ATMA BODHA OF SRI ADI SANKARA
Adi Sankara is one of the greatest of ancient philosophers and poets. It is he that established the Adwaita School of philosophy. He propagated the thought of the Vedas and the Upanishads that there is only the Brahman and nothing else. All other Gods with names and forms are but the manifestations of the Brahman. He is also called “ Shanmata sthapanacharya” ie one who brought the six paths of worship. He showed the people the way to worship the Gods Surya ( Sauram), Ganesha (Ganapatyam), Sakthi ( Saktam), Vishnu (Vaishnavam), Siva (Saivam) and Kumaraswami ( Kaumaram). Though he was the champion of Adwaita or non dualism, he composed numerous stotras on these deities to inculcate devotion among people. Apart from these, Sankara’s commentaries on our spiritual texts are famous. His ‘Bhajagovindam ‘ ‘Kanaka dhara Stotram,’ are very popular among the common people. His magnum opus “ SOUNDARYA LAHARI” is a classical poetic extravaganza wherein he pours out his deep devotion to the Universal Mother Kameswari! At a later stage, Sankara embarked on introducing the theme of Vedanta to the young spiritual aspirants. One such attempt is his work on ATMA BODHA!
The thought content of ATMA BODHA is fully drawn from the Upanishads. These Upanishadic ideas are “strung together on the chord of his poetry, interspersed with his exquisite similes. This wonderful garland so offered by Sankara to adorn Mother Sruti is ATMA BODHA! Says Swami Chinmayananda. It is a pity that modern man is totally drowned in the sea of Samsara or family life. His attachment to his wife, children, property and other illusory things drags him down . He is incapable of thinking about anything else. Under the influence of Maya he considers the real as unreal and the unreal as real. He is unable to devote any time to contemplate on ATMA or SOUL. Is it not important for man to know why he is born on this earth and what is expected of him during his mortal existence? Is there no difference between him and the animals that eat, reproduce and die? Should he not, for a while, reflect on the purpose of his life which is temporary and likely to end sooner or later?
Unfortunately, man thinks that he is the body! Greatest importance is given to the body and its various activities! He is unmindful of the ATMA or the Soul that is embedded in the innermost recess of heart. This Atma is responsible for all the actions of the body and its organs! It is the root cause of ‘ chaitanya’ or awareness of the body. ATMA is the indweller of every creature in the universe and it is a grave mistake not to know its significance in human life. Sankara offers this Knowledge of the Atma through his ATMA BODHA. When you say “ it is my hand” you are separate and your hand is separate! You are not the hand. But the hand is yours. This ‘MY’ is the ATMA which is your true nature. Atma is formless, nameless, colorless, and odorless. It is indestructible, eternal. But the body has a form, name, color, smell .It is temporary and destined to die! The Lord, in the Bhagavadgita, explains to doubting Arjuna, the cardinal difference between the body and the ATMA. After this revelation, Arjuna readies himself to fight and kill the Kauravas on the battlefield of Kurukshetra!
ATMA BODHA is the panacea for all the modern ills of society! The sorrows and troubles that man experiences, caught in the inextricable web of birth and death , can be mitigated and removed through the Knowledge of the Real Nature of ATMA. But, it is a pity and a tragedy that no real attempt is made by most of the generation. But it is not an easy task. It requires “Scientific detachment, honest observation, logical conclusion, and heroic decision to overcome the trials and tribulations of life.
ATMA BODHA is a blend of sixty eight stanzas full of suggestions! Every stanza has a picturesque and striking simile that tests your thinking. The examples are like ‘hammer strokes that nail the elusive Vedantic ideals’ on the spiritual student novices. The examples are pregnant with suggestions and it is no wonder that to contemplate upon them is, in itself, a profitable meditation for the aspirants!
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