#mahavakya

[tides-of-truth]

The peace of the Sayings

I've had periods of suffering existential emptiness before in my life & is perhaps what has driven the spiritual search taking me on a journey & study of various traditions, philosophies, paths, Eastern & Western, magic, healing & shamanism etc.

Recently once again that old existential hollowness has re-visited me, a sure sign that I am passing through the midlife existential crisis/awakening, really stumbling, like Dante in the woods of the subconscious:

Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark, For the straightforward pathway had been lost.

Ah me! how hard a thing it is to say

What was this forest savage, rough, and stern, Which in the very thought renews the fear.

I have written bits about this passage here & elsewhere.

At least for me reflecting on the Mahavakya's brings inner peace & that knowing of Truth that can't be explained.

~~

[shinymoonbird]

Murugan is known by numerous names in ancient and medieval texts of the Indian culture. Most common among these are Mahasena, Kartikeya, Kumara, Shanmukha, Skanda, and Subrahmanya . He is the Hindu god of war. He is a son of Parvati and Shiva, brother of Ganesha, and a god whose life story has many versions in Hinduism  

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Murugan – the Hindu God of Tamils

Murugan is hailed as ‘Thamizh kadavul’ — the Lord of Tamils by poets and Tamil cultural exponents who take pride in the uniqueness of Tamil culture. Murugan is a popular deity widely worshiped in Tamil Nadu and also in Kerala, Karnataka and Srilanka. Worship of Muruga is rather sporadic in other parts and linguistic segments of India.

The myriod Tamil names of Murugan

The word Murugan means one who is handsome. In India, naming children with popular names of God is very widely practiced. The name Murugan and his numerous other names like Murugaiyan, Sivamurugan, Velmurugan, Saravanan, Karthigeyan, Senthil, Arumugam, Subramaniyan, Subbaiah, Subbarayan, Swaminathan, Velan, Kadirvel, Shaktivel, Kandan (Skandan), Kandaswamy, Kadamban, Kumar, Kumaraswamy, Shivakumar, Shanmukham, Palani (it is actually the name of one of his abodes), Palaniswamy, Muthu Kumaran, Sakthi Kumar, Muthukumaraswamy, Dandapani, Dandayutapani, etc. are widely used in naming children; a vast majority in the above names are quite typical to Tamils.

The birth of Murugan

Murugan is Subramanya, the son of lord Shiva. According to mythology, Murugan was born out of the fire that emanated from Lord Shiva’s third eye — his eye at the middle of his forehead, when he opened it to burn Kamadeva, or Manmatha, the god of love and passion, who tried to disturb Shiva’s meditation and turn his mind towards romance. The very purpose of birth of Muruga was to annihilate the two demons Tarakasura and Surapadma. Elaborate details of this mythology can be obtained from “Skanda Puranam”. The tamil poetic version of this mythology is also available, known as “Kanda Puranam” written by the poet Kacchiappa Sivachariyar (1350-1420).

Puranas

The Skanda Purana narrates that Shiva first wed Dakshayani (also named Sati), the granddaughter of Brahma, and the daughter of Daksha. Daksha never liked Shiva, who, symbolizing destruction and detachment, begs for food, dances in a graveyard smeared with ashes, and has no possessions, not even good clothes for himself. Daksha publicly insulted Shiva in a Yagna ceremony, and Sati immolated Herself in anger over this treatment of Her husband. The Yagna was destroyed by the ganas of Shiva led by Virabhadra. Shiva withdrew himself from the universe and engaged himself in yogic meditation in the Himalayas. 

In the meanwhile, Surapadman (an asura) ravaged the earth and tormented its beings. Tarakasuran believed that, because Shiva is an ascetic and his earlier marriage was conducted with great difficulty, his remarriage was out of the question, hence his boon of being killed by Shiva's son alone would give him invincibility.

It was realized by the gods that only the son born of Shiva could lead the gods to victory over Tarakasuran, Surapadman and their companions. They plotted with Manmatha, also known as Kamadeva, the God of love, to shoot a flower arrow from his bow at Shiva, as he sat in meditation, so as to make him fall in love with Parvati (who was Dakshayani, reborn). When Kamadeva aimed his arrow, Shiva opened his third eye and incinerated him to ashes instantly.

