Upadesa Sarah of Ramana Maharshi – Sloka 3
Ishwara arpitam na icchayaa kritam
Chitta shodhakam mukti sadhakam
Word meaning
Ishwara arpitam – Work which is offered to God and
Na Icchaya kritam – done without any expectation for the fruits.
Chitta shodhakam – helps in purification of mind
Mukti sadhakam – and thereby is a path to realization (or leads one to realization or liberation).
Sloka meaning
Work which is performed as an offering to the Almighty and done without any expectation for the fruits – helps in purification of mind & thereby leads one to liberation or realization.
Explanation:
This verse brings out the very essence of Karma Yoga or path of action. The very same import of this sloka can be found in many places in the Gita as well as in the Upanishads.
One needs to have a very clear idea about realization or liberation. When a person doesn’t even know what liberation means, then all the paths, all the scriptures, all the words of great Mahatmas become a waste & are no use to such a person.
Liberation is eternal Bliss. Adi Sankaracharya says in most of his works that a person seeks happiness. Every one is seeking eternal happiness, but in the external world. Some one is seeking happiness in money, some one in fame, some in love, some in marriage, some in children – the list goes on. The ultimate goal of each person is eternal happiness. No body wants to suffer or get sorrow. Every one wants happiness that stays forever.
This eternal bliss is the goal of humanity and the achievement of this eternal bliss is called Liberation.
When a person has understood the ultimate and final goal, now the search or the paths to that goal is to be found. If a person knows the goal and still doesn’t work towards it, then the knowing of the goal is of no use. Therefore the path to that goal has to be found.
These were the thoughts of the ancient rishis who wanted to find out eternal bliss. The rishis found out that everything in the external world is finite alone, all actions, all materials are finite or limited by time and space. Such things which are limited by time and space can never give infinite bliss as the bliss or happiness obtained from them will also will finite only. Therefore they started thinking about eternal bliss. They then found out that if the changing things in the world have to exist, they require a changeless substratum. They found out that this changeless substratum is without any change & hence not limited by space. They also found out that this substratum remains the same in the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep which constitutes the shortest span of time (24 hours). Therefore this substratum is beyond time also.
Thus, this changeless substratum is beyond time and space & hence it can give infinite bliss. They therefore turned their attention towards this substratum. They found out that this substratum is of the nature of eternal bliss which is enjoyed during the state of deep sleep. Thus, if this substratum is attained or known, then eternal bliss is enjoyed & the ultimate goal is achieved.
What is this substratum???
This substratum cannot be different from oneself. This substratum is the basis of the world consisting of time and space. This is the Consciousness.
How does one know that the substratum full of bliss is Consciousness???
If Consciousness is there, time and space & world are there. If Consciousness is not there, then no world, no time and no space, nothing exists.
This Consciousness is full of bliss because in deep sleep, no object is present and this bliss is enjoyed.
Therefore, if a person removes the obstacles to realizing this Consciousness, then he can enjoy the bliss in this very state itself.
Is this Consciousness separate from oneself????
Consciousness can never be separate from oneself. Consciousness is one’s own very nature.
Then why doesn’t a person realize that “I am Consciousness”???
Because of wrong notions of “I” and “mine” and due to wrong identification with the body and mind.
The only thing a person needs to do to realize one’s own very nature of Consciousness and rejoice in the eternal bliss is to remove the ignorance about one’s own nature.
This ignorance veils add to latent tendencies or vasanas which makes a person turn outward to this world rather than realizing one’s own real nature by turning inward and trying to find out “Who I am?”.
Since this ultimate goal is not something to be attained, but to be realized (that which has been forgotten), therefore this is termed as Realization.
All the paths to this ultimate goal of realization work towards removal of ignorance veils alone. Thus, all the paths finally lead to the ultimate non-dual knowledge that “I am That, I am the Self of the nature of Consciousness and Bliss, I am all the world, there is nothing different from Me, whatever is seen is Me alone (as in dream)”.
Ramana Maharshi talks about the various paths in this work of his. One of the simplest path to this realization is the path of action. Maharshi in the first two slokas mentioned the limitations and problems of action (done without the proper attitude). In this sloka, Maharshi puts forth clearly the path of action wherein a person reaches the final stage of realizing one’s own real nature.
