F R I D A Y

FRIDAY CHANTING AT SRI RAMANASRAMAM (6-30 p.m)

1. Sri Dakshinamurti Stotram

Anma Bodam

Guru Stuti

And

Hastamalakam

(Versified translation of Sri Ramana Maharshi).

2. Arunachala Pancharatnam (Arunacahal Five Gems)

(Five Stanza of Sri Arunachala)

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SRI DAKSHINAMURTI STOTRAM

That Shankara who appeared as Dakshinamurti to grant peace to the great ascetics (Sanaka, Sanada, Sanatkumara and Sanatsujata), who revealed his rest state of silence, and who has expressed the nature of the Self in this hymn, abides in me.

He who teaches through silence the nature of the Supreme Brahman, who is a youth, who is the most eminent Guru surrounded by the most competent disciples that remain steadfast in Brahman, who has the hand pose indicating illumination, who is of the nature of bliss, who revels in himself, who has a benign countenance – that Father who has a south-facing form, we adore.

To him who by maya, as by dream, sees within himself the universe which is inside him, like a city that appears in a mirror, (but) which is manifested as if externally to him who apprehends, at the time of awakening, his own single Self, to him, the primal Guru, Dakshinamurti, may this obeisance be!

To him who like a magician or even like a great yogi displays, by his own power, this universe which at the beginning is undifferentiated like the sprout in the seed, but which is made differentiated under the varied conditions of space, time, and karma, and posited by maya to him, the Guru Dakshinamurti, may this obeisance be!

To him whose luminosity alone, which is of the nature of existence, shines forth, entering the objective world which is like the non-existent; to him who instructs those who resort to him through the text ‘That thou art’; to him by realizing whom there will be no more falling into the ocean of birth; to him who is the refuge of the ascetics, the Guru Dakshinamurti, may this obeisance be!

To him who is luminous like the light of a lamp set in a pot with many holes; to him whose knowledge moves outward through the eye and other sense organs; to him who is effulgent as ‘I know’, and the entire universe shines after him; to him, the unmoving Guru Dakshinamurti, nay this obeisance be!

They who know the ‘I’ as body, breath, senses, intellect, or the void, are deluded like women and children, and the blind and the stupid, and talk much. To him who destroys the great delusion produced by ignorance; to him who removes the obstacles to knowledge, the Guru Dakshinamurti, may this obeisance be!

O him, who sleeps when the manifested mind gets resolved, on account of the veiling by maya, like the sun or the moon in eclipse, and on waking recognizes self-existence in the form ‘I have slept till now’; to him the Guru of all that moves and moves not, Dakshinamurti, may this obeisance be!

To him, who by means of the hand-pose indicating illumination, manifests to his devotees his own Self that forever shines within as ‘I’, constantly, in all the inconstant states such as infancy, etc, and waking, etc – to him whose eye is of the form of the fire of knowledge, the Guru Dakshinamurti, may this obeisance be!

To the self who, deluded by maya, sees, in dreaming and waking, the universe in its distinctions such as cause and effect, master and servant, disciple and teacher, and father and son, to him, the Guru of the world, Dakshinamurti, may this obeisance be!

To him whose eightfold form is all this moving and unmoving universe, appearing as earth, water, fire, air, ether, the sun, the moon, and soul; beyond whom, supreme and all-pervading, there exist naught else for those who enquire – to him the gracious Guru Dakshinamurti, may this obeisance be!

Since, in this hymn, the all-self-hood has thus been explained, by listening to it, by reflecting on its meaning, by meditating on it, and by reciting it, there will come about lordship together with the supreme splendour consisting in all-self-hood; thence will be achieved, again, the unimpeded supernormal power presenting itself in eight forms.

ANMA BODAM

‘Can Shanakara, the enlightener of the Self, be different from one’s own Self? Who but he, does this day, abiding as the inmost Self in me, speak this in the Tamil language?’

This – Atma Bodha – is meant to fulfill the want of the seekers of liberation who, by their prolonged tapas, have already cleansed themselves of impurities and become mentally peaceful and free from desires.

Of all the means to liberation, knowledge is the only direct one – as essential as fire to cooking; without it, liberation cannot be gained.

Not being opposed to ignorance, karma does not destroy it. On the other hand, knowledge destroys ignorance as surely, as light does darkness.

