In a Zoom meeting with Ramana Kendra, Delhi, on 12th February 2022 Michael James discusses the meaning and implications of verses 3 to 8 of Upadēśa Sāraḥ:

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ईश्व रार्पितं नेच्छ याकृतम् ।

īśva rārpitaṁ nēccha yākṛtam

पदच्छेद: ईश्वर अर्पितम् न इच्छया कृतम् चित्त शोधकम् मुक्ति साधकम्.

Padacchēda: īśvara arpitam na icchayā kṛtam citta śōdhakam mukti sādhakam.

English translation: Offered to God, not done with desire, mind-purifier, liberation-accomplishing.

Explanatory paraphrase: [Action that is] not done with desire [but] offered [entrusted or transferred] to God [is] mind-purifier [and thereby indirectly] liberation-accomplishing.

काय वाङ्मनः कार्य मुत्तमम् ।

kāya vāṅmanaḥ kārya muttamam

पदच्छेद: काय वाच् मनः कार्यम् उत्तमम् पूजनम् जपः चिन्तनम् क्रमात्.

Padacchēda: kāya vāc manaḥ kāryam uttamam pūjanam japaḥ cintanam kramāt.

English translation: Worship, repetition and meditation, actions to be done by body, speech and mind, are progressively superior.

Explanatory paraphrase: Pūjana [worship], japa [repetition] and cintana [meditation], [which are] actions to be done by body, speech and mind [respectively], are [in this order] progressively superior [in their efficacy to purify the mind].

जगत ईशधी युक्त सेवनम् ।

jagata īśadhī yukta sēvanam

पदच्छेद: जगतः ईश धी युक्त सेवनम् अष्ट मूर्ति भृत् देव पूजनम्.

Padacchēda: jagataḥ īśa dhī yukta sēvanam aṣṭa mūrti bhṛt dēva pūjanam.

English translation: Worship of the world with the idea of God is worship of God having eightfold form.

Explanatory paraphrase: Worship of the world with the idea [that it is] God is worship of God having eightfold form.

उत्त मस्तवा दुच्च मन्दतः ।

utta mastavā ducca mandataḥ

पदच्छेद: उत्तम स्तवात् उच्च मन्दतः चित्तजम् जप ध्यानम् उत्तमम्.

Padacchēda: uttama stavāt ucca mandataḥ cittajam japa dhyānam uttamam.

English translation: Rather than the best praise, loud, soft, mental repetition, meditation is best.

Explanatory paraphrase: Rather than the best praise [or praise of the most exalted, namely God] [by chanting hymns], [japa or repetition of his name is better]; [rather than japa done] aloud, [japa that is soft is better]; [and rather than japa that is] soft, mental japa, [which is] dhyāna [meditation], is best [in the sense that it is a more effective means to purify the mind].

आज्य धारया स्रोत सासमम् ।

ājya dhārayā srōta sāsamam

पदच्छेद: आज्य धारया स्रोतसा समम् सरल चिन्तनम् विरलतः परम्.

Padacchēda: ājya dhārayā srōtasā samam sarala cintanam viralataḥ param.

English translation: Continuous meditation, like the flow of ghee, a river, is better than what is interrupted.

Explanatory paraphrase: Continuous [straight, steady or uninterrupted] meditation, like the flow of ghee or a river, is better than what [meditation] is interrupted [by thinking about anything other than God].

भेद भावना त्सोऽह मित्यसौ ।

bhēda bhāvanā tsō’ha mityasau

पदच्छेद: भेद भावनात् सः अहम् इति असौ भावना अभिदा पावनी मता.

Padacchēda: bhēda bhāvanāt saḥ aham iti asau bhāvanā abhidā pāvanī matā.

English translation: Rather than separating meditation, non-separating meditation, that as ‘he is I’, is considered purifying.

Explanatory paraphrase: Rather than separating meditation [meditation on God as if he were something separate from oneself], non-separating meditation [meditation on him as not separate from oneself], [in which it is recognised that] he is I, is considered [by sages and scriptures to be] purifying.

While discussing these verses, Michael also discusses the meaning and implications of various other passages from Bhagavan’s writings, including Upadēśa Undiyār, Nāṉ Ār?, Śrī Aruṇācala Aṣṭakam and Āṉma-Viddai.

This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-02-13 Ramana Kendra, Delhi: Michael James discusses Upadēśa Sāraḥ verses 3 to 8, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.