sometimes, some part of it in this #anma itself. 1he punya papa account is a
running account to which additions are made by actions and thoughts and
subtractions ta"e place on account of en#oyment and suffering. 1he accumulated
punya papa account is called %sancita karma&, the punya papa incurred in the
current #anma is called %aagami karma" which is added to the sancita "arma and
the quota of punya papa which has fructified in the sancita "arma and assigned to
be exhausted in a particular #anma is called %praarabhda karma". n accordance
with praarabhda "arma, the #ivatma)s next #anma may be as a celestial or a god in
one of the lo"as superior than the earth or as an asura or some other deni3en in
an inferior lo"a, with different "inds of sthoola sariras, or again, on earth, as a
human being or as a plant or an animal or insect or microbe. :ivatmas and "arma
are beginningless *i.e., without a beginning, without a prior non5existence+
*$vetasvatara >panishad C.< refers to #iva as aja, i.e., birthless+. 1herefore,
questions such as %what is the cause of the first #anma,& i.e., %how can there be a
first #anma with different people being different in various respects unless there
was a preceding "arma,&, %how can there be "arma without a previous #anma,&
do not arise. 9nly a theory of "arma and rebirth can explain the phenomenon of
prodigies or morons or babies afflicted with congenital diseases unconnected
with heredity and the wide disparity in physical and mental equipment, health,
wealth, #oy and suffering of living beings and, in the case of human beings, we
find that there is no correlation to the virtues and vices and actions and thoughts
of the current #anma. Foreover, if you say that a person is born and dies once for
all, and that there is no rebirth, when a person undergoes en#oyment or suffering,
you cannot explain it, because there is no punya or papa for which the en#oyment
or suffering is undergone. 1he other way, for the actions and thoughts of a
person, the punya papa will hang in the air without reward or retribution, if there
is no rebirth. Last but not least, if you say that the Lord created persons with
varying patterns of physical and mental equipment and comforts, en#oyment and
suffering, then that would ma"e that Lord partial and cruel. 4rhadaranya"a
>panishad, C.iii.B tal"s of a man having two abodes, this and the next world and
the dream state as the #unction staying in which he surveys the two abodes, this
and the next world. !e do get strange dreams, dreams of things we have never
experienced in this #anma. 1hey must be arising out of vaasanas, *i.e.,
impressions formed by the experiences+ of the previous #anmas. $imilarly, on the
eve of death, it is said, that a man has a glimpse of his next #anma. .ven a baby
has dreams. !here are the previous experiences for it to have formed vasanas,
unless it had previous #anmas, 'nother argument for the "arma theory is the
well "nown fact that the mind, though conscious of consequences wills evil0 and
though dissuaded by reason, it does engage in deeds of intensely sorrowful
consequences. $ince everybody wants only happiness, if there was no vasana of
evil pertaining to previous #anmas, evil will not exist in the world at all.
/. 1he cycle of action and thought, punya and papa and births and deaths is
beginningless. 1his cycle is called, %samsaara&. *' single word for punya and
papa is %karma&+. t is one)s own punya papa alone that determines the
en#oyment and suffering *karmaphalam+ in our lives. swara only arranges the
environment, events and situations required for the wor"ing out of the "arma of
the multitude of #ivatmas. Ge is only the administrator *called
%karmphalahdaata&+.
2. $amsara is related to aham"ara. !hen we identify ourselves with the body mind
complex and, in the ignorance of our real nature as the relationless atma, regard
ourselves as "arta and bho"ta we are involved in the samsara. !hen we
disidentify with the body mind complex and identify with the atma that is non5
different from 4rahman, "arma is destroyed. 'nd there is an end of samsara.
;. 1he concept of rebirth and "arma is available in 4rahadaranya"a >panishad,
7atopanishad and Prasnopanishad. 4rhadaranya"a >panishad C.C.vi and
C.iv.ii - %1he #iva who has attachment goes along with his "arma to the world to
which his su"shma sarira is attached. 'fter exhausting the "armaphalam for
whatever he has done in this world, he returns to this world for further "arma.
1hus does the man with craving *transmigrate+&.H!hen it departsDD.it is
followed by the "arma and upasana done by him and the vasanas he has
acquiredI& . 7athopanishad .ii.? - % $ome embodied ones enter *after death+
into *another+ womb for assuming bodies. 1he extremely inferior ones, after
death attain the state of motionless things li"e trees etc., in accordance with each
one)s actions and thoughts&. Prasnopanishad .? - % >adana, in its upward
#ourney * i.e., the sub5division of prana that carries the su"shma sarira, travelling
after the death of the sthoola sarira+,leads *the #iva+ to a virtuous world as a
result of virtue, to a sinful world as a result of sin, and to the human world as a
result of both.& *%punyena punyam lokam nayati papena papam ubhayam eva
manushyalokam+. *!hen a person dies, the presiding deities of the indriyas
withdraw from the sense organs. $o, when he travels to the next world, after
death, the physical sense organs are non5functional. $o, until he ta"es rebirth in
one of the worlds and the presiding deities return to the sense organs there is no
memory or en#oyment 5 vide 4rahadaranya"a ;.;.1 and /. +. 7aivalya >panishad
1; says, after en#oying the (ignorannce5cum bliss state of sushupti, the #ivatma
returns to the dream and wa"ing states, as a result of its association with the
"armaof previous #anmas.
