Section 1 3

Means of Sadhana

Summary (in English)

The provided slokas emphasize key principles of Vedantic philosophy, focusing on spiritual liberation (mokṣa) and the means to achieve it. The revered *guru* marks the aspirant as blessed for desiring liberation from the bonds of ignorance to attain unity with Brahman. It highlights individual responsibility in achieving liberation, pointing out that others cannot liberate a person from ignorance, desire, or karma. The slokas stress self-effort over scholarly knowledge, illustrating that true understanding stems from personal experience rather than intellectual discourse. The necessity of direct experience (aparokṣānubhava) over theoretical understanding is underlined. The verses emphasize actions over declarations, explaining that true understanding and self-realization are necessary for liberation—not mere verbal proclamations, scholarly achievements, or aesthetic skills. The process of attaining mokṣa includes practices such as *śruti* (listening), *manana* (reflection), and *dhyāna* (meditation), leading to the direct realization of the self, transcending duality into nondual understanding.

सारांश

उपलब्ध श्लोकों में वेदांत दर्शन के प्रमुख सिद्धांतों पर ध्यान केंद्रित किया गया है, जो आध्यात्मिक मुक्ति (मोक्ष) और उसे प्राप्त करने के साधनों को दर्शाते हैं। पूजनीय गुरु साधक को आशीर्वादित मानते हैं, क्योंकि वह अज्ञानतापूर्ण बंधनों से मुक्ति चाहकर ब्रह्म से एकरूपता प्राप्त करना चाहता है। यह व्यक्तिगत जिम्मेदारी पर जोर देती है कि अन्य कोई व्यक्ति अज्ञान, कामना या कर्म के बंधनों से मुक्त नहीं कर सकता। श्लोक आत्म-प्रयास को विद्वता पर बढ़ावा देते हैं, यह बताते हुए कि सच्ची समझ व्यक्तिगत अनुभव से उत्पन्न होती है, न कि बौद्धिक वाद-विवाद से। प्रत्यक्ष अनुभव के महत्व को सिद्धान्तिक ज्ञान से ऊपर बताया गया है। ये श्लोक क्रियाओं को घोषणाओं से अधिक प्राथमिकता देते हैं, समझाते हैं कि सच्चे समझ और आत्म-साक्षात्कार के लिए केवल मौखिक दावे, विद्वतापूर्ण उपलब्धियाँ या सौंदर्य कौशल पर्याप्त नहीं हैं।

mokṣa प्राप्ति की प्रक्रिया में *śruti* (श्रवण), *manana* (मनन) और *dhyāna* (ध्यान) जैसे अभ्यास शामिल हैं, जो व्यक्ति को द्वैत से गैर-द्वैत समझ में सीधे आत्म-साक्षात्कार की ओर ले जाते हैं।

Important Concepts (महत्वपूर्ण अवधारणाएँ)

• mukti (मुक्ति)
• avidyā (अविद्या)
• Brahman (ब्रह्मण)
• mokṣa (मोक्ष)
• self-effort (स्व-प्रयास)

Topics

• The necessity of personal effort in spiritual liberation
• The importance of direct experience over theoretical knowledge
• Process of attaining self-realization through continuous spiritual practice

Categories (वर्गीकरण)

• Spiritual liberation methods and teachings
• Individual responsibility in attaining liberation
• Critique of superficial and second-hand knowledge

S-V-O Tuples or Propositions as Text

Subject-Verb-Object (S-V-O) Tuples

Subject	Verb	Object
Aspirant	is blessed for desiring	liberation from ignorance
Sons	can liberate	father from debts
No one	can liberate	oneself from bonds (except the individual)
True understanding	stems from	personal experience
Liberation	is attained	through realization of oneness of Brahman and Atman
Intense dispassion	is primary cause of	liberation
True liberation	requires	discernment between self and non-self
Individual	needs	own effort to attain liberation

Slokas & Translations

Sloka 50

श्रीगुरुवाच<br />धन्योऽसि कृतकृत्योऽसि पावित ते कुलं त्वया । <br />यदविद्याबन्धमुक्त्या ब्रह्मीभवितुमिच्छसि ॥ ५0 ॥

Translation: The revered guru said: You are blessed and accomplished; your lineage is purified by you, as, through liberation from the bond of ignorance, you desire to become one with Brahman.

