Hindu Vedic Philosophy (Advaita): GURU VACHAKA KOVAI The Light of Supreme Truth or THE COLLECTION OF GURU’S SAYINGS

GURU VACHAKA KOVAI

The Light of Supreme Truth

THE COLLECTION

OF GURU’S SAYINGS

Translated from the Original Tamil

Sadhu Om and Michael James

With an Introduction by

David Godman

Ramakrishna

( from

Ramakrishna-Vedanta Study Circle

Athens, Greece)

Introduction by David Godman

In the late 1920s Muruganar, an accomplished Tamil poet who

had lived with Bhagavan for several years, began to collect the verbal

teachings of his Guru, Ramana Maharshi. He recorded them in

four-line Tamil verses. No questions were recorded, just the

answers and statements on a wide variety of spiritual topics. By the

late 1930s, Muruganar had completed over 800 of these verses,

virtually all of which recorded a direct teaching statement that

Bhagavan had uttered. In 1939 a decision was made to publish

these teachings in book form. Bhagavan then asked Sadhu

Natanananda, a Tamil scholar and devotee, to arrange the verses

by subjects since there was no particular order or sequence in the

material that Muruganar had amassed. After Natanananda had

done this work and shown it to Bhagavan, Bhagavan himself thoroughly

edited the work, modifying the sequences and adding many

revisions. In addition to making these textual corrections, Bhagavan

also composed new verses that he added at appropriate

places in the text. Because of the care and attention that Bhagavan

put into checking and revising these verses, we can be sure that

their contents have his full approval.

Many of Bhagavan’s verbal teachings were recorded during his

lifetime, but few of them were reviewed and edited by him. Guru

Vachaka Kovai is the biggest collection of Bhagavan’s spoken

teachings that was thoroughly checked and revised by him during

his lifetime. As such it has a unique place in the Ramana literature.

A second edition of the Tamil work was brought out in 1971.

This contained many additional verses that Muruganar had composed

since the first edition of the book came out in 1939. This

new edition of the work contained a total of 1,284 verses, 1,254

composed by Muruganar and the remaining twenty-eight by

Bhagavan himself.

Muruganar passed away in 1973. In 1980 Sadhu Om, Muruganar’s

literary executor, brought out a new edition of Guru

Vachaka Kovai in which he rendered the original Tamil verses

(which are often very difficult to decipher unless one has a good

knowledge of Tamil literary conventions) into Tamil prose. He also

GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 9

added explanatory comments to many of the prose renderings.

This book is the basis of the version I am including on this site.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s Michael James and Sadhu

Om worked together on a translation of Guru Vachaka Kovai.

Although all the verses were translated, along with many of the

commentaries, the work was never published since Michael was

not satisfied with the accuracy of some of the verses. In a conversation

I had with him many years ago he told me that he wanted to

revise many of the early verses since he felt that some of them

were somewhat loose paraphrases of the text, rather than literal

translations.

After Sadhu Om passed away in 1984, Michael suspended work

on his translation of Guru Vachaka Kovai and switched his attention

to other projects, such as bringing out the unpublished works

of Muruganar and Sadhu Om. His manuscript of Guru Vachaka

Kovai has therefore not been revised for almost twenty years.

Over the years I have shown Michael James’ and Sadhu Om’s

version of Guru Vachaka Kovai to several people, and everyone

has appreciated its rigorous literalness. Only one version of Guru

Vachaka Kovai has ever appeared in English before, the one by

Professor Swaminathan that was initially serialised in The Mountain

Path and later published by Sri Ramanasramam. Professor

Swaminathan’s version attempted to retain the poetic element of

the original, but in many places this resulted in a diminution of

accuracy. Sadhu Om and Michael James decided that, since the

verses recorded philosophical statements by Bhagavan, a literal

translation would be of more interest to readers and devotees

since an accurate rendering would fully reveal all the nuances of

Bhagavan’s teachings on many different subjects.