Shiva handed over his effulgence of the third eye, used to destroy Manmatha, to Agni, as he alone was capable of handling it until it becomes the desired offspring. Even Agni, tortured by its heat, handed it over to Ganga, who in turn transported it into the Saravana Forest and deposited it in a pond of reeds called the Saravana Poigai (located at mouths of river Ganga) , where the sparks became six children. They were raised by the six Krittika or Kartika - the stars that make up the Pleiades, earning the name Karthikeya. Parvati combined these six babies into one with six faces, i.e. Shanmukha or Arumugan. Since he was born in the Saravana he was also called 'Saravanabhava'. 

Murugan became the supreme general of the demi-gods then escorted the devas and led the army of the devas to victory against the asuras. 

Murugan’s vehicle is peacock and his main weapon to destroy his enemies is “Vel” (lance). His army flag (“kodi“) carries the symbol of rooster (“seval“) and on account of it, he is also known as “Seval Kodiyon“. 

According to mythology, Lord Murugan is married to two wives, Devayani (daughter of Indra, the king of Devas) and Valli. Valli reportedly belongs to a Tamil tribal community.

Murugan and Gyana (Supreme Knowledge)

Mahavakyam -  "The Great Sayings" of the Upanishads:

प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म, Prajñānam Brahm,  Consciousness is God. ~ Aitareya Upanishad (Chapter 3, verse 3)

अहं ब्रह्मास्मि, Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi ~ Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 of the Shukla Yajur Veda

Aham (अहं) means “I”, Brahm (ब्रह्म) means all possibilities and Asmi (अस्मि) means “am”. 

तत्त्वमसि, Tát Túvam Asi ~ Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 of the Sama Veda

tát (तत्) means “That”, túvam means “You”, Asi “are”. Simply put, Thou art that.

🌺 ॐ 🌺

Realizing the highest truth of the Atman, and its oneness with the Brahman, is called gyana (true knowledge) in Hinduism. Attaining this knowledge is also known as the opening of the “third eye” in a person. Lord Murugan, who was born on account of the opening of the third eye of Lord Shiva is a knower of the supreme truth and is therefore referred to as “Gyana Panditan” (An exponent of Supreme knowledge).

The holy Hindu syllable “Om” is said to encapsulate the Supreme knowledge; one who knows the profoundest meaning of Om is indeed a Gyani who knows the Supreme Truth. According to mythology, Murugan, even as a little boy was aware of the meaning of Om.

On one occasion Murugan imparted a secret upadesa on pranava, the sound of Om, to Shiva and thus earned the title ‘Guru of Shiva’.

Since Murugan thus became a Guru (Swami) who taught to the very Lord (Natha) of the universe, he was called Swaminathan. In Tamil, he is hailed as “Thagappan Sami” – one who became a Guru to his own father.

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Ramana Maharshi as Skanda son of Shiva 

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, the very embodiment of the beginningless infinite supreme Brahman, the Satchitananda (existence, consciousness, bliss), is considered by his ardent devotees to be an incarnation of Lord Muruga. Though he has not written any hymns about Muruga, his cryptic poems are a source of treasure which contains the essence of his philosophical teachings.

Maharshi Ramana has taught two principal paths as the main spiritual practices [sadhanas] for the attainment of Self-Knowledge, which is the state of eternal, perfect and unalloyed happiness. The first path He taught is the path of Self-Enquiry, that is, knowing oneself (one’s real nature) by enquiring ‘Who Am I?’, while the second path is the path of self-surrender, that is, surrendering oneself (the ego) completely to God. The former is the path of knowledge or gyana (jnana marga), and the latter is the path of devotion (bhakti marga).

Jane Adams Art - SACRED INDIA TAROT – RAMANA AS SKANDA SON OF SIVA

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The 6 great abodes of Murugan in Tamil Nadu

The six sites at which Karthikeya sojourned while leading his armies against Surapadman:

Swamimalai - Arulmigu Swaminatha Swamy Temple - A very famous temple of Swaminathan (i.e. Murugan), situated at Swamimalai (near Kumbakonam at Tamil Nadu, India), is treated as the most sacred place as where Lord Murugan preached the Pranav Mantra “OM” to His father Lord Shiva when He was a child.

The other 5 abodes are : Tiruttanikai, Tiruvavinankudi (Palani), PazhamudirSolai, Tirupparamkunram and Tiruchendur.

“Thirumurugatruppadai” is a famous and ancient Tamil literature written by poet Nakkirar of the Sangam period (circa the 3rd century AD), which contains the stories of the wondrous divine play of Lord Murugan in all these 6 main abodes.  

