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Introduction to Vedanta

Topics 6 (part 2) and 7


Talk 4 on 19th August 2018

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


सदािशव-समार ां श राचाय-म माम्
अ दाचाय-पय ां व े गु -पर राम्

sadāśiva-samārambhāṃ śaṅkarācārya-
madhyamāṃ
asmadācārya-paryantāṃ vande guru-
paramparām

Beginning with Sadāśiva, through Adi Śaṅkarācārya in between and


upto my own Guru
I bow with reverence to the entire tradition of Guru lineage
Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in
Swami
Paramarthananda

(http://www.vedantavidyarthisangha.org/)

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Coverage
1. PURUṢĀRTHA
2. SCRIPTURES
3. VARṆA DHARMA
4. ĀŚRAMA DHARMA
5. KARMA YOGA
6. UPĀSANĀ YOGA
7. JÑĀNA YOGA
8. BHAKTI YOGA
9. PREPARATION FOR SELF ENQUIRY
10. ŚARĪRATRAYAM-– HUMAN PERSONALITY
11. THREE STATES AND FIVE KOŚAS
12. ĀTMĀ
13. CREATION
14. JĪVA IŚVARA AIKYAM
15. LAW OF KARMA
16. SUMMARY

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Recap

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Yoga-Steps /sequence
• Yoga - from the root yuj to combine, to unite
sādhaka the seeker and sādhyam the goal

3 levels of sādhanā or sādhanam - Yoga


1. Karma yoga-कम-योगः
2. Upāsana yoga- उपासन-योगः
3. Jñāna yoga- ान-योगः

These are not alternatives


Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in
Karma Yoga
• karma yoga is proper action with proper
attitude
• actions are categorized based on their
spiritual influence only
– Uttama karma aka sāttvika karma (17th and 18th
Chapter of Gītā) उ म-कमा ण
– Madhyama karma म यम-कमा ण
– Adhama karma अधम-कमा ण

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


प च महा-य ाः
pañca mahā yajñas
• Deva Yajña दे व-य ः
• Pitṛ Yajña पत-ृ य ः
• Brahma Yajña म-य ः
• Manuṣya Yajña मनु य-य ः
• Bhūta Yajña भत ू -य ः

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


 Bhāvanā or attitude
• Every karma is processed by the universal laws and
returns as phalam
• Therefore, every action becomes an offering to the
Lord (Īśvarārpaṇam) ई वरापणम ्
• Result or phalam becomes Īśvara Prasāda
ई वर सादः
• prasāda is sacred, never to be criticized, received
with a sense of fulfillment
• Īśvara arpaṇa bhava and Īśvara prasāda bhava leads
to equanimity…Samatvam..सम वम ्
• Samatvam will lead to very, very fast spiritual growth
which we call citta śuddhi िच शु
Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in
Citta Śuddhi-िच शु
• I understand that all my problems in life are
not caused by the world
• It is caused by my wrong handling of the world
• because of ignorance I – I handle the world
wrongly, therefore I suffer
• If I become the wise I – I know how to handle
the world. World is nandanavanam
• So ignorant I - is the problem, wise I is the
solution.
• This diagnosis is the result of karma yoga
which is otherwise called citta śuddhi.
Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in
Upāsana yoga
• Kāyika
• Vācika
• anudvega karam vākyam – make sure you do not hurt
• satyam- sensitize the mind to untruth
• priyam- speech must be pleasant
• Hitam - whatever is good to the listener also
• Mānasa

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Types of meditation
• Relaxation Meditation
• Concentration Meditation
• Expansion Meditation
• Value Meditation

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Relaxation Meditation
• Physical withdrawal, verbally withdrawing,
sensorily withdrawing
• De-stressing meditation
• Sitting for a few minutes relaxing
• Any kind

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Concentration Meditation
• training the mind to develop attention and
attention span
• capacity to focus in a field for a length of time
• Useful for material as well as spiritual pursuit
• Mānasa Japa or Mānasa Pūjā (eg: Śiva Mānasa
Pūjā)
• pdfs\Siva Manasa Puja.pdf

