Of all the works of the Sage Ramana Maharshi, உபதே³ஶ ஸாரம் is considered as the supreme legacy of his teaching.
கர்துராஜ்ஞயா ப்ராப்யதே ப²லம் ।
கர்ம கிம் பரம் கர்ம தஜ்ஜட³ம் ॥ 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.
க்ருதிமஹோத³தௌ⁴ பதனகாரணம் ।
ப²லமஶாஶ்வதம் க³தினிரோத⁴கம் ॥ 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.
ஈஶ்வரார்பிதம் நேச்ச²யா க்ருதம் ।
சித்தஶோத⁴கம் முக்திஸாத⁴கம் ॥ 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.
காயவாங்மன: கார்யமுத்தமம் ।
பூஜனம் ஜபஶ்சிந்தனம் க்ரமாத் ॥ 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.
ஜக³த ஈஶதீ⁴ யுக்தஸேவனம் ।
அஷ்டமூர்திப்⁴ருத்³தே³வபூஜனம் ॥ 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.
உத்தமஸ்தவாது³ச்சமந்த³த: ।
சித்தஜம் ஜபத்⁴யானமுத்தமம் ॥ 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.
ஆஜ்யதா⁴ரயா ஸ்ரோதஸா ஸமம் ।
ஸரலசிந்தனம் விரலத: பரம் ॥ 7 ॥
Like an unbroken flow of oil, or a stream of water, continuous meditation is better than that which is interrupted.
பே⁴த³பா⁴வனாத் ஸோஹமித்யஸௌ ।
பா⁴வனாபி⁴தா³ பாவனீ மதா ॥ 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.
பா⁴வஶூன்யஸத்³பா⁴வஸுஸ்தி²தி: ।
பா⁴வனாப³லாத்³ப⁴க்திருத்தமா ॥ 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.
ஹ்ருத்ஸ்த²லே மன: ஸ்வஸ்த²தா க்ரியா ।
ப⁴க்தியோக³போ³தா⁴ஶ்ச நிஶ்சிதம் ॥ 1௦ ॥
Fixing the mind in the Heart (Source) is true Karma (action), Bhakti (devotion), Yoga (action) and Jnana (knowledge).
வாயுரோத⁴னால்லீயதே மன: ।
ஜாலபக்ஷிவத்³ரோத⁴ஸாத⁴னம் ॥ 11 ॥
Through breath-control, the movement of the mind is contained, just as a bird is restrained when caught in a net.
சித்தவாயவஶ்சித்க்ரியாயுதா: ।
ஶாக²யோர்த்³வயீ ஶக்திமூலகா ॥ 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.
லயவினாஶனே உப⁴யரோத⁴னே ।
லயக³தம் புனர்ப⁴வதி நோ ம்ருதம் ॥ 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.
ப்ராணப³ந்த⁴னால்லீனமானஸம் ।
ஏகசிந்தனான்னாஶமேத்யத:³ ॥ 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.
நஷ்டமானஸோத்க்ருஷ்டயோகி³ன: ।
க்ருத்யமஸ்தி கிம் ஸ்வஸ்தி²திம் யத: ॥ 15 ॥
What action remains for an exalted Yogi whose mind has been completely destroyed and who is ever established in the Self?
த்³ருஶ்யவாரிதம் சித்தமாத்மன: ।
சித்த்வத³ர்ஶனம் தத்த்வத³ர்ஶனம் ॥ 16 ॥
When attention is withdrawn from objects and focused exclusively on the Self, the Truth is revealed.
மானஸம் து கிம் மார்க³ணே க்ருதே ।
நைவ மானஸம் மார்க³ ஆர்ஜவாத் ॥ 17 ॥
When one inquires: “What is the mind?”, he finds out that there is no mind. This is the direct path to Reality.
வ்ருத்தயஸ்த்வஹம் வ்ருத்திமாஶ்ரிதா: ।
வ்ருத்தயோ மனோ வித்³த்⁴யஹம் மன: ॥ 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.
அஹமயம் குதோ ப⁴வதி சின்வத: ।
அயி பதத்யஹம் நிஜவிசாரணம் ॥ 19 ॥
When one turns within and searches
Whence this 'I' thought arises,
The shamed 'I' vanishes –
And wisdom's quest begins.
அஹமி நாஶபா⁴ஜ்யஹமஹந்தயா ।
ஸ்பு²ரதி ஹ்ருத்ஸ்வயம் பரமபூர்ணஸத் ॥ 2௦ ॥
Where this 'I' notion faded
Now there as I–I, arises
The One, the very Self,
The Infinite.
இத³மஹம் பதா³பி⁴க்²யமன்வஹம் ।
அஹமிலீனகேப்யலயஸத்தயா ॥ 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.
விக்³ரஹேந்த்³ரியப்ராணதீ⁴தம: ।
நாஹமேகஸத்தஜ்ஜட³ம் ஹ்யஸத் ॥ 22 ॥
Body, senses, mind, breath, sleep –
All insentient and unreal –
Cannot be 'I',
'I' who am the Real.
ஸத்த்வபா⁴ஸிகா சித்க்வவேதரா ।
ஸத்தயா ஹி சிச்சித்தயா ஹ்யஹம் ॥ 23 ॥
For knowing That which is
There is no other knower.
Hence Being is Awareness;
And we all are Awareness.
ஈஶஜீவயோர்வேஷதீ⁴பி⁴தா³ ।
ஸத்ஸ்வபா⁴வதோ வஸ்து கேவலம் ॥ 24 ॥
In the nature of their being
Creature and creator are in substance one.
They differ only
In adjuncts and awareness.
வேஷஹானத: ஸ்வாத்மத³ர்ஶனம் ।
ஈஶத³ர்ஶனம் ஸ்வாத்மரூபத: ॥ 25 ॥
Seeing oneself free of all attributes
Is to see the Lord,
For He shines ever as the pure Self.
ஆத்மஸம்ஸ்தி²தி: ஸ்வாத்மத³ர்ஶனம் ।
ஆத்மனிர்த்³வயாதா³த்மனிஷ்ட²தா ॥ 26 ॥
To know the Self is but to be the Self,
For it is non-dual.
In such knowledge
One abides as that.
ஜ்ஞானவர்ஜிதாஜ்ஞானஹீனசித் ।
ஜ்ஞானமஸ்தி கிம் ஜ்ஞாதுமந்தரம் ॥ 27 ॥
That is true knowledge which transcends
Both knowledge and ignorance,
For in pure knowledge
Is no object to be known.
கிம் ஸ்வரூபமித்யாத்மத³ர்ஶனே ।
அவ்யயாப⁴வாபூர்ணசித்ஸுக²ம் ॥ 28 ॥
Having known one's nature one abides
As being with no beginning and no end
In unbroken conciousness and bliss.
ப³ந்த⁴முக்த்யதீதம் பரம் ஸுக²ம் ।
விந்த³தீஹ ஜீவஸ்து தை³விக: ॥ 29 ॥
Beyond bondage and release,
Is steadfastness
In service of the Lord.
அஹமபேதகம் நிஜவிபா⁴னகம் ।
மஹதி³த³ந்தபோ ரமனவாகி³யம் ॥ 3௦ ॥
All ego gone,
Living as that alone
Is penance good for growth,
Sings Ramana, the Self.
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