This is yet another book by Professor Devdas Menon. This time, it is based on and inspired by Swami Vidyaranya's Panchadashi. Vidyaranya was a highly prolific writer. Formerly known as Madhava before his ordination as a monk, Vidyaranya is believed to have flourished in the 14th century. He was closely associated with the founding of the Vijayanagara Empire, with its capital at Hampi. Panchadashi is one of his most respected and renowned works. This remarkable book is written in Sanskrit, a Shastric language used for discussing technical matters. There are several accepted norms, such as those regarding raising objections and responding to them with logic. These are now almost unknown to most of us today.
It is in this context that Professor Menon's book is most relevant and helpful to most prospective readers on the path of self-enquiry. He chooses a unique style. The core, of course, is Vedantic instruction. Without altering its essence, he takes the liberty to reimagine the stage in an entirely new light. Modern readers will appreciate this departure. An elderly husband and his wife approach Vidyaranya, modelled as a Guru, and request him to initiate them spiritually and teach them Advaita Vedanta. What a blessed couple! Although there are Rishikas (women sages), we do not usually hear of women aspirants approaching a Guru and engaging in a dialogue that eventually leads to Self-realisation in the vast Vedantic literature. The dialogue format is an innovation that lucidly explains and brings forth all the key points discussed in the terse verses of the Panchadashi.
Numerous stories are found in Vedic and Vedantic literature that illustrate specific points. One of them, described in the Panchadashi, is the story of the missing tenth man. Here is the gist of the story: ten friends travel together on an expedition. On the way, they had to cross a river. They jump into the water, splash water on one another, swim below the water surface, and make merry. After they reach the other shore, they want to check to make sure no one is missing. But surprisingly and sadly, they find, on counting, one person short. They all count again and again, but the tenth man is still missing. While they are still sad and upset, a passerby comes that way. The kindly disposed person inquires what they are upset about, and then he puts them all at ease by assuring them that all ten of them are right there. He actually counts and shows them. What had happened was that each person failed to count himself. This little story illustrates the role of the Guru. The Guru did not bring or produce the tenth man. The "missing" tenth man was there all along; he was never absent. All that the Guru did was to point this out.
The aim of spiritual instruction by a Self-realised Master, known as a Jnani, is to guide the disciple to one's true nature. In ancient India, when printing and voice recording were unavailable, oral teachings or the transmission of Para-vidya through Silence were the common methods. Today, texts like the Panchadashi also serve this purpose, as they have been composed by a Jnani from a state of stillness. Such texts are regarded as Scripture and deserve the reverence usually accorded to scriptural literature.
We mostly see ourselves as unique individuals, each confined within a separate physical body. This book stresses that confusing this 'apparent self with the 'True Self is a fundamental mistake that results in suffering and prevents us from recognising and experiencing our true nature: the infinite, formless Pure Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. Merely understanding this truth in theory, as taught in the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, is not enough to dispel this deep ignorance. It is essential to reflect deeply on one's true nature to gain genuine experience. This involves listening to or studying the teachings of a Self-realised Master (such as Vidyaranya), clarifying doubts, and persistently practising self-enquiry and meditation, turning one's attention inward.
Even after logically or intellectually understanding the essential matter, one slips back into the 'I am the body-mind' identification. After carrying out this exercise, one can see that thoughts-repeated thoughts-prevent one from establishing oneself as Pure Consciousness. How do we handle these thoughts? We must recognise that desire is what causes such relentless thinking. Understand this clearly: be absolutely certain that you are already perfect and complete now, at this very moment. This firm conviction, supported by supplementary practices (such as Saguna Upasana and Pranayama), is sure to be effective.
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