A few months ago I asked Michael if I could post his translation

on my site since it appeared very unlikely that he would get round

to making a final version in the near future. Michael agreed and

asked that it be billed as a ‘work in progress’, not a completed

work. I wish here to express my gratitude and appreciation to

Michael for allowing this incomplete work to be given a public

airing.

The manuscript I worked with had many oddities and rough

edges, most of which I have left untouched. I don’t want to impose

10 Sri Muruganar

my own editorial red pencil on Michael’s endeavours; I just want to

express a wish that he one day complete the work and bring out a

final, definitive version. I have, however, standardized some of the

spellings and added attributions to the notes that follow many of

the verses. Both Muruganar and Sadhu Om have written commentaries

on Guru Vachaka Kovai. When these have been utilized, I

have added the appropriate names at the top of the notes. When

there are no published Tamil sources for the notes, I have attributed

them to Michael James. However, since Michael worked

closely with Sadhu Om as he was preparing these notes, I think it

is safe to say that most of them represent supplementary verbal

comments by Sadhu Om that Michael added in order to clarify the

original text.

Finally, Michael wishes to make it known that anyone is free to

use this material. However, this does not mean that he is giving

away any of the rights to this work. He intends to complete the editorial

work one day and to bring out his own edition of the work.

DAVID GODMAN

GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 11

Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950)

Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachala Ramanaya

The Light of Supreme Truth

THE COLLECTION

OF GURU’S SAYINGS

Prefatory Verses

Obeisance to the Guru

1. This Light [i.e., these verses] of the Guru’s Teachings,

which destroys the base nature of mind – ‘I’ and

‘mine’ – shines as Self, illuminating our hearts, whenever

we long with increasing despair for Grace.

2. The Eternal One graciously took the form of Guru

[Ramana] and lovingly claimed me – who was a victim

to the delusion ‘I am the body’ – as His own,

reforming me with the sense ‘I am not this filthy inert

body’. May my head rest beneath the Feet of the

Benign, Gracious, Silent Guru.

3. The perfect Jnana-Guru [Ramana] ably and precisely

presents the right meaning in many contradictory

statements, and passes apt judgement over various

discussions, revealing the One Supreme Truth that

lies in harmony among them all. May my head rest

beneath his Feet.

1 The Name and Origin of this Work

4 This clear Light of Supreme Truth was not lit by my

innocent, infant mind, which has not seen the Truth.

It was lit by the fully ripened Supreme Knowledge of

my Master Sri Ramana.

5. Many instructions to root out ignorance [i.e. inattention

to Self] were given by my Beloved, Eternal, Companion

[Sri Ramana] whose Real Form is That

[Sat-Chit] which exists, shines, and reveals Itself as

‘I’. I now recount some of those instructions which

my mind has grasped and preserved.

GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 13

6. I, being there where Ramana embraced me, will

recount a little of the nature of the Supreme Truth

which I have come to know in my life of Divine Union

with Him, my Master.

Michael James: “There where Ramana embraced me” refers to

the Supreme State of being firmly established in Self.

“Supreme Truth” alludes to the title of the whole work, The

Light of Supreme Truth.

7. I now compose and string together all the Supreme

Truth that I come to know through the Divine Glance

bestowed upon me by my Lord Guru Ramana, who

destroyed my delusion caused by the ego sense,

leaving me in a state of clarity.

2 The Benefit or Fruit of this Work

8. The benefit of this Light of Supreme Truth is the

understanding that there is not the least thing such

as ‘attainment’, since the Supreme Self is the

Ever-Attained One Whole. Thus the mental wanderings

caused by striving towards Dharma, Artha, and

Kama are also removed.

Sadhu Om: Up till now the shastras have prescribed, as the rightful

goals of human life, the following four aims:

Dharma: the practice of righteous social duties.

Artha: the acquisition of wealth through righteous means.

Kama: the satisfaction of desires within righteous limits.

Moksha: liberation, the natural state of abiding as Self.

