V and AV

 अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽविद्यामुपासते।

ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ विद्यायां रताः ॥

Transliteration

andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye'vidyāmupāsate |
tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u vidyāyāṁ ratāḥ ||

Anvaya

ये अविद्याम् उपासते ते अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति। ये उ विद्यायां रताः ते तमः भूयः तमः इव प्रविशन्ति ॥

Anvaya Transliteration

ye avidyām upāsate te andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti| ye u vidyāyāṁ ratāḥ te tamaḥ bhūyaḥ tamaḥ iva praviśanti ||

Meaning

Into a blind darkness they enter who follow after the Ignorance, they as if into a greater darkness who devote themselves to the Knowledge alone.

Hindi Meaning

जो अविद्या का अनुसरण करते हैं वे घोर अन्धकार में प्रवेश करते हैं। और जो केवल विद्या में ही रत रहते हैं वे मानों उससे भी अधिक घोर अन्धकार में प्रवेश करते हैं।

Glossary

ये - ye - they who | अविद्याम् - avidyām - the Ignorance | उपासते - upāsate - follow after | ते - te - they | अन्धम् - andham - blind | तमः - tamaḥ - darkness | प्रविशन्ति - praviśanti - enter | ये - ye - they who | उ - u - on the other hand | विद्यायाम् - vidyāyām - in the Knowledge | रताः - ratāḥ - have attachment / devotion | ते - te - they | भूयः - bhūyaḥ - into a greater | तमः - tamaḥ - darkness | प्रविशन्ति - praviśanti - enter |

Those who worship avidya (ignorance)enter into blinding darkness.but those who revel in vidya knowledge enter as it were into greater darkness than that.

The human mission is to find or realise one's Supreme self enlightenment , there is no other purpose of life but few are aware of it. 

Avidya is ignorance and vidya knowledge upasathe is worship and rather is revealing. Revealing in vidya is indulging in the pleasures accruing from spiritual practice. Spiritual pursuit is enchanting indeed but merely following the spiritual path  becomes pleasurable. Practitioners become involved and addicted to the joy derived which is mundane as these practices are only the means to and not an end in itself. Thus. They are doomed to blinding darkness even greater than those who are immersed in worldly pursuits.

A perfect seeker uses the spiritual paths of karma action, jnana knowledge and bhakti devotion to attain enlightenment. One must make good use of them to purify the mind throughly and then employ the purified mind to realise the Supreme self within.

No seeker can cross over from the terrestrial to the tra.nscendental without the help of spiritual practices. One must employ them in reaching the ultimate rather than revealing in them.

Anyadevahurvidyaya anyadahuravidyaya

Iti Supreme dhiranam ye nastadvicacaksire

Process of realisation

 Realisation is first hand experience of the Absolute Truth. The goal is not impossible to reach but the journey is long and arduous even for the determined seeker, say the sastras, pointed out Swamini Satyavratananda Saraswati in a discourse. The Gita shows the efficacy of the paths of karma, jnana and bhakti, each of which is useful to the aspirant. Worship of God through puja, japa, dhyana, etc, are advised to be incorporated as one’s daily duties, as these are sure to instil bhakti and jnana.

In addition, to reap the full benefits of spiritual realisation, sravana, manana and nidhidyasa are to be practised. Sravana is listening to explanations on the scriptures and discourses on the Puranas and the Itihasas. It slowly makes untold impact on the listener when at some point of time what is heard enters the heart and mind and stirs the spiritual seeking. In due course, sravana morphs into manana. The student goes over in his mind what has been heard and tries to reason out the validity of it. In this world when the attractions and distractions are strong on the individual, it is difficult to be at these practices. Every single spiritual effort is valuable and is reckoned as the sadhana for the individual. It is carried over to future births until perfection is attained. This is the reason behind the varied levels of spiritual leanings in individuals. Some might have gained proficiency in sravana alone and will continue with manana while those who have mastered these practices begin with nidhidyasa in their next birth.

The Aitareya Upanishad speaks of Vamadeva who gains realisation even when in the womb. It shows that he had to be born to complete whatever nidhidyasa was remaining. Among countless aspirants may be one strives to gain jnana and even for him it may take many births for the jnana to become an inner awareness.

discipline.

 All beings are bound by prakriti and the three gunas that constantly draw us towards the world of senses. It is important to win over the powerful sway of the senses. That is why sastras insist on nitya naimittika karmas for individuals as a measure of self discipline which is the foundation for good habits and conduct. The traditional system of teaching and learning has always focused on the upright way of life followed by the preceptors, parents and elders in society which is sure to influence the moral calibre of their immediate successors, pointed out Swami Vidyashankara Saraswati in a discourse.

Learning is not only laukika knowledge, but also the awareness of one’s self or atma. Humanity has been in continuous search of this knowledge that culminates in realisation. Realisation is not something that can be evaluated through any examination as is the case with laukika knowledge where the learning can be assessed by certain parameters. The Gita captures the spirit and essence of guru-sishya learning when it highlights the grace of the guru who, being a realised soul, is able to inspire disciples to seek the truth. Krishna makes it clear that realisation cannot be taught and has to be caught by the sincere seeker. The realised soul, a ‘seer of Tatva,’ whose way of life conforms to his direct perception of the Truth, has to be approached by the sincere seeker with total humility.

The disciple pays obeisance to the preceptor and offers to serve him. By the guru’s blessings, his spiritual progress is steady even as he imbibes the disciplined way of life, the basis of true knowledge.

Samartha Ramdas, a great Rama bhakta and Hanuman upasaka, as guru to Shivaji influenced him to be an inspired and righteous leader who was fired with national fervour. It is claimed that he once protected Shivaji from enemy attack by his yogic power.

 In the Gita, Krishna clearly states that sastras ordain us to do only the right and avoid whatever is wrong, and hence they provide guidelines for the good conduct and welfare of all beings. This is solely for our own benefit and to help us to come out of our ignorance about the purpose of our lives in worldly existence, which is to be freed from samsara, pointed out Swami Vidyashankara Saraswati in a discourse.

From the Upanishads that contain the revelations of many sages in meditation, it is clear that the Supreme Brahman is the Primordial Being who created Brahma in the beginning and also taught him the Vedas. He is the revealer of the knowledge of the Self and is the refuge for all those who desire to seek liberation. The Vedas are deemed as the very word of God. They are held to ‘apaurusheya,’ not the work of any human being. They are His command, and their teachings are meant to be followed by all. Sastras give commands such as ‘speak the truth, uphold dharma, respect one’s parents, preceptor and guests, and so on. They also point out those actions to be avoided, such as speaking the untruth. If one abides by these commands one not only wins God’s approval but also is sure to progress in spiritual pursuit.

Scriptural practices instil in us the spirit of service to God by reminding us that we are His servants. It is our fortune to be recipients of His grace, kindness and benevolence. But if one fails to follow the rules, it means he is ignoring the Lord Himself. He continues to be in samsara by yielding to desires. He develops the tendency to do what is not to be done and fails to do what ought to be done. Actions good and bad have their effects and are consolidated as each individual’s karma.

A life of giving.

 *A must read for all of us*

She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.

“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked.

She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…”

“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk non-stop. I was always mesmerized listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she revelled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium.

As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.”

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing". 

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. 

You have to laugh and find humor every day.

You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. 

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.

If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. 

Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”

She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.”

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be .

*We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give*..

*REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.*

Have a great life ahead...🌹💫🌹

In all her splendour

 

Hear are the keys to glory.