The Story of Sage Ribhu and Disciple Nidagha

Although Ribhu (ऋभु ) taught his disciple the Supreme Truth of the one Absolute Reality without a second, Nidagha (निदाघ), in spite of his erudition and understanding, did not get sufficient conviction to adopt and follow the spiritual Path of Self-knowledge, but settled down in his native town to lead a life devoted to the observance of ceremonial religion (i.e., rituals and sacraments).

But the Sage loved his disciple as deeply as the latter venerated his Master. In spite of his age, Ribhu would himself go to his disciple in the town just to see how far the latter had outgrown his ritualism. At times the Sage went in disguise, so that he might observe how Nidagha would act when he did not know that he was being observed by his Master.

On one such occasion Ribhu, who had put on the disguise of a village rustic, found Nidagha intently watching a royal procession. Unrecognized by the town dweller Nidagha, the village rustic enquired what the bustle was all about, and was told that the king was going in procession.

“Oh! It is the king. He goes in procession! But where is he?” asked the rustic.

“There, on the elephant,” said Nidagha.

“You say the king is on the elephant. Yes, I see the two,” said the rustic, “but which is the king and which is the elephant?”

“What!” exclaimed Nidagha. “You see the two, but do not know that the man above is the king, and the animal below is the elephant? Where is the use of talking to a man like you?”

“Pray, be not impatient with an ignorant man like me,” begged the rustic. “But you said ‘above’ and ‘below,’ what do they mean?”

Nidagha could stand it no more. “You see the king and the elephant, the one above and the other below. Yet you want to know what is meant by ‘above’ and ‘below’?” burst out Nidagha. “If things seen and words spoken can convey so little to you, action alone can teach you. Bend forward, and you will know it all too well.”

The rustic did as he was told. Nidagha got on his shoulders and said, “Know it now. I am above as the king, you are below as the elephant. Is that clear enough?”

“No, not yet,” was the rustic’s quiet reply. You say you are above like the king, and I am below like the elephant. The ‘king,’ the ‘elephant,’ ‘above’ and ‘below,’ so far it is clear. But pray, tell me what you mean by I and You?”

When Nidagha was thus confronted all of a sudden with the mighty problem of defining the ‘you’ apart from the ‘I,’ light dawned on his mind. At once he jumped down and fell at his Master’s feet saying: “Who else but my venerable Master, Ribhu, could have thus drawn my mind from duality and the superficialities of physical existence to the true Being of the Self? Oh! Benign Master, I crave thy blessings.”

Ribhu Gita

THE ESSENCE OF RIBHU GITA

Benedictory verses

To Siva

1.   Salutations to the Supreme Lord Siva, the pure Awareness in the sky of consciousness in the Heart, by meditation on whom, Ganesa, Guha, Mother-Sakti who is the embodiment of Siva’s Grace, and myriads of Devas, saints and devotees have attained their cherished goals.

To Nataraja

2.     From the sky of consciousness of the Heart springs forth the dancer Nataraja with his blissful consort Freedom, to the delectation of his devotees who are thus liberated forever. Unto that Ananda Natesa do we render our devout salutations.

To Ardhanareeswara

3.     Unto that Form whose left half is the Mother of all satisfaction and whose right half is the Father of the same, the jingle of the gems enclosed within the hollow golden anklet of whose foot is the source of all scriptures, and whose three eyes (Fire, Sun and Moon) are the illuminants of the universe, to that Form be our devout salutations. May that divine Form ever be our protection.

To Siva, Sakti, Vinayaka and Shankmukha

4.     Salutations to Siva, the Lord of the universe, of infinite power, to Sat-Chit-Ananda-Sakti, the Mother of the universe, to Vinayaka the dispeller of all impediments to freedom, and to Shanmukha the Sat-Guru, who dispenses to his worthy devotees the divine wisdom of Siva-Self leading to salvation.

THE ESSENCE OF RIBHU GITA

The following verses constitute the teachings of Siva to Ribhu, who in turn transmits those teachings to his disciple Nidhaga Rishi. The treatise goes by the name Ribhu Gita.

5.   The universe was neither born, nor maintained, nor dissolved; this is the plain truth. The basic screen of pure Being-Awareness-Stillness devoid of all the moving shadow pictures of name and form of  the universe is the sole, eternal Existence.

