Chapter 13 of Siva Gita Original source of this document: Translation of this scripture, by Dr. P.K. Sundaram, published by “THE CENTENARIAN TRUST, Chennai, India”. The front cover of the book is shown below.

Motivation: The Siva Gita forms part of Padma Purana (attributed to the authorship of Shri Veda Vyasa). The context of this Siva Gita is set around the time when Devi Sita was abducted by Ravana and Shri Rama was immersed in deep sorrow (Chapter 1). Shri Agastya appears to Rama at this juncture and lifts his sprits by instructing him on the path that leads to the complete cessation of all kinds of suffering. Shri Rama thus initiated into the Pasupata vow after having underwent intense Tapas, obtains direct vision of Lord Siva (chapter 4). Following which, a sublime conversation ensues between Lord Siva and Shri Rama, with the subject matter being essentially Advaita Vedanta. The chapter 13 titled “Yoga of Release” forms a very important chapter in this Gita, which contains a total of 16 chapters. The Lord Himself declares at the end of Chapter 13, that “...One who studies this chapter daily or hears it, he is liberated from bondage to the body effortlessly...” This emphatic declaration or rather assurance of the Lord, is my primary motivation to make available this chapter 13 of Siva Gita, in an e-book format. For this endeavor I have resorted to unashamedly re-producing the inspiring & excellent translation by Dr. P.K. Sundaram of the “THE CENTENARIAN TRUST”.

The pictures that you see in this document were found from Google image search; they do not form a part of the original work by Dr. Sundaram. I have also included some notes after certain verses, which are based on the views of several savants from the past and perhaps future as well. Before we get started with the Chapter 13 “Yoga of Release”, I would like to borrow a quote from Thomas. A. Kempis “Let not the authority of the writer offend thee, whether he be of great or small learning; but let the love of pure truth draw thee to read. (The Imitation of Christ V.1.)"

Chapter 13: Yoga of Release

Suta Uvacha 1) Having listened thus Rama, the foremost among the discerning people highly pleased, asked the Beloved of Parvati, about the nature of release which is auspiciousness Sri Rama Uvacha

2) O Lord of the Universe! Almighty, whose heart is filled with compassion! Be pleased with me. Tell me the essential nature of release (Mukthi:)

Shri Bhagavan Uvacha 3) O Rama. Know release to be of five kinds (i) Salokya (to live in the world of the Lord) (ii) Sarupya (to obtain same form as the Lord) (iii) Samipya (to be in close proximity) (iv) Sayujya (to be united) (v) Kaivalya (total release). 4) One who worships Me always without personal desires, though not yet possessed of true knowledge, attains My world and enjoys all pleasures according to his desires. - this is Salokya. 5) But one, who worships Me without any personal desires but knowing Me fully, attains a form equal to Mine and exists gloriously in My world

- this is Sarupya 6)-7) But one who performs the rituals ordained by the scripture, renders social service with the aim of winning My grace, whatever he does, whichever he eats, whatever he offers as oblation, whatever he gives as gifts, whatever penance he observes, one who does all this as offering unto Me, he, commanding glory equal to Mine, enjoys all felicity in My world" - Sayujya. But this felicity does not include creatorship. 8) One who is endowed with calm mind, etc, sees Me as being his very Self, he remains as Brahman merely (without any difference), one without a second and of the nature of transcendental light. Hence to remain in one's own nature (as Brahman) is called Mukthi - calm mind etc = Sadhana Chathusya - Four fold qualifications : - 1) Viveka, 2)calmness of mind, control of senses, renunciation of sense of I/mine, endurance, Shraddha, tranquility; 3) Vairagya towards all delights both here and hereafter; 4) An intense longing for release. 9) Brahman is sheer Existence, Consciousness, Infinitude and Bliss; it’s devoid of any attributes and inaccessible to mind and speech. - existence etc are said to be the essential definition of that which is beyond definition= swarupa lakshana, as distinguished from accidental definition (tatastha lakshana) of Brahman like creatorship etc. 10) Nonduality of Brahman is meant to convey the impossibility of difference of the members of the same class or difference of the divergent classes (in Brahman) as apart from it.

11) O Rama! Reflecting on that which is said to be pure form of Mine (as thine own Self you will attain Brahman hood). In Me alone are seeing all forms of the world consisting of the unmoving and the moving. - Brahman is the substratum (Adhistana) of Maya 12) Just as the cloud city is seen in the skies but has no reality, similarly all this universe is falsely presented in Me, through the beginning-less ignorance (avidya) 13) When the nescience perishes by the knowledge of My essential nature, then I along remain as one and beyond speech and mind. 14) I (Brahman) am always Existence, supreme Bliss, self-luminosity and of the nature of Consciousness. Then is no time, nor the five elements, no quarters, nor intermediary directions. - when ignorance vanishes this state of being manifests itself 15) There is nothing that remains other than Myself. That I am alone. - For one who has true knowledge even while living in the body, the world illusion persists momentarily due to prarabhda karma. But the wise ones are not affected in a least bit by the illusion, analogous to how the child once he realizes the nature of the blue sky, no longer treats it to be a real artifact, despite the persistence of the blue color. The wise man is no longer subjected to suffering or any kind. 16) My natural form is not there for one to see it clearly. No one sees Me with his eyes. But those who perceive Me illumined by the mind and by the wisdom of the heart, they become immortal. - When through stable and refined practice of meditation and or vichara, the final intuition of one's non dual self dawns (Akandakara vritti), the mind assumes the form of the final intuitive thought. Its dubbed as "final", due to the fact that mind itself dissolves into nothingness or in other words only Brahman alone abides (non dual).