Owing to ignorance, the Self now appears to be covered up; on the removal of ignorance, the pure Self will shine forth of Itself, like the sun after the dispersal of clouds.

The jiva is mixed up with ignorance. By constant practice of knowledge the jiva becomes pure, because knowledge disappears (along with ignorance), as the cleansing nut with the impurities in the water.

(but here is the world, how can the Self alone be real and non-dual?)

Samsara is full of likes and dislikes and other opposites. Like a dream, it seems real for the time being; but, on waking, it vanishes because it is unreal.

Because the dream is negated on waking, I know it to be unreal; but the world persists and I find it only real.

So long as the substratum of all, the non-dual Brahman is not seen, the world seems real – like illusory silver in a piece of mother –of –pearl.

But the world is so diverse; yet, you say there is one only.

Like bubbles rising on the surface of the waters of the ocean, all the worlds arise from, stay in and resolve into the Supreme Being (Paramesa) who is the root cause and prop of all.

In the Being-Consciousness-Bliss, which is all permeating, eternal Vishnu, all these diverse objects and individuals appear (as phenomena) like various ornaments made of gold.

Yes, but what about the numberless individual souls?

Just as the all-pervading akasa (ether) appears fragmented in different objects (as in a pit, a jar, a house, a theatre hall, etc) but remains undifferentiated on the limitation falling away, similarly with the single, non-dual ruler of the senses (seeming to function as gods, men, cattle, etc).

But the individuals have different traits and function according to different conditions.

The traits, etc. are also superimposed. Pure water (tasteless by itself) tastes sweet, bitter, salty, etc, according to the admixture in it (upadhis). Similarly, race, name, status, etc, are all superimposed on the non-dual Self of all. What are these upadhis which play such tricks on the Self? They are gross, subtle and very subtle as described here.

The gross body made up of the five gross elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether) is meant to reap the fruits of past actions in the shape of pleasure and pain.

The subtle body consisting of the five airs, the mind, intellect, the ten senses and made up of subtle elements is also meant for enjoyment (as in dreams).

Inexpressible and beginningless ignorance is said to be the causal body (as in deep sleep). Know the Self to be other than these three upadhis.

Doubt: If so, why is the Self not evident to me? On the other hand, Sruti says, ‘This Purusha is made up of annarasa (essence of food).’

Just as a clear crystal (itself colourless) appears red, blue, yellow, etc, according to the background, so also the Self, pure and untainted, seems to be identical with the body, the senses, the mind, intellect or blissful ignorance (panchakosas) when in contact with them.

Just as husking the paddy exposes the grain within (the rice), so also should one judiciously separate the pure Atman from the sheaths covering it.

Atman is said to be everywhere. Why should it then be judiciously looked for within the five sheaths?

Though always and everywhere present, the Self does not shine forth in all places. Just as light is reflected only in transparent medium, so also the Self is clearly seen in the intellect only.

The Self is realized in the intellect as the witness of the activities of, and yet separate from the body, the senses, the mind, intellect and gross nature (prakriti) as is a king in relation to his subjects.

The Self seems to participate in their activities; so he cannot be different from them, nor be their witness.

Just as the moon seems to move when the clouds around her move, so also the Self seems to the undiscriminating to be active, when actually, the senses are active.

To be active, the body, etc., must also be intelligent; they are said to be inert. How can they act without the intelligent Self participating in their actions?

Just as men do their duties in the light of the sun (but the sun does not participate in them), so also the body, senses, etc., function in the light of the Self without its participating in them.

True, the Self alone is intelligence. I know myself to be born, growing, decaying, happy, or unhappy and so on. Am I right?

No. The characteristics (birth, death, etc) of the body and the senses are superimposed on the Being-Consciousness-Bliss as is the blue in the sky by those who do not discriminate.

So also the characteristics of the mind, such as agency, etc., are by ignorance superimposed on the atman, as are the movements of water on the moon reflected in it.

Only when the intellect is manifested, likes and dislikes, pleasure and pain are felt. In deep sleep, the intellect remaining latent, they are not felt. Therefore, they are of the intellect and not of the Atman (the Self). Here is the real nature of the Atman.

As light is the very sun, coldness the water, heat the fire, so also the eternal, pure Being-Consciousness-Bliss is the very Self.

At some time or other, every individual experiences, ‘I am happy’ , and thus Being-Consciousness-Bliss experience is plain. How can one make the experience permanent and unchanging?

