Resources

Gurupoornima Retreat Sessions by Poojya Swamiji on Vivekachoodamani

Adi Shankaracharya paints a picture of a seeker who approaches a Knower of Truth and confesses his grief and torment caused by worldliness. He seeks to understand what bondage is and how it comes about and how to attain liberation.

Through the Shlokas, Swamiji conveys that oratorial excellence, and intelligent interpretation of scriptures are of no consequence. They are just means of seeking enjoyment, not liberation. As long as the message of the scriptures is not understood and realized, the scriptures are of no use to a seeker.

What is liberation? It is a state of freedom, peace, and fullness. To attain liberation, one must have intense dispassion towards all ephemeral objects, including one’s own body. One should cultivate calmness, sensory control, moderation, and forbearance. One must, importantly, renounce all acclaimed conventional activities (secular and religious) which are said to be great embellishments in one’s life.

A human has five powerful sense organs which constantly lead him astray. If a seeker is an aspirant of liberation, he must abandon sensory objects and cultivate noble qualities like contentment, compassion, tolerance, straightforwardness, quietude, and sensory restraint.

Tamo Guna is very powerful and covers up the Truth. Even if a person is scholarly, dexterous, and intelligent, he is unable to understand the Truth because of Tamo Guna. By virtue of delusion, he resorts to evil acts. But, when Rajo guna and Tamo Guna are overcome and Sattva guna is predominant, one attains placidity of the mind, experience of the Self, peace, contentment, and wholesome abidance in the Supreme Truth.

Shlokas Chanted in the Session:
5:17 - मा भैष्ट विद्वंस्तव नास्त्यपायः...Vivekachudamani 43
9:58 - को नाम बन्धः कथमेष आगतः कथं..Vivekachudamani 49
18:28 - वाग्वैखरी शब्दझरी शास्त्रव्याख्यानकौशलम्…Vivekachudamani 58
24:44 - अविज्ञाते परे तत्त्वे शास्त्राधीतिस्तु निष्फला …Vivekachudamani 59
29:49 - मोक्षस्य हेतुः प्रथमो निगद्यते…Vivekachudamani 69
37:00 - मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः..Bhagavad Gita 2.14
46:53 - शब्दादिभिः पञ्चभिरेव पञ्च…Vivekachudamani 76
55:59 - मोक्षस्य कांक्षा यदि वै तवास्ति…Vivekachudamani 82
1:07:49 - प्रज्ञावानपि पण्डितोऽपि चतुरोऽप्यत्यन्तसूक्ष्मात्मदृग्…Vivekachudamani 114
1:19:21 - विशुद्धसत्त्वस्य गुणाः प्रसादः…Vivekachudamani 119

Website: www.bhoomananda.org/
Email: services@bhoomananda.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/narayanashrama.tapovanam/
Pinterest: in.pinterest.com/bhoomanandafoundation/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bhoomanandafoundation/
Tumblr: www.tumblr.com/swamibhoomanandatirtha
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/bhoomananda-foundation/recent-activity/all/
Publications: vedanticwisdom.com/shop/ (Email: bookstore@vedanticwisdom.com)
Whatsapp: +91 8547960362
Subscribe to our newsletter: www.bhoomananda.org/#freeeservices-form

About us:
Narayanashrama Tapovanam, an Ashram located in Thrissur, Kerala, embodies the unique tradition of Guru-shishya Parampara, disseminating Brahmavidya (Science of Self-knowledge) through regular classes, satsangs, and above all, through learning in the association of a realized spiritual master.