SWAMI  SWAROOPANAND (PAWAS)- 
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  ||