These six sites collectively came to be known as "Arupadai Veedu" (Lang:Tamil), it means the six battle camps of the Lord.

Worship  in Tamil Nadu

Thai Poosam during January-February month is celebrated as a 6-day festival. On Thai Poosam day, Kavadis and Palkudams are taken by devotees in procession around Chhedanagar. Special Abhishekams are performed to the Moolavar and Utsavar (festival deity's moorthi usually taken during temple festival processions; utsavar moorthi is generally made of metal, and Moolavar murthi is usually made of stone). Annadhanam (The Sacred Offering of Food) is provided to all devotees participating in the functions. In the night, Lord Muruga is taken in procession accompanied by Nadaswaram, Veda Parayanam around Chhedanagar.

Vaikasi Visakam day, during May-June month, Kavadis (a 'physical burden' made out of elaborate and decorated framework, lifted onto a person’s shoulders) and Palkudams (milk pots) are taken by devotees in procession around Chhedanagar.

Skanda Sashti during October-November month is celebrated as a 6-day festival. Spiritual discourses by learned scholars and/or music concerts by popular artists from South or from Mumbai are organized.

[shinymoonbird]

Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachala Ramanaya

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The body (deham) is insentient like an earthern pot; since the consciousness ‘I’ does not exist for it (that is, since it possesses no ‘I’- consciousness) and since our existence is experienced (as ‘I am’) daily in (deep) sleep, where the body does not exist, it is not ‘I’ (naham). Within the Heart-cave of those who abide (as Self) having (scrutinized and) known ‘Who is (this) ego-person (who rises as ‘I am this body’) and where is he?’, Arunagiri-Siva, the Omnipresent (vibhu), will shine forth spontaneously as the sphurana ‘He is I’ (soham).

~  Ulladu Narpadu - Anubandham (Reality in Forty Verses - Supplement), V. 10

Sri Bhagavan first composed this verse in Sanskrit on Tuesday 20th September 1927, and translated it into Tamil on the same day.

Note: 

In continuation of the previous two verses 8 - 9, in this verse Sri Bhagavan teaches the true import of the ancient Vedantic revelation, 

“The body is not ‘I’. Who am I? He is I” (deham naham koham soham).

In the first two lines He establishes the truth that the body (deham) is not ‘I’ (naham) by giving two reasons, namely:  1) that the body is insentient and therefore has no sense of ‘I’ (that is, it has no consciousness of its own existence), and  2) that our existence is experienced as ‘I am’ even in deep sleep, where the body is not known and therefore does not exist.

In the third line He teaches that the means whereby one can realize this truth is to abide as Self by enquiring ‘Who am I?’ (koham), 

In the last line He reveals that what results from such enquiry is the experience ‘He is I’ (soham). 

Thus He teaches that: ☀ ‘the body is not I’ (deham naham) is the initial viveka understanding with which the practice is to be commenced, ☀ ‘Who am I?’ (koham) is the actual method of practice, ☀ ‘He is I’ (soham) is only the final experience and not the method of practice, as it is often mistaken to be.

🕉️

[shinymoonbird]

Murugan é conhecido por vários nomes em textos antigos e medievais da cultura indiana. Os mais comuns entre eles são Mahasena, Kartikeya, Kumara, Shanmukha, Skanda e Subrahmanya. Ele é o deus Hindu da guerra. Ele é filho de Parvati e Shiva, irmão de Ganesha e um deus cuja história de vida tem muitas versões no Hinduísmo.

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Murugan – o Deus Hindu dos Tâmiles

Murugan é aclamado como ‘Thamizh kadavul’ - o Senhor dos Tâmiles por poetas e expoentes culturais Tâmiles que se orgulham da singularidade da cultura Tâmil. Murugan é uma divindade popular amplamente adorada em Tamil Nadu e também em Kerala, Karnataka e Srilanka. A veneração de Karthigeya ou Subramanya (outros nomes de Muruga) é muito esporádica em outras partes e segmentos linguísticos da Índia.