Maharshi gives two main points about this path of action
Offering the action to God
Action without any expectation
As mentioned earlier, removal of ignorance veil is the aim of all the paths and all the scriptures. This ignorance about the Self creates wrong notions and wrong identifications with the body and the mind. This identified “I” is called Ego or Ahamkaara. The removal of Ego makes a person to realize the source of the Ego which is pure Consciousness and that “I am that Consciousness”.
When a person does any actions, the two things that follow or rather that go along with the action are the notion of Doer and expectation of fruits.
Each person while doing action, has the notion that I am doing the action. And the action is done with a motive. These two again add to ignorance and lead one to sorrow alone. The doer notion creates problems when something goes wrong or somebody criticizes the action. When a person criticizes the action, then it becomes criticizing the Ego or myself (the wrongly identified “I”). What a person is not knowing here is that “I” am not at all affected the criticism or appreciation. Even during criticism or during appreciation, it is the same “I” or pure Consciousness that experiences both of these. Since this is not known, the pure Consciousness gets identified itself with the Ego and the action. Therefore all criticisms and appreciations becomes mine. These appreciations might not stay for long & opinions of people need not much time to change. Therefore, he is a fool who things these actions and appreciations as his. If these actions are his, then the results also must be his & the results must also be controlled by him. But when bad results comes, the person thinks “Why did I get this bad result, I did good only and I even prayed to the Almighty, why did you do this to me Oh Lord!!!”. But when good results come, “I did the action, it is my capability that gave me this result”.
Thus, when good happens, God is forgotten & when bad is done, he is remembered. What idiotic nature and foolishness????
Even when the scriptures proclaim and experience tells him that “I am neither the doer nor the enjoyer, I am the Self or pure Consciousness of the nature of Bliss”, the person is not willing to accept it, but runs after the meagre sensual pleasures (that are the source of sorrow alone).
But when the wise person tries to follow and find out real happiness through the path propounded by Maharshi and other great saints, he realizes that “I am neither the doer nor the enjoyer”. He also realizes that the expectation of the fruits or results is the cause for problems. When there is no expectation, he always remains the same. And at that time, he attains purity of mind & a pure mind is able to realize the Self.
Why is it essential that a pure mind is required for realizing the Self????
The Self is to be realized and not attained like heaven or other worldly things. The Self is the Subject, it is one’s own very nature. To realize the Self, one has to turn inward. When the mind is full of thoughts, it turns a person outward & such a person can never realize the inward and subtle Self. Therefore, purity of mind is required. Purity of mind is nothing but mind which is always still or mind is like an ocean without waves. A person can go deep into the ocean if there are no waves. Similarly the substratum of all the changing world, the mind and body is known only when the mind is free and pure. Therefore, the Self is realized only when the mind is pure.
Once a person realizes the Self, then he also realizes that whatever is present is the Self alone. When he realizes that everything is the Self alone as in the dream state (where the world and any objects are only the dreamer), he doesn’t get sad or deluded or happy. He always rejoices in the eternal bliss of the Self. Only when duality is perceived, a person has sorrow because of seeing multitude and difference. When difference is removed, then there is no sorrow but happiness alone. This happiness is enjoyed by every person in deep sleep. The eternal bliss of the Self is much more than & incomparable even with the happiness that a person gets in deep sleep!!!!!
Thus, through this path of action, purity of mind is achieved and which in turn leads one to liberation or realization of one’s own real nature.
Therefore the two conditions that determine the path of action are “Action without expectations” and “offering the action to the Lord”.
Vedas speak basically about two types of actions
Sakaama Karma – action done with expectations
Nishkaama karma – action done without any expectations
Sakaama Karma leads one to bondage while nishkaama karma leads one to purity of mind & thereby to realization.
The very ancient Ishavasya Upanishad says about this karma marga
“Kurvan eva iha karmaani jijeevishet satam shamaah
Evam tvayi na anyathethosthi na karma lipyathe nare”
A person should desire to live 100 years doing action (with the attitude of renunciation of fruits & with the thought that everything is God alone). Only by this way it is ensured that actions and their fruits will not cling to the person.
Sri Krishna says in Gita
“Tasmaat sarveshu kaleshu maam anusmara yudhya cha”
Fight war or do your actions but always thinking of me.
“Ananyaah chintayantho maam ye janaah pari upaasathe
Teshaam nitya abhiyuktanaam yoga kshemam vahami aham”
Those who think of Me alone & do actions (offering it to me), I take care of their good and well-being.
Therefore this path of action when done with the right attitude will lead one to eternal bliss inherent in the Self. Maharshi in the next few slokas explains the different types of actions and elucidation of the various methods in this path of action.
