SWAMI
SWAROOPANAND (PAWAS)-
A COSMIC CITIZEN. (3)
A COSMIC CITIZEN. (3)
I feel especially happy today while uploading this post as
this day marks 110th birth anniversary of my Sadguru Swami Swaroopanandjee. He was born on Margashirsh Vadya Dwadashi at Pawas on 15th Dec 1903.
This is the third post under this title.
In the previous blog- post of Sep 20, we talked about the
term “आत्मरूप”.
In the concluding paras i mentioned about “Swaroop
Patra Manjusha” and three letters ( 63,64 & 65) from that compilation.
In each one of these Swamijee writes about “साक्षित्व ”, besides
his advice on, “ सो s हं ", SOHAM (" सः अहं ",
“I am that"), breathing based meditation technique.
“साक्षित्व ”, is
another key word in the process of self realisation. Gurudev R.D Ranade always
said“Self realisation, is a process and not an event ”.
“ साक्षित्व ”, simply
speaking means, being mindful / a witness, in whatever one does.
Remaining consciously aware about your each action. Looking at all your
activities dispassionately, in a detached way, as a third person. This way,
slowly and gradually, one learns not to take credit for his achievements nor
blame someone else for his failures. Ego is like cataract causing vision
problems by clouding the lens in your eye. The only way to have a clear
picture is to remove it. The central idea of most of the meditation
techniques including Vipassana is, to imbibe “साक्षित्व ”, One can
achieve it by, regular practice of , “ सो s हं साधना ”.
However, it must be remembered, that,“ सो s हं - साधना ” should
not be taken as an ultimate goal. It is a ladder to attain "
अद्वैत " (
Non duality).
“Amritdhara”, which is
a compilation of 162 Sakees, by Swamijee, is a chronology of the process
of his self realisation / enlightenment from that of a seeker. The
following Sakees are very illustrious in this regard---
“सो s हं तेंही अस्तवले ते नाही भोगिले माते | सो s हं- दर्शन अनुभविले ते लिहूनी ठेविले येथे
||”
( I have gone past “सो s हं”. I have only narrated my
experiences during meditation)
“अद्वय-भक्ति येता हातीं सरली यातायाती | बुडतां अमृतीं मरण तरी का संभवेल कल्पांतीं”
||
(Non-duality experience gets you rid of the concept of
birth/death.Hence no death)
“मी-तूपण अस्तवले आलें साधनेस पूर्णत्व | कणकणIत कोंदले एकले एक नित्य सत्तत्त्व ||
( अ.धा.१५५.१५७.१६०).
( It is the end of duality, of HE and I, as everywhere it is only,
“ आत्मतत्व”/ “आत्मरूप”.
“ सो s हं
साधना ” SOHAM should be used like a pole in the
pole vault to catapult oneself, in this case beyond the level of sensory
organs, after which the pole is abandoned. Here, going beyond the level
of “सो s हं साधना” for
merger in Universal consciousness. This going beyond is qualitative and
not quantitative. It is a journey from " अहं ब्रम्हास्मि” to "
सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म ", as
explained by Lord Krishna to Arjuna in the following verse of Geeta-----
" बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान मां प्रपद्यते |वासुदेवः सर्वं इति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ||
गी ७/१९
"
( After a
number of births {manifestation in human form } an evolved person merges in /
attains ME ( God), because he sees Vasudev ( God ) in everything /and
everything in God ).
When “I”,“अहं” is
eliminated from “ सो s हं ”, subject-
object split vanishes and what remains is only “ सः ”
(Vasudev / The Supreme.)
In the backdrop of this let us analyse verse number 186 from
Sanjeevani Gatha, where Swamijee says-
“ दीन मी अभागी होउनी भिकारी । कैसा दारोदारी हिंडतसे ।। १।।
मी चि भाग्यवंत होउनी सधन । वाटीतसे अन्न याचकांते ।।२।।
मी चि नर- नारी संन्यासी संसारी । नाना वेषधारी । मी चि एक ।।३।।
स्वामी म्हणे झालो मी चि चराचर । नांदतो साचार एकलाचि ।। ४।।” सं. गा. १८६
(
Swamijee says he sees himself in the downtrodden beggar going from door to door
, as also in the rich distributing food to the needy. He sees himself in a
sage, a family man, a male, a female. Swami says in different garb it is
only he, {in the ATMAROOP form } who is all pervading. )
What Swamijee has written in the
ballad above is not fiction, nor an imagination expressed through poetic
version. It is a spontaneous flow of an intense experience.This literally is an
audience of the Supreme in "अनंत वेषे, अनंत रूपे". ( In
infinite attire and looks ).