A miríade de nomes Tâmiles de Murugan

A palavra Murugan significa aquele que é formoso. Na Índia, é muito usual dar às crianças nomes populares de Deus. O nome Murugan e seus vários outros nomes, como Murugaiyan, Sivamurugan, Velmurugan, Saravanan, Karthigeyan, Senthil, Arumugam, Subramaniyan, Subbaiah, Subbarayan, Swaminathan, Velan, Kadirvel, Shaktivel, Kandyan (Skandaniyan), Kandaswamwam, Kandaswam Shivakumar, Shanmukham, Palani (na verdade é o nome de uma de suas moradas), Palaniswamy, Muthu Kumaran, Sakthi Kumar, Muthukumaraswamy, Dandapani, Dandayutapani etc., são amplamente usados para nomear crianças; na sua grande maioria, os nomes acima são muito típicos dos Tâmiles.

O nascimento de Murugan

Murugan é na verdade Subramanya, o filho do senhor Shiva. Segundo a mitologia, Murugan nasceu do fogo que emanava do terceiro olho do Senhor Shiva — o seu olho no meio da testa, quando ele o abriu para queimar Manmatha (ou Kamadeva, Senhor do amor e romance) que tentou perturbar a meditação de Shiva e assim voltar a sua mente para o romance. O verdadeiro propósito do nascimento de Muruga era aniquilar os dois demónios Tarakasura e Surapadma. Detalhes elaborados desta mitologia podem ser obtidos em “Skanda Puranam”. Também está disponível a versão poética Tâmil dessa mitologia, conhecida como “Kanda Puranam”, escrita pelo poeta Kacchiappa Sivachariyar (1350-1420).

Puranas

O Skanda Purana narra que Shiva se casou pela primeira vez com Dakshayani (também chamada de Sati), neta de Brahma e filha de Daksha. Daksha nunca gostou de Shiva, que, simbolizando destruição e desapego, mendiga por comida, dança num cemitério, manchado de cinzas, e não tem posses, nem mesmo boas roupas para se cobrir. Daksha insultou publicamente Shiva numa cerimónia de Yagna, e Sati se imolou pela exasperação causada pelo tratamento dado a Seu marido. O Yagna foi destruído pelos ganas de Shiva liderados por Virabhadra. Shiva retirou-se do universo e dedicou-se à meditação iogue nos Himalaias.

Nesse ínterim, Surapadman (um asura) devastou a terra e atormentou os seus seres. Tarakasuran acreditava que, pelo facto de Shiva ser um asceta e o seu casamento anterior ter sido conduzido com grande dificuldade, o seu novo casamento estava fora de questão, portanto, a bênção que tinha recebido de ser morto apenas pelo filho de Shiva dar-lhe-ia invencibilidade.

Os deuses perceberam que apenas o filho nascido de Shiva poderia levar os deuses à vitória sobre Tarakasuran, Surapadman e seus companheiros. Conspiraram com Manmatha, também conhecido como Kamadeva, o Deus do amor, para disparar do seu arco uma flecha de flores sobre Shiva, enquanto ele estava sentado em meditação, para o fazer apaixonar-se por Parvati (que era Dakshayani, renascida). Quando Kamadeva apontou a sua flecha, Shiva abriu o seu terceiro olho e incinerou-o reduzindo-o a cinzas instantaneamente.

Shiva entregou o seu esplendor do terceiro olho, usado para destruir Manmatha, a Agni, pois só este era capaz de lidar com ele até que se tornasse o filho desejado. Até mesmo Agni, torturado pelo seu calor, o entregou a Ganga, que por sua vez o transportou para a Floresta Saravana e o depositou num lago de juncos chamado Saravana Poigai (localizado na foz do rio Ganges), onde as centelhas se tornaram em seis meninos. Eles foram criados pelas seis Krittika ou Kartika - as estrelas que compõem as Plêiades, adquirindo o nome de Karthikeya. Parvati combinou estes seis bebés num só com seis faces, ou seja, Shanmukha ou Arumugan. Como ele nasceu em Saravana, também foi chamado de 'Saravanabhava'.

Murugan tornou-se o general supremo dos semi-deuses, então escoltou os devas e liderou o exército dos devas à vitória contra os asuras.

O veículo de Murugan é o pavão e a sua principal arma para destruir os seus inimigos é "Vel" (a lança). A sua bandeira do exército (“kodi“) tem o símbolo do galo (“seval“) e por isso é também conhecida como “Seval Kodiyon“.

Segundo a mitologia, Lord Murugan é casado com duas esposas, Devayani (filha de Indra, o rei dos Devas) e Valli. Valli pertence a uma comunidade tribal Tamil.