*b+ 'ccording to tradition, to "now what is good and what is bad, we have to go
by what is prescribed in the $astra. n $ans"rit, good and bad are referred to by
the terms, EdharmaE and %adharmaE, respectively. !hat is en#oined as duty is
called %vihita& and what is prohibited is called %nishiddhaE. n so far as the
religious rituals are concerned, we have tom go solely by what is said in the
sastra, but in regard to the secular duties and values, li"e truth, nonviolence,
austerity, restraint of greed, love of fellow beings, elimination of hatred, respect
for and care of the animal and plant "ingdoms, living in harmony with nature,
regard for ecology and service to society, the commands and prohibitions of
sastra are in line with what is generally recogni3ed as doAs and donAts by humanity
in general.+
Section - - .ree /ill
1. t is not "arma alone that governs human life. 1here is scope for free will * called
%purushaartha&+ in human lives. Jood action and good thought can mitigate the
papa and enhance the punya content of the prarabdha. !hether free will or
prarabdha will be more powerful, i.e., to what extent free will can mitigate the
suffering or enhance the en#oyment to be undergone as prarabdha depends on
the relative strength of prarabdha and free will. $ince there is no way of "nowing
what one)s prarabdha is, wisdom lies in doing good actions and entertaining good
thoughts. 9ne should not lose faith in the efficacy of good actions and good
thoughts0 good actions and good thoughts are bound to bring about a better
balance of punya papa in prarabdha. !hat physical and mental equipment one is
born with, in which set up one is born, what situations one has to face and what
opportunities are available are determined by one)s prarabdha. 4ut, in any
#anma, how one develops one)s potential, how one reacts to situations, and how
one ma"es use of opportunities depends on one)s free will.
Section 0 - Status of the /orld - Orders of ealit!
1. Now, let us consider the nature of the world. 8rom what we see around
us, information obtained from others, inference and scientific
investigation and scientific theories, we "now that the universe that we
experience is a vast, complex entity0 the human body itself is a
miraculous mechanism0 the vegetable and animal "ingdoms, the
planets, the stars, the galaxies, the blac" holes, the particles, the waves,
matter, antimatter and what not - are all miracles. 1here is no effect
without a cause. $o, we cannot but postulate an omniscient and
omnipotent creator.
/. >panishads state expressly in various passages that 4rahman is non5dual
*%advayam& %advaitam" $advidiiyam", %ekam&+, eternal *%nityam&+, all5
pervading *%sarvagatam&+ divisionless *%nirvikalpam+ $nishkalam&+ and
changeless *nirvikaaram+. ' non5dual, changeless entity cannot be the cause of
any product. 4ut we do experience a world. 1he all5pervading 4rahman, the
.xistence, has to be there in the world that we experience. 4ut since it is not
ob#ectifiable *aprameyam+, we do not perceive t. !e can explain the presence of
the all pervading 4rahman and t not being the cause of the world only if we say
that the part we perceive in the world belongs to a lower of reality. *Gereafter the
term (perceived world) or (perceived universe)+ should be ta"en to refer to the part
of the world that we perceive, though the universe consists of not only what we
actually perceive but the unperceived sub5stratum, 4rahman, the .xistence. $o, a
cardinal doctrine of 'dvaita Cedanta is the scheme of three descending orders of
reality, - %paaramaarthika satyam& *absolute reality+, %vyaavahaarika satyam&
*empirical reality+ and %praatibhaasika satyam& *sub#ective reality+. 4rahman is
paramarthi"a satyam. t is the sub5stratum *adhishtaanam+ of the universe. 1he
part of the universe including our bodies and minds that we perceive is
vyaavahaari"a satyam. t is of a lower order of reality than 4rahman. !hy, !hen
4rahman is said to be non5dual as in 6handogya, 4rhadaranya"a, Fandu"ya etc.
*cited above+ or said to be infinite as in 1aittiriya */1+, 7athaopanishad *1.2.1<+,
and $wesvatara *1.B, <.1,<,12+ there cannot be a second entity of the same order of
reality. 1herefore, apart from 4rahman as .xistence, that part of the world that
we perceive has to be accorded a lower order of reality. !hen we tal" of the
perceived world as vyavahari"a satyam, it includes the bodies and minds of living
beings. 9rders of reality lower than 4rahman are covered by the technical term,
%mithya&. 8or the absolute reality of 4rahman and the mithya status of the
perceived world the $ans"rit expression is %rahmasatyam jaganmithya&.