Sloka 51

ऋणमोचनकर्तारः पितुः सन्ति सुतादयः ।
बन्धमोचनकर्ता तु स्वस्मादन्यो न कश्चन ॥ ५१ ॥

Translation: The sons and others can liberate the father from debts, but no one else can liberate oneself from bonds.

Sloka 52

मस्तकन्यस्तभारादेर्दुःखमन्यैर्निवार्यते ।
क्षुधादिकृतदुःखं तु विना स्वेन न केनचित् ॥ ५२ ॥

Translation: The pain caused by burdens placed on the head can be removed by others, but the pain caused by hunger, etc., cannot be removed by anyone except oneself.

Sloka 53

पथ्यमौषधसेवा च क्रियते येन रोगिणा ।
आरोग्यसिद्धिर्दृष्टास्य नान्यानुष्ठितकर्मणा ॥ ५३ ॥

Translation: A patient attains health by the practice of diet and medicine, not by any other act.

Sloka 54

वस्तुस्वरूपं स्फुटबोधचक्षुषा
स्वेनैव वेद्यं न तु पण्डितेन । 
चन्द्रस्वरूपं निजचक्षुषैव
ज्ञातव्यमन्यैरवगम्यते किम् ॥ ५४ ॥

Translation: The true nature of an object is to be comprehended by one's own clear understanding, not through a scholar; just as the form of the moon is to be known by one's own eyes, can it be understood by others?

Sloka 55

अविद्याकामकर्मादिपाशबन्धं विमोचितुम् ।
कः शक्नुयाद्विनात्मानं कल्पकोटिशतैरपि ॥ ५५ ॥

Translation: Who could liberate oneself from the bonds of ignorance, desire, and karma, even in hundreds of millions of eons, without the self?

Sloka 56

न योगेन न सांख्येन कर्मणा नो न विद्यया ।
ब्रह्मात्मैकत्वबोधेन मोक्षः सिध्यति नान्यथा ॥ ५६ ॥

Translation: Liberation is attained only through the realization of the oneness of Brahman and Atman, not by yoga, sankhya, action, or learning alone.

Sloka 57

वीणाया रूपसौन्दर्यं तन्त्रीवादनसौष्ठवम् ।
प्रजारञ्जनमात्रं तन्न साम्राज्याय कल्पते ॥ ५७ ॥

Translation: The beauty of the Vīṇā and the skill in string-playing are merely for the entertainment of the people and do not lead to sovereignty.

Sloka 58

वाग्वैखरी शब्दझरी शास्त्रव्याख्यानकौशलम् ।
वैदुष्यं विदुषां तद्वद्भुक्तये न तु मुक्तये ॥ ५८ ॥

Translation: Scholars' eloquent speech, flood of words, and skill in discoursing on scriptures serve for enjoyment, not liberation.

Sloka 59

अविज्ञाते परे तत्त्वे शास्त्राधीतिस्तु निष्फला ।
विज्ञातेऽपि परे तत्त्वे शास्त्राधीतिस्तु निष्फला ॥ ५९ ॥

Translation: Study of scriptures is fruitless both when the supreme truth is unknown and even when it is known.

Sloka 60

शब्दजालं महारण्यं चित्तभ्रमणकारणम् ।
अतः प्रयत्नाज्ज्ञातव्यं तत्त्वज्ञैस्तत्त्वमात्मनः ॥ ६० ॥

Translation: Intellectual verbiage is like a vast forest that causes confusion in the mind; therefore, the essence of the self must be realized with effort by the knowers of truth.

Sloka 61

अज्ञानसर्पदष्टस्य ब्रह्मज्ञानौषधं विना ।
किमु वेदैश्च शास्त्रैश्च किमु मन्त्रैः किमौषधैः ॥ ६१ ॥

Translation: Without the remedy of Brahman knowledge, what use are the Vedas, scriptures, mantras, or medicines for one bitten by the serpent of ignorance?