Being-Consciousness is of the Self; the ‘I” mode or modification is of the intellect; these are distinctly two. However, owing to ignorance, the individual mixes them together and thinks ‘I know’ and acts accordingly.

Never is there any change (or action) in Atman nor knowledge in the intellect. Only the Jiva is deluded into thinking itself to be the knower, doer and seer.

Like the snake in the rope, mistaking the jiva for the Self, one is subject to fear. If, on the other hand, one knows oneself not as a jiva but as the supreme Self, one is altogether free from fear.

Only the Self illumines the senses, intellect, etc., as a lamp does objects such as pots. The Self is not illumined by them as they are inert.

If the Self cannot be made known by the intellect, there will be no knower to know the Self and the Self cannot be known.

To see a light, no other light is needed. So also, the Self being self-effulgent, needs no other means of knowledge. It shines of itself.

If so, every one must be Self-realized, effortlessly, but it is not so.

On the strength of the Vedic teaching, ‘Not this, not this,’, eliminate all the adjuncts (upadhis) and with the help of the mahavakyas, realize the identity of the jivatman (individual self) with the paramatman (the supreme Self).

The whole objective world such as the body, is born of ignorance and transient like a bubble on water. Know the Self to be distinct from it and identical with Brahman (the Supreme).

Being distinct from the gross body, birth, death, old age, debility, etc., do not pertain to me. Not being the senses, I have no connection with the objects of the senses such as sound, etc.

The srutis declare, ‘I am not the vital air (prana) – not the mind, (but0 pure (Being)’. Not being the mind I am free from likes and dislikes, fear, etc.

‘I am free from qualities and actionless, eternal, undifferentiated, untainted, unchanging, formless, ever free and pure’.

‘Like ether, I am always pervading, all, in and out, unswerving, ever equal in all, pure, untainted, clear and unshaken’.

‘That which remains eternal, pure, ever-free, all alone, unbroken bliss, non-dual, Being-Consciousness-Bliss, transcendent Brahman (the same) am I’.

Long, constant practice of ‘I am Brahman only’ destroys all vasanas (latent tendencies), born of ignorance as an efficacious remedy (rasayana) eradicates a disease.

Be dispassionate, keep the senses under control and let the mind not wander; sit in a solitary place and meditate on the Self as infinite and one alone.

Keep the mind pure; with keen intellect, resolve all that is objective into the Self and always meditate on the Self as clear and single like ether.

Having discarded all names and forms, you are now the knower of the Supreme Being and will remain as perfect Consciousness-Bliss.

Being the same as Consciousnes-Bliss, there is no longer any differenciation such as the knower and the known; and the Self shines forth as Itself.

If in this manner by process of constant meditation, the two pieces of wood, namely the Self and the ego are rubbed together, the flames from the fire of knowledge burn away the whole range of ignorance.
On knowledge destroying ignorance in this way, like the light of dawn scattering the darkness of night, the Self will rise like the sun in all its glory.

True – the Self is always here and now; yet it is not apparent, owing to ignorance. On ignorance being destroyed the Self seems as if it were gained, like the necklace on one’s own neck.

Just as in darkness a post is mistaken for a man, so is Brahman in ignorance is mistaken for jiva. If, however, the true nature of a jiva is seen, delusion vanishes.

Knowledge arising on the experience of reality immediately destroys the ignorant perception of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, which resemble the delusion of direction in darkness.

A jnani, who is a perfectly Self-realized yogi, sees by the eye of wisdom all objective phenomena to be in and of the Self and thus the Self to be the sole being.

How does he then act in the world?

Just as clay is the only material from which different utensils are formed (such as pots, jars, etc), so he sees that the Self, too, is the whole universe and there is nothing but the Self.

In order to be liberated while yet alive, the sage should completely eschew the adjuncts (upadhis) and thus gain the real nature of Being – Consiciousness-Bliss, like the maggot that truns into a wasp.

Having crossed the ocean of illusion and having killed the demons of likes and dislikes, the yogi, now united to shanti (peace), finds delight in the Self and so remains in his own glory.

The jivanmukta, freed from all desires for transient, external pleasures, delights in his own Self and remains clear and steady like lamp in a pot.

