Shloka
ततः श्रुतिस्तन्मननं सतत्त्व -
ध्यानं चिरं नित्यनिरन्तरं मुनेः ।
ततोऽविकल्पं परमेत्य विद्वा -
निहैव निर्वाणसुखं समृच्छति ॥ ७२ ॥
tataḥ śrutistanmananaṃ satattva -
dhyānaṃ ciraṃ nityanirantaraṃ muneḥ ;
tato’vikalpaṃ parametya vidvā -
nihaiva nirvāṇasukhaṃ samṛcchati . 72 .
Anvaya
- ततःtataḥ
- thereafter
- श्रुतिःśrutiḥ
- listening and understanding the meaning of the scriputure
- तत् मननम्tat mananam
- logically reflecting on it
- सतत्त्व–ध्यानंsatattva–dhyānaṃ
- meditating on the nature of the Self
- चिरंciraṃ
- for a long time
- नित्य–निरन्तरंnitya–nirantaraṃ
- always in an unbroken manner
- मुनेःmuneḥ
- for the seeker
- अविकल्पंavikalpaṃ
- devoid of difference
- परम्param
- the Supreme
- एत्यetya
- having attained
- विद्वान्vidvān
- the wise one
- इह एवiha eva
- here itself (while being alive)
- निर्वाण–सुखंnirvāṇa–sukhaṃ
- the bliss of liberation
- समृच्छतिsamṛcchati
- attains
Translation
Thereafter the seeker has to listen and understand the scripture (śravaṇam), reflect on it logically (mananam) and meditate on the nature of the Self for a long time in an uninterrupted manner. Thereafter the seeker enjoys the bliss of liberation here itself, having attained the Supreme, devoid of any difference.
Annotation
The three–tier practice mentioned here is an established norm in Vedanta. The first step is to understand the meaning of sentences like ‘you are that’, ‘I am Brahman’ etc. The second step is to logically validate and get all the doubts cleared. The third step is to continuously meditate on it so that it is effectively internalised. The seeker is called a Muni, a person who reflects. Avikalpam param: Brahman is called param, the Supreme. It is avikalpam, pure consciousness devoid of any subject–object relationship (the knower–known relationship). The seeker remains as pure consciousness.