Of all the works of the Sage Ramana Maharshi, upadēśa sāram is considered as the supreme legacy of his teaching.
karturājñayā prāpyatē phalam ।
karma kiṃ paraṃ karma tajjaḍam ॥ 1 ॥
By the law/will of the Creator, the fruits of actions are realized.
How is action then supreme? It is not. It is inert/insentient.
kṛtimahōdadhau patanakāraṇam ।
phalamaśāśvataṃ gatinirōdhakam ॥ 2 ॥
The results of actions are impermanent and pass away.
Yet, their seeds form an ocean of Karma which becomes a barrier in the progress of a seeker.
īśvarārpitaṃ nēchChayā kṛtam ।
chittaśōdhakaṃ muktisādhakam ॥ 3 ॥
Work which is performed as an offering to the Almighty, and done without any expectation of the fruits thereof, helps in purification of the mind and thereby leads one to Liberation or Realization.
kāyavāṅmanaḥ kāryamuttamam ।
pūjanaṃ japaśchintanaṃ kramāt ॥ 4 ॥
Among the actions performed by the body, voice and mind – puja (ritualistic worship), japa (chanting) and contemplation (inner meditation) – each is superior to the other in an ascending order.
jagata īśadhī yuktasēvanam ।
aṣṭamūrtibhṛddēvapūjanam ॥ 5 ॥
Worshipping any of the eight forms (Ether, fire, air, water, earth,
Sun, moon and living beings), thinking they are all forms of God, is good worship (puja) of God.
uttamastavāduchchamandataḥ ।
chittajaṃ japadhyānamuttamam ॥ 6 ॥
Singing the Lord’s praises is good, but better than that is loud chanting of japa. Better than loud chanting is soft and low-voiced chanting. However, best of all is silent, mental japa or meditation in the mind.
ājyadhārayā srōtasā samam ।
saralachintanaṃ viralataḥ param ॥ 7 ॥
Like an unbroken flow of oil, or a stream of water, continuous meditation is better than that which is interrupted.
bhēdabhāvanāt sō'hamityasau ।
bhāvanā'bhidā pāvanī matā ॥ 8 ॥
Meditation without duality, that is meditating as ‘I am
HE’, is superior to meditation which assumes a separation between the Bhakta (devotee) and the beloved Lord.
bhāvaśūnyasadbhāvasusthitiḥ ।
bhāvanābalādbhaktiruttamā ॥ 9 ॥
A state of void, free from thought, is gradually attained,
making abidance in the background state of ‘I AM’ complete. This is supreme devotion.
hṛtsthalē manaḥ svasthatā kriyā ।
bhaktiyōgabōdhāścha niśchitam ॥ 10 ॥
Fixing the mind in the Heart (Source) is true Karma (action), Bhakti (devotion), Yoga (action) and Jnana (knowledge).
vāyurōdhanāllīyatē manaḥ ।
jālapakṣivadrōdhasādhanam ॥ 11 ॥
Through breath-control, the movement of the mind is contained, just as a bird is restrained when caught in a net.
chittavāyavaśchitkriyāyutāḥ ।
śākhayōrdvayī śaktimūlakā ॥ 12 ॥
The mind and pranas (as thought and action), which carry out various thought processes and actions within the body, emerge from one common source, the Supreme.
layavināśanē ubhayarōdhanē ।
layagataṃ punarbhavati nō mṛtam ॥ 13 ॥
Mind control can be achieved through two modes – either through absorption/abeyance or through complete destruction. In the case of the first mode, the mind emerges again as it is merely absorbed in the void and hence temporarily held in abeyance. In contrast, through the second mode, when the mind is destroyed, it can never emerge again.
prāṇabandhanāllīnamānasam ।
ēkachintanānnāśamētyadaḥ ॥ 14 ॥
When the mind is held in suspension through breath control, it must then be completely destroyed through one-pointed attention to that ONE reality.
naṣṭamānasōtkṛṣṭayōginaḥ ।
kṛtyamasti kiṃ svasthitiṃ yataḥ ॥ 15 ॥
What action remains for an exalted Yogi whose mind has been completely destroyed and who is ever established in the Self?
dṛśyavāritaṃ chittamātmanaḥ ।
chittvadarśanaṃ tattvadarśanam ॥ 16 ॥
When attention is withdrawn from objects and focused exclusively on the Self, the Truth is revealed.
mānasaṃ tu kiṃ mārgaṇē kṛtē ।
naiva mānasaṃ mārga ārjavāt ॥ 17 ॥
When one inquires: “What is the mind?”, he finds out that there is no mind. This is the direct path to Reality.
vṛttayastvahaṃ vṛttimāśritāḥ ।
vṛttayō manō viddhyahaṃ manaḥ ॥ 18 ॥
Mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts. These thoughts depend upon the 'I' thought alone. Hence the mind is nothing but this 'I' thought.
ahamayaṃ kutō bhavati chinvataḥ ।
ayi patatyahaṃ nijavichāraṇam ॥ 19 ॥
When one turns within and searches
Whence this 'I' thought arises,
The shamed 'I' vanishes –
And wisdom's quest begins.
ahami nāśabhājyahamahantayā ।
sphurati hṛtsvayaṃ paramapūrṇasat ॥ 20 ॥
Where this 'I' notion faded
Now there as I–I, arises
The One, the very Self,
The Infinite.
idamahaṃ padā'bhikhyamanvaham ।
ahamilīnakē'pyalayasattayā ॥ 21 ॥
Of the term, 'I', the permanent import
Is That. For even in deep sleep
Where we have no sense of 'I'
We do not cease to be.
vigrahēndriyaprāṇadhītamaḥ ।
nāhamēkasattajjaḍaṃ hyasat ॥ 22 ॥
Body, senses, mind, breath, sleep –
All insentient and unreal –
Cannot be 'I',
'I' who am the Real.
sattvabhāsikā chitkvavētarā ।
sattayā hi chichchittayā hyaham ॥ 23 ॥
For knowing That which is
There is no other knower.
Hence Being is Awareness;
And we all are Awareness.
īśajīvayōrvēṣadhībhidā ।
satsvabhāvatō vastu kēvalam ॥ 24 ॥
In the nature of their being
Creature and creator are in substance one.
They differ only
In adjuncts and awareness.
vēṣahānataḥ svātmadarśanam ।
īśadarśanaṃ svātmarūpataḥ ॥ 25 ॥
Seeing oneself free of all attributes
Is to see the Lord,
For He shines ever as the pure Self.
ātmasaṃsthitiḥ svātmadarśanam ।
ātmanirdvayādātmaniṣṭhatā ॥ 26 ॥
To know the Self is but to be the Self,
For it is non-dual.
In such knowledge
One abides as that.
jñānavarjitā'jñānahīnachit ।
jñānamasti kiṃ jñātumantaram ॥ 27 ॥
That is true knowledge which transcends
Both knowledge and ignorance,
For in pure knowledge
Is no object to be known.
kiṃ svarūpamityātmadarśanē ।
avyayā'bhavā''pūrṇachitsukham ॥ 28 ॥
Having known one's nature one abides
As being with no beginning and no end
In unbroken conciousness and bliss.
bandhamuktyatītaṃ paraṃ sukham ।
vindatīha jīvastu daivikaḥ ॥ 29 ॥
Beyond bondage and release,
Is steadfastness
In service of the Lord.
ahamapētakaṃ nijavibhānakam ।
mahadidantapō ramanavāgiyam ॥ 30 ॥
All ego gone,
Living as that alone
Is penance good for growth,
Sings Ramana, the Self.
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