||om tat sat ||

Viveka chudamani Slokas 278-279 :
About removing the Superimpositions.

In the earlier Slokas Guru talked about the affect of the past life's merits as well as demerits, which have the effect of  masking the real nature of Self. These Vasanas of past merits and demerits appear in the form of Superimposition on the mind which are the cause the delusion, which masks the real natures of Self. Guru says those past Vasanas are to be destroyed in order to remove all obstructions to perceiving the pure self.
 
Here in nine Slokas Guru elaborates on overcoming the superimpositions

All the nine Slokas end with the line,  "स्व अध्यासा अपनयं कुरु"  अध्यासा means super impositions;  अपनयं कुरु means destroy them; , So the line says, 'destroy the Super impositions in you'; Effectively Guru makes a proposition which confirms one's belief that the super impositions must be destroyed.

We know that these superimpositions are residents of mind and Gunas of the mind are also the cause of the delusions. These need to be destroyed and Guru goes about the same in the following Slokas.

Sloka 278

स्वात्मन्येव सदा स्थित्वा
मनो नश्यति योगिनः।
वासनानां क्षयश्चातः
स्वाध्यासा अपनयं कुरु॥

स्वात्मन्येव सदा स्थित्वा-
being ever fixed in his own Slef;

मनो नश्यति योगिनः-
mind is fully controlled by the Yogi .

Mind is like a lamp which flickers continuously. Mind is occupied by succession of endless thoughts. That unceasing thoughts are controlled by a Yogi, being ever fixed his own Self, by way of continuous contemplation.

When that happens, even in the presence of external provocations anger does not rise.

वासनानां क्षयश्च  -
the complete cessation of Vasanas too

For the one residing in Self, the Loka Vasana, Deha vasana, Sastra Vasana described earlier all of them also cease.

अतः - hence

स्वाध्यासा अपनयं कुरु -
negate all the superimpositions on you

To achieve that state negate all the superimpositions on you.

Summary of Sloka 278:

Being ever fixed in his own Self, mind is controlled by the Yogi, and the complete cessation of Vasanas too follows. Hence negate all the superimpositions on you

How to negate the super impositions is discussed in the next on you.

Sloka 279

तमो द्वाभ्यां रजः सत्त्वात्
सत्त्वं शुद्धेन नश्यति।
तस्मात् सत्त्वं अवष्टभ्य
स्वाध्यासा अपनयं कुरु॥

स॥ तमो द्वाभ्यां नश्यति। रजः सत्वात्। सत्त्वं शुद्धेन । तस्मात् सत्त्वं अवष्टभ्य स्व अभ्यासा अपनयं कुरु॥

तमो द्वाभ्यां -
Tamas is destroyed by the two (Sattva and Rajas)

Tamas is the quality of sleep and laziness. It is destroyed by physical exertions as well as Sattvic activities of intellectual pursuits.

रजः सत्त्वात्-
Rajas is destroyed by Sattva;

Rajas is focussed on action. Sattva has the activities involving concentration of mind. Sattva, involving concentration of mind, destroys Rajas.

सत्त्वं शुद्धेन नश्यति-
Sattva is destroyed by pure realization;

Sattva by concentration of nirguna Brahman attains a state of that nirguna brahman, resulting in the subsuming of Sattva.

तस्मात् सत्त्वं अवष्टभ्य -
Hence taking the support of Sattva;

Guru says, Since Sattva is the main tool in destroying Tamas and Rajas, using Sattva move ahead to destroy the super impositions

स्व अभ्यासा अपनयं कुरु-
achieve the negation of Superimposition on you;

Sloka 279 summary:  Tamas is destroyed by the two Sattva and Rajas. Rajas is destroyed by Sattva. Sattva is destroyed by pure realization; Hence taking the support of Sattva, achieve the negation of Superimposition on you;


॥om tat sat॥

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