TLDR;
This YouTube video features Mahamandleshwar Swami Abhayanand Saraswati discussing the essence of Vedanta through the lens of Swami Sadanand Ji's "Vedant Saar." He emphasizes the importance of understanding one's true self (Atman) and the desire to share this knowledge with others to alleviate suffering. The discourse includes explanations of key concepts like "Satchidananda," the significance of Guru's grace, and the role of scriptures in realizing the ultimate truth.
- Introduction to Vedant Saar and its commentaries.
- The desire to share spiritual knowledge for the benefit of all.
- Explanation of Satchidananda and the challenges in comprehending it.
- The importance of Guru's grace and the limitations of intellect.
- Vedanta as the essence of Upanishads and related scriptures.
मेरे गुरुदेव की महिमा [0:04]
The video starts with a devotional song praising the glory of the Guru, depicting him as a bestower of fulfillment and dispeller of darkness. The Guru is revered as শিব ত্রিপুরা, whose greatness is immense and who resides in the heart. The song expresses that life without a Guru is like a battle, and even the dawn feels like dusk.
Introduction to Vedant Saar [1:50]
Swami Abhayanand Saraswati introduces the scripture "Vedant Saar" written approximately 500 years ago by Swami Sadanand Ji of Kashi. This scripture is an essence of all spiritual texts, offering a comprehensive exposition of ब्रह्म विद्या from beginning to end. Due to the absence of printing presses at the time, the scripture was handwritten and rare, yet it gained immense popularity.
Commentaries on Vedant Saar [3:18]
Following Swami Sadanand Ji, नरसिंह सरस्वती जी महाराज wrote a commentary on it named सुबोध. Later, Swami Ram Tirth, a highly respected figure in society, also wrote a commentary in Sanskrit, which was very divine and delightful. Approximately 60 commentaries are available on this scripture, with many महापुरुष contributing to its understanding.
The Desire to Share Knowledge [6:08]
Swami Abhayanand expresses his desire to impart the knowledge he has gained to others, so they too can experience peace. He describes the world as a collection of sorrows and constant change. Just as he has found liberation in his अखंड स्वरूप, he wishes for all beings to be free from suffering by realizing their true nature.
Seeking Divine Assistance [7:52]
Swami Abhayanand seeks blessings from परमपिता परमेश्वर to fulfill his desire. He explains that there are three types of individuals: those who don't understand, those who misunderstand, and those who understand and act accordingly. He prays that this scripture is easily accessible to those who are worthy and desire आत्मज्ञान, so they may contemplate it and assimilate its teachings.
Explaining Satchidananda [10:32]
The core teaching of the scripture is the concept of सच्चिदानंद, which is सत्य (unchanging truth), चित (knowledge), and आनंद (bliss). Swami Abhayanand aims to explain how to attain the experience and knowledge of this Satchidananda. He acknowledges the challenge of explaining something that is beyond the mind and senses, as the mind can only grasp what it can conceive.
The Challenge of Explaining the Transcendent [12:29]
Satchidananda is beyond the reach of the mind and senses, making it difficult to explain. It is अगोचर (beyond perception) and cannot be described by वाणी (speech). Swami Abhayanand emphasizes that realizing this truth leads to residing in one's own glory. He seeks guidance from गणेश जी and his Guru to overcome this challenge.
The Need for Prayer and Divine Grace [13:46]
Swami Abhayanand explains that prayer is necessary when something is beyond one's capabilities. He uses the analogy of lifting a heavy object to illustrate that if a task is impossible, one seeks divine help. He prays to गणेश जी to enable him to explain the तत्व (essence) of सच्चिदानंद, which is beyond the mind and वाणी.
Types of Mangalacharan [15:23]
Swami Abhayanand describes three types of मंगल चरण (invocations): स्तोत्रात्मक (praising the deity), नमस्कार (saluting the श्रेष्ठ), and वस्तु निर्देशात्मक (indicating the essence). He is using the वस्तु निर्देशात्मक type, where the सच्चिदानंद तत्व is indicated. He knows this तत्व from his own experience and now seeks to explain it.