1hings li"e sna"e seen on the rope, silver seen on the shell, the dream perceived
world etc, are pratibhasi"a satyam. 1he experienced dream world is also
pratibhasi"a satyam. 9b#ects that are erroneously perceived even while one is
awa"e, such as serpent perceived on rope in semi5dar"ness, silver perceived on
the shell, mirage perceived on the sandy terrain of the desert are also
%pratibhasi"a satyam&. Fithya can be either vyavahari"a satyam or pratibhasi"a
satyam *Fithya common to all is vyavahari"a. Fithya perceived by a particular
person and not by others is pratibhasi"a.+ Fithya is defined as that which is
cognised but which has no independent existence and is sub#ect to change. 1he
perceived world, which is mithya, is a superimposition on 4rahman, the sub5
stratum *adhistaanam+ viewed in its aspect of .xistence. Fithya cannot appear
without an adhishtaanam. .rroneously perceived sna"e cannot appear if there is
no rope. 1he dream cannot appear unless there is a wa"er. *(!a"er) is a technical
term used for a person who is dreaming and ta"es the dream world to be real but
reali3es that it is unreal when he wa"es up from sleep.+ f there were no sub5
stratum of .xistence, we would not experience a world. f there is no
superimposition of the perceptible part of the world on the sub5stratum, then
also we would not experience a world. 'nother definition of mithya is that which
can neither be said to be existent nor said to be non5existent. *1he technical word
in $ans"rit is %anivacaniiya&+. 1he dream world is experienced by the wa"er
while he is dreaming but the world perceived in the dream is negated when the
wa"er wa"es up from sleep. 1he sna"e is perceived on the rope in semi5dar"ness
but it is negated when light is flashed on the rope. 1he mirage is negated when we
go to the spot in the desert where we perceived it. !e do perceive a world0 so we
cannot say that it is non5existent. !hen the adhishtanam, 4rahman is "nown, the
perceived world is negated, i.e., regarded as mithya and at the paramarthi"a
level, there is no experience at all of a world. so, we cannot say the perceived
world is existent. *!hen the word, %satyam& or %real&is used without any
ad#ective, hereafter, it should be ta"en to refer to paramarthi"a satyam and when
the word, %mithya& or %unreal& is used without any ad#ective, it should be ta"en to
refer to %vyaavahaari"a satyam& or %pratibhasi"a satyam&, depending on the
context.+.
Section 1 - Creation
1. 'ccording to 'dvaita Cedanta - indeed all schools of Gindu philosophy - there is
a beginningless and endless cycle of creation, maintenance and dissolution or
resolution, called %srishti&, %sthithi&, &laya.& 6f. $wesvatara >panishad .B,
where the omniscient *referring to swara+, the one with limited "nowledge
*referring to #iva+ and Faya *which transforms into the perceived world+ are said
to be birthless. n each srishti, the variety and pattern of ob#ects, the attributes
of the bodies and minds and the events and situations have to be fashioned to suit
the "armas of the myriad of sentient beings that have to undergo their
"armaphalam in the course of their #anmas during that srshti. 1his requires
conscious planning and s"ilful action on the part of the creator. 'ccording to
$astra, 4rahman is eternal and changeless. n various passages, >panishads state
that 4rahman is eternal *&nityam&+0 %nityam& implies changelessness. n
Fu"ti"opanishad and in the hagavadgita *%ita, for short+, 4rahman is
specifically said to be changeless. n 4rahma $utra bhashyam .i.1;,
$an"aracarya says that 4rahman is changeless and eternal and it has been denied
that 4rahman can undergo any modification whatsoever. >panishads also say
that 4rahman is devoid of instruments of action and thin"ing *karta amanah.
1here are also statements in the >panishads to the effect that 4rahman is
neither neither cause nor effect. ' changeless 4rahman, a 4rahman that is a"arta,
cannot be the transforming material cause *parinaami upaadaana kaaranam+ of
the perceived world. $ince 4rahman is amanah, t cannot be the intelligent cause
*%nimitta kaaranam.&+ of the perceived world, either. $o, the question arises,
how does creation come, 1he universe is a combination of .xistence5
6onsciousness and matter. .xistence56onsciousness, which is 4rahman, is the
eternal unchanging sub5stratum. Fatter in its various and divergent forms and
functions arising from the permutation5combination of attributes is called
naama roopa *name and form or names and forms+. 'dvaita Cedanta says that
in 4rahman, there is, as a lower order of reality, a mithya, anivacaniiya entity,
called %Faya&. 1he Nama roopa is contained in Faya in seed form. 4rahma
caitanyam gets reflected in Faya, to constitute an entity called %&swara&. 1hus
swara has the caitanyam aspect and the matter aspect. n this combination,
swara is omniscient *sarvajnah+, omnipotent *sarvasaktimaan+ and all
pervading *sarvagatah+. 1herefore swara has in himself the capacity to thin",
visuali3e and plan creation and the raw material for creation. 6reation is the
unfolding or differentiation of the nama roopa existing in seed form * avyakta or
avyakrta nama roopa becoming vyakta or vyakrta nama roopa) and their
superimposition on the changeless sub5stratum. 1he sub5stratum is real 1he
nama roopa are unreal. 1he differentiation and superimposition is done by Faya
under swara)s guidance. !hen the differentiated Nama roopa are superimposed
on 4rahman, the .xistence56onsciousness, the universe is manifested. 1he sub5
stratum is real0 the superimposed nama roopa is unreal. 1he substance, the
essence, is the sub5stratum. 1he superimposed nama roopa are attributes. '
rough comparison is the clay which is substance and the pot shape which is an
attribute. 4ut there is a difference between the comparison and the compared in
