Vritti Janya Jnanam (Awareness of the Self Generated by Action)

This morning one of the inmates of the Ashram, Sri Sundareswara Iyer, sat near Bhagavan’s sofa, book in hand, waiting and watching Bhagavan’s face for a favourable sign, then quietly asked, “In this book it is written in one place ‘mano vritti jnanam’.

This morning one of the inmates of the Ashram, Sri Sundareswara Iyer, sat near Bhagavan’s sofa, book in hand, waiting and watching Bhagavan’s face for a favourable

sign, then quietly asked, “In this book it is written in one place ‘mano vritti jnanam’. What is the meaning of mano vritti jnanam?”

“It means that the Self (atma) cannot be realized at all unless there is mental action (mano vritti). They say, ‘We must know the Self, we should know the Self; and we have known the Self ’. How do they know it? Let us agree that we are in existence. Even so, is it not necessary that there should be some action (vritti), to know that? Hence, the action of the mind which is turned within is called Knowledge (vijnana) and that which is turned without is called Ignorance (ajnana). Vijnana is also called mind or chittam. When that vritti is antarmukham (turned inward) it has to be called ‘buddhi’ or ‘aham’. All these put together are known as ‘antahkaranam’. Aham is achalam (steady; immovable). But with the aid of this antahkarana the panchabhutas (the five elements) came into existence. These elements individually and collectively multiplied and the body with its various limbs came into existence. Discarding the present creation, which has come into existence with the support of antahkarana, when the mind becomes antarmukham, vritti janya jnanam (awareness of the Self generated by action) appears. That means, you will know the source of action (vritti). That source, or origin, is called ‘aham sphurana’, or the Self. However, it is only by the mind that that is to be known. That is why it is called mano vritti jnanam. That means it is the mind which is ‘suddha satvam’ (suddha = pure; satvam = the first and the best of the three gunas which are supposed to constitute the external world). It is that which manifests itself in innumerable ways and it is that which remains still, all by itself. You may call it by whatever name you like; any name,” said Bhagavan.

A person who had recently arrived and who had been closely following the conversation, enquired of Bhagavan,

“Swami, is it a fact that a Jnani will not have any prarabhdha except that of pareccha?” “Yes, it is the same thing. The prarabhdhas, ‘iccha (desires), anichha (no desires) and pareccha (desires of other people)’ will be common to Jnanis and ajnanis. Experience also is the same. The difference, however, is that for the Jnani, there will be no feeling that he is doing anything and so there will be no bondage, while the ajnani feels that he is doing everything and so there will be bondage. Mind alone is the cause of bondage and release. The saying,“mana eva manusyanam karanam bandhamokshayoh,”

mn @v mnu:ya[a< kar[< bNxmae]yae> from the Upanishads (‘Mind alone is the cause of bondage and release’) asserts that mind is the cause of everything. For that mind, desires are the form. If the root cause of desire is discovered, there won’t be any bondage. That root is the Self. If one knows one’s Self, whatever desires may come or go, they will not worry one,” said Bhagavan.