Shri Rama Uvacha 17) How does the sacred knowledge about you arise for the mortal? Tell me the means in that matter if there is grace in your towards me Shri Bhagavan Uvacha

18)-19) Abandoning attachment towards all beings, even beginning from the world of Brahma and developing detachment towards everybody, including one's children, friends, etc. With faithful interest in the scripture that teaches release, with longing for the Vedanta wisdom, with gifts like samit in hand one should approach the preceptor who has realized the truth. 20) Pleasing the preceptor by service etc, for a long time with the mind fully in control, listen with intense concentration to the purport of the texts of all the Upanishads 21) The ascertainment of the inner purport of all the upanishadic texts, according to all the men of Upanishadic wisdom, is known as "Shravanam" 22) The wise ones say that Manana on the Mahavaakyas, is only the reasoning support to the learnt purport of the texts. 23) Being devoid of the sense of I and mine, equanimous, detached and always possessed of peace etc., the wise one sees the Self in the self. 24) The constant contemplation (of oneself as the Supreme Self) is said to be nididhyAsana.

25) Since the direct intuition of one's self as the Supreme Self depends on the exhaustion of all past deeds, it may arise quickly in some cases and delayed in the others. 26) The deeds that have not started producing their results, though they have been accumulating for millions of birth, perish only by true knowledge but not by any number of actions 27) When after realization one happens to incur whatever sin, does whatever meritorious deeds, great or small, he is not affected by such - this implies the realized one, is not Himself or Herself willingly does an action with vested interests, but is simple exhausting his or her prarabhda without the least bit of attachment. For one who's center of consciousness is Brahman or Atman, how can there be any motivation for sin or merit? (which can only happen in minds enmeshed within the realm of the three Gunas?) 28) The prarabhda, which has produced the current embodiment for even those wise men who are born due to their past deeds, is exhausted only by undergoing the results. It, indeed, is not destroyed instantly by true knowledge. - The result of past actions or Prarabhda is like the arrow already shot from a bow; its effects will come to pass in time and space. But the Knower of Atman dwells in the bliss of His or Her own Self, so the misery in life will have ceased with True Knowledge but not the bodily existence, which might last a little more while. Since the bodily existence (apparent to the eyes to the rest of the world), is in time and space, it will obey its laws. 29) One who without delusion and conceit, detachment and dispassion, sees himself in all beings and with all beings in oneself, is called Jivan Muktha. 30) Just as the skin of the snake strikes fear while still on it (it = snake), but is not an object of fear after the snake has cast it out, similar is the case of the released person. - he is fearless, since he knows this Maya as it truly is, i.e. verily Brahman. 31) When all vasanas in a person are controlled and sublimated, then the mortal person becomes immortal. This much is the instruction. 32) Mukthi does not have any place as its destination. There is nothing in Mukthi, like going from one place to another. Release is known as the destruction of the knots of the heart caused by Ignorance. - knots because they bind, they limit. Hence the state wherein the heart, Mind is unbound and fearless is referred to as Mukthi or Freedom. - True knowledge does not require special places like Satya Loka etc...it only requires qualities like Vichara, Viveka, Vairagya, Bhakthi, etc...

33) The foot that slips from the brink of the tree falls there itself to the ground. Likewise, release takes place to one who possesses doubtless knowledge, that very instant. - Destruction of ignorance is verily the moment of liberation or knowledge, in other words there is not gap in time, space between the absence of ignorance and dawn of knowledge - analogy is like destruction of darkness with entrance of light. Darkness = absence of light 34) Whether in a holy place or at home of an untouchable, the already liberated man losing body consciousness on death is instantly liberated, only through knowledge - here knowledge = knowledge of Self in self. - Maya's two powers - 1) clouding/covering the truth and 2) projecting an illusion. - First power is overcome by the Jivan Muktha with which he overcomes suffering in totality - The second power is overcome at death ("no more blue sky") 35) Clothed in any manner, eating that which is eatable or that which is not eatable, sleeping in any place, the individual who has seen his Self (as one) everything is released 36) The butter churned from milk cant become milk again, when put in it. Similarly the wise man does not lose his spiritual wisdom, when he comes in contact with worldly life.

- cant mistake the same rope for the snake, again...

37) O Rama! One who studies this chapter daily or hears it, he is liberated from bondage to the body effortlessly, O, Raghava 38) O ruler of the earth! If you want to remove any doubt in your mind, read this chapter daily. You will get release by that alone in every way effortlessly. Thus ends the 13th chapter called Yoga of Release, as a dialogue between Lord Siva and Shri Rama in the Siva - Gita, which is an Upanishad, Brahmavidya, and Yoga Sastra, occurring in the later part of Sri Padmapurana.