other aspects. 9ne of them is this 5 whereas clay, the substance is tangible and the
pot shape, the attribute is intangible, 4rahman, the substance is imperceptible
and the nama roopa are perceptible. Nama roopa superimposed on .xistence5
6onsciousness consist not only of the attributes contributing to the manifestation
of what we regard as inanimate ob#ects li"e shape, color, smell, taste, texture,
weight, mass etc. but the attributes which contribute to the manifestation of
bodies and minds of living beings, li"e shape, mass, weight, color, smell, taste
and texture are the attributes contributing to the manifestation of the
experienced universe as inanimate outside ob#ects but the attributes of our bodies
and minds, li"e the biological structure and functions and the mental faculties of
cognition, emotions and thin"ing. 1hus, the universe, the various worlds and the
ob#ects therein, li"e stars, planets, mountains, rivers etc. and bodies and minds of
human beings, plants, animals, insects, gods and asuras are all the manifestation
of the combination of .xistence56onsciousness, the real and nama roopa, the
unreal.. 'll the time what we encounter is this combination of the real and the
unreal0 what we perceive is the unreal part0 we do not perceive the real part. n
our state of ignorance we ta"e the unreal part to be real. !hat lends existence to
the unreal nama roopa is the real, the 4rahman. 4ut for 4rahman providing the
sub5stratum of .xistence, the nama roopa cannot appear. 6onversely without
nama roopa, there will be no world for us to experience. 4rahman, the sub5
stratum, being avyavahaaryam *not accessible to transaction+, transaction
requires nama roopa. ' combination of existence and nama roopa is required for
experience and transaction. 4ut for this combination, there will be no samsara or
atma vicara or liberation from samsara. swara visuali3es and plans the creation,
"eeping in mind the requirements of the "armas of the #ivas and impels Faya to
unfold the nama roopa accordingly. 6reation *srshti+ is a cycle of pro#ection and
resolution of nama roopa. 'fter the "arma of the #ivas pertaining to the #anmas
of #ivas in a particular srshti is exhausted through en#oyment and suffering,
swara ma"es Faya withdraw the pro#ected nama roopa unto Gimself in his
aspect as Faya, there to remain, for a period, called %pralaya&, in potential form,
until "armas of #ivas fructify for the next srshti. 1he srshti, sthiti laya *creation,
maintenance, resolution+ cycle is without a beginning or end. 1he 'dvaita
concept of creation is called %vivarta vaada& indicating that creation is not real.
1he perceived world is mithya. Faya is mithya. swara is mithya. Faya is
parinaami upaadaana kaaranam *transforming material cause+ and swara is
nimitta kaaranam *intelligent cause+. 4rahman does not undergo change when
creation ta"es place, @emaining as the all pervading .xistence, 4rahman, by ts
mere presence, serves as the sub5stratum for the superimposition of nama roopa.
'nd by its mere presence, it enables the antah"arana of living beings to acquire
cidabhasa. !hen $astra tal"s 4rahman as the cause of the universe, we have to
understand that 4rahman)s role in the manifestation of the world is confined to
these two aspects.
Section 2 - The Conce3t of 4a!a
)A$id!a, 5ra6riti, 5radhaana, A$!a6tam, A$!aa6rtam, A7naanam And Tamas
Are S!non!ms.+
1. Faya has two powers - aavarana sakti and vikshepa sakti. 1hrough its avarana
sa"ti Faya engenders #iva)s ignorance of his true nature as 4rahman. 1o
distinguish this function of the avarana sa"ti, Faya is called %moola avidya&. 1o
denote the other function of the avarana sa"ti, obscuring the ob#ects of the world,
the word used is %toola avidya&. 'vidya *Faya+ is a positive entity0 a negative
entity cannot have powers. Faya is matter, constituted of three factors, satva,
ra#as and tamas. swara, being the master of Faya, is not affected by the avarana
sa"ti of Faya and is therefore ever aware of his true nature being 4rahman. 't
the vyashti *microcosmic+ level, in so far as #ivas are concerned, both the avarana
sa"ti and the vi"shepa sa"ti of Faya come into play. 1he avarana sa"ti ma"es
#ivas ignorant of their true nature as 4rahman and, as a consequence, adhyaasa
is engendered. 'dhyasa consists in our having the notion that nama roopa, the
perceived ob#ects outside and our own bodies and minds are real with that
mista"en notion of reality, in our identifying ourselves with our body mind
complex. 6onsequently, we regard ourselves as limited individuals, different from
4rahman and other beings, transact with other beings and things and, in this
process, ta"e on ourselves the problems, the #oy, suffering, fear, sense of
insecurity etc. belonging to the body and the mind . dentifying with the body
mind complex which does action, thin"s, en#oys and suffers and forgetting that
we are the relationless *asanga+ atma which is neither a doer nor en#oyer, we
regard ourselves as the doer *"arta+ and the en#oyer *bho"ta+. 9ur transactions
in the , with the sense of being the doer *kartrtvam+, result in our incurring the
liability to get rewards for good thoughts and deeds *called punya+ and
punishments for bad thoughts and deeds *called papa+ and, we have to discharge
the punya and papa debt in future births, in the form of en#oyment and suffering
*karmaphalam+. n the future births, we engage ourselves in further transactions
and incur further punya and papa. 1hus, we are caught up in the cycle of births
and deaths and en#oyment and suffering. 1his is what is called samsara. !hereas,
the macrocosmic cycle of creation *srishti+, maintenance *sthiti+ and resolution
*laya+ Kis endless as well as beginningless, individual samsara is not endless.