Chitta shodhakam mukti sadhakam
Word meaning
Ishwara arpitam – Work which is offered to God and
Na Icchaya kritam – done without any expectation for the fruits.
Chitta shodhakam – helps in purification of mind
Mukti sadhakam – and thereby is a path to realization (or leads one to realization or liberation).
Sloka meaning
Work which is performed as an offering to the Almighty and done without any expectation for the fruits – helps in purification of mind & thereby leads one to liberation or realization.
Explanation:
This verse brings out the very essence of Karma Yoga or path of action. The very same import of this sloka can be found in many places in the Gita as well as in the Upanishads.
One needs to have a very clear idea about realization or liberation. When a person doesn’t even know what liberation means, then all the paths, all the scriptures, all the words of great Mahatmas become a waste & are no use to such a person.
Liberation is eternal Bliss. Adi Sankaracharya says in most of his works that a person seeks happiness. Every one is seeking eternal happiness, but in the external world. Some one is seeking happiness in money, some one in fame, some in love, some in marriage, some in children – the list goes on. The ultimate goal of each person is eternal happiness. No body wants to suffer or get sorrow. Every one wants happiness that stays forever.
This eternal bliss is the goal of humanity and the achievement of this eternal bliss is called Liberation.
When a person has understood the ultimate and final goal, now the search or the paths to that goal is to be found. If a person knows the goal and still doesn’t work towards it, then the knowing of the goal is of no use. Therefore the path to that goal has to be found.
These were the thoughts of the ancient rishis who wanted to find out eternal bliss. The rishis found out that everything in the external world is finite alone, all actions, all materials are finite or limited by time and space. Such things which are limited by time and space can never give infinite bliss as the bliss or happiness obtained from them will also will finite only. Therefore they started thinking about eternal bliss. They then found out that if the changing things in the world have to exist, they require a changeless substratum. They found out that this changeless substratum is without any change & hence not limited by space. They also found out that this substratum remains the same in the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep which constitutes the shortest span of time (24 hours). Therefore this substratum is beyond time also.
Thus, this changeless substratum is beyond time and space & hence it can give infinite bliss. They therefore turned their attention towards this substratum. They found out that this substratum is of the nature of eternal bliss which is enjoyed during the state of deep sleep. Thus, if this substratum is attained or known, then eternal bliss is enjoyed & the ultimate goal is achieved.
What is this substratum???
This substratum cannot be different from oneself. This substratum is the basis of the world consisting of time and space. This is the Consciousness.
How does one know that the substratum full of bliss is Consciousness???
If Consciousness is there, time and space & world are there. If Consciousness is not there, then no world, no time and no space, nothing exists.
This Consciousness is full of bliss because in deep sleep, no object is present and this bliss is enjoyed.
Therefore, if a person removes the obstacles to realizing this Consciousness, then he can enjoy the bliss in this very state itself.
Is this Consciousness separate from oneself????
Consciousness can never be separate from oneself. Consciousness is one’s own very nature.
Then why doesn’t a person realize that “I am Consciousness”???
Because of wrong notions of “I” and “mine” and due to wrong identification with the body and mind.
The only thing a person needs to do to realize one’s own very nature of Consciousness and rejoice in the eternal bliss is to remove the ignorance about one’s own nature.
This ignorance veils add to latent tendencies or vasanas which makes a person turn outward to this world rather than realizing one’s own real nature by turning inward and trying to find out “Who I am?”.
Since this ultimate goal is not something to be attained, but to be realized (that which has been forgotten), therefore this is termed as Realization.
All the paths to this ultimate goal of realization work towards removal of ignorance veils alone. Thus, all the paths finally lead to the ultimate non-dual knowledge that “I am That, I am the Self of the nature of Consciousness and Bliss, I am all the world, there is nothing different from Me, whatever is seen is Me alone (as in dream)”.
Ramana Maharshi talks about the various paths in this work of his. One of the simplest path to this realization is the path of action. Maharshi in the first two slokas mentioned the limitations and problems of action (done without the proper attitude). In this sloka, Maharshi puts forth clearly the path of action wherein a person reaches the final stage of realizing one’s own real nature.
Maharshi gives two main points about this path of action
Offering the action to God
Action without any expectation
As mentioned earlier, removal of ignorance veil is the aim of all the paths and all the scriptures. This ignorance about the Self creates wrong notions and wrong identifications with the body and the mind. This identified “I” is called Ego or Ahamkaara. The removal of Ego makes a person to realize the source of the Ego which is pure Consciousness and that “I am that Consciousness”.
