Passages from "Avadhutha Gita"

Avadhutha, Etc –Quotes

Having re-solved that I would get back to the blogging practice, with my “akshaya tritiya” piece, the only way not to lose momentum, I thought, was to take a compulsory time off from other routine and sit down and write a few lines, as the thoughts just flow. There is always the option of a “delete” if the piece is not good enough to get into the blog. Here I go therefore seriously, mindful only of the need to write……

The last piece was a collage of thoughts on “grace”. This morning as I chose to write I happened to pick up a book on “Avadhutha Gita”of Dattatreya by one Swamy Ashokananda of Ramakrishna Math. The very first sloka of the first chapter of a total of eight chapters starts with the word “anugraha” or “grace”. I was hooked and I thought today’s topic would be based on this and depending on the mood I would meander into other areas as this has become my favorite pastime and one which is one of those rare things which still gives me some kind of a “good feeling”.

Before I get into Dattatreya, and His Gita, the translation of the first sloka which to my mind is a great quotable piece, I would take this first. This incidentally re-enforces my belief that the word “grace” in Sanskrit is predominantly reserved for “realization” part. The translation goes like this:

"Through the Grace of God alone, the desire for non-duality arises in wise men to save them from great fear".

The commentary of the Swamy on Non-duality and Fear goes like this:

"Non – Duality" - Monistic Consciousness, in which the knower, the knowledge, and knowable – Soul and God- become “one”; highest realization of Divinity.

Fear – The word “fear” includes all such states of mind as insecurity, despair, and grief, all of which arise from a consciousness of oneself as limited and separate from others and which therefore can be dispelled only by realizing oneself as the “All”.

Dattatreya is a Hindu Deity encompassing the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Datta means “given”. He is the son of Atri and Anusuya. Hence the name “Given by Atri” or Dattatreya.

Avadhutha means a liberated soul, one who has “passed away from” or “shaken off” all worldly attachments and cares, and has attained a spiritual state equivalent to the existence of God. Though the word “avadhutha” naturally implies renunciation, it includes an additional and yet higher state which is neither attachment, nor detachment but beyond both.

(I continue to be fascinated by the parallels in Sanskrit for the English word “grace”.)

Avadhutha Gita is a verse of eight chapters breathing the atmosphere of the highest experience of "advaithic, Non dual, Brahmn", believed to be given by Lord Dattatreya to Parashurama.

I feel this should be enough for the day folks, and there should be no further meandering and dilution of the import of this piece.

Love

Vichu