Murugan e Gyana (Conhecimento Supremo)

Mahavakyas - "As grandes declarações" das Upanishads:

प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म, Prajñānam Brahm,  Consciência é Deus. ~ Aitareya Upanishad (Capítulo 3, versículo 3)

अहं ब्रह्मास्मि, Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi ~ Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 do Shukla Yajur Veda

Aham (अहं) significa “Eu”, Brahm (ब्रह्म) significa todas as possibilidades e Asmi (अस्मि) significa “sou”.

तत्त्वमसि, Tát Túvam Asi ~ Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 do Sama Veda

tát (तत्) significa “Aquilo”, túvam significa “Tu”, Asi “és”. Simplificando, Tu és aquilo.

🌺 ॐ 🌺

Perceber a verdade mais elevada do Atman, e a sua unidade com o Brahman, chama-se de gyana (conhecimento verdadeiro) no Hinduísmo. Alcançar esse conhecimento também é conhecido como a abertura do “terceiro olho” numa pessoa. O Senhor Murugan, que nasceu devido à abertura do terceiro olho do Senhor Shiva, é um conhecedor da verdade suprema e é, portanto, referido como “Gyana Panditan” (um expoente do Conhecimento Supremo).

Diz-se que a sagrada sílaba Hindu “Om” encapsula o Conhecimento Supremo; aquele que conhece o significado mais profundo do Om é de facto um Gyani que conhece a Verdade Suprema. De acordo com a mitologia, Murugan, mesmo quando menino, estava ciente do significado do Om.

Numa ocasião, Murugan transmitiu uma upadesa secreta sobre o pranava, o som do Om, a Shiva e, assim, ganhou o título de "Guru de Shiva".

Visto que Murugan se tornou um Guru (Swami) que ensinou ao próprio Senhor (Natha) do universo, ele foi chamado de Swaminathan. Em Tamil, ele é saudado como “Thagappan Sami” - aquele que se tornou um Guru de seu próprio pai.

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Ramana Maharshi como Skanda filho de Shiva

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, a própria personificação do Brahman supremo infinito sem começo, o Satchitananda (existência, consciência, bem-aventurança), é considerado por seus devotos ardentes como uma encarnação do Senhor Muruga. Embora não tenha escrito nenhum hino sobre Muruga, os seus poemas de significado profundo são uma fonte de tesouro que contém a essência dos seus ensinamentos filosóficos.

Maharshi Ramana ensinou dois caminhos como principais práticas espirituais (sadhanas) para a obtenção do Auto-Conhecimento, que é o estado de felicidade eterna, perfeita e pura. O primeiro caminho que ele ensinou é o caminho da Auto-inquirição, isto é, conhecer a si mesmo (a nossa própria natureza real) investigando “Quem sou eu?”, e o segundo caminho é o caminho da auto-entrega, ou seja, render-se (o ego) completamente a Deus. O primeiro é o caminho do conhecimento ou gyana (jnana marga), e o último é o caminho da devoção (bhakti marga).

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As 6 grandes moradas de Murugan em Tamil Nadu

Os seis locais em que Karthikeya permaneceu enquanto liderava os seus exércitos contra Surapadman:

Swamimalai - Arulmigu Swaminatha Swamy Temple - Um templo muito famoso de Swaminathan (ou seja, Murugan), situado em Swamimalai (perto de Kumbakonam em Tamil Nadu, Índia), é tratado como o lugar mais sagrado onde Lord Murugan pregou o Pranav Mantra "OM" para o Seu pai Lord Shiva quando era uma criança.

As outras 5 moradas são : Tiruttanikai, Tiruvavinankudi (Palani), PazhamudirSolai, Tirupparamkunram and Tiruchendur.

“Thirumurugatruppadai” é uma literatura Tâmil famosa e antiga escrita pelo poeta Nakkirar do período Sangam (por volta do século III AD), que contém as histórias da maravilhosa peça divina do Senhor Murugan em todas estas 6 moradas principais.  

Estes seis locais, em conjunto, passaram a ser conhecidos como "Arupadai Veedu" (Língua Tâmil), significa os seis campos de batalha do Senhor.