6.     Some may argue that this universe of duality (multiple existences) is a factual second reality, clearly seen by the senses operated by the mind. But then, are the senses anything apart from the mind? Can they function without the support of the mind in which they are embedded? What is this mind except a bundle of thoughts? What are thoughts except evanescent ripples in the still, limitless ocean of pure Being-Awareness-Self, which is the sole Existence without a second?

Benedictory Verses

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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The following verses contain the declarations of the disciple Nidaga before his teacher Ribhu, expressing the spiritual achievements secured by him by the grace of his teacher, and expressions of his gratitude to his teacher, Ribhu.

• To that Satguru who is the core of my Self, who destroyed my nescience by the gift of Awareness-Self, to that embodiment of Self-knowledge, do I offer these salutations.
• Salutations to the Satguru who is the embodiment of undisturbed peace, without attributes, eternal purity, all pervasive infinite sky of consciousness and integral perfection.
• In reply to the words of Nidagha, Ribhu replies thus: O my son! You are now no doubt firmly settled in the bliss of Brahman Self, having been freed from all illusion and nescience. All the same, as abundant precaution, until you attain videha mukti you must assiduously practise continued abidance in the Self.
• Aspirants of Self-knowledge will find their success accelerated by practical bodily worship of Shiva. Living in a Shiva kshetra they should offer worship to Shiva maha lingam, wearing the sacred vibhuti and rudraksha and repeating the name of Shiva with loving devotion.

Benedictory Verse offering salutations to Siva Self

Salutations to Sat-Chit-Ananda-Siva-Self!

Salutations to that Peace undisturbed, the Self!

Salutations to that integral Perfection, the Self!

Salutations to that Effulgent-Awareness, the Self!

Salutations to that blemish-free Self without attributes!

Salutations to that indivisible Unity, the Self!

Salutations to that pure sky of consciousness, the Self!

Salutations to that supreme integral Existence, the Self!

Hari Aum Tat Sat!

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From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

Nidagha Enlightened (Contd)

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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The following verses contain the declarations of the disciple Nidaga before his teacher Ribhu, expressing the spiritual achievements secured by him by the grace of his teacher, and expressions of his gratitude to his teacher, Ribhu.

• I am ever the eternal, pure, all knowing, free, unshakeable, non-dual, integral Self. This is the firm conviction of the experience of the jivanmukta in the Self.
• That mature jnani who is lost in maha mounam (total stillness) of the pure effulgent Awareness-Brahman-Self, devoid of the least trace of nescience, totally devoid of all consciousness of the body and its three states of waking, dream and sleep, devoid of all distinctions of name and form and devoid of thought of bondage or freedom is a videha mukta.
• Thou hast, O Lord Satguru, taken me across the boundless ocean of samsara in the boat of Self-knowledge. To me, floundering in the misery of the belief that 'I am the body', thou hast taught that 'I am the Brahman Self' and vouchsafed to me the bliss of all embracing Awareness-Being. To thee, I render these devout salutations.
• Salutations to thee, my Lord Satguru! Thou hast destroyed my illusion that I am the body and that the world is apart from me and is real. Thou hast given me the experience of my own Brahman Self. Thou hast destroyed my wrong belief that karma (action) is the road to salvation, and showing that knowledge alone could make one free. Thou hast given me my salvation in the Self.
• To that divine Grace-embodied, to that Omnipresence beyond compare, to that Shiva-Self Satguru, I render devout salutation.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

Nidagha Enlightened (Contd)

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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The following verses contain the declarations of the disciple Nidaga before his teacher Ribhu, expressing the spiritual achievements secured by him by the grace of his teacher, and expressions of his gratitude to his teacher, Ribhu.

