“The Words of the Master”

Preliminary

Sri Bhagavan’s devotees may be familiar with a slender but marvellous book published by Sri Ramanasramam in 2006 titled “Arunachala Pancharatna Varttikam”. The book is a commentary written by Sri Laksmana Sarma (hereafter referred to as “SLS”, for convenience, with all respect) on Bhagavan’s Sanskrit hymn in the beautiful but difficult “Arya” metre, “Sri Arunachalapancharatnam” (“Five Gems on Arunachala”). The extraordinary thing about this work is that Bhagavan not only went through the text of the commentary making corrections, He Himself composed several verses in Sanskrit and slotted them in at appropriate places to enhance the meaning. Maybe as many as 18 verses. The importance He gave to this work can be gauged from His changing (the latter part of) the title given by SLS from “Laghu Vritti” (meaning “short commentary”) to “Varttikam”. A “Varttikam” is technically defined as “explaining the meaning of that which is said, that which is left unsaid (on the concerned topic), or that which is insufficiently said” (taken from the General Introduction to the book). And thus we have Bhagavan Himself saying, in effect, that the commentary is an authentic expansion of the important teachings contained in such a terse manner otherwise in the great hymn; a hymn which has been subject to differing interpretations by devotees and writers in the past and even now. Again, we all owe SLS a world of gratitude in getting Bhagavan involved with this work, much as he managed to do for his translation and commentary on Ulladu Narpadu.

So which were the verses composed by Bhagavan for this work? The book merely confirms that Bhagavan made some changes in the text and composed new verses taking the tally to 108 for the work; it itself does not attempt to identify these. And I do not now recall having come across any references to this work in any of the reminiscences anywhere. Perhaps the original notebooks of SLS show the exact position. However, Sri Ramanasramam did a truly great job in enclosing the original manuscript in Bhagavan’s handwriting in this publication. Curiously, the whole text itself as composed by SLS of the original 90 odd verses seems to be in Bhagavan’s handwriting. (A conclusion that can be drawn therefore is that Sri Bhagavan may have first copied the text into this notebook as written by SLS; and then He may have been urged by SLS and possibly others to make changes in it as He thought appropriate). The changes and additions actually show up in a bolder impression as possibly Bhagavan used a different pen and ink, and are visible at even a cursory glance. And in my humble opinion, the new verses composed by Bhagavan are identifiable because, very simply, they can reasonably be assumed to be the ones written by Him along the sides and margins of the notebook sheet in the bolder ink. He then has scratched out the original numbering at the right hand side of the verses composed by SLS, and made a new numbering on the left incorporating the new verses composed by Him (see scanned picture of the manuscript from the Sri Ramanasramam publication – showing the addition of verses 5, 6 & 7. The circled numerals were put by me to number and tag the changes incorporated by Bhagavan).

[In all fairness I must mention here, that I could be entirely wrong in my assumptions in picking out these verses as being composed by Bhagavan. Access to the original manuscripts is severely restricted and this is the best that is available to ordinary folks. Allow me to apologize in advance should there be any error in the reasoning above. Also, as a humble lay devotee it is not for me to make as enormous a claim as that these verses are definitely Bhagavan’s compositions. So let me just only say - that it seems very likely that they are so. And in any event, at the very least, they carry His categorical stamp of approval.]

When I had first picked up this book 5 years ago, I had spent some time poring over the manuscript and marking out every change and addition made by Bhagavan. It is fascinating to see how He changed the meaning and emphasis in several places by just altering or substituting a word or two; and in some places by replacing the whole line. And as to the verses added Him? They have a truly dramatic impact in sharpening and adding focus to the whole commentary. Discussed here are the first verses added by Him, as a set of 3 in the “Granthavtaranam”, “Introduction to the Work” (also shown in the scanned image above). Some, equally important, on Vichara and other matters, will be part of another post to follow. The translation into English was done by SLS himself.

The 3 verses added to the “Introduction to the Work”

The introduction, as is usual for a work of this nature, briefly describes what the original verses (on which the commentary is being made) are all about. Usually a few words are also included as to the high pedestal occupied by the author of the said verses, and the importance of his words and teachings. SLS thus had written in the 4th and the last verse of his original introduction:

4.   This Teaching is authoritative to the well-intentioned, because the Master here gives out the Truth of Himself as experienced by Himself all the time – that Truth which is blissful and free from imperfection.

Sri Bhagavan then added these 3 extraordinary verses:

5.   Let people think that the words of the Master are authoritative as being in agreement with the Vedic Revelation. But, we consider the Vedic Revelation as authoritative, because it is in agreement with the Master’s words.

6.   He is the Master who is firmly established in His own True Nature, known as Turiya, and whatever He teaches is the highest Upanishad.

7.   Because the words of the Master are (fully) authoritative, only the conclusions are set out briefly, leaving out controversies more or less.

Now, if these verses were composed by SLS on his own then they would be treated as any other laudatory item in praise of the Master, just read through and approved by Bhagavan as was His wont. But given the clear interpolation as is visible in the manuscript, it seems reasonable  that these verses are  likely to have been  composed by Bhagavan Himself; and else, at the very least, even if written by SLS, done at specific directions from Bhagavan and then brought to Him for adding-in. And then, for me at least, they immediately have an enormous significance. We all know how Sri Bhagavan was quite the paragon of simplicity, humility and self-effacement (pun intended!). Coming from Him, therefore, these verses become quite a hammer-blow if you will, of extraordinary and emphatic instructions to sincere devotees as to how to take His words and teaching, His life so pure itself, and the value and authority of it all in the scheme of things spiritual.

I thought to highlight the same in the inaugural post on this blog, so that it may remain in the forefront as to how important it is to take the words of our Master “as they are”. The 2 big mistakes we sometimes make is either we try to “interpret” the teachings in such a way as to find common ground with our own entrenched beliefs; or we try to “simplify” them for “others” in the vain belief that we understand the teachings better than others and thus have a quasi-guru role to play. How can one anyway interpret and simplify further the words of “the Master who is firmly established in His own True Nature”? One, particularly, who made it His life’s mission to explain esoteric and complex teachings in as simple and practical a way as possible? Surely He would Himself explain it perfectly, always, and anyone else’s attempts would merely add imperfections to the great teachings.

Herein we shall attempt to keep these 3 verses always in mind as the guiding principles behind every post and comment - in all the ramblings that may follow!