Part 3 -
The next is about the ceremonial bath to be given.
ब्रह्मानन्दजलेनैव लोकाः सर्वे परिप्लुताः।
अच्छेद्योऽयमिति ध्यानमभिषेचनमात्मनः॥
brahmAnandajalenaiva lokAH sarve pariplutAH,
achChedyo.ayamiti dhyAnamabhiShechanamAtmanaH. 6
sarve lokAH = all the worlds, brahmAnanda-jalena-eva = only with the waters of the bliss of realization of brahman, pariplutaH = fully pervaded;
ayam = this (Atma) is, achChedyaH – one which cannot be broken, iti = such, dhyAnam = meditation, conviction, AtmanaH = to the supreme Self, abhiShechanam = ceremonial bath.
The firm conclusion in mind that all the worlds are pervaded by the waters of the bliss of brahman and that this continuum cannot be broken is the true ceremonial bath to the Atman.
Significant terms:
lokAH is the plural of lokaH, a world. The derivation (from the root lokRRi = to see) is ‘lokyate iti lokaH’ = ‘that which is looked at or perceived as such’. It refers to a state of mind or state of happiness or otherwise. There are fourteen lokAH, states of experience described in the books – seven below the bhU-loka, (or earth as we call it) and six above it. Obviously the worlds below denote the degree of misery, and the worlds above denote the degree of happiness. Different types of demigods stay in the heavenly loka-s and all those accursed live in the subterranean loka-s. The loka we live in is a place where we have an opportunity to do right or wrong actions and move on to a higher state or fall below to a lower state. Others are places where we get the result only. Various states of happiness are mere samples of the bliss of brahman.
Another aspect of the lokAH is that they are not only the states of existence but also the places of experience, as we see in pa~nchadashi (1-28). They are places of bhogya (object of experience) and bhoga (the experience), they are the places where the fruit of one’s action either sweet or bitter has to be ‘eaten’, i.e. to be experienced.
All this cosmology was accepted by Shankara but he also gave a philosophical view that gods and demons are our own pure and impure mental modes and the wars between gods and demons is but a clash within, and loka-s are different states of mind. (commentary on chhAndogya upaniShad (1-2-1))
achChedyaH: the word can be annotated from the gItA (2-24) where it is used to denote Atma i.e. brahman which is described as something which cannot be divided. Division etc. are the ‘bhUtachatuShtaya karyANi’ (applicable in the case of four elements) says the commentary by Shankarananda on the above word. There are two terms in logic – sAvayava (that which has parts), and niravayava (that which has no parts). There is a rule derived therein that anything which is made of parts is impermanent (anityam) and only the partless can be nityam – eternal. brahman is eternal and partless. We cannot see divisions in the all-encompassing one. brahman does not have the parichCheda-s, the limitations, with time and space.
The next is about offering of clothes.
निरावरणचैतन्यं प्रकाशोऽस्मीति चिन्तनम्।
आत्मलिङ्गस्य सद्वस्त्रमित्येवं चिन्तयेन्मुनिः॥
nirAvaraNachaitanyaM prakAsho.asmIti chintanam,
Atmali~ngasya sadvastramityevaM chintayenmuniH. 7
nirAvaraNa = that which cannot be circumscribed or encompassed, chaitanyam = consciousness, prakAshaH = light, asmi = I am, iti = such, chintanam = idea in mind;
Atmali~ngasya = for the Atmali~nga (annotated above), sadvastram = (metaphorically) truth as cloth, ityevam = in this manner, muniH = a thinker, chintayet = should think.
The firm realization ‘I am the unlimited Consciousness, and the Luminous Self’ should be considered the cloth (imbued with truth) to be offered to the Atman.
Significant terms:
sadvastram is a combination of sat = truth, and vastram = cloth. The realization noted in the first line is the truth, which is the cloth, metaphorically speaking, which can really ‘cover’ or describe the Atman.
The next ‘attendance’ is investiture with the sacred thread.
त्रिगुणात्माशेषलोकमालिकासूत्रमस्म्यहम्।
इति निश्चयमेवात्र ह्युपवीतं परं मतम्॥
triguNAtmasheShalokamAlikAsUtramasmyaham,
iti nishchayamevAtra hyupavItam param matam. 8
triguNAtma = made of the three guNa-s, asheSha = countless, loka-mAlikA = the string of lokA-s or worlds, sUtram = the thread which holds all the beads in a garland, aham asmi = I am;
iti = such, nishchayam = firm view, eva hi = is indeed, param = supreme, upavItam = the sacred thread, matam = it is held.
A firm view in mind that I am the continuing thread holding the garland of countless worlds made of the mutations of the three guNa-s, is the real sacred thread to be offered.
