· VivekaChoodamani Talk 1 13th Oct 2020 · Notes based on Swami Anubhavanandaji’s talks The ultimate spiritual practice is Satsang. – it corrects the wrong notions we have. All other practices cannot be fulfilling. As all problems are due to wrong notions. Satsanga corrects our notions, on jeeva, jagat and Ishwara. It makes us Self oriented. VCM of Adi Shankaracharya is an elementary book, for the elementary student. Like other prakarana granthas, it tells us to correct our vision and look inwards. The text followed is from the Gita press. The translator invokes his Guru Swami Poornananda. A droplet of his Guru’s Ananda can make the whole world happy. When we are on the spiritual path, we should never take a bylane. Guru must be seen from three levels. 1. Guru as person / as his physical body. 2. Our ability to learn from our experience 3. As Sat Chit Ananda. Guru tattva. Guru Brahma ..................1. Brahmaji converts samsari to seeker, Guru Vishnu .................2. To change life’s orientation, learn enough of this world, sustain this drive by Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara...3. Destroy temptations, wrong motives to spiritual pursuits. Verse 1 - Mangala Acharanam सर्ववेदान्तसिद्धान्तगोचरंतमगोचरम् । गोविन्दंपरमानन्दंसद्गुरुंप्रणतोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ १ ॥ sarvavedāntasiddhāntagocaraṃ tam agocaram | govindaṃparamānandaṃsadguruṃpraṇato'smyaham || 1 || Verse 1: “Namaskara Mangalacharana” || 1|| 1 sarva vedaanta siddhaanta Only through the Upanishads, is the essence of 2 gocharam tam agocharam; That perceived, not through any other means; 3 govindam paramaanandam To Govinda, who is of the nature of Bliss Absolute, 4 sadgurum pranato’smyaham. who is my Sad-Guru, I offer my salutations! I offer my respects to my Guru Govinda Bhagvatpada , who is a Sadguru, he is Paramanandam, poornaha. He is Sarva Vedanta siddhanta, Tat twamasi, Best salutation to a Guru mentioned Sant Gnaneshwar, just as the wave salutes by disappearing into ocean, Salute to Guru by disappearing / being a nobody. Ahaminasha bhaji. Of Ramanna I offer such that I disappear pranatosmi, The more subjective we become, the better we approach the sadguru. The “I” should disappear and only HE should remain. जन्तूनाांनरजन्मदुर्य्मतःपुांस््वांततोववप्रता तस्माद्वैददकधमयमागयपरताववद्वत्त्वमस्मा्परम्| आ्माना्मवववेचनांस्वनु्वोब्रह्मा्मनासांस्स्िवतः मुशिनोितजन्मकोदिसुकृतैःपुण्र्ैर्विनार्भ्र्ते||२|| jantūnāṁnarājanmadurlabhyamataḥpuṁstvaṁtatōvipratā tasmādvaidikadharmaṁārgaparatāvidvattvamasmātparam | ātmānātmavivēcanaṁsvanubhavōbrahmātmanāsaṁsthitiḥ Verse 2: Overview of the Whole Book 1 jantoonaam narajanma durlabham atah, pumstvam tatah viprataa; Among all living creatures, a human birth is very hard to obtain; further, more difficult is it to attain full manhood; and even rarer is a Sattwic attitude in life. 2 tasmaad vaidika dharma maarga parataa, vidvattvam asmaat param; Even then, steadfastness on the Vedic path is rarer than all these; correct knowledge from scriptures is more rare. 3 aatma anaatma vivechanam svanubhavah, brahmaatmanaa samsthitih; Discrimination between the Real and unreal, personal experience of being established firmly in identity with Brahman – what of them! 4 muktir no shata-janma-koti sukritaih, punyair vinaa labhyate. Indeed, liberation is no matter of chance – a hundred crores of lives lived intelligently, earn the merits without which it cannot be attained. Only when we are convinced of greatness of something we put effort, There are 6 chapters on greatness of Bhagavat mahapuran before the actual Purana starts. If we value the greatness of human life, quality of our life changes, Find your own way to keep your mind in good shape, All of us have two things in common, 1. Infinite potential, and 2. finite time. How to invoke the infinite in finite time. By birth all of us are Shudras, we can only cry , complain, as body we are helpless, With samskara a person become twice born or Dwija 3rd birth is Vipra with spiritual wisdom. Then we start to discriminate – between the atma and the anatma 1st step is that I am other than whatever I experience, I am the experiencer, the substrate of all three states of consciousness. God is one. Why disparity? Because of past karma. 6th chapter of Gita talks of Yoga brashta. We are the fortunate ones. Manushanam.. We are those lucky ones.This must be our last life. This is our last leap. We need grace too. We need to get out of Jeeva bhava ,दुर्य्ांरर्मेवैतद्देवानुग्रहहेतुकम्| मनुष्र््वांमुमुक्षु्वांमहापुरुषसांश्रर्ः ||३|| durlabhyaṁtrayaṁēvaitaddēvānugrahahētukam | manuṣyatvaṁmumukṣutvaṁmahāpuruṣasaṁśrayaḥ ||3|| Verse 3: The Three Graces of Life 1 durlabham trayam eva etad There are three things which are rare indeed; 2 deva anugraha hetukam; When found, they are due to the Lord’s Grace: 3 manushyatvam mumukshutvam i) a human birth, ii) yearning for liberation, and 4 mahaapurushha samshrayah. iii) the Grace of an elevated soul. र्ब्धध्वाकिचचन्नरजन्मदुर्य्ां तरावपपुांस््वांश्रुवतपारदियनम्| र्स््वा्ममुिौनर्तेतमूढधीः सह्या्महास्वांवववनहन््र्सद्ग्रहात्||४|| labdhvākathacinnarājanmadurlabhyaṁ tatrāpipuṁstvaṁśrutipāradarśanam | yastvātmamuktaunayatētamūḍhadhīḥ sahyātmahāsvaṁvinihantyaśadgrahāt ||4|| Verse 4: Why Not Strive Now Itself? 1 labdhvaa kathanchit narajanma durlabham Having somehow gained a human embodiment, very hard to obtain; 2 tatra api pumstvam shruti paaradarshanam; and there having a masculine temperament, and also a complete knowledge of the scriptures; 3 yastvaatmamuktau na yateta moodhha dheeh such a man, if he strives not for Self-realisation, is one of foolish intellect, indeed. 4 sa hi aatma-haa svam vinihanti asad grahaat. He verily commits suicide, clinging to things unreal.