We are relaunching the SIDH blog, this time with a new focus. Through this blog, we will primarily explore and discuss Sanatan Shastras.

To begin, we are taking up one of the profound works of Adi Shankaracharya — Tattva Bodha. Over the next 9–10 weeks, we aim to complete this text together.

We invite all our readers to share these writings with friends and to send us your comments or questions, so we know you are engaging with us.

TATTVA BODHA

Tattva Bodha is an introductory text outlining the funda-mentals of Vedanta. Briefly and in simple language it deals with the knowledge (or Reality), the Individual and the World and the relationship between them. It also describes the qualifications of the student.

Tattva Bodha is a Prakarana Grantha that introduces the concepts and terminology, later to be found in Vedanta. It is composed for a new student who has to understand the technical terms before the study of actual textbooks is undertaken. The text is composed in the form of a dialogue between the teacher and the disciple.

INVOCATION

वासुदेवेन्द्रयोगीन्द्रं नत्वा ज्ञानप्रदं गुरुम् ।

मुमुक्षूणां हितार्थाय तत्त्वबोधोभिधीयते ।।

Having saluted Sri Vasudeva, the King of Yogis, the Guru who is the bestower of Jnana (the knowledge of the Truth), the “Tattva Bodha” (the knowledge of the Truth) is ex-pounded for the benefit of the seekers after liberation.

By this stanza Sankara salutes the Lord Sri Vasudeva, (who is the “Geetacharya” and hence) the Guru and bestower of knowledge, who is also the “Yogeswara” (Yogindra). It also serves as salutations to his personal Guru Sri Govinda Bhagavadpada, Govinda being a synonym for Vasudeva.

This stanza also indicates the “Anubandha Chatush-taya”, namely: the Adhikari, Vishaya, Sambandha, and Prayojana. which are generally given at the commencement of such treatises. Here the Adhikari is the Mumukshu – the seeker after Liberation. Vishaya is Tattva Bodha knowledge of the “Tattva” or Truth. Sambandha is the rela-tionship between the thing to be known and that which tells of it. Here the Vastu – to be known, is Brahman, and “Tattva bodha’ is that which speaks of it. Prayojana or the benefit (Phala) is ‘Mumukshunaam hita’ or the fulfilment of the desire for Liberation of the seeker.

With this, we get into the text proper.

1. साधनचतुष्टयसंपन्नाधिकारिणां मोक्षसाधनभूतं तत्वविवेकप्रकारं वक्ष्यामः ।

We will (now) explain for those who are endowed with the fourfold qualifications (Sadhana Chatushtaya) the mode of discrimination, which is the means of liberation.

For liberation or achieving perfection, the process of discrimination should be employed. The Truth is mixed up with, or confused with untruth and therefore a discriminative enquiry (Viveka) is needed. This enquiry and associated efforts will yield successful results only if the student is qualified. A student is considered qualified if he possesses the four-fold imperatives ог qualifications (Sadhana Chatushtaya).SADHANA CHATUSHTAYA (The four-fold qualifications).

2.1 साधनचतुष्टयं किम्?

What are the four-fold qualifications?

2.2 नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः। इहामुत्रार्थफलभोगविरागः। शमादिषट्कसंपत्तिः।

मुमुक्षुत्वं चेति।

नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः। The capacity to discriminate between the permanent and the impermanent.

इहामुत्रार्थफलभोगविरागः। Dispassion to the enjoyment of the fruits of one’s actions here and hereafter.

शमादिषट्कसंपत्तिः। The group of six accomplishments beginning with Sama.

मुमुक्षुत्वं चेति। The yearning for liberation.

VIVEKA (Discrimination)

3.1 नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः कः?

What is meant by the discrimination between the Eternal and the ephemeral?

3.2 नित्यवस्त्वेकं ब्रह्म तद्व्यतिरिक्तं सर्वमनित्यंम् । अयमेव नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः।

Brahman alone is the one Nitya Vastu, the Eternal Factor. Everything else is Anitya i.e. impermanent. This conviction is the discrimination between the Eternal and the Ephemeral.

Viveka or discrimination between the eternal and ephemeral (the permanent and the impermanent) is the con-viction that Brahman alone is the eternal factor (Nitya Vastu) and everything else is ephemeral (Anitya) or bound by time. Time is a product of mind and because Brahman transcends the mind, Brahman is not bound by time. (It should be noted that the student, at this point, does not know what Brahman is. He only has the conviction of its Truth and the ability to reject what is impermanent). A Viveki is the one who is keenly alive to the problem of imperfection and the one who has a clear goal.

VAIRAGYA (Dispassion)

4.1 विरागः कः। What is dispassion?

4.2 इहस्वर्गभोगेषु इच्छाराहित्यम्।

The absence of desire for the enjoyment (of the fruits of one’s actions) in this world, as also in the other world.

Vairagya is the absence (Rahityam) of the desire to enjoy even the fruits of one’s own efforts not only in this life but hereafter. This Vairagya or dispassion should arise out of discrimination rather than despair. It is a natural result of a vigorous discrimination by which the seeker recognizes that the pleasures resulting from material gains are impermanent.