• At one stroke I have become the bodies, senses, and souls owning them, the mind, intellect, intuition, ego, the primal nescience and restless commotion of spirit, and in short all that is seen and known.
• That gracious person who gives these teachings is no doubt the embodiment of Lord Parameshwara, His Devi Parvati, Vinayaka and God Shanmukha all rolled into one.
• He is again, Nandikeshwara, dattatreya, dakshinamurti, and in short, the Supreme Lord Shiva Himself.
• After being duly initiated into these teachings by the satguru, the disciple must, as long as life lasts in him, provide his teacher liberally with money, food, clothing and shelter and loving devotion. This is the sine qua non for the disciple's mukti.
• Further, he should adorn his forehead and body with vibhuti (sacred ash) in the prescribed manner, as this use of vibhuti alone will entitle him to Lord Shiva's Grace which removes all impediments to salvation.
• The habitual smearing of the body with vibhuti is called pasupatha vratham (austerity in devotion to Shiva). This practice quickens the attainment of Self-knowledge. O Lord Satguru! By this practice I earned the merit for arriving at thy holy feet which have led me to salvation.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

Nidaga Enlightened

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

................
The following verses contain the declarations of the disciple Nidaga before his teacher Ribhu, expressing the spiritual achievements secured by him by the grace of his teacher, and expressions of his gratitude to his teacher, Ribhu.

• O Lord Sat Guru! By thy grace I have, in a split second, shed all sense of differentiation of Self and non-Self. I have attained the certainty that all is Brahman and I am that Brahman Self, I have become settled in the eternal bliss of Brahman Self.
• I am verily the SatChitAnanda Brahman Self. I am the eternal undisturbed peace devoid of name and form. I am the flawless integral whole of all existence. Firmly I am settled in my sole Brahman Self. 
• I have become Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Mahesha, sadashiva, Parameshwara and his spouse Parvati, Vinayaka, Subrahmanya, cohorts of sides hosts (Shiva ganas) and devotees of Lord Shiva, all rolled into one!
• I am myself the devas and asuras, Indra, the Lord of the eight cardinal directions, the community of sages, the swarm of rakshasas and the denizens of this and all other worlds.
• I have become the five elements, multitudinous worlds scattered in the skies, all existing things and their histories and all the Vedas and all the diversities of name and form.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

Practice Leads to Liberation

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• All yogic practices, all philosophic pursuits, all devotional exercises, and all faiths and beliefs should be abandoned. One should confine oneself to practice of the teachings of this book only. 
• By the sole practice of the teachings of this book, all confusion and ignorance will be destroyed. Firm abidance in the Self will be the positive result. With the fusion of the wisdom and peaceful bliss of the Self, mukti will be attained.
• Only when all sins are washed off by the practice of virtues running through many lives, one gets the rare opportunity of securing this treatise and practising its tenets. By the feet of Lord Shiva we declare that only those whose cycle of births and deaths has come to an end with this life will ever get this treatise in their hands and practise its teachings.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

Steady Abidance in Self: Moksha

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• Only those who contemplate on Lord Siva-Self, the pure supporting screen of all manifestation, gain the pure experience of sahaja nirvikalpa samadhi. Apart from this devotion to Lord Siva (the pure Alert-Awareness-Self) there are no other means leading to liberation.
• The non-dual sole being existing in deep sleep conjures up a world in the dream state. Even so, the shadow world conjured up in the waking state is the work of the power, inherent in one's own Brahman Self. Abiding firmly in the experience of pure Brahman Self, one finds that the mind and all its confabulations are lost forever.
• One should remain firm in the conviction 'I am the Self' and reject all thoughts like 'I am this body' and 'This world is real'. If one maintains this habit unremittingly, this false belief will drop away even as a flower held in the hand slips away when one falls into deep slumber.
• One is solely responsible for one's own liberation or bondage, since the choice of destroying the restless mind or allowing it to roam at large rests with that one only. Therefore, one should conquer the restless mind by steady abidance in the pure thought-free Alert-Awareness-Self only. This steady abidance is moksha.
• You are the sole supreme Godhead, the Self. There is nothing apart from you. This, we declare to the ultimate truth after a complete analysis of all the scriptures. By the holy feet of Siva, we swear this to be the truth beyond all doubt. By the feet of the SatGuru, we swear again that this is the truth declared by the Upanishads.
• All charitable gifts, all pilgrimages to sacred place, all sorts of mantra-japam and worship of diverse Gods must be firmly given up in favor of steady practice of the teachings of this book only.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

