Tattva Bodha

Hari Aum

Prostrations to Guru. Prostrations to All.


Nithya Anithya Vasthu Vivekaha kaha?
What is discrimination between real and unreal?

Nithya Vasthu Ekam Brahma Tathvyathiriktam Sarvam Anithyam
Brahman alone is real, other than Brahman everything is unreal.

Ayameva Nithya Anithya Vasthu Vivekaha
This is what is called discrimination between real and unreal.

Shankara started this work by telling that Saadhana Chathushtaya Sampathih or four-fold qualifications as the means for liberation and a seeker who is endowed with four-fold qualifications will be able to apprehend the reality very much and thus will be able to realize ones own nature of Self. He then gave the four-fold qualifications as

1. Discrimination – Viveka
2. Dispassion – Vairagya
3. Discipline – Shamaadhi Satka sampthih
4. Desire – Mumukshuthvam

After mentioning what are the four-fold disciplines he is now explaining each of the qualification. The work is in the form of a dialogue between Guru and Student. The Guru mentioned what are the Sadhana Chatushthayam and its definition. The first qualification that the Guru told his Students is Discrimination. The definition he gave for Discrimination as the discrimination between the Real and Unreal thing. Now when this is told to the Student, the student asks the Guru what is meant by discrimination between real and unreal. To this question, the Guru replies as “Brahman alone is Real and all others are unreal”.

The natural tendency of the mind when it sees and likes an object of the world is to desire to possess the object thinking that the object will give permanent happiness. All the objects of the world are not permanent, they are only temporary and therefore the objects of the world can give only temporary happiness. The objects of the world are finite, because they are limited by space and time and therefore the happiness which seems to come from the objects of the world is also limited by space and time. There is only one thing which is permanent which is beyond the limitations of space and time which the scriptures tell as the Ultimate Reality of Brahman which is nothing but ones own nature of Self.
Mandukya Upanishad say,
“Om ithyetad aksharam idam sarvam tasya upa vyakyaanam Bhootham Bhavath Bhavishya sarvam Omkaara eva. Yechaanyath threkaalatheetham thadhapya omkaara eva”

Aum, the word, is all this. A clear explanation of it is: all that is past, present and future, verily, is Aum. That which is beyond the three periods of time is also, indeed, Aum

Sarvamhyaethath brahma ayam athma brahma

All this is verily Brahman. This atman is Brahman.

Taitreeya Upanishad says,
“Sathyam Jnaanam Anantham brahma”
“Brahman is Existence-Consciousness-Infinite”.

Brahman is all-pervading and Eternal and beyond all limitations which is very clear from the above words of Srutti. When there is proper discrimination between Real and Unreal things, one will get clear conviction that the objects of the world can give only temporary happiness. Thus the proper discrimination will lead to dispassion towards the objects of the world. We will learn what Guru says about the Dispassion tomorrow.

Prostrations to All.

Hari Aum

Thanks,
Rajesh