!hen we understand that we are not the body mind complex but we are the
infinite 4rahman, we get liberated from samsara.
/. 1hough avidya is the root cause of adhyasa, the primary lin" in the mechanism of
adhyasa is ahamartha. 1here is mutual superimposition of ahamartha and atma.
1he consciousness of atma is superimposed on ahamartha and ahamartha
assumes the status of a "nower owing to the reflection of consciousness.
6onversely, through the superimposition of ahamartha on atma, atma appears to
be a localised . 1hus we say, % "now&. !hen atma is conditioned by ahamartha,
we say,& "now&. !ith the addition of the mind to this mixture, we say, % am
happy&, % am miserable& etc.. !ithn the adiition of the body, we say % am a
man&.& am a father& etc. *Cide $ureswacarya in Naish"armyasiddhi .<2 and
1aittiriya >panishad 4hashya Carti"am . =<<+.
Section 18 - The meaning of 9i*eration
1. 1hus, the correct goal of human life, according to 'dvaita Cedanta is one)s
identification with 4rahman, i.e., displacing the %& from the body and aham"ara
and fixing the %& on 4rahman, the existence5consciousness5infinity. 1hen, when
say %&, the %& will no longer be the body and the aham"ara0 it will be 4rahman.
1his identification with 4rahman is called %aatma'jnaanam& or %#ivabrama'
aikya'jnaanam&. $entences in the sastra that reveal #ivabrahmai"yam *the
essential identity of #ivatma and paramatma+ are called mahaavaakyas. 1here
are innumerable mahava"yas in the >panishads. 8our of them are famous, one
in each Ceda, namely, %Tat tvam asi& *6handogya >panishad - $ama Ceda+,
%aham brahma asmi& *4rhadaranya"a >panishad - Ya#ur Ceda+, %ayam atma
brahma& *Fandu"ya >panishad - 'tharva Ceda+ and %pra#naanam brahma&,
*'itereya >panishad - @g. Ceda+. 1ranslated in .nglish, the four mahava"yas
are %1hou art 1hat& % am 4rahman& %1his atma is 4rahman& and %6onsciousness
is 4rahman&+.
2. n the process of the teaching, we also understand, as explained above, that the
only reality is 4rahman, the .xistence and all else, i.e., the perceived world of
ob#ects and our own body mind complexes is mithya. 1his understanding,
together with the understanding of %#ivabrahmai"yam& is expressed by the
famous sentence, %rahmasatyam jaganmithya, jivobrhmaiva naapara.&
*%4rahman is the reality0 the perceived world is mithya0 #iva is 4rahman, naught
else.&+ .1he moment this "nowledge is gained effectively, one is liberated from the
bondage of samsara in this very life. 1his liberation from the bondage of
samsara, is called %jivanmukti&. 1he one who has gained the "nowledge in this
very life, is called, %jivanmukta& or %jnaani".
;. t is not essential that one should renounce worldly life *become a sanyaasi+ to
gain the "nowledge. f one can go through the practices *called saadhanas+
prescribed for attaining mental purity, calmness and concentration of mind,
which are prerequisites for gaining effective "nowledge and devoting sufficient
time regularly and systematically under the guidance of a competent teacher to
the study of sastra, one can become a #nani even while one continues to be
engaged in the duties of one)s secular life.
Section 11 - The Significance of 9i*eration
1. 1he world perceived world does not disappear for a #nani. 4ut his
outloo" and attitude to the perceived world become different. Ge has
identified himself with non5dual reality, the infinite 4rahman. $ince he
"nows that the perceived world, including the body mind complex is
mithya, he has no sorrow, no anxiety, no fear, no desire, no hatred, no
worry and no sense of insecurity. n short, the #nani is not
psychologically affected by anything, good or bad, happening in the
world. n the dream win a big pri3e in a raffle or become a 4harat
@atna. 4ut when wa"e up, am not elated. n the dream have lost my
only son. 4ut when wa"e up, don)t feel sad. 1he fire in the movie has
burnt down the colony where reside but when wa"e up am sitting
comfortably in my house $imilar is the psychological freedom of the
#nani who is identified with the paramarthi"a satyam and is unaffected
by the vyavhari"a satyam. 1his is the paramarthi"a drhshti.
