Tadviddi Pranipatena

By: C. S. Dinesh

Nanasaheb Chandorkar was standing near Baba while Baba was having interactions with fellow devotees (but as per Shri Sai Satcharita, Nana was massaging Baba’s legs). As the topic was not of much interest to Nana, he started murmuring Gita slok.

Baba was alert and asked Nana what is it you are murmuring?

Nana said, “I am chanting Gita slok.” Baba asked which slok and from which Chapter. Nana said, “Baba, it is slok 34 from the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.” Baba then told Nana, whenever you chant any slok always chant loudly so that others also can listen and are benefitted thereby. Nana agreed to Baba’s advice and said, Baba, this is the slok:

“Tadviddi pranipaatena, Pariprashnena sevaya, Upadekshyanti Te Gnyanam, Gnyananinastattwa darshinah”

Baba said, “OK. But chant aloud”, and Nana chanted clearly to make others hear what is being chanted. Now Baba asked Nana for the meaning of the slok he just recited. Nana then begins to give the meaning of the entire slok comprehensively. Nana says – Baba it is said, when we have any doubt or queries, we should approach a learned pandit who has attained real knowledge, do sashtanga namaskar to him, do seva to him like we do seva to a gyani. Then for the question posed or doubt raised to the gyani, he will give the requisite gyan or impart knowledge.

Then Baba said, “You have understood the verse properly, but I do not want a consolidated meaning of the slok.
Baba asked Nana to give word-by-word meanings of the slok and explain completely. Nana then elaborated by saying: – “Go to a learned person, prostrate before him with love and respect in heart, and do service to him and that learned person will give you the knowledge and provide you the essence of the true GYAN.

Not being satisfied, Baba questioned Nana, “What is Pranipaatena?” Nana said, “it is doing Sashtang Namaskaar”.

Baba asked Nana, “What does Prashnena mean?” Nana said – it is to question.

Baba again asked Nana- what is meant by Pari Prashnena? Nana said – that also meant questioning!

Baba then asked Nana- if both prashnena and pari prashnena meant mere questioning, what purpose does the word Pari serve? Nana said, “I am not aware.”

Baba then provided clarity by saying, it is to question again and again till you get a clear answer and with no doubt remaining but do not dare with the intent or improper motive to trap the Guru. In other words, seeking an answer from the Guru without showcasing any pride and with an attitude of surrender.

Baba then asked – what do you mean by Sevaya? Nana said – it is to serve the Guru to please Him.

Baba clarified further and said- it is not for doing any favor to Guru but If you understand what is taught by Guru and you put that into practice, that is seva for your Guru. It has to be done In a very humble manner. Then the Guru will give you GYAN.

Nana then said, “Now I have completely understood the deeper purport of the Slok.”

Baba again posed a question to Nana. In the third line can you put ‘Aa’ before the word GYAN and see what meaning comes out?

Now Nana gets irritated and says – in none of the commentaries there is anything like this. In that case, why should we add ‘Aa’? It is wrong as even Anandgiri has not mentioned anything like this. Nor in Shankar Bhashya this kind of usage is seen. Thus, Agyan has no place in this slok. I am not clear as to how this could be done.,

Baba said, if it has not been done before by Vedic scholars, will there be any problem for those scholars when you change now? Nana said – “no, but I did not think in this line and do not know what meaning it would convey.”

Baba asked Nana to replace Gyan with Agyan and analyze the verse in this pattern.

In the Sai Satcharitra, the topic ends and has not been elaborated as to why Baba asked Nana to replace Gyan with Agyan and what he meant.

Why did Baba tell Nana to put the word Agyan in place of GYAN? When GYAN is replaced by Agyan in the slok, let us see how it provides deeper meaning as per our scriptures. Sanskrit is such a language that word-to-word translation will not serve any purpose to understand reality and what we should do is to seek help from a learned person to derive the actual meaning. When Baba says, put ‘Aa’, he means something more than the literal meaning.

Let us see a few illustrations of how Baba puts a task before Nana so that when a personality in the form of Baba brings this up Nana can dive deep into what Baba wants Nana to learn in reality from this quiz.

Baba was teaching humility to a student before he goes to a learned person to know the essence of knowledge. He should go to a truly learned person who is an enlightened one and there he should be humble in approaching him. He should not have any doubt about the Guru and the depth of his knowledge. While questioning he should be sincere with a desire to learn and not to test the Guru’s ability. He should not hesitate to ask questions repeatedly till such a time he has gained the desired knowledge and without leaving any iota of doubt.

Coming to GYAN and Agyan let us see what way our scriptures interpret. In Gita, in the seventh chapter, 2nd verse – Lord Krishna differentiates between the words Gyan and Vignan. While Gyan is meant for Atma GYAN, Agyan is meant for worldly knowledge. In the Fourth verse, there is a mention of 3 elements of material energy namely – mind, intellect, and ego. There is also mention of the Pancha Bhootaas namely – Earth, Fire, Water, Air, and Sky. These eight elements in total comprise APARA PRAKRUTI and knowledge of this is Gyan.

The fifth verse elaborates on Chetana Shakti and understanding of which is VIGYAN. That Chetana is Paramatma controlling every aspect of this universe which is also known as Para Prakruti.

In the thirteenth chapter also, there is a mention of GYAN and Agyan. In verse 12, lord says, “Arjuna you look into Adhyathmic GYAN which only can lead you to the path of liberation while all other understandings of the materialistic world are called as Agyan.

In Isovasya Upanishad, Vidya and Avidya are mentioned and stand for GYAN and AGYAN respectively. While Vidya is spiritual knowledge concerning introvert inquiry (about the inner self), Avidya is knowledge of materialistic matters or extrovert information.

As said in slok, many people go to mahatma/learned gyanis not to gain Vidya or GYAN but only for materialistic problems/desires which is Agyan or Avidya. That is why Baba always said – “Everybody comes to me for materialistic problems, and I help them”.

So Baba has said, when you need something or want to understand something correctly by clearing any doubt, go to a Guru and serve him wholeheartedly and ask him questions over and over again but with an intent to learn.

So Baba’s asking Nana to replace ‘Aa’ before the word Gyan, is to affirm that mahatma is there to help you with materialistic needs.

When Baba suggests UPEDEKSHYANTI TE AGYANAM – it does not mean that Guru gives ignorance or illiteracy.

Baba by creating confusion in Nana’s mind had cleared him from several doubts that made Nana realize that he should not take pride in considering himself a scholar just by chanting Gita occasionally. Nana had originally concluded in his mind that Baba was not learned, He did not know Sanskrit, and above all, Baba did not know Gita. So by posing a question to Nana Baba pricked the bubble of his ego. So only after dropping the ego, he should approach a mahatma to clear such doubts. Baba also reassures that though millions come to him for worldly needs Baba fulfills their desires and develops Shraddha which is the first step for Saburi, a path to liberation. The path of liberation does not have any short cut and one should drop ego or doer ship and leave everything to Sadguru.