Note: There may be a difference in the Shloka numbers in the document due to source variations. Request readers to go by the shloka contents than the number series.

Note: There may be a difference in the Shloka numbers in the document due to source variations. Request readers to go by the shloka contents than the number series.

Note: There may be a difference in the Shloka numbers in the document due to source variations. Request readers to go by the shloka contents than the number series.

Note: There may be a difference in the Shloka numbers in the document due to source variations. Request readers to go by the shloka contents than the number series.

Note: There may be a difference in the Shloka numbers in the document due to source variations. Request readers to go by the shloka contents than the number series.

Note: There may be a difference in the Shloka numbers in the document due to source variations. Request readers to go by the shloka contents than the number series.

Note: There may be a difference in the Shloka numbers in the document due to source variations. Request readers to go by the shloka contents than the number series.

Note: There may be a difference in the Shloka numbers in the document due to source variations. Request readers to go by the shloka contents than the number series.

Note: There may be a difference in the Shloka numbers in the document due to source variations. Request readers to go by the shloka contents than the number series.

Note: There may be a difference in the Shloka numbers in the document due to source variations. Request readers to go by the shloka contents than the number series.

Poojya Sri Anubhavananda Saraswati Vivekachooddamani Talk 8 20th October, 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeUwE20xtRU Summary of Talk 7 by Swami Anubhavanandaji. Compilation - Dr. Hegde, Mr. Ullas, Smt Padma Baliga & Smt. Jyothirmayi Kartik Sloka 55 अविद्याकामकर्मादिपाशबन्धं विमोचितुम् । कः शक्नुयाद्विनात्मानं कल्पकोटिशतैरपि ॥ ५५ ॥ avidyākāmakarmādipāśabandhaṃ vimocitum | kaḥ śaknuyādvinātmānaṃ kalpakoṭiśatairapi || 55 || 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? · Grace works in 4 ways: o God’s: by helping us come in contact with the mahatmas o Mahatamas’: by helping us seek the truth through studying the scriptures o Scriptures’: by revealing the truth about ourselves o Self: by working on the scriptural knowledge on our own selves (not for lecturing to others) · Two types of teachers. Acharyas who instruct and the Siddha parampara · Don’t be dependent on anything, discover your divine nature, · Avidya is incomplete knowledge part of hrudaya granti. · What we have done so far is desire fulfilment only · Satsang is part of the divine will where our unasked questions are answered, and all doubts are resolved. · Karma is action with a sense of doer-ship. We must get over this doer-ship notion. · One can be reborn many times and spend millions of years in relative existence. But you cannot attain liberation unless there is effort Sloka 56 न योगेन न सांख्येन कर्मणा नो न विद्यया । ब्रह्मात्मैकत्वबोधेन मोक्षः सिध्यति नान्यथा ॥ ५६ ॥ na yogena na sāṃkhyena karmaṇā no na vidyayā | brahmātmaikatvabodhena mokṣaḥ sidhyati nānyathā || 56 || Neither by Yoga, nor by Sānkhya, nor by work, nor by learning, but by the realisation of one's identity with Brahman is Liberation possible, and by no other means. · Liberation cannot be achieved by yoga (body oriented) or sankhya (Purusha prakriti bheda) or karma or upasana [here Vidya means Upasana. Not to be confused or misinterpreted as knowledge (vidya’s common meaning) cannot help liberation]. · The only way (none other) for liberation is by recognition of our infinite blissful being. · Turiya is not the 4th. State, it is the state. · None of these, if practiced mechanically, will bring on the highest knowledge—the absolute identity of the Jiva and Brahman—which alone, according to Advaita Vedanta, is the supreme way to liberation. · ‘Yoga’ may mean Hathayoga which strengthens the body. · According to the Sankhya philosophy liberation is achieved by the discrimination between Purasha and Prakriti. The Purusha is sentient but inactive, and all activity belongs to Prakriti, which is non-sentient, yet independent of the Purusha. The Sankhyas also believe in a plurality of Purushas. These are the main differences between the Sankhya and Vedanta philosophies. · Work for material ends, such as getting to heaven and so forth, is meant. Sloka 57 वीणाया रूपसौन्दर्यं तन्त्रीवादनसौष्ठवम् । प्रजारञ्ज्जनमात्रं तन्न साम्राज्याय कल्पते ॥ ५७ ॥ vīṇāyā rūpasaundaryaṃ tantrīvādanasauṣṭhavam | prajārañjjanamātraṃ tanna sāmrājyāya kalpate || 57 || The beauty of a veena’s form and the skill of playing on its strings serve merely to please a few persons; they do not suffice to confer sovereignty. · A veena exponent with a beautiful instrument can only entertain the audience for a while but cannot become King. · Similar these qualities cannot help one attain Liberation. Sloka 58 वाग्वैखरी शब्दझरी शास्त्रव्याख्यानकौशलम् । वैदुष्यं विदुषां तद्वद्भुक्तये न तु मुक्तये ॥ ५८ ॥ vāgvaikharī śabdajharī śāstravyākhyānakauśalam | vaiduṣyaṃ viduṣāṃ tadvadbhuktaye na tu muktaye || 58 || Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar, but are no good for Liberation. · Fluency, erudition, intelligence etc. can only be for entertainment not for liberation. · Well-spoken, skilled orators, erudite scholars are appreciated by the world but this does not aid in getting Liberation which does not depend on these qualities · If one has not realized the infinite blissful nature of their Self then all the scriptural study is useless. · They will only become erudite scholars and nothing more Sloka 59 अविज्ञाते परे तत्त्वे शास्त्राधीतिस्तु निष्फला । विज्ञातेऽपि परे तत्त्वे शास्त्राधीतिस्तु निष्फला ॥ ५९ ॥ avijñāte pare tattve śāstrādhītistu niṣphalā | vijñāte'pi pare tattve śāstrādhītistu niṣphalā || 59 || The study of the scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known. · If one has not come to realize one’s being infinite, whatever studies we have done from scriptures, is useless. · We have to discover ourselves. Have we become free from the world? Have we overcome the lack of self confidence? · If one has discovered the truth, there is no more need for the scriptures · If we have discovered the Truth then again shastras are useless! Why do we need scriptures to tell us about us being the infinite? We know we are. · Like food is not required after hunger is satiated. If you do not realize your limitations, then all your studies are futile. · Prior to realization, mere book-learning without Discrimination and Renunciation is useless as it cannot give us Freedom, and to the man of realization, it is even more so, as he has already achieved his life’s end. Sloka 60 शब्दजालं महारण्यं चित्तभ्रमणकारणम् । अतः प्रयत्नाज्ज्ञातव्यं तत्त्वज्ञैस्तत्त्वमात्मनः ॥ ६0 ॥ śabdajālaṃ mahāraṇyaṃ cittabhramaṇakāraṇam | ataḥ prayatnājjñātavyaṃ tattvajñaistattvamātmanaḥ || 60 || The scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest which merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self. · Words are like the wrappings and the chocolate is inside. Do not get lost in the wrappers. · One must put effort to know the import of the scriptures from the one who is abiding in the Truth. · Go seek the truth with complete dispassion. Only then you will find it. · Contemplate and find out what are the disturbances preventing you. Find out why. Do this patiently and step by step elevate your practices by reading, japa and other activities to remove the impact of any untoward events. Thus progress towards knowledge Sloka 61 अज्ञानसर्पदष्टस्य ब्रह्मज्ञानौषधं विना । किमु वेदैश्च शास्त्रैश्च किमु मन्त्रैः किमौषधैः ॥ ६१ ॥ ajñānasarpadaṣṭasya brahmajñānauṣadhaṃ vinā | kimu vedaiśca śāstraiśca kimu mantraiḥ kimauṣadhaiḥ || 61 || For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and Scriptures, Mantras and medicines to such a one? · One who is bitten by the snake of wrong notions (incomplete knowledge), without the medicine of self-knowledge (Brahma Jnanam) there is no use of karma kanda – rituals and services/seva etc. · What is the purpose of scriptural studies, rituals, mantras and yagjnas? · One does not need to do these rituals if one has no desires Sloka 62 न गच्छति विना पानं व्याधिरौषधशब्दतः । विनापरोक्षानुभवं ब्रह्मशब्दैर्न मुच्यते ॥ ६२ ॥ na gacchati vinā pānaṃ vyādhirauṣadhaśabdataḥ | vināparokṣānubhavaṃ brahmaśabdairna mucyate || 62 || A disease does not leave off if one simply utter the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realisation one cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman. · Just talking about Brahman, one can never attain liberation. · The finite demands repetition. The Infinite cannot be repeated. Therefore, we need to discover the Truth only once. Sloka 63 अकृत्वा दृश्यविलयमज्ञात्वा तत्त्वमात्मनः । ब्रह्मशब्दैः कुतो मुक्तिरुक्तिमात्रफलैर्नृणाम् ॥ ६३ ॥ akṛtvā dṛśyavilayamajñātvā tattvamātmanaḥ | brahmaśabdaiḥ kuto muktiruktimātraphalairnṛṇām || 63 || Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? -- It would result merely in an effort of speech. · By realizing one’s identity with Brahman, the one without a second; in Samadhi, one becomes the pure Chit (knowledge absolute), and the duality of subject and object vanishes altogether. Short of this, ignorance which is the cause of all evil is not destroyed · Live Vedanta not just talk so that you achieve the Realization · The teacher and the student part. Just teaching no decision making for the student. Never take decisions for others. Everyone must grow on their own. Vivekachoodamani Translation of verses covered on 20th October, 2020 by Sri Anubhavanandaji, with grateful thanks to Swami Gurubhaktanandaji and Swami Advayanandaji.

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.