Section 1 3

Means of Sadhana

Summary (in English)

This passage reflects on the essential means and qualities necessary for spiritual practice and ultimate liberation, as described in Advaita Vedanta philosophy. The revered guru acknowledges the aspirant as blessed, highlighting the pivotal role of self-initiative in the quest for *mokṣa* (liberation) from *avidyā* (ignorance) through the realization of the unity of *Brahman* (the ultimate reality) and *Atman* (the individual self). It stresses individual accountability, the necessity of direct experience and realization, and the key attributes such as *vairāgya* (dispassion), *śama* (tranquility), and *nyāsa* (renunciation), that prepare one for liberation. The verses emphasize that mere intellectual pursuits, scriptural study, or verbal declarations are insufficient for true spiritual emancipation. Instead, one must undergo a personal, inward process involving continuous listening, reflection, and meditation to realize the supreme truth, beyond mere verbal or scholarly comprehension. The path to liberation is likened to curing a disease, where sincere and dedicated self-effort is paramount.

सारांश

यह अनुभाग वेदांत दर्शन के अनुसार आत्मानुभूति और मोक्ष प्राप्ति के आवश्यक साधनों और गुणों पर प्रकाश डालता है। पूज्य गुरु साधक को धन्य बताते हैं, यह स्पष्ट करते हुए कि मोक्ष की प्राप्ति के लिए *अविद्या* (अज्ञानता) से मुक्ति और *ब्राह्मण* (सर्वोच्च सत्य) और *आत्मन* (वैयक्तिक आत्मा) की एकता की अनुभूति आवश्यक है। इसमें व्यक्तिगत उत्तरदायित्व के साथ-साथ प्रत्यक्ष अनुभव और साक्षात्कार की अवश्यकता पर जोर दिया गया है और उन मुख्य गुणों, जैसे - *वैराग्य* (वैराग्य), *शम* (शांति), और *न्यास* (त्याग), का उल्लेख किया गया है जो मोक्ष के लिए तैयार करते हैं। श्लोकों में यह कहा गया है कि केवल बौद्धिक प्रयास, शास्त्रों का अध्ययन या मौखिक घोषणाओं से सच्चे आध्यात्मिक मोक्ष की प्राप्ति नहीं हो सकती। वास्तव में, एक व्यक्ति को एक व्यक्तिगत, आंतरिक प्रक्रिया से गुजरना चाहिए जिसमें निरंतर सुनना, चिंतन और ध्यान शामिल है ताकि वह सर्वोच्च सत्य की अनुभूति कर सके, जो मात्र शब्दों या विद्वत्ता से परे है। मोक्ष की राह को रोग के उपचार समान बताया गया है, जहां ईमानदारी और दृढ़ संकल्पपूर्ण आत्म-प्रयास अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण है।

Important Concepts (महत्वपूर्ण अवधारणाएँ)

• mokṣa (मोक्ष)
• avidyā (अविद्या)
• Brahman (ब्रह्मण)
• Atman (आत्मन)
• vairāgya (वैराग्य)
• śama (शम)
• nyāsa (न्यास)
• svādhyāya (स्वाध्याय)
• aparokṣānubhava (अपरोक्षानुभव)

Topics

• Liberation through self-realization
• The role of a guru in spiritual progress
• The importance of personal effort and self-reliance
• Direct experience versus theoretical knowledge
• Essential qualities for spiritual practice

Categories (वर्गीकरण)

• Teaching a method for realization
• Emphasizing individual responsibility
• Advaita Vedanta teachings on liberation
• Differentiating between intellectual and experiential knowledge

S-V-O Tuples or Propositions as Text

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

Subject	Verb	Object
The guru	acknowledges	aspirant's blessed state
Sons	liberate	fathers from debts
One	liberates	oneself from ignorance's bonds
A scholar's words	serve	enjoyment
Study of scriptures	is	fruitless without realization
Direct experience	leads	liberation

Slokas & Translations

Sloka 0

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 1

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 2

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 3

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 4

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 5

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 6

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 7

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 8

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 9

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 10

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 11

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 12

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 13

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 14

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 15

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 16

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 17

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 18

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 19

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 20

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 21

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.