This work, The Light of Supreme Truth shows us now that

the first three worldly aims are futile and transitory, and thus it

removes our wandering mental efforts to attain them. We may

however still think, “Is not mental effort at least needed to obtain

Moksha?” but again this Light shows us the meaninglessness of

striving to ‘attain’ Self, which is ever-attained, and instead it recommends

the cessation of all mental activity, thereby fixing us in the

eternal, motionless and ever-attained State of Self. Is there therefore

any Supreme Goal other than that which is given here,

through this Light of Supreme Truth? Refer to verse 1204.

14 Sri Muruganar

9. Self, which is one’s own true nature, is the substratum

of all happiness in this and in other worlds.

Therefore, to be firmly established in Self, unshaken

by thoughts concerning the various other paths

[Karmas, Yogas etc.,] which will lead only to the pleasures

of this and of other worlds, is the fruit of this

work.

3 The Submission to the Assembly

Michael James: It was the tradition in ancient days for a writer to

submit his work to an Assembly of learned men. He therefore had

to compose a verse of ‘Submission’, requesting the Assembly to

correct any error found in his work.

10. When scrutinized it will be found that these sweet

verses of The Collection of the Guru’s Sayings have

not been composed by my dull and deluded thinking

mind, but that they have been inspired without

thought by the Divine Venkatavan [Sri Ramana].

11. Why should I offer a ‘Submission to the Assembly’

for a work which has not been done with the sense of

doership, ‘I’? The whole responsibility for this work

belongs to Him, the Supreme Lord [Sri Ramana],

whom even the Great Ones can realize only through

the Samadhi of Mystic Silence within their hearts.

4 Dedication

12. Since it was my mother who helped me [in giving me

this birth] to achieve the Attainment [Jnana] dispelling

ignorance, I gratefully present this work to Her.

“Let this be a dedication to her pure heart which

knew not any deceit.”

5 The Author

13. Kanna Murugan [Sri Muruganar], who through the

look of Grace has seen Chit, the grandeur of all

wealth, is merely the Divine Feet of his Master [Sri

Ramana], strung into a garland some of his Guru’s

words and has given it [to the world] as the Supreme

Treasure.

GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 15

PART ONE

AN ANALYSIS OF THE TRUTH

Benedictory Verses

14. In response to the great and befitting penance [tapas]

performed by the ocean-girdled Mother Earth, the

nameless and formless Supreme Brahman Itself took

the glorious name and form of Sri Ramana Sadguru.

May those spotlessly pure Feet – Sat-Chit [Existence-

Consciousness] – be in our hearts.

Michael James: The tapas performed by Mother Earth is a poetic

way of referring to the intense longing for Truth of many matured

aspirants on Earth. This longing naturally brings forth the Supreme

in the form of a Sadguru such as Sri Ramana.

15. Self, that pure Brahman which is Itself the Mono-syllable,

shining as the heart of all beings and things, is

the excellent and sweet benediction to this Collection

of the Guru’s Sayings, which removes the delusion

of ignorant ones.

Sadhu Om: It is worth referring here to one stray verse of Sri

Bhagavan Ramana: “One Syllable shines for ever in the Heart as

Self; who can write It down?” The One Syllable mentioned in both

cases is ‘I’ [Aham] or Self, which is unwritable, being beyond

thought, word or expression.

16. The experience of our own Existence, which is the

Supreme Reality, Jnana Itself, shines as the Mystic

Silence and is the True Self behind the fictitious first

person ‘I’. May that Absolute Supreme Self, [known

as] the Feet, be upon our heads.

17. For those who turn within, the perfect asset is the

Grace of Guru Ramana, whose true form is the sleepless-

sleep [Turiya]; it is the sweet Fruit whose juice

is the supremely pure Bliss that creates in the aspirant

an ever-increasing taste, free from aversion, and

It is the beautiful Lamp which, without need of kindling,

leads one to the Heart.

16 Sri Muruganar

Sadhu Om: Grace is here shown to be the same as Turiya, the

true form of Guru Ramana, which shines eternally as ‘I-I’, the

self-luminous Heart and is therefore called the lamp which needs

no kindling.

