!!! తత్వభోధ !! तत्वभोध !! ತತ್ವಭೋಧ !!

वासुदेवेंद्रयोगींद्रं नत्वा ज्ञानपदं गुरुम् ।
मुमूक्षूणां हितार्थाय तत्वबोधो अभिधीयते ॥
వాసుదేవేంద్రయోగీంద్రం నత్వా జ్ఞానపదం గురుమ్ |
ముమూక్షూణాం హితార్థాయ తత్వబోధో అభిధీయతే ||
ವಾಸುದೇವೇಂದ್ರಯೋಗೀಂದ್ರಂ ನತ್ವಾ ಜ್ಞಾನಪದಂ ಗುರುಮ್ |
ಮುಮೂಕ್ಷೂಣಾಂ ಹಿತಾರ್ಥಾಯ ತತ್ವಬೋಧೋ ಅಭಿಧೀಯತೇ ||

Having saluted Vasudeva , the best of Yogis,the guru who is the giver of knowledge - the Tatvabhodha is explained here for the seekers of Moksha !!

In these pages of Athato Brahmajinyasa we started on a journey

!! అథాతో బ్రహ్మజిజ్ఞాసా !! अथातो ब्रह्मजिज्ञासा !! ಅಥಾತೋ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಜಿಜ್ಞಾಸಾ !!

It is first line of Brahma Sutras. Actually It is the first line of a notes I had with me. That line sent me in search of the original line. And one look at the original line in Brahma Sutras , it is clear that it is an ocean and it is the beginning of an intense elaboration. The three words of the sentence above were followed by three thousand words of elaboration!!!

Even if we did not know the depths of philosophy , the simple Sanskrit translation is “ Now the great desire to know !” It is also “ Now the desire to know ” about the “ Brahma “. Brahma sutras are like a series of aphorisms or a brief statements of principle or truth . Actually it is a series of a terse statements of truth inviting discussion or commentary !

The notes referred above are simpler. You can develop a sense of detachment if you realize that ups and downs are part of life and you move on . Detachment does not mean you ignore your surroundings or your family or your obligations ! . It does not require you to move to forest so to say!

Detachment is also letting go of the attitude of ‘ this is mine ‘ or ‘ this is not' . The attitude of “this is mine” this is not and accordingly associating ones likes and dislikes , ‘I care ‘ or ‘I do not care' is the root cause of all conflict . The passion about things that are mine are to be tempered with a reality that it could be some body else's too . So handle those that are ours without passion but with determination of doing it right . As for those we see as ‘not ours' , if they are to be handled ,we handle them also with a passion as though it is our own and ultimately handling them the way we are supposed to handle our own , that too without passion.

To be without passion yet doing it with passion is what it is all about.

The first line of Brahmasutras was the inspiration for this enquiry . Brahmasutras are part of the Prasthanatrayi , the three Basic texts of Vedanata which a student of Vedanta studies form a Guru. These three are Upanishads, Bhavadgita and Brahma Sutras . These deal with Brahman , Atman , Dharma, Jagat , Isvara, karma and Jnaana . One may straight away jump in to these texts , but there are many "Prakarana granthas" introductory texts which introduces several concepts which makes it easier to navigate the waves of thoughts that come up in the three basic texts !

Tatvabhodha is one such text .

There are some more texts like Atma bhodha , Sadachara which are also written by Adi Sankaracharya . We decided on Tatva bhodha sa the basic text whose elaboration we take up through these pages.

The sanskrit texts have a standard starting point where in a prayer is invoked for the success of the venture.

The invocation also states the object of the venture -

!! मुमूक्षूणां हितार्थाय तत्वबोधो अभिधीयते ॥
ముమూక్షూణాం హితార్థాయ తత్వబోధో అభిధీయతే ||
ಮುಮೂಕ್ಷೂಣಾಂ ಹಿತಾರ್ಥಾಯ ತತ್ವಬೋಧೋ ಅಭಿಧೀಯತೇ ||

For the benefit of the seekers of Moksha , this Tatvabhodha is being expounded !!

Thus the subject of this elaboration is stated as - 'Tatvabhodha' - knowledge of Reality! The beneficiary is stated - ' mumukshunaam ' - the seekers of Moksha !! . The purpose of the text is also elaborated as 'liberation'

Now after the invocation the text starts :

साधन चतुष्ठयसंपन्नाधिकारिणां मोक्षसाधनभूतं तत्व विवेक प्रकारं वक्ष्यामः !!

సాధన చతుష్ఠయసంపన్నాధికారిణాం మోక్షసాధనభూతం తత్వ వివేక ప్రకారం వక్ష్యామః !!
ಸಾಧನ ಚತುಷ್ಠಯಸಂಪನ್ನಾಧಿಕಾರಿಣಾಂ ಮೋಕ್ಷಸಾಧನಭೂತಂ ತತ್ವ ವಿವೇಕ ಪ್ರಕಾರಂ ವಕ್ಷ್ಯಾಮಃ !!

We will explain ( vakshyaamah !) to those who are endowed with the fourfold qualifications ( saadhanachatushtayam) .

What are we explaining ? The answer is there !

The mode of enquiry into reality which is the means of liberation !

From now we start with key concepts of mode of enquiry !

om tat sat !!

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References:

Brahma Sutra Bhashya of Shankaracharya ; Translated by Swami Gambhirananda; Published by Advaitashrama. www.advaitashrama.com

Sri Adi Sankaracharya's Tatvabhodha: Commentary by Tejomayananda. Chinmaya mission publication !

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