Of all the works of the Sage Ramana Maharshi, ഉപദേശ സാരമ് is considered as the supreme legacy of his teaching.
കര്തുരാജ്ഞയാ പ്രാപ്യതേ ഫലമ് ।
കര്മ കിം പരം കര്മ തജ്ജഡമ് ॥ 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.
കൃതിമഹോദധൌ പതനകാരണമ് ।
ഫലമശാശ്വതം ഗതിനിരോധകമ് ॥ 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.
ഈശ്വരാര്പിതം നേച്ഛയാ കൃതമ് ।
ചിത്തശോധകം മുക്തിസാധകമ് ॥ 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.
കായവാങ്മനഃ കാര്യമുത്തമമ് ।
പൂജനം ജപശ്ചിംതനം ക്രമാത് ॥ 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.
ജഗത ഈശധീ യുക്തസേവനമ് ।
അഷ്ടമൂര്തിഭൃദ്ദേവപൂജനമ് ॥ 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.
ഉത്തമസ്തവാദുച്ചമംദതഃ ।
ചിത്തജം ജപധ്യാനമുത്തമമ് ॥ 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.
ആജ്യധാരയാ സ്രോതസാ സമമ് ।
സരലചിംതനം വിരലതഃ പരമ് ॥ 7 ॥
Like an unbroken flow of oil, or a stream of water, continuous meditation is better than that which is interrupted.
ഭേദഭാവനാത് സോഽഹമിത്യസൌ ।
ഭാവനാഽഭിദാ പാവനീ മതാ ॥ 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.
ഭാവശൂന്യസദ്ഭാവസുസ്ഥിതിഃ ।
ഭാവനാബലാദ്ഭക്തിരുത്തമാ ॥ 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.
ഹൃത്സ്ഥലേ മനഃ സ്വസ്ഥതാ ക്രിയാ ।
ഭക്തിയോഗബോധാശ്ച നിശ്ചിതമ് ॥ 10 ॥
Fixing the mind in the Heart (Source) is true Karma (action), Bhakti (devotion), Yoga (action) and Jnana (knowledge).
വായുരോധനാല്ലീയതേ മനഃ ।
ജാലപക്ഷിവദ്രോധസാധനമ് ॥ 11 ॥
Through breath-control, the movement of the mind is contained, just as a bird is restrained when caught in a net.
ചിത്തവായവശ്ചിത്ക്രിയായുതാഃ ।
ശാഖയോര്ദ്വയീ ശക്തിമൂലകാ ॥ 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.
ലയവിനാശനേ ഉഭയരോധനേ ।
ലയഗതം പുനര്ഭവതി നോ മൃതമ് ॥ 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.
പ്രാണബംധനാല്ലീനമാനസമ് ।
ഏകചിംതനാന്നാശമേത്യദഃ ॥ 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.
നഷ്ടമാനസോത്കൃഷ്ടയോഗിനഃ ।
കൃത്യമസ്തി കിം സ്വസ്ഥിതിം യതഃ ॥ 15 ॥
What action remains for an exalted Yogi whose mind has been completely destroyed and who is ever established in the Self?
ദൃശ്യവാരിതം ചിത്തമാത്മനഃ ।
ചിത്ത്വദര്ശനം തത്ത്വദര്ശനമ് ॥ 16 ॥
When attention is withdrawn from objects and focused exclusively on the Self, the Truth is revealed.
മാനസം തു കിം മാര്ഗണേ കൃതേ ।
നൈവ മാനസം മാര്ഗ ആര്ജവാത് ॥ 17 ॥
When one inquires: “What is the mind?”, he finds out that there is no mind. This is the direct path to Reality.
വൃത്തയസ്ത്വഹം വൃത്തിമാശ്രിതാഃ ।
വൃത്തയോ മനോ വിദ്ധ്യഹം മനഃ ॥ 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.
അഹമയം കുതോ ഭവതി ചിന്വതഃ ।
അയി പതത്യഹം നിജവിചാരണമ് ॥ 19 ॥
When one turns within and searches
Whence this 'I' thought arises,
The shamed 'I' vanishes –
And wisdom's quest begins.
അഹമി നാശഭാജ്യഹമഹംതയാ ।
സ്ഫുരതി ഹൃത്സ്വയം പരമപൂര്ണസത് ॥ 20 ॥
Where this 'I' notion faded
Now there as I–I, arises
The One, the very Self,
The Infinite.
ഇദമഹം പദാഽഭിഖ്യമന്വഹമ് ।
അഹമിലീനകേഽപ്യലയസത്തയാ ॥ 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.
വിഗ്രഹേംദ്രിയപ്രാണധീതമഃ ।
നാഹമേകസത്തജ്ജഡം ഹ്യസത് ॥ 22 ॥
Body, senses, mind, breath, sleep –
All insentient and unreal –
Cannot be 'I',
'I' who am the Real.
സത്ത്വഭാസികാ ചിത്ക്വവേതരാ ।
സത്തയാ ഹി ചിച്ചിത്തയാ ഹ്യഹമ് ॥ 23 ॥
For knowing That which is
There is no other knower.
Hence Being is Awareness;
And we all are Awareness.
ഈശജീവയോർവേഷധീഭിദാ ।
സത്സ്വഭാവതോ വസ്തു കേവലമ് ॥ 24 ॥
In the nature of their being
Creature and creator are in substance one.
They differ only
In adjuncts and awareness.
വേഷഹാനതഃ സ്വാത്മദര്ശനമ് ।
ഈശദര്ശനം സ്വാത്മരൂപതഃ ॥ 25 ॥
Seeing oneself free of all attributes
Is to see the Lord,
For He shines ever as the pure Self.
ആത്മസംസ്ഥിതിഃ സ്വാത്മദര്ശനമ് ।
ആത്മനിര്ദ്വയാദാത്മനിഷ്ഠതാ ॥ 26 ॥
To know the Self is but to be the Self,
For it is non-dual.
In such knowledge
One abides as that.
ജ്ഞാനവര്ജിതാഽജ്ഞാനഹീനചിത് ।
ജ്ഞാനമസ്തി കിം ജ്ഞാതുമംതരമ് ॥ 27 ॥
That is true knowledge which transcends
Both knowledge and ignorance,
For in pure knowledge
Is no object to be known.
കിം സ്വരൂപമിത്യാത്മദര്ശനേ ।
അവ്യയാഽഭവാഽഽപൂര്ണചിത്സുഖമ് ॥ 28 ॥
Having known one's nature one abides
As being with no beginning and no end
In unbroken conciousness and bliss.
ബംധമുക്ത്യതീതം പരം സുഖമ് ।
വിംദതീഹ ജീവസ്തു ദൈവികഃ ॥ 29 ॥
Beyond bondage and release,
Is steadfastness
In service of the Lord.
അഹമപേതകം നിജവിഭാനകമ് ।
മഹദിദംതപോ രമനവാഗിയമ് ॥ 30 ॥
All ego gone,
Living as that alone
Is penance good for growth,
Sings Ramana, the Self.
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