/. 1he freedom from disturbance from the empirical world is a
psychological freedom arising from the "nowledge of the identification
with the nfinite and does not extend to the physiological body. No
doubt, the #nani has no sorrow, no anxiety, no fear, no worry, no
craving, no attachment and no hatred. Gowever, the body mind
complex with which the person who has become a #nani is part of the
vyavahari"a world and as long as that body lives, there are duties
pertaining to it. $o, if the #nani is a householder, he does not cease to
perform the duties and obligations towards the body, the family and the
society. Ge does his duties with purpose but without any desire or
anxiety and he accepts the results of actions, good or bad, favorable or
unfavorable with spontaneous equanimity. . f the #nani is ill, he will
also go to the doctor, but he will do so without any anxiety. f his wife is
ill, the #nani will loo" after her with compassion but without sadness or
anxiety or worry. f the #nani)s son has to gain admission in a college,
the #nani will also ma"e efforts, but he will not do anything unrighteous
for it nor will he be sad if he fails in his efforts. f his son obtains the
first ran" in his class, the #nani will also be happy, but he will be equally
happy if the son of a complete stranger, instead of his son, secures the
first ran". .ven while he is transacting with the perceived world, the
deep undercurrent of thought that he is the 4rahman that is beyond the
vyavahari"a perceived world will be there. 1he #nani is li"e the actor on
the stage. 1oday, the actor plays the role of a beggar0 tomorrow, he may
play the role of a millionaire. 4ut he "nows that he is neither a beggar
nor a millionaire. Li"e that, the #nani plays the role of father, husband,
teacher and what not, committed but unattached and never without the
undercurrent in the mind that he is really none of these but he is the
relationless *asanga+ 4rahman. 9r if we can imagine a person who is
dreaming but is aware at that time itself that it is a dream and not real
we can "now the state of mind of the :ivanmu"ta 1his is the
paramarthi"a drshti.. . f the #nani is a sanyasi, whatever wor" he
underta"es, he will underta"e, not for himself, but for the welfare of
society or humanity or as an example for the common man. $incerity
and commitment will be there but, even here, there will be no
psychological reaction to success or failure. Gis efforts for himself will
be confined to the barest minimum requirements of sustenance and, if
he is so inclined to teaching Cedanta or establishing institutions for
such teaching.
2. 1he #nani is not dependent on anything except his identification with
4rahman for peace of mind and happiness. 1his does not mean that he
ceases to en#oy the good things of life, li"e good food or music or
literature, but he does not have desire for them. 1hat is to say, if it is
there and he chooses to spare the time for it, he en#oys it, but if it is not
there, he does not miss it. Ge may have taste, say, for music, but he has
no need for it0 he is happy with it or without. f he was a poet, he can
continue to be a poet. f he was a musician, he can continue to be a
musician. !hen he goes to a temple or church or mosque, he will also
do worship but he will do so with the "nowledge that he himself is
4rahman and it is the vyavahari"a body that is engaged in the worship.
1he long and short of it is that the %& of the #nani is 4rahman and
whatever action is done * by way of duties or utilisation of talents or lo"a
sangraha+ is done with the sense that it is not he but one of the myriad
body5mind complexes of the vyavahari"a creation that is doing it. 1he
awareness, ahambrahmasmi, running as an undercurrent when the
#nani)s body is engaged in vyavahara is called (sahaja samaadhi).
;. 's a vyavahari"a drshti, the #nani has the sense that he is all
*sarvaatmabhaava.&). $arvatmabhava is without pre#udice to the
"nowledge, %4rahmasatyam #aganmithya& !hereas asangatvam *the
sense that am satyam 4rahman, the world is mithya, the mithya world
cannot affect me, is paramarthi"a drshti, sarvatmabhava is a
vyavahari"a drshti0 it is a positive perspective of the all pervading aspect
of 4rahman. 1he #nani can say, %1he existence part of everything is
4rahman and am 4rahman. n this sense everything is myself. $ince
all cidabhasas are reflections of me, the 4rahma caitanyam, can regard
all vyavahari"a glories and all vyavahari"a happiness as my glory and
happiness.) 8or the #nani, everything that there is, everybody)s
happiness is his happiness, everybody)s "nowledge is his "nowledge and
everybody)s achievement is his achievement. 1his is not to be ta"en
literally. t is only an intellectual attitude. .ven a #nani can actually
en#oy only whatever falls within the scope of the body and the
antah"arana with which he was born. @egarding en#oyment of others,
en#oyment as his is only an attitude born out of the "nowledge that all
nama roopa exist on 4rahman. Gaving this attitude, the :nani has no
sense of lac"ing anything0 and so, is free of desire and he has a sense of
utter fulfillment *poornatvam) 1his is the meaning of 1aittiriya
>panishad passage */.1+ where #nana phalam is mentioned - %Ge who
"nows 4rahman as existing in the intellect which is lodged in the
supreme space in the heart, en#oys simultaneously, in identification
with the eternal 4rahman *which is omniscient, all5pervasive and the
atma of all+, all the desirable things $imilarly when the >panishad, in
6handogya eighth chapter, sections 1 and /, tal"s of freedom of
movement in all the worlds and obtaining whatever he desires as ob#ects
of en#oyment, it is not actual movement by the body or actual en#oyment
by the aham"ara, but an intellectual attitude born out of identification
with the all pervasive 4rahman which is the source of all ananda. *%(o
veda nihitam guhaayaam parame vyoman; so asnute sarvaaan
kaamaaan saha" +.
