Arsha Vijnana Gurukulam

In this series Swaminiji will be expounding on the fourfold qualification, sādhana-catuṣṭayam required for gaining self-knowledge. This episode talks about the need for Vivēka - discernment between what is real (nitya) and unreal (anitya).

This last verse is the phala sruti. It has been made clear that Lord Dakshinamurti is the truth of everything, the manifested and the manifest is one and the same and this takes a form of Sarvātmābhāva whichi s the hallmark of a Jnani. Lord Dakishinamurti is the last frontier of duality that resolves into Sarvātmābhāva.

The teaching pedagogy of anvayavyatireka, invariable concomitance is talked about in verse 7. The invariable being the constant, unchanging aham, 'I' alone which makes all the variables come to light. The knowledge of which is taught by the compassionate Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti.

This knowledge in the form of Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti frees one from all limiting and disempowering notions and contentions. That light which is all knowledge, that Ātmā cognized in the mind 'as though' comes under the spell of maya.This covering is expounded on beautifully and all contentions are dismissed.

Mantra 4 talks about jñāpti svarūpa, that undifferentiated consciousness which is the indweller of this body-mind -sense complex which obtains as "I", and is Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti himself. Mantra 5, gets into the finer points of the different schools of philosophies for deeper clarity.

That sphuraṇaṃ, consciousness manifests as the whole world, lending its sentiency to all, making the insentient (asat) appear sentient (sat). To understand this, Swaminiji explains the manifest chaitanya in three ways as the adhiṣṭhāna-chaitanya, vrtti-gata-chaitanya, and sākṣī-gata-chaitanya. The truth of the chaitanya, being non-dually one.

The meaning of Maya Shakti was explained in the previous episode. Continuing, Swaminiji beautifully elucidates why the nature of this Jagat is māyākalpita, akin to a magician conjuring up an elaborate trick.

The waking world depends upon the waker. The first two mantras discussed in this episode are mahāpratijñā- encapsulates and sets the ground for what is to come. The first mantra explains the svarūpalakṣaṇan and the second mantra explains the taṭasthalakṣaṇa of Brahman.

As we begin the stotram, one is immediately introduced to the essence of Vedanta. The meaning of viśvaṃ is expounded upon beautifully whereby, the world is shown to be nothing but a product of one's 'I cognition'. Everything here is consciousness alone and seeing this as outside of oneself is the cause of sorrow and suffering.