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Expansion Meditation
• Learning to expand the mind to visualize the
totality of creation
• Our perspective of ourselves, our problems,
our situations changes
• Our responses also change
• Meditation of the creation (Viśva rūpa
dhyānam)

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Value Meditation
• By changing my thought pattern
• Thoughts shape our future
• Daivī sampat of Chapter 16 of Gītā- List of values that
will take me towards spiritual goal

watch your thoughts, they become your words, watch your words they become you
actions, watch your actions, they become your habits, watch your habits they
become your character, watch your character it becomes your destiny.

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Daivī sampat-
chapter 16 of Gīta (1-3)
1. Fearlessness 10. Truthfulness
2. Purity 11. Renunciation
3. Scriptural study 12. Calmness and patience
4. Charity 13. Absence of slander
5. Sense-control 14. Absence of greed
6. Worship of God 15. Gentleness
7. Austerity 16. Modesty
8. Straightforwardness 17. Steadfastness and absence
9. Non-violence, kindness to of restlessness
all and absence of ill-will 18. Strength (fortitude)

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Value Meditation
• By changing my thought pattern
• Thoughts shape our future
• Daivī sampat of Chapter 16 of Gītā- List of values that
will take me towards spiritual goal
• Refrain/avoid/reduce/remove Āsurī sampat
• I change my thought and visualise myself as the
changed person
• value meditation is exploiting or utilizing our
saṅkalpa śakti.

watch your thoughts, they become your words, watch your words they become you
actions, watch your actions, they become your habits, watch your habits they
become your character, watch your character it becomes your destiny.

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Integration-ārjavam
• Body, Sense organs and mind must be healthy
individually
• Body, Sense organs and mind must function
as a team
• Conditioning and integration is important
• They should not be at cross-purpose
• Every time we lie-speech and mind conflict
• Punctuality is a very important discipline to
integrate the personality
• Karma yoga and upāsana yoga go together
Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in
Topic 7

JÑĀNA YOGA
ान-योग

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


JÑĀNA YOGA- ान-योग
• course of discipline meant for gaining knowledge
• Self-knowledge …..
• JÑĀNAM Refers to self-knowledge
• Self-knowledge gives us freedom or mokṣa- the
highest puruṣārtha
• mokṣa is freedom from bondage or dependence
dharma, artha and kāma
• Presence or absence of an object or person

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Mokṣa
• presence of objects will not cause strain in me
• the absence of objects will not create emptiness in me
• presence of people will not create the strain of relating
• absence of people will not create loneliness

नैव त य कृतेनाथ नाकृतेनेह क चन ।


न चा य सवभत ू ेषु कि चदथ यपा य:॥ ३.१८॥
naiva tasya kr̥tenārtho nākr̥teneha kaścana |
na cāsya sarvabhūteṣu kaścidarthavyapāśrayaḥ |

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


So what?
• The inner freedom gives me 3 fold virtues….
• Serenity prayer (samatvam)

Oh Lord, grant me the serenity to accept what cannot be


changed in life.
Oh Lord grant me the courage to change what can be changed in
life.
And Oh Lord grant me the wisdom to know what – what can be
changed and what cannot be changed. Especially with regard
to family members.
So Oh Lord – grant me the serenity, grant me the courage and
grant me the wisdom to discriminate.
Three virtues – acceptance, courage and discretion.
Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in
Acquiring Self-Knowledge
• Any knowledge can be acquired only by using
an instrument of knowledge
• Instrument is pramāṇaṃ माणम ्
• One who uses the instrument of knowledge is
pramātā माता
• Knowledge pramā मा ( ानं - jñānam)
• Object that is known is prameyam मेयम ्

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


The five instruments of knowledge
( माणम)्
Available to human beings, pauruṣeya pramānāni
• Perception ( य म)्
• Inference (अनमु ानम)्
• Postulate (अथाप ः)
• Comparison (उपमानम)्
• Non-cognition (अनुपलि धः)