" जेथें जेथें माझें । हिंडेल हे मन । तुझेचि दर्शन । तेथे होवो ।।
तुजविण देवा । न दुजी वासना । शिवो माझ्या मना । कदा काळीं ।। "
सं.गा. २४६/ १ - २
(Here Swamijee says,
wherever my mind wanders let me have only your audience. Oh God let no other
passion except you ever cross my mind.)
In his
commentary on verse number 19 from 7th chapter of Bh. Geeta quoted ibid,
in one of the Ovis Saint Dnyaneshwar says--
हे समस्तही श्री वासुदेव । ऐसा प्रतीती रसाचा वोतला भाव ।
म्हणोनि भक्तामाजी राव । अणि ज्ञानिया तोचि ।। ज्ञा. ७ / १३६
( He who
perceives /experiences everything to be Vasudeva ( Atmaroop) overwhelmingly, is
the realised soul as well as a devotee par excellence. ) Swamijee being such
realised / evolved soul says--
एक वासुदेव नांदे चराचरी । त्याविण दुसरी वस्तू नाही ।।
वासुदेव येथे वासुदेव तेथे । व्यापितो सर्वांते वासुदेव ।। सं . गा. १५१ / १ - २।।
वासुदेवाविण विश्वी नाही दुजे। नांदतो सहजे एकलाचि ।।
अणुअणूतून राहिला भरून । सकळ संपूर्ण वासुदेव ।।सं.गा. १४८ /२ -३
He saw Vasudeva ( personification of Atmaroop) in everything,
including himself, and everything in Vasudeva.
It is well known, that, Dnyaneshwari, a commentary on Bh. Geeta’s
700 verses by Sant Dnyaneshwar runs in 9033 Ovis in olden day Marathi of
12th century. By far this is the best commentary on Bh.Geeta. It has been
translated in over 15 languages, including few foreign languages. Swamijee
transformed it in 16,061 Abhangs in two volumes, which is easily
discernible to a present day Marathi reader. The best thing is though he
changed the meter of this magnum opus, it has been equally perspicuous as
that of the “Dnyaneshwari”, as he has not disturbed the spirit, contents, as
well as the texture of the original work.
Swamijee has unfolded before us the road map of eternal happiness
& peace through his abundant and rich literature. Today he may not be
amongst us bodily but his energy form (" चैतन्यरूप")
continues to be the ruder and guiding force for hundreds of his disciples and
followers like me till date.
The following verses from Swamijee’s Abhang Dnyaneshwari, appear
to be describing his persona--
तैसे त्याचे चित्त । काय सांगूं फार । देखे चराचर । मद्रूप चि ।।
मजपासोनियां । किटकापर्यंत । एक भगवंत । दुजें नाहीं ।।
तत्क्षणीं मी विश्व --। रूप भगवंत । आकळें निभ्रांत । तयालागीं ।।
ऐसें होता ज्ञान । मग आपोआप । माझें विश्वरूप । दिसे तया ।।
अ.ज्ञा. ११/१३७२-७५।।
तैसे जेणे मज । जाणोनी तत्वतां । सांडिली सर्वथा । भेद - बुद्धि ।।
आपणासकट । सर्व हि ते मीच । जाणोनि हे साच । म्हणे जो का ।।
स्वयंसिद्ध सत--चित ।आनंद --निधान । सर्वत्र संपूर्ण । मी च एक ।।
तयालागीं ज्ञान । झालें सर्व कांहीं । ऐसे बोलणेहि । तोकडेच ।।
की तो ब्रह्मरूप । जाहला म्हणोन । तया द्वैतभान । नाही कोठे ।।
अ. ज्ञा. १५/१०११-१०१५ ।।
( In
short it describes a person who has transcended duality and has turned
Cosmic heart and soul (“ जीव ब्रम्हैक्य योग”)
Swamijee
was a living example of such a state therefore he says ---
“
स्वामी म्हणे झालो मी चि चराचर । नांदतो साचार एकलाचि ।।”
सं. गा. १८६ /४ ||
