Summary of Talk 7 by Swami Anubhavanandaji.
Compilation - Dr. Hegde, Mr. Ullas, Smt Padma Baliga & Smt. Jyothirmayi Kartik
Sloka number series will match the Gita Press version as advised by Swamiji Anubhavananda
Sloka 51
को नाम बन्धः कथमेष आगतः
कथं प्रतिष्ठास्य कथं विमोक्षः ।
कोऽसावनात्मा परमः क आत्मा
तयोर्विवेकः कथमेतदुच्यताम् ॥
ko nāma bandhaḥ kathameṣa āgataḥ
kathaṃ pratiṣṭhāsya kathaṃ vimokṣaḥ |
ko'sāvanātmā paramaḥ ka ātmā
tayorvivekaḥ kathametaducyatām || 51 ||
What, indeed, is bondage? How has it come? How does it continue to exist? How can one get out of it completely? What is this not-self? Who is the supreme Self? And what is the process of discrimination between these two (Self and not-self)? Please explain all these to me.
· The student says - I have a question vs this question is being asked by me. Latter focuses on the question and not on the ‘I’. I will be blessed if I hear the response from you, all my doubts will be clarified.
· Shades of questions – intended to evaluate the teacher, as an exposition to the teacher, Objection, Enquiry (to clear our doubts due to wrong notions)- curiosity to validate something. Last one is jignasa - an actual question with the intent of knowing the answer
· V51- 7 questions of a qualified student:
· 1. What is this bondage?
· 2. How does it come?
· 3. How does it remain so firm?
· 4. How can I get liberated?
· 5. What is Anatma?
· 6. What is Paramatma?
· 7. How do I discriminate between the two?
· Bondage - we are invoking only very little of our infinite potentiality, as a comfortable bird in a (golden) cage. Being in satsanga helps us realise our bondage.
· We must learn from every one of our experiences. Every experience is our Guru. Make every experience a spiritual examination. We cannot blame others or circumstances for our problem. Be self-dependent. Do your tasks yourself.
· Freedom - no dependence on anybody/thing. Dependence leads to expectations which lead to greed or anger - at some time or the other. We have to do the spiritual practice ourselves.
· Anatma - recognised by us as something other than the Self.
· What must we do in life? Unlike animals, seek the truth and not only aahar, nidra, bhaya & maithuna.
· Once we are firmly on the path it is equivalent to reaching the destination, as now it is just a matter of time.
· All the knowledge about Anatma is about rejecting/disproving the non-Self (Nishedah)
· All knowledge about Paramatma is about asserting about the Real Self/Truth (Vidhi)
Sloka 52
श्रीगुरुवाच
धन्योऽसि कृतकृत्योऽसि पावित ते कुलं त्वया ।
यदविद्याबन्धमुक्त्या ब्रह्मीभवितुमिच्छसि ॥
śrīguruvāca
dhanyo'si kṛtakṛtyo'si pāvita te kulaṃ tvayā |
yadavidyābandhamuktyā brahmībhavitumicchasi || 52 ||
The Guru replied: Blessed art thou! Thou hast achieved thy life’s end and hast sanctified thy family that thou wishes to attain Brahman by getting free from the bondage of Ignorance!
· You are great and blessed. You have done all that is needed to be done in this janma (i.e. seek the Truth).
· Due to you, your lineage will be blessed.
· You are on the right track now as a Seeker of the higher Truth
Sloka 53
ऋणमोचनकर्तारः पितुः सन्ति सुतादयः ।
बन्धमोचनकर्ता तु स्वस्मादन्यो न कश्चन ॥
ṛṇamocanakartāraḥ pituḥ santi sutādayaḥ |
bandhamocanakartā tu svasmādanyo na kaścana || 53 ||
Calmness and other practices have their meaning and they bear fruit indeed, only in one who has an intense spirit of renunciation and yearning for liberation
· God’s grace comes when our efforts are not enough, not when they are totally zero.
Sloka 54
एतयोर्मन्दता यत्र विरक्तत्वमुमुक्षयोः । मरौ सलीलवत्तत्र शमादेर्भानमात्रता ॥
etayormandatā yatra viraktatvamumukṣayoḥ | marau salīlavattatra śamāderbhānamātratā || 54 ||
Shama etc., become as ineffectual as a mirage in the desert in him who has a weak detachment and yearning for freedom
[In this and the next few Slokas the necessity of direct realisation is emphasised as the only means of removing Ignorance. ]
· Avidya (incomplete knowledge, that I am incomplete!), leads to desire, leads to action. Renounce.
Sloka 55 (Verses 54-57 focus on self-effort)
पथ्यमौषधसेवा च क्रियते येन रोगिणा ।
आरोग्यसिद्धिर्दृष्टास्य नान्यानुष्ठितकर्मणा ॥
pathyamauṣadhasevā ca kriyate yena rogiṇā |
ārogyasiddhirdṛṣṭāsya nānyānuṣṭhitakarmaṇā || 55 ||
The patient who takes (the proper) diet and medicine is alone seen to recover completely – not through work done by others.
· Financial debts can be paid by others who care for you. But denouncing your attachments and relationships/limitations has to be done by you. Others cannot do it for you.
· Who can help us other than ourselves? Nobody else can live or die for us. Others may help us only with the external burden. One must take the food/medicine for one’s own hunger/disease. Similarly, your spiritual practice is your own effort. Others cannot do it for you.
Sloka 56
वस्तुस्वरूपं स्फुटबोधचक्षुषा
स्वेनैव वेद्यं न तु पण्डितेन ।
चन्द्रस्वरूपं निजचक्षुषैव
ज्ञातव्यमन्यैरवगम्यते किम् ॥
vastusvarūpaṃ sphuṭabodhacakṣuṣā
svenaiva vedyaṃ na tu paṇḍitena |
candrasvarūpaṃ nijacakṣuṣaiva
jñātavyamanyairavagamyate kim || 56 ||
The true nature of things is to be known personally, through the eye of clear illumination, and not through a sage: what the moon exactly is, is to be known with one’s own eyes; can others make him know it?
· We can recognize an object when we see it ourselves.
· Someone describing the moon for you does not have the same effect as you having seen it yourself
· A reply to your question is not an answer. You have to find your own answers.
Sloka 57
अविद्याकामकर्मादिपाशबन्धं विमोचितुम् ।
कः शक्नुयाद्विनात्मानं कल्पकोटिशतैरपि ॥
avidyākāmakarmādipāśabandhaṃ vimocitum |
kaḥ śaknuyādvinātmānaṃ kalpakoṭiśatairapi || 57 ||
Who but one’s own self can get rid of the bondage caused by the fetters of Ignorance, desire, action and the like, aye, even in a hundred crore of cycles?
· Avidya, Kama, Karma - Knot of the heart – all 3 lead to bandhan
· Avidya -ignorance produces Kama or desire which gives rise to action
· Incomplete knowledge, that I am incomplete, leads to desire, leads to action
· Give up the hold on the finite.
· When we fail in our life it is because our efforts are not enough. Your best effort must match what is required to accomplish success
· We need to be fully convinced about the goal to put in efforts. When we are convinced of Atma jnanam only then we will step on the right path
· One cannot be forced to take it up by others
· In deep sleep, there is no sense of incompleteness, for we disassociate from the body.