There are two possible translations of the next verse:

18a. My Master Sri Ramana has taken possession of me,

destroying the miseries caused by my inattention to

Self; His beauty is His Oneness with Jnana and His

True Form lies beyond both attachment and detachment.

His Feet are the perfect example of all precepts

of the Truth.

18b. My Master Sri Ramana has taken possession of me,

destroying the miseries caused by my inattention to

Self. Though He has the beauty of Jnana and Renunciation,

His True Form lies beyond both attachment

and detachment, and His Feet are the perfect example

of all precepts of the Truth.

1 The Truth or Reality of the World

19. As cause alone is seen as its effect, and since Consciousness

[Brahman], which is the cause, is as

clearly true as an amalaka fruit on one’s palm, this

vast universe, its effect, which is described in the

scriptures as mere names and forms, may also be

called true.

Sadhu Om: Brahman has five aspects, Sat-Chit-Ananda-Nama-

Rupa [i.e., Being, Awareness, Bliss, name and form]. The first

three aspects are real, being eternally Self-shining, whereas name

and form are unreal aspects, since they merely seem to exist,

depending upon the illumination of Sat-Chit-Ananda.

If, however, one sees the cause, Sat-Chit-Ananda, which is

real, one may say, ignoring the apparent names and forms, that

this universe is also real.

20. When viewed from the standpoint of the eternally

self-existent Cause, even the three, seven or

twenty-one worlds will appear to be real. But when

one sees only the names and forms of the world as

GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 17

real, then even Brahman, their cause, will appear to

be absolutely non-existent or void [sunya].

Michael James: The three, seven and twenty-one worlds occur in

different traditional, cosmological classifications.

21. For the sake of those [ignorant ones] who take the

world, which appears before them, as real and enjoyable

[it became necessary for the scriptures to say

that] it is God’s creation. But for those who have

obtained unobstructed Knowledge of Self, the world

is seen merely as a bondage-causing mental imagination.

22. This world of empty names and forms, which are the

imagination of the five senses and an appearance in

the pure Supreme Self, should be understood to be

the mysterious play of Maya, the mind, which rises

as if real from Self, Sat-Chit.

Michael James: The origin of Maya, meaning “that which is not” is

unknown; it appears, functioning in man, as mind, and is inferred in

God through his actions, sustenance, and dissolution of this whole

universe; it ends, on being seen to be non-existent, when the Truth

is known.

The seer, known as mind or ‘I’, and the seen, known as the

world, rise and set simultaneously in Self. If Self sees Itself through

Itself, it is Self; if It sees Itself through the mind or ‘seer’, it appears

as the world or ‘seen’.

23. The Realised who do not know anything as being

other than Self, which is absolute Consciousness,

will not say that the world, which has no existence in

the view of the Supreme Brahman, is real.

Michael James: The Tamil word Iraivan is usually understood as

meaning God, the Lord of this world, and as Bhagavan has elsewhere

explained, the trinity of soul, world and their Lord will always

appear to co-exist in Maya, and thus the apparent world does exist

in the view of its apparent Lord, God. Therefore, on seeing this

verse, Bhagavan remarked “Who said that there is no world in

God’s view?”, but when the author, Sri Muruganar, explained that

18 Sri Muruganar

he had used the word in the sense of the Supreme Brahman, Sri

Bhagavan accepted this meaning and approved the verse.

24. O man, like a parrot waiting expectantly for the

silk-cotton fruit to ripen, you persist in your sufferings,

believing this world appearance to be real and

enjoyable; if the world is real simply because it

appears to your senses, then a mirage would be

water.

Michael James: The fruit of a silk-cotton tree always remains

green, not turning colour even after ripening; the parrot meanwhile

waits expectantly, hoping to eat it when it changes colour, but is

finally disappointed when it bursts, scattering its hairy seeds.

25. Forgetting Self, which gives you [the seer] light to

see, and being confused, do not run after this

appearance [the world which you see]. The appearance

will disappear, and is hence not real, but Self,

the source of you [the seer], can never disappear, so

know that That alone is real.

26. Is the word ‘Real’ befitting to this world, which is

seen only by the illusory and changeful mind, but not

by Self, the source of mind?