<. $arvatma bhava can be not only this intellectual attitude of happiness
and glory but freedom from hatred etc., since for the #nana, the atma of
all the vyavahari"a #ivas are non5different from his own atma and the
individual differences of characteristics are only on the mithya nama
roopa level. Fithya should not to be ta"en seriously. 1his enables the
#nani to have an attitude of compassion and freedom from negative
reactions li"e hatred, #ealousy, contempt etc. savasya >panishad = -
%Ge who sees all beings in the atma and the atma in all beings feels no
hatred.& *%(astu sarvaani bhootani atmani eva anupasyanti
sarvabhooteshu ca aatmaanam tato na vijugupsate&+. ($eeing all
beings in the atma) refers to the nama roopa and (seeing atma in all
beings (refers to the adhishtanam, 4rahman. !ith this vision, a #nani
loves all equally and he has no #ealousy or hatred towards anybody.
=. 1hus, jnana phalam, the benefit of the recognition of #ivabrahmai"yam,
is twofold 5 *i+ sarvatmabhava and poornatvam *from the standpoint of
the vyavahari"a plane */+ asangatvam * from the standpoint of the
paramarthi"a plane+, dismissing the nama roopa as unreal, the sense
that . the paramarthi"a alone am , infinite in terms of space, time and
entity and nothing on the vyahari"a plane can affect me 1he #nani thus
has the choice of ananda arising out of the attitude, % am everything&
or the peace of being relationless *asanga+ 4rahman. the "nowledge
that alone am, all else is mithya and nothing can affect me, the
satyam.& %Sarvatmabhava& *the sense that am all+ is without pre#udice
to the "nowledge, %4rahmasatyam #aganmithya& !hereas asangatvam
*the sense that am satyam 4rahman, the world is mithya0 the mithya
world cannot affect me is paramarthi"a drshti, sarvatmabhava is a
vyavahari"a drshti0 it is a positive perspective of the all pervading aspect
of 4rahman.
?. ' question that arises in the context of sarvatmabhava is that if a #nani
can, intellectually claim all happiness to be his happiness, why doesn)t
he, intellectually, claim all sorrow to be his sorrow. 1he answer is that
happiness is related to a sense of poornatvam and being identified with
$atya 4rahman, the poornam *infinite+, claiming happiness is all right.
4ut sorrow is a result of a sense of limitation arising from ignorance of
brahmatvam which is caused by the avarana sa"ti of Faya. Ge is free of
the avarana sa"ti of Faya and therefore he cannot claim sorrow. *f
sorrow were to belong really to atma, you can never negate sorrow.+
4rhadaranya"a 1.<./L which tal"s of an upasa"a who imagines he to be
the atma of all says that he is not affected by the sorrow of others.
M. $ince the #nani has disidentified with the body mind complex with
which he was born, he becomes free of the sancita "arma pertaining to
that body mind complex and there is no rebirth for the su"shma sarira
with which he was born. 'ction involves physical and mental
movement. Fovement is change in space and time. 1hought is also a
movement, being a modification of the mind. 4rahman being all
pervading, formless, attributeless *i.e., without any attributes+ and
changeless is not "arta *doer+ or bho"ta *en#oyer+. $ince the :nani is
identified with 4rahman, he is free from the sense of doership and
en#oyership, *i.e., free from the sense of engaging in action and
experiencing ob#ects+ *free from kartrtvam and bhoktrtvam+. 6f.
7athopanishad ./.xix - %Ge who thin"s that he is the "iller or the "illed
does not "now atma. 'tma neither "ills nor is "illed.& 'ction and
thought done or entertained with "artrtvam and bho"trtvam alone
results in the accumulation of punya and papa. $o, for the #nani, no
agami "arma accrues once he gains #nanam. 4rhadaranya"a
>panishad C.xxiv.2 - %Papa does not trouble him by producing the
desired result or generating sin, but, he, the "nower of 4rahman
consumes all papa, i.e., burns it to ashes with the fire of the reali3ation
of the $elf of all.& Gowever, as indicated by 6handogya >panishad
mantra C.xiv./ - %D.for the man of "nowledge, the delay is for so long
*as long as he does not become freed of the bodies and merges in
.xistence&, the prarabdha "arma gets exhausted only by through
en#oyment, #ust as an arrow that has gathered momentum after being
shot toward a target stops only with the exhaustion of its momentum.
4ut even here, there is a difference. !hile the physical aspect cannot be
avoided, on the psychological plane, the #nani is not disturbed. f
something good happens he does not gloat. f something bad happens,
he is not depressed. Ge ta"es everything that happens on the physical
plane as the prarabdha pertaining to the body5mind complex with which
he has already dissociated himself and therefore there is no disturbance
in his mind. 1he state in which :nani continues to live, disidentfied with
the body and aham"ara, is compared to the sna"e sloughing off its old
s"in.