Like the ether akasa (ether) which remains untainted by the objects contained therein, the muni (sage) remains untainted by the adjuncts (upadhis) covering him. Being the all-knower he remains like one that knows not, and moves about like the air uncontaminated by the objects it touches.

On the dissolution of the adjuncts (the body, senses, etc), the sage now freed from particularities merges in the all permeating Being (Vishnu), like water in water, ether in ether or fire in fire.

There is no gain over and above this gain, no pleasure over and above this bliss, no knowledge over and above this knowledge, know this to be Brahman.

That on seeing which nothing remains to see, on becoming which there is no more return to samsara, on knowing which nothing remains to know, know that to be Brahman.

What fills everything, above, below and around, itself Being-Consciousness-Bliss, non-dual, infinite, eternal, one only, know that to be Brahman.

What remains as immutable, unbroken Bliss, and as one only, that which even the scriptures indirectly denote by the process of elimination as ‘not this, not this’, know the same to be Brahman.

Dependent of a fraction of the exhaustible Bliss of the Atman, all the gods such as Brahma enjoy bliss according to their grades.

Like the butter in milk, the objective universe is contained in it; all the activities are based on it alone. Therefore, Brahman is all-pervading.

What is neither subtle nor gross, short nor long produced nor spent, what is devoid of form, attribute, caste and name, know it to be Brahman.

By whose light the sun and other luminaries shine forth, but which is not itself illumined by them and in whose light all this is seen, know it to be Brahman.

Like fire in a piece of red-hot iron, Brahman permeates the whole world in and out and all through, makes it shine and itself also shines by itself.

Brahman is distinct from the universe, yet there remains nothing apart from Brahman. Should any other than Brahman appear, it is only an illusion like water in a mirage.

Whatever is seen or heard, it cannot be different from Brahman. True knowledge finds Brahman to be Being-Consciousness-Bliss and one without a second.

Only the eye of wisdom can see the omnipresent Being-Consciousness-Bliss, but not the eye of ignorance for a blind eye cannot see the sun.

Like gold freed from dross, the jiva (sadhaka) has all his impurities burnt away by the fire of knowledge bursting into flames fanned by sravana, manana and nidhidhyasana (hearing, reflection and contemplation) and now he shines forth by himself.

Because the sun of knowledge, the chaser of darkness has risen, the Atman shines in the expanse of the Heart as the omnipresent sustainer of all and illumines all.

He who bathes in the clear, warm, ever-refreshing waters of the Atman, which being available everywhere, here and now, need not be sought for in special centres and seasons, such a one remains actionless. He is the knower of all; he pervades all and is ever immortal.

SRI GURU STUTI

1. That is the Truth which the wise realize as the Self, the residuum left over on withdrawing from external objects, with or without form (ether, air, fire, water and earth), by a careful application of the scriptural text ‘Not this, not this’. That thou art!

2. That is the Truth which, after generating the fundamentals (ether, air, fire, water and earth, and entering the world, lies hidden beneath the five sheaths, and which has been threshed out by the wise with the pestle of discernment, just as the grain is recovered by threshing and winnowing the chaff. That thou art!

3. Just as wild horses are broken-in by whipping and stabling them, so also the unruly senses, straying among objects, are lashed by the whip of discrimination, showing that objects are unreal, and are tethered by the rope of pure intellect to the Self by the wise. Such is the Truth. That thou art!

4. The Truth has been ascertained by the wise to be the substratum which is different from the waking, dream, and deep sleep states, its own expanded modes, which indeed are held together by it like the flowers strung together on a garland. That thou art!

5. That is the Truth which the scriptures show to be the primal cause of all, elucidating the point clearly by such texts as ‘Purusha is all this’, ‘like gold in ornaments of gold’, etc. That thou art!

6. The Truth has been forcefully proclaimed by the scriptures in such texts as ‘He who is in the sun, is in man,’ ‘He who shines in the sun, shines in the right eye,’ etc. That thou art!

7. What pure Brahmins seek so eagerly by repetition of the Vedas, by religious gifts, by earnest application of their hard-earned knowledge and by renunciation, is the Truth. That thou art!

8.< That is the Truth which the valiant have got by seeking, with controlled mind, with abstinence, penance, etc, and by diving into the Self by the self. Realizing it, they are considered to be heroes with their highest purpose accomplished. That is the transcendental Satchidananda (Being-Consciousness-Bliss) after gaining which there is nothing more to worry about since perfect peace reigns. That thou art!

