Tattvamasi Mahavakyartha Vichara in chaste Marathi verses of Adya-kavi Shri Mukundaraj

[V Subrahmanian]

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Tattvamasi Mahavakyartha Vichara in chaste Marathi verses of Adya-kavi Shri Mukundaraj

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Shri Mukundaraj Kavi, an Acharya belonging to Natha Sampradaya, is recognized as the Adya-kavi of Marathi literature. Yet, he was a loyal adherent of Advaita Vedanta and had deep reverence for Bhagavatpada. This is quite patent in his work called ‘Viveka-Sindhu’ (dated 1188 AD) which is a treatise on various concepts of Advaita Vedanta in chaste Marathi. The author explicitly says here that he is merely stating the words of Bhagavatpada Adi Shankara in Marathi : 

शंकरोक्तिवरी ॥ मीबोलिलोंमराठीवैखरी ॥ ह्मणूनिनिर्धाराववीचतुरीं ॥ शास्त्रबुद्धी ॥७.४७॥ 

[ Based on Shankaracharya’s preachings(commentaries), I am writing this work in Marathi. Hence, the wise must ascertain it with Shastra-buddhi]

A proper understanding of Tattvamasi Mahavakya is quite crucial in Advaita Vedanta . In his Viveka Sindhu, Shri Mukundaraj ji dedicates a whole chapter on exposition of the same. In this post, we will briefly discuss some of his shlokas on Tattvamasi Mahavakyartha vichar.

Before jumping into the verses, it is necessary that we get a quick primer on how the Tattvamasi Mahavakya is understood in our tradition. 

The word Tat, in its literal sense, denotes Mayopahita Ishvara who is the Jagat-Karana. The word Tvam, in its literal sense again, denotes the Jeeva. But the Aikya conveyed by Tat-Tvam-asi is only between the Shuddha Chaitanya which forms the adhishthana(substratum) of both Ishvara and Jeeva by negating their respective Upadhis.

 This aikya cannot be understood by taking the literal meaning (Vachyartha) of the Tat and Tvam. But , it has to be understood by resorting to Lakshana ( their implied meanings). The lakshana that is popularly employed in our tradition is the Jahadajahallakshana, which is also called the Bhaga-tyaga lakshana. Below is an illustration of the same:

[1] Tat = Ishvara = Ishvara-upadhi + Shuddha Chaitanya 

[2] Tvam = Jeeva = Jeeva-upadhi + Shuddha Chaitanya 

In Tattvamasi, the upadhi in both the cases is negated and only the Shuddha-chaitanya is retained. That is, we partially give-up a portion of the literal meaning( the respective upadhis) and retain the rest (the shuddha chaitanya). This method of implication is called Bhaga-tyaga or Jahadajahallakshana. Hence, in Advaita Vedanta, when aikya of Jeeva and Ishvara is spoken of, it is only between the sakshi,adhishthana Chaitanya of Ishvara and Jeeva; and never between their Upadhis. 

The same concept has been explained by Shri Mukundaraj Kavi in his Viveka Sindhu ( Uttarardha, Chapter 7) . A crude translation of the verses will be given in the following section of the write-up. Please look at the attached images for the Marathi verses. 

The Guru instructs the shishya thusly (the numbers in 

the bullets correspond to the shloka-number) : 

1. The Purport of the Mahavakya Tattvamasi is the lakshyartha (implied meaning) of the words Tat and Tvam 

2. Tat denotes Poorna Chaitanya. Tvam denotes prithak(different) Chaitanya. That which is called Prithak chaitanya is indeed the Poorna Chaitanya. 

3. Hence, know yourself as the Brahman and realize your aikya with the Paramatma. This is the meaning of the Mahavakya. 

 

To this the shishya raises a series of questions as Poorva-paksha showing the contrasting nature of Jeeva and Ishvara and hence, challenging their aikya. 

4-8. Ishvara is vyapaka, Jeeva is paricchinna. Ishvara is independent, jeeva is dependent. He is Swami, I am Sevaka. He is the Jagat-karana, I am dukhi. He is the Sarveshara and the controller, I am aneeshvara and the controlled. He is nitya-mukta, while I am enterally caught in samsara. He bestows Karma-phala while I experience them. Such being the case, how can aikya be established between them? 