Michael James: As Self knows Itself alone to be, any imagination

such as this world is entirely non-existent to It, and thus is never

seen by It.

27. Fear not on seeing this empty world, which appears

as a dream in the sleep of Self-forgetfulness. This

imaginary and bondage-causing world-picture, [projected

on the background] of the dark, dense mind,

will not stand in the light of Supreme Knowledge,

Sat-Chit-Ananda.

28. O aspirants who hide yourselves away fearing this

world, nothing such as a world exists! Fearing this

false world which appears to exist, is like fearing the

false snake which appears in a rope.

29. This world is only seen without doubts in the waking

and dream states where thoughts have risen and are

GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 19

at play. Can it be seen in sleep where not even a single

thought rises? Thoughts alone [therefore] are the

substratum of this world.

30. If it is thus said that this world is a mere play of

thoughts, why, even when the mind is quiet, does the

world-scene, like a dream, suddenly appear in front

of us? That is due to the stored momentum of past

imaginations!

31. Just as the spider emits the thread [of its web] out

from its own mouth and again withdraws it back, so

the mind projects the world out from itself and again

absorbs it back within.

32. When the mind passes through the brain and the five

senses, the names and forms [of this world] are projected

out from within. When the mind abides in the

Heart, they return and lie buried there.

33. This world, full of differences of names and forms,

will remain as [the undifferentiated] Brahman when

these are removed. The ignorant one masks the

Supreme with imaginary names and forms and, being

thereby self-deluded, sees Him as the world.

34. The deceptive I-am-the-body idea alone makes the

world, which is an appearance of names and forms,

seem real, and thereby it at once binds itself with

desires [for the world].

35. Since this world of dyads and triads appears only in

the mind, like the illusory ring of fire formed [in darkness]

by whirling the single point of a glowing

rope-end, it is false, and it does not exist in the clear

sight of Self.

36. O worldly-minded man who is unable to understand

the wise reasoning and the teachings of Sages about

the Supreme Knowledge, if properly scrutinized, this

big universe of delusion is seen to be nothing but the

illusive play of the vasanas [mental tendencies]

within you.

37. Like the illusory yellow seen by a jaundiced eye, the

whole world that you see before you is the product of

20 Sri Muruganar

your own mind, which is full of deceptive vices such

as desire [anger, lust and so on]. In reality, however,

it is a plenitude of pure Jnana.

38. Just as ‘yellow’ fades away in the sunlight, the

appearance of this world disappears in the Light of

Self-Knowledge, and therefore it cannot be a creation

of the Supreme [Self]. It is merely like the beautiful

colour designs which appear on a peacock’s plumage;

that is to say, it is only the reflection of the

vasanas within you.

Michael James: ‘Yellow’ in South India refers to turmeric, whose

stain fades away in sunlight.

Beautiful colour designs, which are not seen on each individual

peacock feather, appear on its plumage, due to the combination

and positioning of many feathers.

39. This world is a mere illusion seen in the deluded

objective sight of the ego, which is simply the

‘I-am-the-body’ idea. In the sight of Self-Knowledge,

however, it is as false as the apparent blueness in the

sky.

40. How does this false and villainous vast world, that

cheats and ravages the minds of all people [except

the wise], come into existence? Because of no reason

other than our own mistake in falling away from,

instead of clinging to, Self-attention.

41. This life, an illusion based upon [our] likes and dislikes,

is an empty dream, which appears, as if real,

during the sleep [of ignorance], but which is found to

be false when one wakes up [into Self-Knowledge].

42. When the mind is least in pure Supreme Self-Consciousness,

all the powers which seemed to function

[through the mind], such as ‘Icheha’ [will-power],

‘Kriya’ [the power of action] and ‘Jnana’ [the power of

knowing], will cease, being found to be imaginary.

43. The projected picture of this world of triads is a play

of Chit-Para-Shakti [i.e., the power or reflected light

GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 21

of Self-Consciousness] on the screen of Supreme

Consciousness.

