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Location: India

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Sloka 11 and 12

Hari OM,

SLOKA 11:

naanopaadhivashaadeva jaativarNaashramaadayaH .
aatmanyaaropitaastoye rasavarNaadi bhedavat.h .. 11.

Pada artha:
Naanaa upaadi vashaat: because of association with different conditionings (Upadhis)
Eva: only
Jaati varga ashrama aadayaha: caste, color, position etc.
Aatmaani: upon the atman
Aropitaha: are superimposed
Toye: on water
Rasa varna aadi bhedavat: differences such as flavor, color, etc.

Because of Its association with different conditionings (Upadhis) such ideas as caste, color and position are super-imposed upon the Atman, as flavour, colour, etc., are super-imposed on water.

In the previous sloka, we learnt that the Self which is ever free from associations seems to be limited only due to the upadhis. Like the unlimited space that appears to take different shapes due to boundaries, the infinite Self appears to be limited only due to ignorance. Acharya is explaining this again in this sloka also through another example.

Water in its natural state is pure and has no taste or color or flavor but due to its association with impurities such as mud, it may appear to be brown, impure etc. Similarly, the non dual Atman can never have any associations and hence is verily bliss but due to ignorance one tends to super impose the characteristics of caste, color, position etc on it. It is only because of these illusory associations that the Self appears to be limited and hence arises all miseries. The upadhis which are created by ignorance are the gross, subtle and causal bodies.
As Acharya explains in the previous verse, when these are removed, there is but bliss absolute alone, i.e. the Self alone. Hence a seeker must learn to discriminate the reality from the non reality i.e. the Self from the Upadhis that seem to limit it.

Let us learn about these in the next few verses

SLOKA 12:

Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Gurudevo Maheshwaraha
Guru sakshaat parabrahma tasmaishree Guruve namaha.

Salutations to that guru who is the very personification of knowledge, who is the guiding light from the misery from ignorance to the ever present bliss of Self, Salutations to that Guru who is verily existence, consciousness and bliss.

On this auspicious occasion of Guru poornima, by offering our prayers once again to such a Guru, let us continue to the next sloka.

pa.nchiikR^itamahaabhuutasambhavaM karmasa.nchitam.h .
shariiraM sukhaduHkhaanaaM bhogaayatanamuchyate .. 12..

Pada artha:
Panchikrutam: (the five elements) that have gone through the process of fivefold self division abd mutual combination
Sahaa bhoota sambhavat: made up of five elements
Karma sanchitam-determined by one’s own past actions
Shareeram: the gross body
Sukha dukhaanam: for pleasure and pain
Bhogayaatanm: medium of experiencing
Uchyate: is said

Determined for each individual by his own past actions and made up of the Five elements – that have gone through the process of “five-fold self-division and mutual combination” (Pancheekarana) – are born the gross-body, the medium through which pleasure and pain are experienced, the tent-of-experiences.

In the previous two slokas we learnt that it is only due to illusory Upadhis that the ever free, untainted non dual Self is mistaken as limited. Just like the water that acquires color and taste due to its association with impurities or like the space that seems to be limited due to the impurities, the Self due to its association with the limiting adjuncts seems limited and hence subjected to all misery.

Acharya is explaining in this sloka on how these upadhis emerge. Acharya here is explaining the first Upadhi which is the gross body made of pancheekarana. The physical body which is made of the five elements of fire, air, water, earth and space is formed by the process of Pancheekarana as we have learnt in the first chapter of Panchadashi.

This gross body is said to be obtained based on our past actions. Based on the karma phala or fruits of our previous actions, the jeeva acquires a physical body which is suitable for the enjoyment of all the pleasures and pains that are the effects of various past actions. Through the sense organs, one experiences the outer world of duality and thus the aversions and attachments arising from it. This gross body hence is called as anequipment through which all the pleasures and pains are experienced.

Thus the gross body which is acquired as a result of actions and thoughts arising out of ignorance of one’s true nature of Self is never permanent nor sentient and hence is only an adjunct of Self. Acharya next explains about the subtle body in the next sloka.

My prostrations again to AMMA by whose love and grace, the confusions and ignorance about the Reality of Self are being removed through learning of works of various Acharyas.

Hari OM

With regards,
Mallika R
What you have is God's gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift to God

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