To these questions, the Guru replies thus. 

9. These differences that you pointed out are merely imagined due to Upadhi. 

10. There are two mirrors, one with a golden frame and the other with an iron frame. The same face of a person is reflected in both of them. Similarly, owing to Maya and Avidya, the Brahman appears as Ishvara and Jeeva. 

11. Mayopadhika Brahman is Paramatma. Advidyopadhika Brahman is Jeevatma. But the Atman of both is devoid of any Upadhi. 

12. The gunas of Ishvara that you described earlier, know them to be superimposed by Maya. The Ishvara/Paramatman, in essence, is Nirguna only. 

13. The dharmas of Jeeva are all imagined by Avidya. In essence, the Jeeva is verily the Brahman(Nirguna)

15. Ishvara’s Ishvaratva is due to Maya. Jeeva’s jeevatva is due to Avidya. When both (Ishvaratva and Jeevatva) are negated, what remains is the Brahman alone. 

After explaining the nature of Aikya, the guru now instructs how the Aikya in Tattvamasi must be arrived at by employing Lakshana

17. There are three types of Lakshanas : Jahad, ajahad and jahad-ajahad 

18. Jahad means tyaga i.e the literal meaning is given up totally. Ajahad means atyaga i.e the literal meaning is retained. jahad-ajahad means partial tyaga i.e a porton of the literal meaning is retained and a part of it is given up. 

19. The vachyartha ( literal meaning) of Jeeva must be given up and the Lakshyartha must be taken. Similarly, the vachyartha of Ishvara must be given up and Shuddhartha must be taken. 

20. This method of giving up the shabala-amsha (ie the upadhi or qualifications of Jeeva and Ishvara) and retaining the shuddha-amsha (i.e the shuddha Chaitanya which is the substratum of both Jeeva and Ishvara) is called Jahad-ajahad-lakashana in Vedanta Shastra 

21. While cleaning/filtering the Rice grains, as we discard the hallow grains and retain only the pure rice grains, so also we ought to negate the Upadhi and retain only the Suddha-chaitanya

22. Hence, in understanding the Mahavakyas, we have to use Jahad-ajahallakshana as the Pramana. The other two aren't needed. 

 

Another analogy for Jahad-ajahallakshana is given in verses 25,26 : 

25-26. We had met a person in Kashi in the past. And, in the present, we happen to meet the same at our place. Here, we recognize the person to be the same and not different. We give-up the desha-kala related adjuncts of the person in both the cases, (past time/Kashi and present time/ the current place) and recognize the person as one and the same. 

27. In the same manner, we ought to negate to Ishvara’s Maya and it’s products like the upadhis of Sarvajnatva etc. On doing so, what remains is the Nondual,Parabrahman beyond Maya.

28. The ignorance of the Jeeva has to be negated together with the erroneous knowledge of the body. All the upadhis/dharmas must be thusly negated. 

29. What remains on doing so is the Shuddha-Chaitanya. This is also called Pratyak-Chaitanya. Know this to be non-different from Ishvara

30. Thus, the union of Pratyak-Chaitanya ( Sakshi Chaitanya of Jeeva) with the Poorna-Chaitanya ( Sakshi Chaitanya of Ishvara) is realized. And, any difference between them is negated. 

In this manner, Shri Mukundaraj Kavi illustrates the true purport of Tattvamasi Mahavakya as understood in the Advaita Vedanta. This Aikya is established between the Shuddha-Chaitanya which is the Sakshi and Adhishthana of both Jeeva and Ishvara.  

On briefly reading these verses, we come to realize that this work of Shri Mukundaraj Kavi can serve as an excellent text book for the Marathi aspirants to understand the tenets of Advaita Vedanta. Hence, I urge all my Marathi speaking Advaitin friends to undertake a serious study of the text. 

॥ भव शंकर देशिक मे शरणम् ॥

[Bhaskar YR]

praNAms

Hare Krishna

 

Happy to note that in this detailed explanation of tattvamasi vAkya, mAyA treated differently from avidyA,  unlike traditionalists,  who, needlessly equates mAya with avidyA. 

 

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Ishvara’s Ishvaratva is due to Maya. Jeeva’s jeevatva is due to Avidya

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Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!

bhaskar