44. The appearance of this illusory world, which is seen

as real, is just like the serpent seen in a rope, the

thief seen in a tree-stump or the water seen in a

mirage.

45. The various ornaments fashioned out of gold are not

different from the gold, and similarly, this world of

moving and unmoving things, manifested out of Self,

cannot be other than Self.

46. Self is hidden when the world appears, but when Self

shines forth, the world will disappear. Being different

in nature, like the [apparent] dog [seen in] the stone,

both cannot be seen together.

Sadhu Om and Michael James: The nature of Self, the true

aspect of Brahman, is not these names and forms, whereas the

nature of the world, the false aspect of Brahman, is not Sat-Chit-

Ananda, so both cannot be seen simultaneously. See also verses

876, 877, 1216.

47. This world which appears, concealing Self, is a mere

dream, but when ‘concealed’ by Self, it remains as

none other than Self.

48. This whole world of triads which deludes us, seeming

to be an undisputable reality, is only the form of the

Supreme Power [Chit-Shakti], which abides eternally

as none other than the Supreme Self.

49. As the fire shines hidden within the smoke, the Light

of Knowledge shines hidden within the names and

forms of this world. When the mind is made clear by

Supreme Grace, the nature of the world is found to

be real [as Self], and it will appear no more as the illusory

names and forms.

50. For those who never lose the True Knowledge of Self,

which is the base of all sense-knowledge, the world

also is nothing other than Self-Knowledge. But, how

can an ordinary man, who has not gained Self-knowl-

22 Sri Muruganar

edge, understand the statement of Sages who, seeing

through Jnana, say that the world is real?

51. Those who have given up worldly [i.e. sense-] knowledge

and attachment to it, and who have destroyed

the evil force of mind [i.e. Maya], thus gaining

Supreme Self-Consciousness, alone can know the

correct meaning of the statement, “The world is

Real”.

52. If one’s outlook is changed into Jnana [Divine Wisdom],

seen through That, the entire universe, consisting

of the five elements such as ether and so on,

will be found to be real, being the Supreme Knowledge

Itself. Thus you should see.

53. If one’s outlook is changed into Jnana, seen through

That, this same world, seen previously as a hell of

misery, will be found to be a heaven of Bliss.

54. As per the saying “The seen cannot differ from the

seeing eyes”, the Jnani, whose eye [i.e. outlook] has

become Sat-Chit-Ananda due to the cessation of all

mental activities, sees this world also as Sat-Chit-

Ananda.

Michael James: See verse 343.

55. The appearance of this world, like the illusory appearance

of a dream, is merely mental and its truth [therefore]

can be known correctly only by the Supreme

Consciousness that transcends Maya, the mind.

56. O foolish, illusory mind, deluded by seeing the daily

dream which is nothing but your [mind’s] own

nature, if you discern the true nature of your own

Self, which is Sat-Chit-Ananda, can this world be

anything other than That?

57. This empty world, bewildering with multiplicity, is, in

its original state, unbroken uniform Bliss, just as the

multi-coloured peacock is, in its original state, the

single-coloured yellow egg-yolk. Abide as Self and

know this truth.

58. Those who have attained their aim, Jnana, do not see

GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 23

this world as a multitude of differences, since the

multiple differences of this world are a sportive play

of Chit-Shakti, the one Whole.

59. For the Jnani, who, free from the ‘I-am-the-body’ idea,

is established in Self, this world shines as His own

Self-Knowledge; and therefore it is wrong for us to

see it as something different [i.e. as multiple names

and forms].

60. By turning Selfward, you destroy your delusion, this

world; what then remains as ‘this is void’ is known by

you, Self; so, to destroy this [apparent] void also,

drown it in the ocean of Self-Knowledge.

61. If you abide in the Heart as Sat-Chit [‘I am’], by which

the whole universe exists and shines, then this world

will also become one with you, losing its false, frightening

dualities.

62. He who knows this world-appearance to be his own

form, Supreme-Consciousness, experiences the same

Consciousness even through his five senses.