Understanding the Atman [16:27]
The आत्मा (soul) is not limited to the body but is the आधार (foundation) of the entire जगत (world). It is the मूल अधिष्ठान (root support) of सृष्टि (creation), स्थिति (existence), and प्रलय (dissolution). Swami Abhayanand desires that his ग्रंथ (scripture) be completed without any obstacles, reach the right individuals, and illuminate their बुद्धि (intellect) with the तत्व.
Guru Vandana: Salutations to the Guru [20:14]
Swami Abhayanand transitions to गुरु वंदना, offering salutations to his Guru, whose name is अध्ययन. He emphasizes that his Guru's name and nature are in perfect alignment, as he is always आनंदित (blissful) in his एडवाई स्वरूप (non-dual nature). The Guru remains unaffected by worldly events, experiencing neither हर्ष (joy) nor विषाद (sorrow).
The Nature of Advayanand [23:17]
The Guru's आनंद is unwavering because he sees no other than himself. He is not swayed by संसार (worldly) pleasures or pains. Swami Abhayanand clarifies that saints do experience इच्छा (desire) and perform actions, but they remain rooted in their true nature.
The Guru's Non-Dual Vision [26:26]
The Guru perceives only अपनी आत्मा (one's own soul) and sees no duality. Whether someone offers सेवा (service) or insults, it is all the same to him. राग (attachment) and द्वेष (aversion) arise from perceiving a दूसरा (other), but in the absence of duality, there is no basis for these emotions.
Humility and Acknowledgment of Limitations [27:59]
Swami Abhayanand expresses his humility, acknowledging that his understanding is limited by his बुद्धि (intellect). He will share only what he has grasped from his Guru, comparing it to filling a container with water from the गंगा जी. He emphasizes the importance of समर (remembrance) and gratitude towards his Guru.
Vedanta: The Essence of Upanishads [31:06]
Swami Abhayanand explains that Vedanta is the essence of the उपनिषद (Upanishads), which contain ब्रह्म विद्या (knowledge of Brahman). He clarifies that not all Upanishads focus on ब्रह्म विद्या; some may contain तंत्र मंत्र (rituals) or उपासना (worship). Vedanta specifically refers to the ज्ञान (knowledge) that leads to the removal of अविद्या (ignorance) and दुख (suffering).
The Importance of Upanishadic Knowledge [33:45]
Without the ज्ञान imparted by the उपनिषद, अविद्या (ignorance), मोह (delusion), and शोक (sorrow) cannot be eradicated. Swami Abhayanand emphasizes the importance of श्रवण (listening) to the उपनिषद. He defines Vedanta as the निरूपण (exposition) of आत्म तत्व (the self).
The Path to Self-Realization [34:53]
The उपनिषद state that one who desires to know the आत्मा (self) should approach a Guru. Swami Abhayanand highlights the importance of learning the proper way to approach a संत (saint) to receive आत्मज्ञान (self-knowledge), आशीर्वाद (blessings), and वरदान (boons). He emphasizes that all scriptures that guide us in this path are considered Vedanta.
The Scope of Vedanta [37:55]
Vedanta encompasses not only the उपनिषद but also other scriptures like the गीता and महाभारत, as they provide सरल (simple) explanations. It includes मीमांसा (inquiry) into the nature of the शरीर (body) and guidance on आहार (diet). Even scriptures like ब्रह्म सूत्र, which reveal the नित्य (eternal) within the अनित्य (transient), are considered part of Vedanta.
Vedanta as a Comprehensive System [40:56]
Any शास्त्र (scripture) that helps in understanding ब्रह्म विद्या (knowledge of Brahman) is considered Vedanta. This includes the 18 पुराण (Puranas) and the teachings of भगवान वेदव्यास जी. Swami Abhayanand concludes by stating that the अनुबंध चतुष्टय (four prerequisites) applicable to other Vedanta scriptures also apply to this ग्रंथ (scripture).
Conclusion and Commencement [42:07]
Swami Abhayanand mentions that the अनुबंध चतुष्टय (four prerequisites) are not discussed in detail, assuming the audience is already familiar with them from previous सत्संग (spiritual discourses). He concludes by announcing the commencement of the शास्त्र (scripture) and acknowledging that it is the first day of this new endeavor.