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Process of cognition
• Instrument of knowledge depends on the
object of knowledge
• To know the color, I have to use the eyes
• To smell the flower, I have to use the nose
• Appropriate pramānam is important
• You cannot infer colour through ears

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


• All 5 instruments are extrovert instruments
• Good for objective universe
• Cannot be used to study the subject
• Eyes can see everything other than
• One’s own eyes

Subject is never available for objective study

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


• The eyes cannot study themselves, I cannot
study myself.
• To see my eye, I need an external factor, the
mirror
• All pauruṣeya pramānas, the 5 instruments
are inadequate to give me self-knowledge……
• I need a sixth pramāṇa to study the self, that
is śāstra pramāṇa
• This is not available with me, must be brought
from outside like a mirror
• apauruṣeya pramāṇam
Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in
Method of imparting knowledge
• ……
• Process of imparting knowledge (in general)
– Information
– Direct experience
• In self-knowledge no 2 step process
• Requires a different orientation
• Information Experience dichotomy does not
exist in self-knowledge ……..
• Self-knowledge is freedom from self-ignorance
Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in
Jñāna yoga
• śravaṇam ( वणम)्
• mananam (मननम)्
• nididhyāsanam ( न द यासनम)्

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


śravaṇaṃ ( वणम)्
• Consistent and systematic study of the
scriptures under a live and competent ācārya
• has to continue for a length of time during
which time, no questions are allowed
• get the comprehensive teaching from all
angles
• Be patient, śravaṇam ( वणम)् requires a lot
of patience
• Never come to a conclusion
• Never be judgmental, never be critical
Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in
Mananam मननम ्
• To clarify and remove doubts
• Scriptures handle all the possible questions
• in the form of a dialogue- गु - श य-संवादः guru śiṣya saṃvāda
• The śiṣya will have the questions that you have
• full freedom given to the rational mind, logical mind, scientific mind,
intellectual acumen for doubts
• the teacher is available to answer or to help the student in removing
all kinds of doubts – because doubts are obstacles to knowledge.
• mananam removes all the obstacles – in the intellect and makes the
knowledge into doubtless knowledge or conviction. न संशय- ानम ्
nissaṃśaya jñānam
• With regard to my essential nature, my real nature, my higher
nature.

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Nididhyāsanam - न द यासनम ्
• Assimilation and conviction
• Develops gradually …………

• What was our personality so far?


• Petty, bitter, ignorant, samsārins
• It has influenced our responses
• Low self-image

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


The transformation
• Satsanga
• Leading an alert and aware life
• Keeping in touch with śāstra
• Monitoring my response
• Ensuring my response is aligned to the
teaching
• Assimilation process continues gradually

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


Karma yoga is incomplete without Jñāna yoga,
Jñāna yoga is impossible without Karma yoga

- Swami Parmārthānanda

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


ॐ पण
ू मदः पणू मदं पण
ू ा पूणमद
ु यते
पण
ू य पणू मादाय पण
ू मेवाव श यते ॥
ॐ शाि तः शाि तः शाि तः ॥

oṁ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṁ
Pūrṇātpūrṇamudacyate
pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamēvāvaśiṣyate ॥
oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥

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Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


• RIDE
– R-Reduce all adharmic actions gradually: What are the avoidable
adharmic actions? Think if it is ethical, moral etc. Start living alertly
– I- Increase Dharmic activities. Activities that will service our
infrastructure
– D- Dedication of all activities as a worship to God.
– E-Experiencing the future as it unfolds as my own karma phalam as a
prasada coming from the Lord (Iswara prasada). I'm not to judge the
Karma Phalam as success or failure. (I'm bound to react when I treat it
as success or failure)

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in


4S- benefits from RIDE
• S-1: Self-respect
• S-2: Serenity
• S-3: Harmony of the set-up
• S-4: Spiritual growth:

Email: sanskritfromhome@vyomalabs.in Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in

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