Vivekachoodamani : ( 05/05/2013. )

 ======================================================================= ======================================================================= Tuesday,November 23,  2021. 7:00. AM.  VIVEKACHOODAMANI VOLUME : 1. The PURPOSE of Human Life PART 1: (Sloka-s 1-66, 66 No.) 1.5 APPROACHING ONE’S GURU ( Sloka 32b-40, 9 No.) ======================================================================= Slokam 33: The Qualifications of a Guru : "shrotriyah avrijinah akaama  hatah yah brahmavittamah;  brahmani uparatah shaantah nirindhanah iva analah;  ahetuka dayaa sindhuh bandhuh aanamataam sataam." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Translation : "One well-versed in scriptures, sinless and unsmitten by desires;  who is a full knower of the Supreme, abiding peacefully in the Supreme, like fire that is devoid of fuel;  who is an ocean of mercy needing no cause for its expression; and  is an intimate frie

 ------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- Friday, September 17,  2021. 7:14. AM.  VIVEKACHOODAMANI VOLUME : 1. The PURPOSE of Human Life PART 1: (Sloka-s 1-66, 66 No.) 1.5 APPROACHING ONE’S GURU ( Sloka 32b-40, 9 No.) ------------------------------ -------------------------------- Slokam-s 32 CONTINUES by introducing a totally different theme – the meeting of the Master with his disciple. From here on, in nine exquisite verses of great poetic beauty, the themes covered are: i) The Guru: – what is it that makes him so sought after by an aspirant. ii) The Disciple: – what openness and humility marks him out to receive the teaching. iii) Their Sacred Relationship: The greatness of the love and devotion that is the basis of the Guru-disciple relationship. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Shankaracharyaji, this is some

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday, August 6,  2021. 7:14. AM.  VIVEKACHOODAMANI VOLUME : 1. The PURPOSE of Human Life PART 1: (Sloka-s 1-66, 66 No.) 1.4 QUALIFICATIONS of DISCIPLE & GURU (Sloka-s 17-32a, 15 No.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Slokam 32a : Bhakti Inseparable from Self-Knowledge. "1 svaatma tattva anusandhaanam Constant enquiry into the Real nature of one’s Self 2 bhaktih iti apare jaguh; is declared by others as defining Bhakti.". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Commentary : Slokam 32 is a little unusual. Not only has it got two distinct parts, but also the two parts fall into two separate Chapters! Th

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, June 28,  2021. 07:48. AM.  VIVEKACHOODAMANI VOLUME : 1. The PURPOSE of Human Life PART 1: (Sloka-s 1-66, 66 No.) 1.4 QUALIFICATIONS of DISCIPLE & GURU (Sloka-s 17-32a, 15 No.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Slokam  31 : 6. The Place of BHAKTI "Moksha-karana-samagryaam bhaktih eva gareyase;  svasvaroopa anusandhaanam bhaktih iti abhidheeyate." || 31|| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Translation : 1 mokshha-kaarana-saamagryaam     =  Among the ingredients necessary for liberation, 2 bhaktih eva gareeyasee;                 =  Devotion alone is the most important. 3 svasvaroopa anusandhaanam         =  Constant attempt to live up to one’s Real nature 4 bhaktih iti abhidheeyate.                =  is designated as Bhakti. ---------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, May 08,  2021. 07:21. AM.  VIVEKACHOODAMANI VOLUME : 1. The PURPOSE of Human Life PART 1: (Sloka-s 1-66, 66 No.) 1.4 QUALIFICATIONS of DISCIPLE & GURU (Sloka-s 17-32a, 15 No.) The four-fold qualifications (Slokas 18-30) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Slokam 29 : The Primary Qualifications "vairaagyam cha mumukshhutvam  teevram yasya tu vidyate; tasmin eva arthavantah syuh phalavantah shamaadayah." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Translation : 1. Vairaagyam cha mumukshhutvam        =   The spirit of Renunciation and a Yearning for liberation of an 2 teevram yasya tu vidyate; intense type   =   he in whom these are prese

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday, April 03,  2021. 05:19. PM.  VIVEKACHOODAMANI VOLUME : 1. The PURPOSE of Human Life PART 1: (Sloka-s 1-66, 66 No.) 1.4 QUALIFICATIONS of DISCIPLE & GURU (Sloka-s 17-32a, 15 No.) The four-fold qualifications (Slokas 18-30) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Slokam - 27 : 4. MUMUKSHUTVA "1 ahangkaaraadi dehaantaan  2 bandha anajnaana kalpitaan;   3 svasvaroopaavabodhena   4.moktum ichchhaa mumukshhutaa."  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Translation : 1 Ahangkaaraadi dehaantaan              =  From ego-sense right down to the body-idea, 2 bandha anajnaana kalpitaan;           =  all bondages are created by ignorance. 3 svasvaroopaavabodhena               =  By the knowledge of one’s own real nature, 4.moktum ichchhaa mumukshhutaa. =  to be freed from these (bondages) – such a desire is called