2 The Unreality of the World

63. Some assert, “This world before our eyes, though not

permanent, is real enough”. We deny it saying, “Permanence

is one of the marks of Reality”.

64. Some people argue, “Though divided, this world we

see cannot be devoid of Reality”. We refute them

saying, “Wholeness is also a mark of Reality”.

Sadhu Om: Eternal, Unchanging and Self-Shining: these, Sri

Bhagavan Ramana used to declare, are the three essential factors

of Reality.

65. Because the nature of Reality is Whole, Self-radiant

Existence, transcending time and space, Jnanis will

never deem as real this world, which is destroyed by

Time’s Wheel.

66. The One Supreme Bliss, ‘Sadhasivam’ [i.e. Self] is

alone approved [by Jnanis] to be the Whole Reality.

This world, seen as full of miseries and defects, is

24 Sri Muruganar

known only by the mind which is unreal and divided

with differences.

67. It is the result of the delusion I-am-the-limited-body,

that the world, which is nothing but Consciousness,

is known as a second entity, separate from Consciousness.

68. Will that which is perceived by the senses of this

unreal body be real or unreal? O mind, worried and

wearied by worldly ways, consider this thoroughly

now and reply.

69. Whatever is seen by the ego who, having fallen from

the true state of Self and having been buried deep in

dark ignorance, takes the body as ‘I’, is not at all real

and is simply non-existent.

70. Though the appearance of the world seems to be very

real and attractive, it can only appear in ‘Chittam’

which is ‘Chit-Abhasa’ [the reflection of Self-Consciousness].

In pure Self-Consciousness, however, it

is non-existent.

Michael James: Just as a cinema picture can be seen clearly only

in a limited light on a dark background, and will fade away in the

bright sunlight, so also the world-appearance can be seen clearly

only in the limited light of the mind and will disappear in the light of

pure Self-Consciousness. The limited consciousness of the mind is

a mere reflection of Self-Consciousness, conditioned as ‘Chittam’,

the store of tendencies which acts like the roll of film in the cinema

analogy. See also verse 244, where this idea is further explained

and clarified. See verse 114.

3 The Allurement of the World

71. Just as the goat’s beard wanders and wags for nothing,

people roam about merrily but in vain, doing

Karmas for the fulfillment of their worldly desires,

while despising the disciplines [followed by aspirants]

which lead to eternal Moksha in Self. Ah, what

a pitiable spectacle is the condition of these worldly

people!

72. Longing for a tiny grain of pleasure, people toil so

GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 25

hard using the mind to plough the field of the five

senses, but they never wish for the flood of Bliss

which is the fruit that comes by ploughing the Heart,

the Source of the mind, with [simple] Self-attention.

Ah, what a wonder!

73. The moon-like jiva [the mind], ever wedded to the

sun-like Self, should always remain in her home, the

Heart; to forsake the Bliss of Self and go astray for

worldly pleasures, is like the madness of a wife who

spoils her precious chastity.

Michael James: See also verses 996.

74. Only when the world’s allurement is lost will true Liberation

be possible [and its allurement cannot be lost

unless it is found to be unreal]. Hence, to try to foist

reality upon this world is to be just like an infatuated

lover who tries to foist chastity upon a prostitute.

Sadhu Om: A lover foists chastity upon a prostitute only because

of his infatuation with her, and similarly some schools of thought

argue and try to insist upon the world’s reality, only because of

their immense desire for the enjoyment of this world. Therefore Liberation,

which is the fruit of desirelessness, is absolutely impossible

for them. Refer also to verse 635.

4 The Aridity of the World

75. Only for the mad folk who are deluded, mistaking this

fictitious world as a fact, and not for the Jnani, is

there anything to revel in except Brahman, which is

Consciousness.

76. Will those who are rooted in the Knowledge of Truth

stray to worldly ways? Is it not the base and weak

nature of animals that descends to the sensual pleasures

of this unreal world?

77. If you ask, “What is the benefit of sacrificing the innumerable

sensual pleasures and retaining mere Consciousness?”,

[we reply that] the fruit of Jnana is the

eternal and unbroken experience of the Bliss of Self.

