9. Swadhyaya - Self Study
Pawaka Nah Saraswati —RigVeda 1-3-10
Purport: You will achieve purification through the study of Holy
Science given through Vedas and others.
Commentary:
Swa is Self: Adhyaya is study. Swadhyaya is Self study. You say, “My
leg is hurt; my finger is cut”. This clearly implies that you are
not the leg; you are not the finger. Continuing the search further
you will notice that you are not the body. Who is this “I” which
says “my leg, my finger”? Who am I? Search him. This is Swadhyaya.
Someone hurled abuses at you. Someone played a dirty trick on you.
Someone picked up the prize you aimed at getting. Someone stole a
march over you. How are you going to react? Is it anger, hatred,
envy, jealousy, greed? Or is it love, forgiveness, kindness?
Intensify the search. Follow the Fivefold Path. Then you will
establish yourself in the attitude of doing actions in unison with
the Spirit that resides within. This is Yoga. This is Swadhyaya.
You cannot remain without action even for a moment. The action may
be physical or mental. The law of Karma states “Reap as you sow”.
With every action you forge a fetter around you. The chain may be
golden or iron but it is a chain. This ties you down to the cycle of
birth and death. By non-attachment to the fruit of your action, you
can transcend this law and
cleave through the mountain load of past Karma. This is liberation.
This is Swadhyaya.
The all-pervading Spirit could be cognized only through TAPA
(self-discipline, austerity, purification). Tapa is the third aspect
of the Fivefold Path. When the desires dry up soul vision dawns.
“When you wish to hear, IT assumes the function of the ear; when you
wish to see, IT assumes the function of the eye.”
TAPA intensifies your conductance for the voltage of Grace to
manifest.
“The Spirit, the size of a thumb, resides in the hearts of men. He
is deathless.
Even as you take out the blades of a reed separate Him from the
bodily sheath.”
—Kathopanishad 617
The Supreme Spirit is designated in the Vedas as THAT. Words cannot
limit IT and hence IT could only be described as “not this, not
this”. THAT is perceived when the mind conditioning is blasted. THAT
is perceived when the trinity of knower, knowledge and known is no
more.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” —Matthew
5:8
“No man hath seen God at any time.” —John 1:18
These apparently contradictory statements are really not so. They
connote the same thing. How? Study of Vedas will illumine us on the
subject. This is Swadhyaya. Vedas are the first revelation given at
the time of creation. All the Divine Messengers that came later
reiterated the same message in the language suited to the conditions
in which they graced our planet by their manifestation. Vedas were
revealed in Sanskrit. Sanskrit was nobody‟s mother tongue at any
time. All the languages of the world contain words that could be
traced to Sanskrit. Sanskrit contains no words from any other
language. European scholars call Sanskrit the mother of European
languages. The word Vedas comes from the Sanskrit root VID, to know.
Hence, Vedas means knowledge. Vedas contain knowledge from amoeba to
Almighty. But again, even if you know all the Vedas it is not
enough. That which is to be achieved is beyond Vedas, beyond all
scriptures, beyond words. Vedas serve as the total guide.
“Intellect is beyond the senses or the mind but THAT is beyond
intellect.”
—Bhagavat Geeta 3-42
“Self realization is established neither through intellect nor
through sermons or discourses.”—Mundakopanishad 4-3
Mundakopanishad states that Vedas are high knowledge but again it is
lower knowledge. For higher knowledge you have to go to a qualified
GURU who is not only versed in Vedas but has experienced the state
of eternal bliss. This is Swadhyaya.
We may intellectually understand by reading all the scriptures that
Almighty power is ever present but our intellect will never be able
to lay its grasp on it. These are the intrinsic limitations of the
intellect. This is Swadhyaya. This is Grace.
A mere intellectual may be able to dish out discourses on Almighty,
soul and Karma while his own life may be a negation of his
proclaimed principles. A saintly person, a man of wisdom, lives his
life according to his tenets knowing fully well that bad Karma will
bring forth evil results. He therefore avoids evil Karma as anyone
would avoid poison. To know the difference is Swadhyaya.
