I have excerpted the brilliant teaching of Tat Tvam Asi, from the text Tattvabodha, by Pujya Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati. Click the video above.
The text portion he covers is given below.
ननु
साहंकारस्य किंचिज्ज्ञस्य जीवस्य निरहंकारस्य सर्वज्ञस्य ईश्वरस्य तत्त्वमसीति महावाक्यात् कथमभेदबुद्धिः स्यादुभयोः विरुद्धधर्माक्रान्तत्वात्
।
But, how can there be knowledge of non-difference between the
jva, the individual, the one with the limiting I-notion (ego), of limited
knowledge; and Ishvara, the Lord, the one who is devoid of ego, who is
all-knowledge, (come about) by the mahavakya ‘That Thou Art’, because the two
are possessed of contradictory qualities?
इति
चेन्न । स्थूलसूक्ष्मशरीराभिमानी त्वंपदवाच्यार्थः ।
उपाधिविनिर्मुक्तं
समाधिदशासम्पन्नं शुद्धं चैतन्यं
त्वंपदलक्ष्यार्थः
।
It is not so. The immediate meaning of the word ‘thou’ is the one
identified with the gross and subtle bodies. The target meaning of the word ‘thou’
is pure consciousness, the one free from the limiting adjunct (costume), the
one who obtains in a state of samadhi (in which no object is seen).
एवं
सर्वज्ञत्वादिविशिष्ट ईश्वरः तत्पदवाच्यार्थः ।
Similarly, the immediate meaning of the word ‘that’ is the Lord,
the one endowed with (attributes like) all knowership etc.
उपाधिशून्यं
शुद्धचैतन्यं तत्पदलक्ष्यार्थः ।
The target meaning of the word ‘That’ is pure consciousness, free
from the limiting adjuncts (costume).
एवं
च जीवेश्वरयो चैतन्यरूपेणाऽभेदे बाधकाभावः ।
Thus, between the jiva, the individual, and Ishvara, the Lord,
because there is no difference in the form of consciousness, there is no
difference.
एवं
च वेदान्तवाक्यैः सद्गुरूपदेशेन च सर्वेष्वपिभूतेषु येषां
ब्रह्मबुद्धिरुत्पन्ना ते
जीवन्मुक्ताः इत्यर्थः ।
And in this manner, those for whom the vision of Brahman in all
beings is born through the sentences of Vedanta, by the teaching of a Guru,
they are jivanmuktas, liberated while living.
ननु
जीवन्मुक्तः कः ?
Then who is a jivanmukta?
यथा
देहोऽहं पुरुषोऽहं ब्राह्मणोऽहं शूद्रोऽहमस्मीति दृढनिश्चयस्तथा
नाहं ब्राह्मणः न शूद्रः न
पुरुषः
किन्तु
असंगः सच्चिदानन्द स्वरूपः प्रकाशरूपः सर्वान्तर्यामी चिदाकाशरूपोऽस्मीति
दृढनिश्चय
रूपोऽपरोक्षज्ञानवान्
जीवन्मुक्तः ॥ब्रह्मैवाहमस्मीत्यपरोक्षज्ञानेन
निखिलकर्मबन्धविनिर्मुक्तः
स्यात्
।
Just as how (generally before knowledge of the self one has ) the
firm conclusion ‘I am the body, I am a man, I am a brahmana, I am a sudra etc,’
so too, the one who has clear knowledge, I am , ‘I am not a brahmana, nor a
shudra, nor a man, but I am unattched, of the nature of existence,
consciousness, fullness, effulgent, one who is abiding in all beings, of the
form of consciousness (limitless like space)’ is a jivanmukta, a man of firm,
abiding, immediate knowledge (knowledge not mediated by sensory perception).