26 Sri Muruganar

Sadhu Om: Any experience of worldly pleasure is small and interrupted,

whereas the Bliss of Self attained through Jnana is eternal

and unbroken, and is therefore the greatest benefit.

78. Truly there is not the least happiness in any single

worldly objects, so how then is the foolish mind

deluded into thinking that happiness comes from

them?

79. Fools are now so proud and happy of the wealth and

pleasure of this world, which may at any time abandon

them in disappointment and distress.

80. Suffering from the heat of the three-fold desires, all

living beings wander in the empty and arid desert of

this dream-world, which is created by the whirl of

past tendencies. The shade of the Bodhi-tree which

can completely cool this heat is only Self, which

shines as Turiya [the fourth state].

Michael James: The three-fold desires are for women, wealth and

fame.

5 Playing One’s Role in the World

81. Realising the truth of Self within your heart and ever

abiding as the Supreme, act according to the human

role which you have taken in this world, as if you

taste its pleasures and pains.

82. It is not right for the Wise One to behave improperly,

even though He has known all that is to be known

and attained all that is to be attained. Therefore,

observe the code of conduct which is befitting to

your outward mode of life.

The last line refers to religions, caste, and so on.

6 Vivartha Siddhanta

(The Doctrine of Simultaneous Creation)

83. From his condescending opening words, “Because

we see the world”, it is to be understood that the

Great Master, Bhagavan Sri Ramana, who gives the

most practical assistance to aspirants, sets aside all

GURU VACHAKA KOVAI 27

other doctrines and teaches that only the ‘Doctrine of

Vivartha’ is suitable to be taken as true.

Sadhu Om: ‘Because we see the world’ are the first words of verse

one of Ulladu Narpadu, Bhagavan’s forty-verse poem on the nature

of reality.

Though His experience of the Truth can only be adequately

expressed by the ‘Doctrine of Ajata’, Bhagavan Sri Ramana uses

only the ‘Doctrine of Vivartha’ for His Teachings.

Assuming a cause and its effect, religions generally teach

that God has created individual souls and the world; some teach

the ‘Doctrine of Dwaita’ [duality], which postulates that all these

three [God, souls and the world] will eternally remain separate; others

teach the ‘Doctrine of Vishishtadwaita’ [Qualified non-duality],

which postulates that though duality now prevails, the souls and

the world will at some later time merge into union with God; others

again teach the ‘Doctrine of Advaita’ [Non-duality], which postulates

that even now, though they seem to be separate, these three

are in truth mere appearances and are none other than the one

Reality; and many other doctrines are also taught by various religions.

Aspirants may be graded into four levels of maturity, dull

[manda], medium [madhyama], ripe [teevra] and fully ripe [Ati

teevra]; those of the first two grades will readily accept the ‘Doctrine

of Dwaita’ or ‘Vishishtadwaita’.

The ‘Doctrine of Vivartha’ is recommended to explain the

standpoint of Advaita, i.e., to explain how the world-appearance, its

seer, and the seer’s knowledge of the appearance all come into

existence simultaneously, unconditioned by cause and effect.

However, since this accepts the appearance of the world, souls

and God, it is only a working hypothesis to help aspirants. The

‘Doctrine of Ajata’, on the other hand, never accepts even the

appearance of this trinity, but proclaims that the One Self-shining

Reality alone exists eternally and without modification; Ajata is

therefore the highest of all doctrines and it is only suitable for the

fully-ripened aspirants.

Bhagavan Sri Ramana therefore comes down condescendingly

and, setting aside ‘Ajata’ and the two lower doctrines, He

advocates through His Forty Verses on Reality the ‘Doctrine of

GURU VACHAKA KOVAI

The Light of Supreme Truth

THE COLLECTION

OF GURU’S SAYINGS

Translated from the Original Tamil

Sadhu Om and Michael James

With an Introduction by

David Godman

Ramakrishna

( from

Ramakrishna-Vedanta Study Circle

Athens, Greece)