No World Apart From Mind

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• No world exists during the absence of the mind, and there is no mind apart from my awareness. So, mind and world are nothing apart from the Self, and I am ever that sole Existence-Awareness-Brahman-Self. The wise one should abolish all thought of differentiation of self and non-Self.
• I see neither mind nor world during my sleep. In my dream there is mind with its creation, the dream world. The dream world is falsified in my waking state. But I-Self exist always. Arguing thus, one must give up all differentiation of self and non-Self and ever abide firmly as the thought-free alert Awareness-Self-Brahman.
• All diversities of world, mind, maya, wakefulness, dream, sleep, talk of you and me are evanescent, and yet not apart from the Self. Thus wise one should give up all the thought of Self and non-Self and abide as Self only.
• In dim light the illusion of a serpent is seen in a rope, and this serpent is nothing but the rope. Even so all illusion of non-Self exists in the Self only. Thus wise one should give up all the thought of Self and non-Self and ever abide firmly in the peace of the Self.
• In the wisdom of integral experience, I am the non-dual, transcendental, motionless, peaceful, bondage-freedom-notion-free sky of pure consciousness only. With this experience one should reject all differentiation of Self and non-Self and ever abide firmly in the peace of Brahman-Self.
• One should give up all hatha yogic practices like breath control, all religious dogmas and their diverse sadhanas and be ever satisfied in simple abidance as the Self only.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

World, A Dream

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• One should ever abide as pure Shiva-Self by the firm experience that there are no thought forms of creature, world and creature apart from the mind which is just an array of ripples in me, the still ocean of pure Awareness-Self, and therefore I am the sole Being Shiva Self only.
• Even as the world seen in my dream is not apart from me but only my creation, even so, the world of the waking state is only a creation made by me and seen by me in the medium of my pure Awareness Self. In this experience one should firmly abide.
• The rock-firm conviction of 'I am the Self' is the sure mark of firm abidance in the Self. Abidance in that conviction under all conditions is, true divine worship, meditation on God, incantation of mantras, practice of right conduct in life, contemplation, integral yoga, wisdom of the Self and moksha as well.
• Whatever appears as maya, creator, creature, mind, world, names and forms are the pure Brahman Self only and not apart from that Self.
• Steady abidance in the rock firm conviction born of the experience of 'I am the Self', is the greatest yoga, total dissolution of the mind, true renunciation, true wisdom, and jivan mukti as well.
• Whatever names and forms are seen by me in my dream are not anything apart from me. Even so, this world seen by my in my waking state is not anything apart from me, the Awareness-Self that I am. The wise one should give up all differentiation of Self and non-Self, and abide as pure Self only.
• If this world of the waking state is not evanescent in nature, whatever is seen in the waking state must be seen during sleep also. Since I as pure Self exist alone and always, there is no room for thought of non-Self-world. I-Self-Brahman is the sole Existence.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

Earnest and Persistent Enquiry: Way to Mind Control

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• Only by those strong willed persons who make earnest and persistent Self-enquiry will the turbulent mind be controlled and fixed still in the practice of firm bhavana. In due course all thoughts and nescience will disappear, yielding place to the effulgent Awareness-Self of mukti.
• One should relentlessly pursue Self-enquiry until all conceptual forms of creature, world and creator merge and disappear in the pure thought-free, alert Awareness-Self, enabling one to abide in that bhavana of the experience 'I am the Brahman-Self'.
• It is only the mind which appear as the world and bondage; there is no world other than the mind. On enquiry this mind turns out to be nothing more than a group of ripples (thoughts) in the still ocean of pure Awareness-Shiva-Self. I am that Shiva-Self only and there is nothing apart from me, one should ever abide in the conviction born of this experience.
• There is no world apart from the mind. What appears as the world is only the mind. If this mind is investigated, it turns out to be nothing more than a bundle of thoughts based on the primary thought of 'I am the body' called the ego. If this ego - "I" is enquired into and its identity searched, it gets swallowed up without a trace in the pure Awareness-Being-Shiva-Self. One should maintain this firm bhavana 'I am Self-Shiva' until that state of being the Shiva-Self - becomes the spontaneous experience free from the effort of bhavana.
• In me, the pure Awareness-Self, the universe is born, maintained and dissolved as the mind. Therefore, there are no mind and thought forms of objects apart from me the Self. In this firm experience one should ever abide.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