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, March 02,  2021. 07:40. AM.  VIVEKACHOODAMANI VOLUME : 1. The PURPOSE of Human Life PART 1: (Sloka-s 1-66, 66 No.) 1.4 QUALIFICATIONS of DISCIPLE & GURU (Sloka-s 17-32a, 15 No.) The four-fold qualifications (Slokas 18-30) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Slokam - 24: 3.4 TITIKSHAA 1 "Sahanam sarva duhkhaanaam 2 aprateekaara-poorvakam;  3 chintaa-vilaa-parahitam 4 saa titikshhaa nigadyate." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Translation : 1 Sahanam sarva duhkhaanaam = Endurance of all sorrows and suffering, 2 aprateekaara-poorvakam;       = without struggling for redress or revenge, 3 chintaa-vilaa-parahitam          =  and free always from anxiety and lament – 4 saa titikshhaa nigadyate.         =  that is proclaimed to be Titiksha (Endurance). -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday, January 30,  2021. 09:57. AM.  VIVEKACHOODAMANI VOLUME : 1. The PURPOSE of Human Life PART 1: (Sloka-s 1-66, 66 No.) 1.4 QUALIFICATIONS of DISCIPLE & GURU (Sloka-s 17-32a, 15 No.) The four-fold qualifications (Slokas 18-30) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Slokam - 22: 3.1 SHAMA "virajya vishhaya vraataad doshha drishhtyaa muhurmuhuh; svalakshhye niyata avasthaa manasah shama uchyate. "  --------------------------------------------------------------------------- virajya vishhaya vraataad             =   Detached from the chaos of sense objects, doshha drishhtyaa muhurmuhuh; =   through a process of continuous observation of their defects again and again; svalakshhye niyata avasthaa         =   resting constantly in contemplation of the Goal – manasah shama uchyate.             =

  ---------------------------------------------- Friday, January 15,  2021. 07:26. AM.  VIVEKACHOODAMANI VOLUME : 1. The PURPOSE of Human Life PART 1: (Sloka-s 1-66, 66 No.) 1.4 QUALIFICATIONS of DISCIPLE & GURU (Sloka-s 17-32a, 15 No.) The four-fold qualifications (Slokas 18-30) -------------------------------------------- Slokam - 21: 2. VAIRAAGYA "tad vairaagyam jihaasaa yaa darshana shravana aadibhih; dehaadi brahma paryante hi anitye bhogavastuni." ---------------------------------------------- Translation : 1 tad vairaagyam jihaasaa yaa Vairagya is defined as – “The desire to give up 2 darshana shravana aadibhih; the seeing, hearing, etc, 3 dehaadi brahma paryante from the mortal body right up to the world of Brahma, 4 hi anitye bhogavastuni. of all objects of enjoyment as they are merely transient ---------------------------------------------------- Commentary : 1 The word used for giving up is Jihaasaa (some even use the word Jugupsa, which includes the suggestion

  Tuesday, January 05,  2021. 09:45. AM.  VIVEKACHOODAMANI VOLUME : 1. The PURPOSE of Human Life PART 1: (Sloka-s 1-66, 66 No.) 1.4 QUALIFICATIONS of DISCIPLE & GURU (Sloka-s 17-32a, 15 No.) The four-fold qualifications (verses 18-30) Slokam - 20: VIVEKAM - 1. "1.brahma satyam jaganmithyaa 2 iti evam roopah vinishchayah;  3 sah ayam nitya-anitya vastu 4 vivekah samudaahritah." Translation- 1 brahma satyam jaganmithyaa = “Brahman alone is real; the world is unreal” – 2 iti evam roopah vinishchayah; =  when this conclusion becomes a firm conviction; 3 sah ayam nitya-anitya vastu       =Such discrimination between the Real and Unreal 4 vivekah samudaahritah. is considered to be Viveka. =is considered to be Viveka. Tatvam (Essence) :  In Viveka Choodamani, as compared with the basic text Tattva Bodha, the author takes the definition of Viveka a notch further. In Tattva Bodha, the discrimination was between the “permanent and the impermanent”. Hearing this, a seeker may still