January 23, 2011: Mumukṣutā

Mumukṣutā or the desire for freedom is universal - whether one realizes it or not, it is the basic desire behind every one of our pursuits. Yet the intensity of mumukṣutā varies from person to person depending on the extent to which one has:

1. Realized that mokṣa is the only thing one is seeking.
2. Accepted that one's current pursuits will not lead to mokṣa.
3. Understood that there is only one means for mokṣa.

Mumukṣuta being the starting point for the pursuit of mokṣa, all of the other qualifications that are required for the pursuit are going to be meaningful and fruitful only if mumukṣutā is intense. Therefore one needs to spend time contemplating on the realities about one's life and pursuits that will intensify one's mumukṣutā.

In fact, Śrī Śaṅkarācārya boldly states here that any good character or qualities of one's personality are fake unless one's mumukṣutā is clear. This is because unless we own up mokṣa as our single-most meaningful pursuit, we will be using good qualities only to pursue other limited ends. For example, honesty will be a value for us only because it leads to better relationships. A lack of anger will be a value for us only because it gets us a job promotion or keeps us in good standing with our colleagues and family. While these are relatively good reasons for inculcating these qualities, they will not last once our pursuit changes. Once we no longer need a relationship with a particular person, the necessity to be honest with them will decrease. Only when we understand the direct connection between these qualities and our preparedness for the ultimate pursuit of mokṣa will they last and become natural to us.

Finally, among all the qualities that Śrī Śaṅkarācārya has mentioned so far, he chooses to illuminate bhakti as the most important. However, the meaning he gives to bhakti is perhaps different than the ideas we commonly associate with it; and he gives this meaning based on Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa's explanation of bhakti in the Bhagavad Gītā. We will see this true meaning of bhakti in the next class.

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Translations for next class:

