ATMA BODHAM “KNOWLEDGE of the SELF” : Mantram - 53 - Swami Sri Adi Sankaracharya.

 

Chinmaya Mission 

The spiritual resonance echoed as Chinmaya Mission San Jose hosted a soul-stirring event featuring Sri Udayalur Kalyanaraman's nama sangeerthanam. 

In a momentous gathering, devotees immersed themselves in the divine melodies and sacred chants led by the renowned Kalyanaraman. 

With unwavering devotion, they embarked on a profound journey of spiritual enlightenment, guided by the melodious hymns that transcended earthly realms. 

The event served as a sanctified bridge between the mortal and the divine, nurturing the hearts and minds of all in attendance, creating an unforgettable evening of transcendence and inner peace.

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Tuesday, 05  Sep 2023 05:30.

(68 Mantras in 9 Chapters)

D. FREEDOM FROM LIMITATIONS: (51-53)

Mantram - 53.  As Water, Space & Light Dissolve into Themselves

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Mantram - 53.  As Water, Space & Light Dissolve into Themselves

1 

Upaadhi vilayaat vishnau   =  On the dissolution of the Upadhis, in the Spirit, the 

2 

nir-vishesham vishet munih;   =  the contemplative sage is absorbed in the all-pervading and attributeless One;

3 

jale jalam viyat vyomni   =  like water into water, space into space,

4 

tejah tejasi vaa yathaa.   =  and light into light.

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Commentary

In this mantram, it may appear from the words and the similes used, that the situation at 

the time of death is being referred to. It is not so. The state of Jivanmukti is being described, 

and Jivanmukti is liberation while still living! The resemblance to death is only because 

Jivanmukti is the death-knell of the Ego, which finally is destroyed when illumination comes.

How is Liberation attained? That is what is described here.

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1 

The Upadhis of the body, mind and intellect are dissolved by withdrawing all 

identification with them. This requires the maximum clarity of the intellect to accomplish.

2 

When the seeker does succeed in dissolving them, i.e. disidentifying with them, 

then the naturally occurring state of Self-realisation blossoms forth by itself. The blossoming 

takes the form of a total absorption of the individual self (ego) with the universal Self. 

3-4 

At this point, come the three similes which illustrate such a state of absorption of 

the little self into the universal Self.

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Like Water, Space and Light:

We have another 3 similes, as we did in the previous verse. Here, too, let us first see 

the inter-relationship between them before going into the details.

The three similes describe the merging process at three different levels: Water 

represents the merging at the gross level; Space represents it at the subtle level; and Light 

represents it at the causal level, the level of ignorance or darkness.

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i) Jale Jalam: 

At the gross level, merging can best be observed when water unites 

with water. There is complete mergence, which is irreversible. This is not so when solids 

unite, for they can again be separated. Air masses, too can unite perfectly, but then they are 

not visible.

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At the physical level the sage breaks through the barriers set up by the many 

different types of bodies creatures have. He sees the common Self in all of them. Thus he is 

not swayed by physical attributes in his judgement of people. Beautiful or ugly, lean or 

stout, Indian or Chinese – these are not important differences to the sage.

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ii) Viyat Vyomni: 

At the subtle level of the mind and intellect, Space becomes the 

perfect simile to illustrate mergence – not only because it is subtle, but because it is all -pervading. Everything physical is pervaded by space. Similarly, the subtle creation pervades 

the gross creation. Mind and intellect are superior to the body.

All mental differences such as caste superiority or inferiority, intelligent or dull, etc, 

are seen as the manifestations of the same Total Mind by the sage. He has transcended the 

individual mind and become one with the universal mind. This is the purpose of the Space 

simile.

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iii) Tejah Tejasi: 

At the causal level, ignorance or cosmic delusion is the factor that is 

being addressed. Light represents the Truth (Reality); darkness stands for Falsity (unreality).

There is no such thing as darkness merging with darkness for it is unreal. However, 

light can merge with light as they are real entities. Similarly, the Atman (Light of the Self) 

merges with Brahman (Universal Light) when ignorance is destroyed by knowledge. 

In all three cases above, the Upadhis are overcome, and Infinity is realized.

When the Upadhis are disidentified from the Self, the Self takes on its true identity 

of being free from all limitations, and immediately (as part of the same process) gets 

identified with the Supreme Self. It may be said that with the individual Self merges with the 

Supreme Self. Both of these are the same thing.

For the Jnani, it makes no difference whether he is a person who is knowledgeable in 

the secular fields of learning. He does not feel bad about such matters as this. When one has 

acquired a fortune, the paltry wealth of individuality is immaterial. There is no desire for 

having any status in knowledge.

Nor does the Jnani have any attachment to a fixed place to call his ‘own’, for he has 

come out of all sense of limitations, and rightfully the whole world belongs to him. When 

the river merges into the ocean, it loses its identity as a river. That identity is no longer 

relevant. The greater identity with the ocean puts the river identity into insignificance. So 

also, the greater divine personality has little use for the old limited personality. This is 

another conclusion that one can draw from this mantram

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Next

Chapter 8

Slogas - 54-67 (14 no.)

“Revelling in FREEDOM”

The BLISS of Realisation

A. MERITS OF THE REALISED STATE: (54-55

Slogam - 54: There is No Other Seeking – 1

To be continued

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