BHAJA GOVINDAM "Hammer Blows to Delusion" : Slokam - 9. Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji.

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Thursday, March 18,  2021. 08 : 54. AM.
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Slokam -9 : Satsang Liberates Us

SATSANG  NON-ATTACHMENT  NON-DELUSION  SELF-REALISATION  LIBERATION

"Atsaṅgatve nissaṅgatvaṁ nissaṅgatve nirmohatvam |

nirmohatve niścalatattvaṁ niścalatattve jīvanmuktiḥ." || 9 ||

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Word Meaning:

satsaṅgatve - through the company of the good,

nissaṅgatvaṁ - (there arises) non-attachment,

nissaṅgatve - through non-attachment,

nirmohatvam - (there arises) freedom from delusion,

Nirmohatve - through the freedom from delusion,

niścala - Immutable,

tattvaṁ – Reality,

niścalatattve - through the Immutable Reality,

jīvanmuktiḥ - (comes) the state of 'liberated-in-life'.

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Translation :

1 sat- sangatve nis- sangatvam  =  From good company, arises non-attachment;

2 nis- sangatve nirmohatvam;    =  from non-attachment, freedom from delusion;

3 nirmohatve nischala tattwam  =   from absence of delusion, the Immutable Reality;

4 nischala tattve jeevanmuktih.  =   on experiencing Reality, comes ‘Liberation’ in life.

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Commentary :

The company of the good weans one away from false attachments; from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, when the delusion ends, the mind becomes unwavering and steady and from an unwavering and steady mind comes Jeevat Mukti (liberated in life).

 Through previous slokas Bhagavan Adi Sankaracharya through the Pratipaksha Bhavana indicated to us how to detach from sensual and worldly pleasures.

 Bhagavan Sankaracharya having understood the practical difficulty of the beginners in devotion, has given a ladder-of-progress, by carefully climbing which, a seeker can comfortably reach the pinnacle of perfection.

1. Stay in the company of good - those that are seeking & spreading the knowledge of “Truth”. Unless we change our environment we mingle with, we can’t start the process of detachment. (Car we drive goes where our eyes see.. ) .. (satsaṅgatve)

2. Through that knowledge and in the company of good one slowly need to renounce the sensual and worldly pleasures. (nissaṅgatvaṁ)

3. The knowledge and detachment gradually removes our delusion that this worldly object provide happiness. (nirmohatvam)

4. Once the delusion is removed, one develops the firm understanding of oneself and inches towards GOD / Realization, he/she gets liberated-in-life (niścalatattve jīvanmuktiḥ)

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Summary :

The first eight verses come as a bombshell to blast one out of his comfortable anchors in life. That is the first phase of spiritual transformation. Now we come to the first of the verses that extend a positive helping hand to the seeker of Truth.

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1 Satsangatve: means “companionship with Truth”. The start to spiritual life is Satsang. Satsang brings light into one’s life, faint at first, but with time becoming brighter and brighter, until all the dark corners of one’s life are touched by its radiance. The story of Ratnakar’s stunning transformation through Satsang with Rishi Narada was given as an example. The company we keep determines the thoughts we cherish. Nis-Sangatvam: Satsang sets the ball rolling. The first fruit of Satsang is seen when we become a little detached to things we once clung onto with intense attachment. The light of Satsang lifts the veil of delusion that clouds our intellect. From that point onwards spiritual life begins in earnest. Acharyaji used another beautiful simile. Through Satsang, knowledge molecules enter and scare away the ignorance molecules. When we stare hard at ignorance, it gets a fright and starts to shiver, and then flee. That is why it is said that the most powerful man is the one who is convinced of something. Satsang is being in contact with the Sat that a Mahatma or saint represents, not being physically close to him. Pujya Gurudev used to often say, “The Rudraksha Mala around Shankaracharyaji’s neck did not get realization!” Mere physical closeness does not ensure the awakening of knowledge and understanding.We have to be ‘in touch’ with what the saint stands for. Do we get close to saints merely to make contacts with rich disciples? Our personal commitment to a saint’s pure thoughts gives us the non-attachment spoken of here.

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2-4 With Satsang, the very foundations of Samsara (worldly existence) start tottering. Satsang is at the beginning of the “chain” that ends with Liberation. The consecutive steps are given in the verse:

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End.
Next : Slokam-10: Without Cause, No Effect

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