Adoração em Tamil Nadu

Thai Poosam durante Janeiro-Fevereiro é um festival celebrado durante 6 dias. No dia de Thai Poosam, Kavadis e Palkudams são levados pelos devotos em procissão à volta de Chhedanagar. Abhishekams especiais são realizados to the Moolavar and Utsavar (moorthi da divindade geralmente levada durante as procissões do festival do templo; utsavar moorthi geralmente é feito de metal, e Moolavar murthi geralmente é feito de pedra). Annadhanam (A Oferta Sagrada de Alimento) é fornecida a todos os devotos que participam das funções. À noite, o Senhor Muruga é levado em procissão acompanhado por Nadaswaram (instrumento musical), Veda Parayanam, à volta de Chhedanagar.

Dia de Vaikasi Visakam, durante Maio-Junho, Kavadis (Kavadi é uma 'carga física' feita de uma estrutura elaborada e decorada, colocada nos ombros de uma pessoae) e Palkudams (jarros de leite) são levados pelos devotos em procissão à volta de Chhedanagar.

Skanda Sashti durante Outubro-Novembro é um festival celebrado durante 6 dias. São organizados discursos espirituais por eruditos e/ou concertos musicais de artistas populares do Sul ou de Mumbai.

[shinymoonbird]

He who has shaken off all duality, having obtained the great secret of the place of birth (of the ‘I - thought’), and who shines as the very Self in the various intellects of sentient beings, he who having pervaded the world and all bodies, shines forth with his glory, oh men! salute that one, in the form of the Guru, the brother of Ganapati! ~  Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni -  Forty Verses in Praise of Sri Ramana, V. 21  

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What is the Nature of Jnana — Realisation

On the 21st July, 1917, Kavyakantha queried the Maharshi again.

Kavyakantha: What is the "State of Jnana"? Is it the mental process “I am Brahman” or the idea "Brahman is myself", or the idea "I am everything", or the idea "Everything is Brahman" [1]; or is Jnana different from all these four ideas?

Maharshi: All these mental states, processes or ideas are certainly only the operations of the mind. But that which is termed Jnana is not a mental state or process. It is Being, Remaining or Existence in the Self as such.

Kavyakantha: Then, Sir, is not the Self – Atman or Brahman (God) – reached by the mind? In fact, while the Mundaka Upanishad, III, i. says “This subtle Self has to be known by the mind", "It is to be seen by the sharp eye of the seers of the subtle”, and the Katha Upanishad IV.ii. says of Brahmana: "By the mind alone is this to be attained", while Taittiriya Upanishad, II.9. says “Whence words retire baffled, as also the mind”; and Brahman is repeatedly styled as "Not to be reached by speech or mind”. How is this conflict to be reconciled and which is the truth?

Maharshi: All sets of texts are true. It is the mind that sets out on the enquiry into the nature of the Self. But in the course of its efforts to reach Brahman, it gets transformed and is seen to be Brahman. It ceases to have any separate existence.

Requested later to elucidate this matter further, Maharshi said:

"In a sense, it is by the mind you reach Brahman. But perhaps it will be better to stick to the more accurate expression that it is Brahman alone that realises itself, and that the mind as such does not. What realises is not the mind as such, but the mind transformed into Purna Prajna or "Cosmic Consciousness".

By way of analogy, we may take the case of a mighty river that flows into the ocean. The waters which formerly took the name of the "river", later take the name of "Ocean". One would not refer to the river as samudrakara nadi, i.e., the "river in the form of the ocean." The mind is the separate, broken (khanda) entity which starts the enquiry; but as it progresses, it develops, alters its nature and form, and finally loses these and itself in the limitless, infinite, and undifferentiated (akhanda) ocean of Brahman. The mind may thereafter be referred to as brahmakara manas, i.e., the mind in the guise of the Absolute.

But perhaps it will be conducive to clarity if we briefly say, in popular language, that there has been manonasa, or the disappearance of the limited, finite mind and that Brahman is realized not by chitta vriti, i.e., mental operation, but by Purnattva or Swabhava Samsthiti, the perfection of Self -realization.

Maharshi had elucidated this matter by another illustration in the third stanza of his "Arunachala Ashtakam" [2]

Which means, as addressed to God Arunachala who is considered to be identical with Brahma:

Thinking of Thee without thinking (i.e., play of intellect), one's form melts away as that of a sugar doll entering the sea.

— The Sri Ramana Gita, of B. V. Narasimha Swami - Ch. IV

https://archive.arunachala.org/newsletters/2009/nov-dec

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[1]   The Sanskrit texts are facsimiles of what Sri Ramana Maharshi wrote in the actual typed manuscript of B.V.Narasimha Swami. Besides writing the Sanskrit and Tamil text in the manuscript, he made handwritten English corrections as well.  