Significant terms:
triguNAtmaH refers to the worlds constituted by the three guNa-s (mentioned in sloka 3 above). As per the advaitic theory, mAyA, otherwise known as prakRRiti, consists of the three guNa-s, or tendencies in an equilibrium before creation (the sAmyAvasthA of the three), and the disturbance in the equilibrium results in creation. The worlds and all human life is said to be the result of such change. In the gItA (2-45) the word ‘traiguNyam’ is mentioned to refer to the world. At a different level, if we take the word lokaH to mean a state of experience, they are the result of the three different tendencies. These tendencies drive all human activity and hence any happy or unhappy result of that activity is a lokaH.
sUtram is the thread called consciousness which pervades all the states of experience/existence, and the j~nAni is aware that he is that consciousness principle.
upavItam is the loop of triple thread knotted together and worn across the torso. The three threads symbolize the three guNa-s noted above.
The next attendance is ‘gandha’ or fragrance.
अनेकवासनामिश्रप्रपञ्चोऽयम् धृतो मया।
नान्येनेत्यनुसन्धानम् आत्मनश्चन्दनं भवेत्॥
anekavAsanAmishraprapa~ncho.ayaM dhRRito mayA’
nAnyenetyanusandhAnaM Atmanashchandanam bhavet. 9
ayam = this, aneka-vAsanA-mishra = mixture of multitude of impressions left on the mind, prapa~nchaH = the world, mayA = by me, dhRRitaH = borne;
na-anyena = not by anyone else, iti = such, anusandhAnam = understanding, reconciliation, chandanam = fragrant sandalwood paste, bhavet = will be, AtmanaH = for the Atman.
A clear understanding that I bear the world which is a mixture of the multitude impressions on the mind is the befitting fragrance to be offered to the Atman.
Significant terms:
vAsanA is from the root ‘vas AchchAdane’ which means to cover, to wrap up. It is the same as in the word ‘IshAvAsyam’, (to be covered or enwrapped with the god-feeling). All the activities we do, either good or bad, leave certain impressions on the mind and such impressions collected over a period of time generate certain propensities in the behavior of a person. These latent impressions are called vAsanA-s. They are also called saMskAra-s. As per vedAnta it is not only the impressions of the current birth, but also those of the previous births travel along with the li~nga sharIra, the subtle body, in order to take another birth. It follows that a seeker has to get over these vAsanA-s which are an impediment to knowledge.
vAsanA also means smell, either good or bad just as the impressions in the mind which may be pleasant or unpleasant.
dhRRitaH mayA means ‘worn by me’, which means that they are not my nature but something superimposed on me.
The tenth sloka is about offering of flowers or akShata-s.
रजः सत्त्वतमोवृत्तित्यागरूपैस्तिलाक्षतैः।
आत्मलिङ्गं यजेन्नित्यं जीवन्मुक्तिप्रसिद्धये॥
rajaH sattva tamovRRittityAgarUpaiH tilAkShataiH,
Atmali~ngaM yajennityaM jIvanmukti prasiddhaye. 10
rajaH = the constituent mode or quality which impels activity, sattva = the quality or disposition for serenity, tamas = sloth, indolence, vRRitti = the mental modes (arising from the above three dispositions), tyAgarUpaiH = renouncing (these mental modes) which will serve as, tilAkShataiH =(by the) til seeds and akShata-s (rice smeared with vermillion for rituals);
nityam = always, Atmali~ngaM yajet = the Atman has to be worshipped, prasiddhaye = for attaining, jIvanmukti = liberation while being alive.
For attaining liberation while being alive one should worship the Atman with the renunciation of all the thought processes (arising out of the three guNa-s) treating them as offering of the til seeds and the sacred vermillion rice.
(The abandoning of thought processes is metaphorically shown as the pUjA materials til and akShata).
Significant terms:
tyAga has a wide meaning in vedAnta. Chapter 18 of gItA makes a distinction between renunciation of action and renunciation of the fruit of action, i.e. performing one’s duty without the ‘I’ feeling. The latter is eulogistically termed as tyAga (gItA (18-11)). In the present sloka, it is used to simply mean ‘giving up’, in the dictionary sense of the word. It refers to dissociation of mind from actions.
tila-s and akShata-s are used for ceremonially giving up something, as in donating something. Til seeds are used when something is given up in favour of the dead forefathers (manes), and the vermillion rice is used in case of gods. Books mention three types of indebtedness (RRiNa) for a human being; one to the manes, one to gods and one to the RRiShi-s (the spiritual tradition). The first two are rejected here saying that the protagonist in these sloka-s has got over the first two levels. Shankara seems to be silent about the third ‘indebtedness’ because it contributes to j~nAna.
vRRitti tyAga is abandoning all thought processes arising out of the three guNa-s – dispositions – mentioned above. It is not only the bad that is given up but also the good, for total karma kShaya – annihilation of action, to avoid rebirth. (vRRitti is a technical term which is usually translated as ‘mental modification’, because, according to vedAnta, the mind assumes the shape of the object it perceives, and hence it is a modification. It is a difficult concept for a general reader and hence I translated it as ‘thought’).
jIvanmukti is a state of liberation while being alive. A jIvanmukta can be a man of action or a man of contemplation. In the present context it refers to the latter, as Shankara is talking about giving up of all actions.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 4 Coming Soon...