33. उक्तसाधनसम्पन्नः the one who is endowed with the said qualifications, तत्व-जिज्ञासोः the desirer of knowledge of truth अात्मनः of the self...
34. उपसीदेत् may approach गुरुं प्राज्ञं wise teacher (the one has the knowledge of the truth) यस्माद् because of which बन्ध-विमोक्षणम् there will be freedom from the bondage. (The desirer of knowledge of the truth of the self, who is endowed with said qualifications may approach the wise teacher, who has the knowledge of truth, because of which there will be freedom from bondage.)
35. श्रोत्रियः one who has studied vedānta from a brahmavit teacher अवृजिनः person who does not engage in wrong actions अकामहतः who is not persecuted by desires यः one who is ब्रह्मवित्तमः the best knower of brahman, ब्रह्मणि उपरतः always dwelling upon brahman, शान्तः quietened निरिन्धन इवानलः like fire that doesn’t have fuel अहैतुक-दया-सिन्धुः one who is an ocean of compassion without any cause बन्धुः आनमतां सताम् and who is a friend of people of virtue who bow down to him. (A teacher is one who has studied Vedanta from sampradāya, does not engage in pāpakarma, is not persecuted by desires, is the best knower of brahman, always dwells upon Brahman, is quietened like fire which doesn’t have fuel, is ocean of compassion without any cause being there and is a friend of virtuous people who bow down to him.)
36. तम् him आराध्य having worshipped गुरुं the teacher भक्त्या with devotion प्रह्व-प्रश्रय-सेवनैः (प्रह्व bent with folded hands, प्रश्रय humility, सेवन being sensitive to his needs and ready to fulfill them) with these प्रसन्नं pleased तम् him अनुप्राप्य approaching properly पृच्छेत् may one ask ज्ञातव्यम् query आत्मनः one’s own. (With respect, humility and service, worshipping the teacher and approaching properly may the student ask his own queries when the teacher is pleased.)
37. स्वामिन् O master नमः ते salutations to you नत-लोक-बन्धो O caretaker of people who come to your refuge कारुण्य-सिन्धो O ocean of compassion पतितं the one who has fallen भवाब्धौ in the ocean of saṃsāra, माम् me उद्धर may you uplift आत्मीय-कटाक्ष-दृष्ट्या by your glance ऋज्व्या which is straight अति-कारुण्य-सुधाभिवृष्ट्या which showers nectar of compassion. (O master! Salutations to you. You are the caretaker of people who come to your refuge. You are the ocean of compassion. May you uplift me who has fallen in the ocean of saṃsāra by your glance which is straightforward and which showers nectar of compassion.)
38. दुर्वार-संसार-दवाग्नि-तप्तं one who is afflicted by the unsurmountable conflagration of saṃsāra दोधूयमानं shaken दुर-दृष्ट-वातैः by the wind of misfortune भीतं frightened प्रपन्नं one who has come to your refuge परिपाहि may you protect मृत्योः from mortality शरणम् refuge अन्यम् other यत् since अहं न जाने I do not know. (May you protect me, who is afflicted by the unsurmountable conflagration of saṃsāra, shaken by the storm of misfortune (because of one’s own pāpakarma), frightened and has come to your refuge, from mortality since I do not know any other refuge.)
39. शान्ताः who have quietened महान्तः who are great निवसन्ति dwell सन्तः sadhus वसन्तवत् like the spring season लोकहितं चरन्तः doing good to people तिर्णाः crossed स्वयं themselves भीम-भवार्णवं the great ocean जनान् people अहेतुना without motive अन्यान् others अपि also तारयन्तः making cross. (Great, quietened Sādhus live doing good to people like the spring season having crossed the great ocean and making others cross the same without any motive).
40. अयं this is स्वभावः the nature स्वतः themselves एव only यत् that पर-श्रमापनोदप्रवणं engaged in relieving other’s pain महात्मनाम् of the mahātmās, सुधांशुः moonlight एषः this स्वयम् himself अर्क-कर्कश-प्रभाभितप्तम् burnt because of the scorching sunlight अवति protects क्षितिं the earth किल indeed. (This is the nature of mahātmās to engage themselves in relieving other’s pain. The moon indeed pacifies the earth that is burnt because of the scorching sunlight.)
41. ब्रह्मानन्द-रसानुभूति-कलितैः with those which are along with the knowledge of the happiness of brahman पूतैः sacred सुशीतैः calming सितैः clear युष्मद्-वाक्-कलशोज्झितैः commencing from the reservoir of your words श्रुतिसुखैः pleasing to the ears वाक्यामृतैः nectar like sentences सेचय may you sprinkle संतप्तं heated भव-ताप-दाव-दहन-ज्वालाभिः scorched by the conflagration of saṃsāra एनं this poor(me) प्रभो O master धन्याः ते fortunate are they भवदीक्षणक्षणगतेः coming in contact for a moment with your sight पात्रीकृताः have become qualified स्विकृताः and accepted (by you). (May you sprinkle this poor me who is scorched by the conflagration of saṃsāra with the words which are mixed with your complete knowledge of happiness of Brahman, sacred, calming, clear and commencing from the reservoir of your words, pleasing to the ears and like nectar. O master, fortunate are those who coming in contact for a moment with your sight have become qualified and have been accepted by you.)
42. कथं how तरेयं to be crossed भवसिन्धुम् the ocean of saṃsāra एतम् this का what वा or गतिः go मे for me कतमः what else अस्ति is उपायः way जाने know न not किञ्चित् little कृपया with kindness अव protect मां me भो O master संसारदुःखक्षतिम् destruction of the sorrow of saṃsāra आतनुष्व may you arrange. (How is this ocean of saṃsāra to be crossed? What is my go? What is the way? I don’t know anything. O master! Please protect me with kindness and arrange for the destruction of the sorrow of saṃsāra.)
43. तथा वदन्तं to the one who is saying like this शरणागतं who has come to refuge स्वं his own  संसार-दावानल-ताप-तप्तम् one who is scorched by the conflagration of saṃsāra निरीक्ष्य having looked at him कारुण्य-रसार्द्र-दृष्ट्या with the sight that is full of compassion दद्यात् may he give अभीतिं fearlessness सहसा quickly महात्मा great person. (May the great person give fearlessness quickly to the student who is afflicted by the conflagration of saṃsāra and has come to his refuge saying so.)
44. विद्वान् the wise person सः that तस्मै to him उपसत्तिम् ईयुषे one who has approached मुमुक्षवे desirous of freedom साधु saintly यथोक्त-कारिणे follower of enjoinments प्रशान्त-चित्ताय one whose mind has quietened शमान्विताय one who has शम, तत्त्वोपदेशं teaching कृपया with compassion एव only कुर्यात् should do. (The jñānī should teach the student who is desirous of freedom, possesses a quietened mind, endowed with the qualities beginning with śama, follower of enjoinments (of a dhārmika life in the śāstra) and has approached the teacher properly.)
45. मा not भैष्ट may you fear विद्वन् O wise one तव your नास्ति अपायः there is no misfortune for you संसारसिन्धोः तरणे for crossing the ocean of samsara अस्ति उपायः there is way येन एव by which only याता went यतयः the great people अस्य पारं other shore of this तम् एव मार्गं that way only तव निर्दिशामि I am going to show you. (O wise one, may you not fear. There is no misfortune for you. There is way for crossing the ocean of saṃsāra. The path by which great people have gone to the other shore of it. I am going to show you that path alone.)
46. अस्ति is उपायः way महान् great कश्चित् some संसार-भय-नाशनः destroyer of fear of saṃsāra येन by which तीर्त्वा having crossed भवाम्भोधिं the ocean of saṃsāra परमानन्दम् absolute happiness अाप्स्यसि you may gain. (There is some great way which is the destroyer of fear of saṃsāra by which crossing the ocean of saṃsāra you may gain absolute happiness.)
47. वेदान्तार्थविचारेण by the analysis of the meaning of vedānta जायते is born ज्ञानम् knowledge उत्तमम् best तेन by that आत्यन्तिक-संसार-दुःख-नाशः complete cessation of the sorrow of saṃsāra भवत्यनु is there. (Best knowledge is born by the analysis of vedānta and by that there is complete cessation of the sorrow of saṃsāra.)
48. श्रद्धा-भक्ति-ज्ञान-योगान् the disciplines of श्रद्धा, devotion, knowledge and yoga मुमुक्षोः of the desirer of freedom मुक्तेः of the freedom हेतून् the causes वक्ति declare साक्षात् श्रुतेः गीः the words of the sruti themselves यः वा whoever एतेषु एव in these only तिष्ठति stays अमुष्य for him मोक्षः freedom अविद्या-कल्पितात् from imagined by ignorance देहबन्धात् from the bondage of the body. (The words of śruti themselves declare that the causes of freedom for a mumukṣu are the disciplines of śraddhā, devotion, knowledge and yoga. Whoever establishes himself in these for him there is freedom from the bondage of the body which is imagined by ignorance.)
49. अज्ञानयोगात् because of the association with ignorance परमात्मनः of the absolute self तव you हि indeed अनात्मबन्धः bondage with non-self ततः because of that एव only संसृतिः saṃsāra तयोः of them विवेकोदित-बोधवह्निः the fire of knowledge produced because of discrimination अज्ञानकार्यं the effect of ignorance प्रदहेत् burns away समूलम् along with its roots. (The bondage of you, who is paramātmā indeed is because of the association with ignorance and hence the saṃsāra. The fire of knowledge produced because of the discrimination (between the paramātmā and jīvātmā) burns away the effect of ignorance along with its roots.)