“I am Brahman”

"Brahman is myself"

"I am everything"

"Everything is Brahman"

“Being, Remaining or Existence in the Self as such”

[2]  The image of the third stanza of Arunachala Ashtakam is a facsimile of the Maharshi's Tamil handwriting. He wrote this verse into BVN's typed manuscript.

*+*+*+*

B. V. Narasimha Swami typed manuscript:

ॐ

[shinymoonbird]

Annamalai - Arunachala, the Heart, the real Self, the Centre of all, which shines forth when the intellect (buddhi) and ego (ahankara) lament and subside, having realized their inability to know It as it is. ~ Arunachala Mahatmyam

Photo by Bernd Kalidas Flory

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Disciple: 

Master pray show me my real Self so that I may know It as truly as the tenth man did in the anecdote.

(see posts: Analogy-of-the-ten-foolish-men)

Master: 

There is the mahavakya (great sentence from the Vedas): “That thou art”. 

The verb “art” in it establishes the identity of the pronouns “That” and “thou” in their ultimate meaning. I shall explain how it does so. Hear me.

65. Just as the ether, though single, is fourfold — as the wide expanse, the ether in the clouds, the ether in the pot, and the reflection in water — so Chit, which is single, is called the all pervading Brahman, Ishvara, the Self, and the jiva.

66. In the mahavakya referred to  —  “That thou art”  —  the word “That” stands for almighty Ishvara and “thou” stands for the jiva. But ultimately they mean respectively Brahman, who is free from Maya, and the inner Self who is free from limitations. They are now mutually bound up like butter in boiled milk. Just as the milk is churned and the butter separated, so also you should realize the Self and thus stand apart.

67. The way to get rid of the trappings (of the jiva) is to kill the present idea that “I am the body,” which is only a corpse after all, for it is a mere assemblage of the five elements [1]. Nor can you be the breath which moves through the nostrils like the blasts of air blown by bellows. It is simply a function of rajoguna.

68. Can the Self be the intellect or the mind which stand to each other in the relation of agent and instrument? These two sheaths are only modes of sattvaguna. Let not the unedifying bliss of deep sleep be mistaken for the Self, for it is only a mode of tamoguna.

69. Know “thou,” as the Self, to be Sat, Chit, Ananda, the ever unchanging, single, eternal and all-pervading Witness, and rid yourself of the trap of the five sheaths which are of an opposite nature — false, insentient, painful, etc.

~ Kaivalya Navaneeta - The Cream of Liberation, by Tandavaraya Swami,  Section I - The Exposition of the Truth

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http://ramana-maharshi.weebly.com/uploads/2/4/7/2/24723372/kaivalya_navaneeta_-_cream_of_liberation.pdf

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[1] A kosha, usually rendered "sheath", is a covering of the Atman, or Self according to Vedantic philosophy. There are five koshas, and they are often visualised as the layers of an onion.

From gross to fine they are:

Annamaya kosha, "body” sheath - Anna means food, which is what sustains this level

Pranamaya kosha, "energy" sheath (Prana)

Manomaya kosha, "mind" sheath (Manas)

Vijñānamaya kosha, "discernment" sheath (Vijnana)

Anandamaya kosha, "bliss" sheath (Ananda)

[daviddavi09]

Aham Brahmāsmi — A Guided Meditation

In this guided meditation, we enter into the living truth of the Mahāvākya Aham Brahmāsmi — I am Brahman, pure, infinite consciousness.In this guided meditation, we enter into the living truth of the Mahāvākya Aham Brahmāsmi — I am Brahman, pure, infinite consciousness. May this teaching guide you back to your own boundless Self. Śrī Mātre Namaḥ. Journal Prompts When I say Aham Brahmāsmi, what arises — expansion, resistance, awe, confusion? Where in my life do I still act as if I am separate from the whole? How can I bring this remembrance into the smallest acts — eating, speaking, resting?

[arorazip]

A Mahavakya in an Upanishad is a transcendental phrase or a great saying which establishes identity or oneness of the individual soul with Brahman. According to this explanation, tat means “the Supreme,” tvam means “you,” and asi means “are.” The interpretation is “you are the Supreme,” and that there is no difference between the Supreme and the individual spirit souls.