Non-Enquiry: The Greatest Enemy

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• By the persistent and continued bhavana of 'I am the Brahman Self', all thoughts and feelings of differentiation of Self and non-Self will drop off and permanent abidance in Brahman Self will be achieved. This bhavana is possible only for those with a keen inquiring mind intent on knowing the Self and not for these who are indifferent about Self-knowledge.
• Ignorance and indifference in regard to the enquiry of the truth about one self is the store of nescience and trouble, blocking the view of the Self, and creating in a split second all sorts of illusions and harassment of mental worry. Non-enquiry renders bhavana impossible.
• In short, non-enquiry will steep one forever in the ocean of samsara (earthly suffering). There is no greater enemy for one than non-enquiry. Therefore, this habit must be overcome in order to fix the mind in the bhavana which leads to abidance in the Self.
• Enquiry should be made this wise: With the kind help of the Satguru one should enquire 'Who am I? what is this world? what is the reality behind all these?'
• Staying in the company of sadhus (those engaged in the pursuit and enjoyment of the bliss of the Sat Self) and respectfully questioning the Sat Guru Jnani, one should first make oneself clear about the objective to be obtained. This is an important aspect of the enquiry. After thus making sure of the objective, one must firmly abide in that objective of sole Brahman-Self until the Self is unmistakably experienced.
• The conscious introspective concentration of Self enquiry (who am I?) kills all thoughts and destroys the dense darkness of nescience; it effaces all worry; it illuminates the intellect with the radiance of pure awareness; it wipes out all conceptual confusions; it fixes one in Siva-Self; it transforms a host of impending disasters into auspicious events; and lastly, it destroys the ego-mind utterly with all its afflictions.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

The Fundamental Truth

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• Why waste words? This is the truth in a nutshell. Only those who have earned the Grace of Lord Shiva by long devotional worship will get the rare opportunity of reading this scriptural text which leads to the bliss of peace everlasting in Brahman Self.
• Only that jnani who teaches 'Thou art the thought-free, alertly aware, absolutely still, ever blissful, intensely peaceful, unqualified Brahman Self', is the true SatGuru, and others are not.
• Unbroken abidance in the state of alert awareness, unruffled by thoughts, is Self realization. That is at once the spotless jivan mukti and the magnificent videha mukti. This state is easily attainable only for those who have earned the divine Grace of Shiva by deep devotion to Him, and not for others. What is stated here is the import in a nutshell of the message of that charming crest jewel of the Vedas known as the Upanishads.
• Those who give heed to this message and abide in accordance will forthwith attain mukti (liberation). They will not suffer from the least particle of affliction; they will enjoy a bliss far greater than the bliss attained from this and all other worlds; they and their environment will be filled with the plenitude of auspicious events. Totally free from all trace of fear, they will never again enter the cycle of births and deaths. They will become the immutable Brahman Self. All this we swear is the truth beyond doubt. By our Lord Shiva, again and again we swear that this is the fundamental truth.
• That state of still, pure, effulgent awareness is moksha, the state beyond compare. Those who maintain an unbroken abidance in that supreme state will never more be touched by suffering or confusion, and will be absolved from all duties. Such duties, if any, will somehow be completed without any volition on their part. They will eternally abide as the sole supreme  Self.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

Sahaja Nishta (Sahaja Samadhi)

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• Mind merged completely in the Self, one becomes a lord without rival - steeped in bliss beyond compare. In that state one should abide still, free from the least trace of thought.
• I am that Self which is integral existence awareness-bliss, the sole impartite Brahman-Self. Firm in the conviction born of this experience, one should abide still, free from the least trace of thought.
• In the conviction that 'I am the Self' in which no thought, ego, desire, mind or confusion can exist one should abide still, free from trace of thought.
• The firm faith of being the Self is sufficient to dispel all thought and establish one in Brahman-Self. In due course of this practice, even the thought involved in that faith fades away leading to the spontaneous effulgence of the Self. If a person hearkens to this teaching and practises the faith, even if he is a great sinner, he is washed clean of all his sins and is established in Brahman-Self.
• There is certainly no such thing as mind with its constituents of thought and thought forms of objects. In this conviction one should ever abide still and at peace, in the state of thought-free alert Awareness-self which endures after all sadhanas and its rigours have exhausted themselves in Brahman-Self.
• Having gained the experience that there is no creator, no maya, no duality, and no objects at all, and that pure Awareness-Self alone exists, one should ever remain still and peaceful in that state of Selfhood.
• If a person gives heed to these teachings he would certainly gain the grace of Lord Shiva and attain the state of Selfhood even though he is immersed in the dense darkness of nescience which could not be banished by the glare of a million suns.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

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From Srimad Bhagavad Gita:

In this path of Yoga (path of Knowledge), no effort is lost due to incompleteness and no contrary effect of an adverse nature is produced due to failures. Even a little observance of this discipline saves one from great fear.

