Sadhana Panchakam, Third Verse

Translation and Commentary by Jayaram V

Third Verse

vaakyaarthashca vicaaryathaaṃ shruthishiraḥpakshaḥ samaashreeyathaaṃ
dustharkaathsuviramyathaaṃ shruthimathastharkoanusandheeyathaam
brahmaasmeethi vibhaavyathaam aharahargarvaḥ parithyajyathaaṃ
deheahammathirujjhyathaaṃ budhajanairvaadaḥ parithyajyathaam

Translation

vakya = the vakyas or statements; arthascha = meaning; vicharyathaam = shall be reflected upon or thought out; shruthi = the Vedas; shiraḥ = the head; pakshah = side; samaashreeyathaaṃ = shall be adhered to; dustharkaathsu = false or perverse arguments; viramyathaaṃ = shall be rested or suppressed; shruthi = the vedas; mathah = thought, tenet, idea, opinion; tharka = logical, rational; anusandheeyathaam = shall be followed; brahma = Brahman; asme = Iam; ithi = thus; vibhaavyathaam = shall be meditated or considered; aharaha = every day or day after day; garvaḥ = pride; parithyajyathaaṃ = shall be given up; dehe = the body; aham = I am ; mathih = the thought of; ujjhyathaaṃ = shall be discarded; budhajanaih = wise people; vaadaḥ = arguments; parithyajyathaam = shall be given up or avoided;

Meaning

The meaning of the mahavakyas shall be reflected upon. The highest wisdom of the Vedas shall be adhered to. False or perverse arguments or reasoning shall be given a rest. Let the reasoning be according to the tenets of the Vedas. “I am Brahman” shall be meditated upon. Day by day, pride shall be given up. The thought that “I am body’ only shall be discarded. Arguments with the wise people shall be avoided.

Explanation

The main purpose of sadhana is to recondition the mind and body and make it perfect and fit for liberation. When you transition from worldly life to a life of renunciation, you have to adjust to new demands and a new way of life. You have to deal with many problems and a lot of inner resistance and reluctance, which requires sweeping changes in your thinking and attitude. This verse provides guidance to meet that tough challenge. It suggests wholesome ways to purify the mind and body and cultivate right mental attitude to overcome mental turbulence and absorb the mind in the contemplation of the self until it becomes dissolved in it. In worldly life, you learn to deal with the dualities of life for self-preservation. In spiritual life you learn to become indifferent to them for self-realization.

On the spiritual path, self-purification is the means by which you try to remove or suppress the impurities of your mind and body and overcome unwholesome habits and behavior.  One of the best ways to practice self-purification is by reflecting upon the truths which are found in the standard texts such as the Vedas or upon the instructions which are heard from the teacher. If both are in alignment with each other, it is even better since the student is saved from having doubts and confusion or seeking clarifications.

In Vedic tradition which Shankaracharya followed, students are encouraged to contemplate upon the statements which contain the highest wisdom of the Vedas and reflect profound truths about their essential nature and existence. The practice can potentially alter their minds and their perspective about themselves and their priorities. Such statements are usually found in the end parts of the Vedas, which are known as the Upanishads and which are euphemistically mentioned in this verse as the head of the Vedas. The Upanishads contain the secret knowledge of the self, which was traditionally taught to only qualified students who were ripe for liberation or self-realization. For an aspirant, the statements which are found in them serve as the indisputable proof (pramana) or affirmation of the truths which he learns from his study or teacher. They are indisputable because tradition affirms that Brahman is the source of the Vedas, and anything which disagrees with them is false knowledge, which leads to ignorance, delusion and spiritual downfall.

In worldly life, your ego is your main support. It gives you a reason to fend for yourself and pursue your desires and interests with an aggressive mentality. You take refuge in it with blind faith to establish your identity, perform your actions, reach your goals and protect yourself from all real and imaginary threats to ensure your survival. The instincts for self-preservation, self-interest and self-promotion are driven by your ego. It is the lord of your life and your driving force to wade through the turbulence of life and bear with the suffering and the turmoil.

In spiritual life, all that changes. The ego becomes an obstacle, and with it the mind and body, which are its adjuncts. The knowledge which helped you in material life to strengthen your ego and preserve your identity becomes a major obstacle since it does not let you see the truth of yourself or know who you truly are or who the ultimate purpose of your life is. Here, you have to discard them all totally and put yourself at the starting point of an indeterminate future, making the self or Brahman as your sole support and taking refuge in him with abiding faith. Removing all the layers of protection which you built around you and making yourself vulnerable to the uncertainties of life, you have to engage in the process of unwinding yourself and freeing yourself from all kinds of attachments and dependencies to attain aloneness or oneness.

Silencing the ego along with its numerous demands is an important aspect of that life-altering transformation. If the ego is active, you cannot overcome the duality of you and the rest of the world or the feeling of separation (anavatva) which creates the notion that you are a distinct and separate entity and you have to live for yourself. It also becomes an obstacle to surrender your mind and body and your limited identity to the belief that you are indeed Brahman himself, and becoming one with it shall be your ultimate purpose

1. Reflect upon the vakyas or statements taught by the guru

2. Stay on the side of the best of the Vedas

3. Avoid false or perverse arguments

4. Align with the tenets of the Vedas in thinking and reasoning

5. Keep the awareness, ‘I am Brahman’

6. Give up pride day by day

7. Discard the thought, “I am the body”

8. Avoid arguments with the wise people