Mananam

  Reflection / Introduction to Chapter 9 - verses 1 to 6, in Gita.    EXT : Earlier the discussion in 8th chapter was on the means to Brahman, through the yogic path ~ also called dharana yōga by Bhagavatpādā. This path involves the jeeva arising through the suśumna and going to higher regions in a systematic manner (krama mārga), till they reach Brahman and not return to samsāra. Now the next chapter and next few verses in chapter 9, demystifies the direct path to mokśā. This direct path is path of knowledge – jnāna mārga. It is direct because, it reveals to us the upaniṣad brahman, which is non-different than the Self. In other words, we are already that one nondual infinite reality, except we are not aware of it.   There is one understated aspect of this whole discussion – which is that in jnāna mārga, there is no talk of attainment of that which is unattained, unlike the yogic path. In jnāna mārga the whole point is to recognize the truth about the Self as ...

222 Translation - Swami MadhavAnandaji from Sri Ramakrishna Mutt.  These are approximately 90 verses out of the 580 that have been handpicked for our GuruvAtma puja.   The Select verse numbers are  1,3,6,12,13,18,19, 25, 31-35, 43, 226, 227, 232, 233, 234, 235, 251, 252, 270, 271, 272, 275-277,    318, 319, 322, 325-327, 345, 352,    424, 425, 464-470, 472-476, 478-483, 486-495, 499, 506, 507, 513-524, 569, 574, 576, 577, 580  सर्ववेदान्तसिद्धान्तगोचरं तमगोचरम् । गोविन्दं परमानन्दं सद्गुरुं प्रणतोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ १ ॥ sarvavedāntasiddhāntagocaraṃ tamagocaram | govindaṃ paramānandaṃ sadguruṃ praṇato'smyaham || 1 || 1. I bow to Govinda, whose nature is Bliss Supreme, who is the Satguru, who can be known only from the import of all Vedanta, and who is beyond the reach of speech and mind. दुर्लभं त्रयमेवैतद्देवानुग्रहहेतुकम् । मनुष्यत्वं मुमुक्षुत्वं महापुरुषसंश्रयः ॥ ३ ॥ durlabhaṃ trayamevaitaddevānugrahahetukam | manuṣyatvaṃ mumukṣutvaṃ mahāpuruṣasaṃ...

Matter is nothing but consciousness which appears as unAtman - i.e. Non-Self.  Even to a discriminating Vedanta-brahmajigyAsu [1] - matter - whether its external nature (rocks, minerals, mountains, sky, fire etc) or one's own body, mind, thoughts etc are nothing more than "an appearance" in one's awareness.  The key here is to acknowledge that "awareness of objects" is enabled by matter evolving to the point of great refinement ~ namely buddhi (or mind or antahkaranam), which manifests consciousness - as "awareness of". To the ignorant, this double-secret that : -  (a) everything that is seen (i.e. drishyam) is matter appearing in one's awareness +  (b) awareness is the infinite consciousness manifested through mind ..........is withheld or remains an unrecognized truth.  Consequently they suffer, by identifying themselves with that which is illumined by awareness, rather than accepting thier Self as infinite consciousness - existence.  To the ...