A study of problems involved in the adherence to Yoga way of life,
the solutions offered by Vedas and all Divine Messengers like
Krishna, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Moses and others is Swadhyaya.
Swadhyaya unlocks the door to the treasure of higher knowledge that
is within us. Tapa and Swadhyaya give us the ability to draw on this
source of knowledge whenever we wish. Then, we begin to do the right
thing automatically. This step enables us to notice the subtle
effects of our actions.
“The Truth shall make you free.” —John 8:32
Through freedom you achieve tranquility, happiness and realize the
Supreme Self. Swadhyaya is the intellectual understanding of the
Truth that makes us free. The Truth is GRACE ALONE. Tapa prepares us
for the unfoldment of Grace within us. This is the “Kingdom of
Heaven within you”
“In the beginning was the Word.” —John 1:1
Vedas call it SHABDA in Sanskrit. It is sometimes described as NADA.
How could this vast universe with tangible objects be based on an
integrated vibration? Discoveries in pure physics are a pointer in
this direction. Can we establish communion with this WORD? Vedic
discipline explains all this. This is Swadhyaya. The unstruck music
of the universe could be heard with unfoldment of Grace. This helps
your concentration. OM, the initial vibration, is meditated upon.
The word OM does not belong to any language, not even Sanskrit.
“Before Abraham was I AM.”—John 8:58
What does this mean? The words Abraham, Ebrahim and BRAHMA come from
the same Sanskrit root BRIH meaning to expand. This leads us to the
Divine principle that pervades all creation. This is Swadhyaya.
“Be thou perfect as thy Father in Heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
This is the ideal to be realized. Fivefold Path is the means. What
is perfection? How do I cognize that I am perfect and made “in the
image of my Father”? This is Swadhyaya.
Unwittingly, we have handed ourselves over on a silver platter of
technology into the jaws of death. Begin AGNIHOTRA, the first aspect
of the Fivefold Path. This is the Divine blueprint for human
survival given through Vedas. YAJNYA is purification through the
agency of fire. AGNIHOTRA is the smallest form of YAJNYA. Practice
of this purification will culminate in surrender to His will. All
your load of anxiety and tension is reduced. A new substance is
formed in the atmosphere which undoes pollution, cleanses
the water resources on earth and nourishes plant life. With added
doses of pollution we are adding to tension on the mind. We are in
the grip of deadly bacteria on land, air and water. Agnihotra is an
antidote to all this and it puts us harmoniously into the energy
cycle of the universe. All this is stated in the Vedas. Atmospheric
purification leads to pranic purification and thus to mind
purification. This is Swadhyaya.
What is Karma (action), what is Akarma (evil action), what is
Vikarma (specific allotted task of a person)? Swadhyaya throws light
on all this.
What is bliss? A child is engrossed in playing with his toys and is
happy. An adolescent is happy but the toy changes. The mind gets
attached to a thing and a person becomes happy. The consequences of
this attachment push us into the unending dualities of pleasure and
pain. Why not train the mind to get attached to something which will
deliver us from this duality? What is the best method for this? This
is Swadhyaya. Sugar is sweet. But what is “sweet”? You will not know
until the tastebuds come into contact with the object. What is
bliss? You will not know until you meet a genuine Master. He grants
you the state of soul vision and this is bliss.
What is destiny? What is free will? Destiny is a cheque drawn on the
bank of accumulated Karma. By exerting free will you can override
the pangs of destiny. Free will is the biggest boon granted to
humankind. By judicious use of free will you can get over the cycle
of birth and death. Maybe you do not swear by rebirth. It does not
matter. By proper use of free will you will get rid of the cycle of
a few pleasurable sensations followed by many moments of
unpleasurable ones. This is Swadhyaya.
Learn to control PRANA (Life Force). PRANA conquered is mind
conquered. This is Swadhyaya.
Buddha said in his last days to Ananda, “Be ye lamp unto yourself.
Be ye refuge unto yourself. Hold fast to Dharma as a lamp”. Buddha
stated at Benaras, “He who strives after holiness must avoid the two
extremes. Which two? A life addicted to pleasure for it is
enervating, worthless, and mean. Also the life given to self
mortification, for it is painful, vain and profitless ....