When a person does any actions, the two things that follow or rather that go along with the action are the notion of Doer and expectation of fruits.
Each person while doing action, has the notion that I am doing the action. And the action is done with a motive. These two again add to ignorance and lead one to sorrow alone. The doer notion creates problems when something goes wrong or somebody criticizes the action. When a person criticizes the action, then it becomes criticizing the Ego or myself (the wrongly identified “I”). What a person is not knowing here is that “I” am not at all affected the criticism or appreciation. Even during criticism or during appreciation, it is the same “I” or pure Consciousness that experiences both of these. Since this is not known, the pure Consciousness gets identified itself with the Ego and the action. Therefore all criticisms and appreciations becomes mine. These appreciations might not stay for long & opinions of people need not much time to change. Therefore, he is a fool who things these actions and appreciations as his. If these actions are his, then the results also must be his & the results must also be controlled by him. But when bad results comes, the person thinks “Why did I get this bad result, I did good only and I even prayed to the Almighty, why did you do this to me Oh Lord!!!”. But when good results come, “I did the action, it is my capability that gave me this result”.
Thus, when good happens, God is forgotten & when bad is done, he is remembered. What idiotic nature and foolishness????
Even when the scriptures proclaim and experience tells him that “I am neither the doer nor the enjoyer, I am the Self or pure Consciousness of the nature of Bliss”, the person is not willing to accept it, but runs after the meagre sensual pleasures (that are the source of sorrow alone).
But when the wise person tries to follow and find out real happiness through the path propounded by Maharshi and other great saints, he realizes that “I am neither the doer nor the enjoyer”. He also realizes that the expectation of the fruits or results is the cause for problems. When there is no expectation, he always remains the same. And at that time, he attains purity of mind & a pure mind is able to realize the Self.
Why is it essential that a pure mind is required for realizing the Self????
The Self is to be realized and not attained like heaven or other worldly things. The Self is the Subject, it is one’s own very nature. To realize the Self, one has to turn inward. When the mind is full of thoughts, it turns a person outward & such a person can never realize the inward and subtle Self. Therefore, purity of mind is required. Purity of mind is nothing but mind which is always still or mind is like an ocean without waves. A person can go deep into the ocean if there are no waves. Similarly the substratum of all the changing world, the mind and body is known only when the mind is free and pure. Therefore, the Self is realized only when the mind is pure.
Once a person realizes the Self, then he also realizes that whatever is present is the Self alone. When he realizes that everything is the Self alone as in the dream state (where the world and any objects are only the dreamer), he doesn’t get sad or deluded or happy. He always rejoices in the eternal bliss of the Self. Only when duality is perceived, a person has sorrow because of seeing multitude and difference. When difference is removed, then there is no sorrow but happiness alone. This happiness is enjoyed by every person in deep sleep. The eternal bliss of the Self is much more than & incomparable even with the happiness that a person gets in deep sleep!!!!!
Thus, through this path of action, purity of mind is achieved and which in turn leads one to liberation or realization of one’s own real nature.
Therefore the two conditions that determine the path of action are “Action without expectations” and “offering the action to the Lord”.
Vedas speak basically about two types of actions
Sakaama Karma – action done with expectations
Nishkaama karma – action done without any expectations
Sakaama Karma leads one to bondage while nishkaama karma leads one to purity of mind & thereby to realization.
The very ancient Ishavasya Upanishad says about this karma marga
“Kurvan eva iha karmaani jijeevishet satam shamaah
Evam tvayi na anyathethosthi na karma lipyathe nare”
A person should desire to live 100 years doing action (with the attitude of renunciation of fruits & with the thought that everything is God alone). Only by this way it is ensured that actions and their fruits will not cling to the person.
Sri Krishna says in Gita
“Tasmaat sarveshu kaleshu maam anusmara yudhya cha”
Fight war or do your actions but always thinking of me.
“Ananyaah chintayantho maam ye janaah pari upaasathe
Teshaam nitya abhiyuktanaam yoga kshemam vahami aham”
Those who think of Me alone & do actions (offering it to me), I take care of their good and well-being.
Therefore this path of action when done with the right attitude will lead one to eternal bliss inherent in the Self. Maharshi in the next few slokas explains the different types of actions and elucidation of the various methods in this path of action.
posted by vedanta at 7:00 PM
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