SHATKA SAMPATTI

5.1 शमादिसाधनसंपत्तिः का?

What are the accomplishments of Sadhana starting with Sama?

5.2 शमो दम उपरमस्तितिक्षा श्रद्धा समाधानं च इति।

They are: Sama, Dama, Uparama, Titiksha, Sraddha and Samadhana.

The six accomplishments of Sadhana are: Sama, Dama, Uparama (or Uparati), Titikhsa, Sraddha and Samadhana. By accomplishing these qualifications, the seeker develops an integrated personality needed for spiritual development.

SAMA

5.3 शमः कः ? मनो निग्रहः ।

What is Sama? Control or mastery over the mind.

Sama is the mastery (or control) over one’s mind. When one’s mind doesn’t pose a problem or when one stops being overwhelmed by emotion, then one has acquired Sama. Mind is a force that is meant to be at one’s command but most people get overwhelmed by the mind instead. This situation leads to regrets and frustration. Control of the mind (Mano Nigraha) is the first step in the spiritual pursuit.

DAMA

5.4 दमः कः ? चक्षुरादिबाह्येन्द्रियनिग्रहः ।

What is Dama? Control of the external sense organs such as the eyes etc.

Dama is the control of the external senses of perception and action. This is again a natural outcome of Sama. But in case one has not achieved sufficient control of one’s mind; Dama is still helpful because response of the mind is eventually expressed by the senses. Control of senses is called Indriya Nigraha.

UPARAMA OR UPARATI

5.5 उपरमः कः ? स्वधर्मानुष्ठानमेव ।

What is Uparama? Strict observance of one’s own Dharma (duty).

Uparama is defined as the strict observance of one’s Dharma (Swadharma). Thus a man has duty towards himself, the parents, teacher, family, society, etc. Performance of duty (Dharma) usually involves sacrifice as opposed to rights which involve demands.

TITIKSHA

5.6 तितिक्षा का? What is Titiksha?

शीतोष्णसुखदुः खादिसहिष्णुत्वम् । The endurance of heat and cold, pleasure and pain etc.

Titiksha is that frame of mind in which one is able to endure heat and cold, pleasure and pain and such other oppo-sites of which the life consists of. Vagaries of life will definitely subject one to different conditions which are pleasant as well as unpleasant. One, who has a happy frame of mind and accepts things as they are, has achieved Titiksha. Accepting things or situations with either grudge or helplessness is not Titiksha.

SRADDHA

5.7 श्रद्धा कीदृशी ? गुरुवेदांतवाक्यादिषु विश्वासः श्रद्धा ।

What is the nature of Sraddha? Faith in the words of the Guru, and in the Scriptures is Sraddha.

Sraddha is an unqualified faith in the teacher and the scriptures. Sometimes what the teacher or the scriptures state may not be clear or appear appropriate. But the student should have faith in the validity of the statements, and he should reflect and analyse with a faith that this will lead to a proper understanding. As Gita says: Sraddhavan labhate jnanam (he who has Sraddha gains knowledge). The teacher and the scriptures always say the same thing but sometimes the teacher amplifies or supplements the scriptural statements to suit the level of the student.

6.1 SAMADHANA

समाधानं किम् ? What is Samadhana?

चित्तैकाग्रता । Single-pointedness of the mind.

Samadhana is the single pointedness of the mind so that the mind is absorbed in a chosen flow of thoughts, related to and leading upto a given topic or object. This is called Sajatiya Vritti Pravaha. Everyone has the quality of Samadhana or ability to concentrate in the subject of one’s interest. So, the student of Vedanta should have his mind totally absorbed in study, reflection and contemplation of the teaching of the scriptures.

The six sub-qualifications known as Shatka Sampatti have thus been described briefly. The fourth qualification of the Sadhana Chatushtaya is Mumukshutvam that is described below:

1.4 MUMUKSHUTVAM

6.2 मुमुक्षुत्वं किम् ? मोक्षो मे भृयाद् इति इच्छा ।

What is Mumukshutvam? “Let me attain Moksha” (Liberation). This intense yearning is Mumukshutvam.

The intense desire for liberation is called Mumuk-shutvam. It is compared to the desire, for jumping into a pond, of a man whose matted hair has caught fire! The burning desire to solve the problem of incompleteness or limitations is Mumukshutvam. This is the fundamental quali-fication and other qualifications will follow if one possesses this burning desire. Moksha is not ONE of the objectives of a Mumukshu but the ONLY objective.

7. एतत् साधनचतुष्टयम् । ततस्तत्त्वविवेकस्याधिकारिणो भवन्ति ।

These are the four-fold qualifications.

Thereafter (i.e. after having acquired these four-fold qualifications) they become Adhikaris i.e. persons fit for the enquiry into the Truth.

These are four qualification (Sadhana Chatushtayam) of a seeker of Truth. The student who has acquired these qualifi-cations becomes an Adhikari for a discriminative enquiry into the Truth. Nothing else, such as caste, creed, sex, age etc. matters.