“By avoiding both these extremes has the THATAGATA arrived at the
Middle Path”. Pondering over this is Swadhyaya.
“It is the promise of God But most men understand not
They know but the outer (things)
In the life of this world.
But of the End of things
They are heedless.” -Quran XXX-6, 7
Pondering over this is Swadhyaya.
Occult sciences bring home the fact that there are subtler regions
beyond the electron microscope, telescope or the scalpel of the
surgeon. It is merely probing into another subtler world with which
the average person is not familiar. Spiritual séances deal with
departed people and disembodied spirits. This is not the Holy
science of the soul. Spirituality is beyond this. This is Swadhyaya.
“Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Matthew 22:39
Only in the company of holy persons do we realize the main
significance of this sentence. We blurt out equality, liberty,
fraternity. Sermons are poured out en masse on this subject. Reflect
deeply and you will realize that all this is skin deep. We have to
grasp that the same Spirit pervades all and further that we have the
freedom to be free. Then alone will we be able to implement “Love
thy neighbor”. Again, we should not forget the latter half of the
command which says, “as thyself”. To perceive a subject correctly
the intellectual faculty has to be unclouded. Non-attachment,
practice of Tapa, brings this about. This is Swadhyaya.
We go through vicissitudes of life as the pattern of destiny
fructifies in time. We may have to witness the marriage of a dear
one day and his funeral some other day. It is not given unto you
what to see. However, it is given
unto you how to see by proper use of free will. This is Swadhyaya.
After what you have read above, you may think Swadhyaya is a very
difficult thing and maybe it is only for the intellectuals. If you
do think thus you are not thinking in the right direction. You start
practicing Agnihotra, Tapa and the other aspects of the Fivefold
Path and automatically the clouding of the intellect will disappear
and you will be enabled to perceive things the right way. This is
unfoldment of GRACE. In due course your intellect and your volition
will be given proper bent and you will be thrown into the company of
holy persons. Circumstances shall be so arranged that you will be
given a link with a liberated soul, Master. If you choose to exert
your free will and be devoted to him your progress will be quick. If
the Master is an AVATAR mere concentration on his physical form
brings back gift waves to you. Our purification is thus aided.
If you talk to your auto for three hours and tell it, “Listen, do
not leave the highway and dash against a tree,” it is of no use. If
the steering wheel is turned it is bound to leave the highway and
dash against a tree. Even so is our mind. It works in grooves of
habits and conditioning. A thrust in some other direction is
required. Devotion to the Master gives this thrust and our journey
is made easy.
Almighty is the Guru of all Gurus. It is the Divine plan that the
chain of Sadgurus continues. Every Master has an allotted period to
do his work. When the period is over he departs from this world. It
is important to respect this Guru tradition. Even the great AVATARS
respect it. John the Baptist said, “I indeed baptize you with water
unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I,
whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the
Holy Ghost and with FIRE.”-- Matthew 3:11 “Then cometh Jesus unto
John to be baptized of him. But John forbade him saying, „I have
need to be baptized of thee and comest thou to me?‟ “--Matthew 3:13,
14
“And Jesus answering, said unto him, „Suffer it to be so now; for
thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.”--Matthew 3:15
“And Jesus, when he was baptized went up straightaway out of the
water; and lo, the heavens were opened unto him and he saw the
Spirit of God
descending like a dove and lighting upon him.”--Matthew 3:16
Like all Avatars, Jesus respected the Guru tradition and was
baptized by John. The words of John, “whose shoes I am not worthy to
bear,” represent the ancient Eastern tradition which Jesus
fulfilled.
It is not given unto you what so see; however, it is given unto you
how to see. This is Swadhyaya.
Without a living Master we can progress thus far but not further. By
loving thy neighbor the Master will pick you up. This is Divine
will. Swadhyaya knows no vacation. Purify yourself and be at your
Swadhyaya all the time until Reality dawns. “THAT, knowing which
everything is known” is Swadhyaya.
Om Tat Sat!