Chapter 13 Shloka 11

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम्।

एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा।।११।।

Persevering abidance in the knowledge of Adhyatam,

constantly dwelling upon the knowledge of Truth;

all these constitute knowledge.

All that is opposed to this is ignorance.

So it is said.

Chapter 13 Shloka 11

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम्।

एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा।।११।।

Speaking of the means to know the kshetragya, the Lord says, ‘Look! Let Me tell you further!’

Persevering abidance in the knowledge of Adhyatam, constantly dwelling upon the knowledge of Truth; all these constitute knowledge. All that is opposed to this is ignorance. So it is said.

Little one, first understand what it means to be established in the knowledge of Adhyatam.

1. Eternal abidance in the nature of Brahm;

2. Constant establishment in the qualities of Brahm;

3. Constantly abiding in the attitude of Brahm;

4. Abidance in the knowledge of Brahm;

5. The enlightened identification with the Atma;

6. The constant practice of annihilation of the body idea;

7. Renunciation of the anatma or all that which is not the Atma;

8. To live life with the attitude of the Atmavaan;

9. Establishment in Adhyatam constitutes the eternal identification of the ‘I’ with the Supreme Atma.

Such practice will inevitably establish you in the Self one day. The practice of love is to love; when such practice becomes continuous, you become the embodiment of love. The practice of annihilation of the body idea lies in becoming silent towards one’s own body. The Yogi who achieves complete silence towards himself thus, becomes:

a) devoid of aberration;

b) detached and indifferent towards himself;

c) equipoised;

d) blemishless;

e) devoid of all mental tendencies;

f) the embodiment of satiation;

g) a non-doer;

h) a non-participator.

Such a one transcends the attributes of Prakriti.

Such elevated souls, who focus their mind-stuff in the Atma, do not consider themselves to be the body. The true aspirant of spirituality will necessarily wish to imbibe all the above mentioned qualities and will never tire in this endeavour. Now consider the nature of such a one.

What has been described above is his essence – his swaroop. Adhyatam does not pertain to the essence of the individual – it is the method whereby one can attain that essential core – the swaroop.

The Lord has mentioned in earlier chapters that Adhyatam is the nature of Brahm. To imbibe the nature of that Supreme Brahm in one’s life is in fact the practice of Adhyatam. As a result of this practice, you will become established in your true Self. Your aim is:

a) the state of Brahm;

b) mergence in the goal – in the Supreme Brahm;

c) to be one with the Supreme;

d) complete identification with the supreme goal;

e) to establish Ram in place of the ‘I’;

f) complete absorption into the Atma Itself.

Adhyatam (अध्यात्म)

Ram can be attained when:

1. You give your body to Him.

2. Your nature is comparable to His.

3. Your life becomes like His.

4. Your mental outlook can be compared to His.

5. You do for others what He would have done.

Brahm created this world and in doing so, gave us a glimpse of His supreme Nature. Be a witness to the divine nature of Lord Ram and you will be able to understand the nature of Brahm. Lord Ram was ever:

a) devoid of pride and ego;

b) desireless and selfless;

c) impartial towards both good and bad – no matter what he received;

d) engaged in the welfare of all beings;

e) indifferent to both pursuance of action as well as abstinence from it;

f) devoid of all thoughts – good and bad;

g) devoid of all hopes and expectations;

h) blemishless, having transcended duality.

If you observe His life you will realise that:

1. His life was ever imbued with devotion to duty.

2. His life was lived only for the other.

3. His life was hued with the tones of yagya or selfless deeds performed as an offering to the Lord.

4. He constantly used His wealth of divine qualities for others.

Watch the beauty of Lord Ram!

1. Compassion flowed forth from Him.

2. He was the image of forgiveness.

3. He assuaged the sorrows of others.

4. He was the embodiment of love.

5. He was the law maker and the judge as well.

6. He was the egoless servitor of all.

7. He was the Supreme Giver who retained no claims over anyone.

8. He was devoid of hatred.

9. He was the epitome of friendship even towards His enemies.

Tatva gyan arth darshan (तत्त्व ज्ञान अर्थ दर्शन) – Constantly dwelling on the connotation of Truth contained in spiritual knowledge.

The nature of Lord Ram as described above is verily Adhyatam. Witnessing those qualities that bespeak of the Supreme is in reality witnessing the essence of Truth as contained in spiritual knowledge. The essence of Lord Ram can be witnessed in His divine qualities, in His divine nature, in His divine life.

Understand the meaning of tatva gyan arth darshan once again.

a) To witness the Lord’s qualities is to witness the Lord Himself.

b) To protect divine qualities is to protect divinity.

c) To imbue one’s life with the Lord’s qualities is the greatest glorification of the Lord.

d) To understand divine qualities is to understand the Lord Himself.

e) You can experience divine qualities most vividly when they flow through you.

f) When such qualities flow through you, you can witness and experience the Lord personally.

The spiritual aspirant should engage himself in the service of those in whom these divine qualities inhere; he should try to imbibe those same qualities in his own practical life as well.

If the qualities of the Manifest Lord flow through you, you will gradually be able to know the Unmanifest Brahm also and ultimately merge in Him.

1. Tatva gyan arth darshan means to witness the Manifest Brahm with all His qualities.

2. Tatva gyan darshan is to witness the Atma in all beings.

3. To perceive all as Vaasudeva Himself is tatva gyan darshan.

Little one, the Lord says, in order to understand Adhyatam, it is essential to witness the qualities that bespeak of Adhyatam and to make every effort to imbibe those qualities in life. This is the only knowledge – all else is ignorance. If we progress further, we will understand that this is the only knowledge worthy of being known and attained.

1. Knowledge that establishes one in the state of an Atmavaan;

2. Knowledge that annihilates the intellect which is subservient to the body;

3. Knowledge that unites one with the Atma;

4. Knowledge that makes one divine;

5. Knowledge that establishes one in one’s essential Self;

– only this is knowledge, all else is ignorance.

If you must do something in your life, do the following:

a) Make every endeavour to annihilate illusion.

b) Make every effort to eliminate the illusory ego.

c) Make all efforts to eradicate ignorance through knowledge.

d) Cease identification with the body and establish yourself in your true Self.

This is all that is worthy of being known; all else will augment ignorance and will be the cause of further ignorance. When the individual establishes himself in Adhyatam and witnesses the Truth contained in knowledge, he perceives all as the Atma Itself. He realises that naught exists which is not the Atma.

All differences are latent in the attributes of gross Prakriti. In the Self all are one – no differences remain.