Sloka 62

न गच्छति विना पानं व्याधिरौषधशब्दतः ।
विनापरोक्षानुभवं ब्रह्मशब्दैर्न मुच्यते ॥ ६२ ॥

Translation: A disease does not go away just by naming the medicine; likewise, liberation is not achieved by merely uttering 'Brahman' without direct experience.

Sloka 63

अकृत्वा दृश्यविलयमज्ञात्वा तत्त्वमात्मनः ।
ब्रह्मशब्दैः कुतो मुक्तिरुक्तिमात्रफलैर्नृणाम् ॥ ६३ ॥

Translation: Without dissolving the visible and realizing the truth of the self, how can liberation be merely a result of verbal expressions?

Sloka 64

अकृत्वा शत्रुसंहारमगत्वा खिलभूश्रियम् ।
राजाहमिति शब्दान्नो राजा भवितुमर्हति ॥ ६४ ॥

Translation: Without defeating enemies or acquiring the wealth of the whole earth, one does not deserve the title of a king merely by proclaiming 'I am the king'.

Sloka 65

आप्तोक्तिं खननं तथोपरिशिलाद्युत्कर्षणं स्वीकृतिं
निक्षेपः समपेक्षते नहि बहिः शब्दैस्तु निर्गच्छति ।
तद्वद्ब्रह्मविदोपदेशमननध्यानादिभिर्लभ्यते
मायाकार्यतिरोहितं स्वममलं तत्त्वं न दुर्युक्तिभिः ॥ ६५ ॥

Translation: Just as a treasure is reached through digging as per the expert's instruction, similarly, the pure truth of the self, obscured by maya, is attained through contemplation and meditation, not through mere arguments.

Sloka 66

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन भवबन्धविमुक्तये ।
स्वैरेव यत्नः कर्तव्यो रोगादाविव पण्डितैः ॥ ६६ ॥

Translation: Therefore, all efforts must be made for liberation from worldly bonds, just as the wise endeavor to cure diseases.

Sloka 67

यस्त्वयाद्य कृतः प्रश्नो वरीयाञ्ज्छास्त्रविन्मतः ।
सूत्रप्रायो निगूढार्थो ज्ञातव्यश्च मुमुक्षुभिः ॥ ६७ ॥

Translation: The question you asked today is highly esteemed by the wise, profound like a formula, and should be understood by seekers of liberation.

Sloka 68

शृणुष्वावहितो विद्वन्यन्मया समुदीर्यते ।
तदेतच्छ्रवणात्सद्यो भवबन्धाद्विमोक्ष्यसे ॥ ६८ ॥

Translation: Hear attentively, O wise one, what I am saying, by listening to this, you will instantly be liberated from the bonds of worldly existence.

Sloka 69

मोक्षस्य हेतुः प्रथमो निगद्यते
वैराग्यमत्यन्तमनित्यवस्तुषु । 
ततः शमश्चापि दमस्तितिक्षा
न्यासः प्रसक्ताखिलकर्मणां भृशम् ॥ ६९ ॥

Translation: The primary cause of liberation is said to be intense dispassion towards impermanent things, along with tranquility, self-control, endurance, and the renunciation of all attached actions.

Sloka 70

ततः श्रुतिस्तन्मननं सतत्त्व
ध्यानं चिरं नित्यनिरन्तरं मुनेः ।
ततोऽविकल्पं परमेत्य विद्वान्
इहैव निर्वाणसुखं समृच्छति ॥ ७० ॥

Translation: Thus listening, reflecting, and meditating deeply and continuously, the wise, attaining the supreme beyond doubt, attains the bliss of liberation here itself.

Sloka 71

यद्बोद्धव्यं तवेदानीमात्मानात्मविवेचनम् ।
तदुच्यते मया सम्यक्श्रुत्वात्मन्यवधारय ॥ ७१ ॥

Translation: What needs to be understood now is the discernment between self and non-self; listen to it carefully and establish it within yourself.