[Advaita-l] 'dhyAna, dhAraNa, etc.'

[vinayaka ns]

2012/10/13 V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>

>
>
> Apart from the above, I would like to draw the attention of aspirants to a
> word 'upAsanam' used in the sense of 'sAkShAt-jnAna-sAdhanam' (most
> proximate means to knowledge/liberation in this section of the bhashyam:
> श्रुतज्ञानव्यतिरेकादुपासनस्य ।...उपासनं च श्रुतज्ञानादर्थान्तरं विधीयते
> मोक्षफलम् । अर्थान्तरप्रसिद्धिश्च स्यात्; ’श्रोतव्यः’ इत्युक्त्वा
> तद्व्यतिरेकेण ’मन्तव्यो निदिध्यासितव्यः’ इति यत्नान्तरविधनात्,
> मनननिदिध्यासनयोश्च प्रसिद्धं श्रवणज्ञानादर्थान्तरत्वम् ।
>
> Here Shankara is differentiating the knowledge arising from mere shravaNa
> from Knowledge that results from the exercise of 'mananam and
> nididhyAsanam'.  I think the difference is a comprehensive one: first only
> paroksha jnanam from shravanam and only later the aparoksha jnanam arises
> from manana-nididhyAsanam.
>

====================================

Namaste,

Shankara on how the concentrated mind intuits the reality:

B.G. 20. At the time when the mind restrained through the practice of Yoga
gets withdrawn, and just when by seeing the Self by the self one remains
contented in the Self alone [A.G. construes the word eva (certainly) with
tusyati (remains contented).-Tr.];

Yatra, at the time when; cittam, the mind; niruddham, restrained, entirely
prevented from wandering; uparamate, gets withdrawn; yoga-sevaya, through
the practice of Yoga; ca, and; yatra eva, just when, at the very moment
when; *pasyan, by seeing, by experiencing; atmanam, the Self*, which by
nature is the supreme light of Consciousness; atmana, by the self, by the
mind purified by concentration; tusyati, one remains contented, gets
delighted; atmani eva, in one's own Self alone-.

When he (the Yogi) feels that infinite bliss which can be grasped by the
(pure) intellect
and which transcends the senses, and, established wherein he never moves
from the Reality,

21. When one experiences that absolute Bliss which can be intuited by the
intellect and which is beyond the senses, and being established (thus) this
person surely does not swerve from Reality;

Yatra, when, at the time when; vetti, one experiences; tat, that;
atyantikam, absolute-which is verily limitless, i.e. infinite; sukham,
Bliss; yat, which; buddhi-grahyam, can be* intuited by the intellect,
intuited by the intellect alone, without the help of the senses*; and which
is atindriyam, beyond the senses, i.e. not objective; (-when
one experiences this kind of Bliss) and sthitah, being established in the
nature of the Self; ayam, this person, the illumined one; eva, surely; na
calati, does not swerve; tattvatah, from that Reality-i.e. does not deviate
from the nature of Reality-

Best Wishes,

Vinayaka