HASTAMALAKAM

1. ‘Who are you? Whose child are you? Whither are you bound? What is your name? Whence have you come? Oh Child! I should like to hear your reply to these questions.’ Thus spoke Sri Shankaracharya to the boy, and Hastamalaka replied as follows:

2. I am neither man, God, yaksha, Brahmin, kshatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmachari, householder, forest-dweller, nor sannyasi; But I am pure awareness alone.

3. Just as the sun causes all worldly movements, so do I – the ever-present, conscious Self – cause the mind to be active and the senses to function. Again, just as the ether is all-pervading, yet devoid of any specific qualities, so am I free from all qualities.

4. I am the conscious Self, ever-present and associated with everything in the same manner as heat is always associated with fire, I am that eternal, undifferentiated, unshaken Consciousness, on account of which the insentient mind and senses function, each in its own manner.

5. I am that conscious Self of whom the ego is not independent as the image in a mirror is not independent of the object reflected.

6. I am the unqualified, conscious Self, existing even after the extinction of buddhi just as the object remains ever the same even after the removal of the reflecting mirror.

7. I am eternal Consciousness, dissociated from the mind and senses, I am the mind of the mind, the eye of the eye, ear of the ear and so on. I am not cognizable by the mind and senses.

8. I am the eternal, single, conscious Self, reflected in various intellects, just as the sun is reflected on the surface of various sheets of water.

9. I am the single, conscious Self, illumining all intellects, just as the sun simultaneously illumines all eyes so that they perceive objects.

10. Only those eyes that are helped by the sun are capable of seeing objects, not others. The source from which the sun derives its power is myself.

11. Just as the reflections of the sun on agitated waters seems to break up, but remains perfect on a calm surface, so also am I, the conscious Self, unrecognizable in agitated intellects though I clearly shine in those which are calm.

12. Just as a fool thinks that the sun is entirely lost when it is hidden by dense clouds, so do people think that the ever-free Self is bound.

13. Just as the ether is all-pervading and unaffected by contact, so also does the ever-conscious Self pervade everything without being affected in any way. I am that Self.

14. Just as a transparent crystal takes on the lines of its background, but is in no way changed thereby, and just as the unchanging moon on being reflected on undulating surfaces appears agitated, so is it with you, the all-pervading God.

15. The truth of the Supreme Self has been revealed as clearly as a gooseberry is seen on the palm of the hand (Hastamalaka). Thus this work is named Hastamalaka Stotra. Hastamalaka the wise youth, is acclaimed as great by all on this earth.

ARUNACHALA PANCHARATNAM (Arunacahal Five Gems)

(Five Stanza of Sri Arunachala)

1. Ocean of Nectar; full of grace,

O self supreme, O Mount of Light,

Whose spreading rays engulf all things,

Shine as the Sun which makes

The heart-lotus blossom fair.

2. As on a screen of a wondrous picture,

On You, fair Mount, is all this world

Formed and sustained and then withdrawn.

Ever as ‘I’ in the heart you dance.

Hence are you called the Heart.

3. He whose pure mind turned inward searches

Whence this ‘I’ arises knows

The Self aright and merges in You,

Aruna Hill,

As a river in the sea.

4. The yogi who, leaving outward objects

And restraining mind and breath,

Holds you deep within the Heart

Sees, bright Aruna Lord, in you

The light and rises to great heights.

5. He who, with Heart to you surrendered,

Beholds for ever you alone,

Sees all things as forms of you

And loves and serves them as none other

Than the Self, O Aruna Hill,

Triumphs because he is immersed

In you whose being is pure bliss.

2. Arunachala Ramana composed this Pancharatnam, which is the essence of the Vedas in Sanskrit. The same out of boundless grace he has revealed to the world in lilting Tamil.

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Arunachala Ramana is the Supreme Being who sports within the lotus-hearts of all beings, beginning with Hari, in the form of consciousness. If one enters, with a heart melting with devotion, the abode in which the Supreme Being is shining, his eye of knowledge will be opened and he will become consciousness itself. The truth will become clear to him.

May the great name of divine Aruanchala last forever! May the five verses named after him last forever!

May the feet of the great Ramana from whose mouth this flower has come forth live forever!

May the pious devotees who seek refuge at those feet live forever!