Section 12 ( &no'ledge: The Sole 4eans of
9i*eration
9i*eration is 3ossi*le in this life itself. One /ho #s So 9i*erated, Called
;ii$anmu6ta, Attains <idehamu6ti /hen The Bod! .alls.
1. 'ccording to 'dvaita Cedanta, liberation from samsara, which is called moksha
or mukti, is obtained only through "nowledge of identity with 4rahman and not
through any "arma or upasana.
/. Liberation is not a new state or an event. 4eing the infinite 4rahman is our
eternal nature. 1he notion of being separate limited individuals sub#ect to the
bondage of samsara is only ignorance in the mind. 1he moment one gains the
"nowledge, % am 4rahman&, one discovers one)s true eternal nature. 1he event
that happens is only destruction of the ignorance in the mind. Liberation is only
owning up one)s true nature. 6f. $an"aracarya)s 4rahmasutra 4hashyam -
%D..for as 4rahman constitutes a person)s $elf, t is not something to be attained
by that person.& Fo"sha can be attained be a person in the current life itself. 1he
one who has got mo"sha in the current life itself is called. )iivanmukta.
:ivanmu"ti is li"e discovering a diamond one had misplaced and thought that he
had lost it.
2. n the case of ordinary people, i.e., those who have not identified themselves with
the nfinite 4rahman *called ajnaanis+, at the time of death, the su"shma sarira
and "arana sarira, along with cidabhasa, vasanas, i.e., habit5forming impressions
of experiences of thoughts and actions stored in the mind+ and the "arma *the
sancita "arma+ leave the sthoola sarira and enter another sthoola sarira in
another world or in this world. 4ut when the sthoola sarira of a #nani falls, the
sthoola sarira decomposes and merges in the pancabhootas, *a"asa, air, fire,
water and earth+, the su"shma sarira disintegrates, is dis5individualised and
merges in samashti su"shma sarira and the individuali3ed "arana sarira gets dis5
individualised and merges in Faya. $ince the aham"ara disintegrates, the sancita
"arma pertaining to that aham"ara is destroyed and the :iivanmu"ta (becomes
4rahman). 1his is called videhamukti.) (4ecomes 4rahman) or (Ferges in
4rahman) does not mean any event or transformation. 1he original consciousness
has ever been 4rahman. 's regards the death of the sthoola sarira and the
disintegration of the su"shma sarira, the #ivanmu"ta has already disowned them.
8or him, it is #ust one of the myriad bodies superimposed on 4rahman. 1he death
and disintegration are of no particular or concern to him. t is an incident only
from the point of other #ivas only. 's $an"aracarya clarifies in his bhashyam on
4rahma sutra ;, a #nani is asariiram not after death, but in this life itself. 1hus,
really spea"ing, there is no further mu"ti when videhamu"ti ta"es place. 8or
4rahman, there is nothing li"e superimpositions or their removal. 1he one who
has attained videhamu"ti is actually the nfinite 4rahman tself. Fo"sha is a
term applicable both to #ivanmu"ti and videhamu"ti.
Section 1" - &ramamu6ti
1. $astra also tal"s of a more difficult route of attaining liberation through
"nowledge. f one has done certain types of sakaama upaasana *upasana
with desire for benefits other than spiritual benefits+ 5 in addition to rites, in
one)s life but has not attained the doubt5free and abiding "nowledge that he
is 4rahman *ahambrhmasmi #nanam+ goes to the world of Giranyagarbha
*rahmaa+. 1here he has the opportunity to learn Cedanta from 4rahmaa
himself as the teacher. f he utili3es that opportunity, he becomes a
#ivanmu"ta in 4rahmaa)s world. 't the end of that 4rahmaa)s life, he also
attains videhamu"ti along with that 4rahmaa. 1his is called %kramamukti".
*1he word, %4rahmaa& should not be confused with 4rahman. 4rahmaa is an
aspect of swara, personified as a Jod, involved in the process of creation
and dissolution+. 6alled, also, Giranyagarbha, Ge is subordinate to swara.
8rom another angle swara is the macrocosmic causal body *samashti
kaarana sariiira which is the same as Faya) and Giranyagarbha is the
macrocosmic subtle body *samashti sukshma sariira+ and *iraat is the
macrocosmic physical body *samashti sthoola sariira+0 in all of them
4rahma caitanyam is reflected. 1he types of >pasana required to be done for
going to the Giranyagarbha lo"a include upasana on 9m"ara as 4rahman
or on +iranyagarbha, upasana of swara, as swara with various
attributes, or upasana of any other deity as a representative of swara,
imagining that deity to be himself *ahamgraha upaasana+ upasana on the
five fires * pancaagni upasana+ *4rhadaranya"a >panishad sixth chapter,
second 4rahmana, upasana on Jayatri mantra * 4rhadaranya"a >panishad
fifth chapter, fourteenth 4rahmana+. 6f. 6handogya >panishad 1.;.<, 1.B./,
2.1;./, 2.1;.;, ;.1<.<,<.1L.1L, <.12./;, <.1M.10 4rhadaranya"a 1.<./L, <.=.1,
<.?.1, <.12.;, <.1;.M, =./.1<, =.2.=+.