Even if you happen to be the worst of sinners, you will surely go across all sin by the raft of divine knowledge. 

Sahaja Nishta or The Natural State

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• Having realized that the world picture on the screen-Self is evanescent and essentially non-existent, one should ever remain still and blissful in the firm conviction of ever being the sole Brahman-Self only. This conviction should be maintained even while functioning as an individual in the world of name and form. This matured state of abidance in the Self is called Sahaja Nishta (the Natural State).
• In that blissful Self wherein there is no action of body, speech and mind, no virtuous or sinful karma (action) and the fruits thereof, one should remain still, eschewing the least trace of thought. 
• In that Self wherein there is neither conceiver nor conception of the world of names and forms, one should remain blissfully still, eschewing the least trace of thought. 
• In that Self wherein desire, anger, covetousness, confusion, bigotry and envy are all absent; in the Self wherein there is no thought of bondage or release, one should abide blissfully still, eschewing the least ripple of thought.
• Firmly abiding in the Self one acquires the totality of all knowledge and achieves the successful completion of all endeavors and duties. In that state one should abide blissful and still, eschewing the least ripple of thought.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

Everything is Sat-Chit-Ananda Self Only

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• Whatever is found to exist is Sat (existence) only. Whatever is pleasurable is ananda (bliss) only. One should ever abide in the bedrock bhavana of sat-chit-ananda. Never for once should one slip, even inadvertently, into the disastrous bhavana that one is the body and that the world is real.
• One should abide in the rock-firm bhavana that 'Everything is only brahman-Self and I am that Brahman-Self'. By this bhavana all thought movements and nescience will disappear, resulting in the eternal abidance in the sole sat-chit-ananda Self.
• By abiding in the Self, the wandering mind is reduced to perfect stillness after being freed from all nescience and thought currents. It gets lost in the sat-chit-ananda Self in the same way that water is lost when mixed with milk. This unitary state of abidance in the Self is called Atma Nishta by the wise who have attained perfection.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

Unremitting Sadhana Required

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• The illusion that one is the body and that the world is the basic reality has remained over a long long time, and cannot be got rid of by the casual reading and mere understanding of the truth. The basic illusion can be effaced only by a long and unremitting practice of the bhavana that all this is 'I am Brahman Self'.
• Everything is only a conception of time, space and energy. All else is the trite talk of people who dislike the effort of sadhana which takes them to the Self. This talk is based on their dense ignorance of the Self. Only by persistent practice and experience of sadhana, can one arrive at the truth that all concepts of souls, world, and the cause thereof are just evanescent shadows on the screen of Siva-Self-Brahman.
• There is never such a thing as conception of names and forms, no such thing as the conceiving mind, no such thing as a person lost in samsara, and no such things as the world and its creator. Everything that is seen to exist must be realized to be no other than the sole, pure Awareness-Being-Brahman-Self.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

All Nothing But The Self

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• The great illusions: maya (associated with God Ishwara), avidya (associated with individual souls), mind and jivas (souls), world and its creator, all names and forms, and all mental conceptions are nothing but the Self. One should ever abide in this conviction.
• All worlds and creatures are only thought forms. They are nothing but the mind, which is a bundle of thoughts, which again are nothing more than ripples in the still ocean of Awareness-Self, and certainly nothing apart from the Self. Therefore, one should abide in the firm conviction that all objects are only I Am Self-Brahman.
• There are no such things as achieved objectives and the efforts leading to them, association with the wise or the ignorant, efforts of learning and knowledge acquired, acts of enquiry and practice, the learner or the learned, and any goals achieved. What exists is only Brahman the effulgent Awareness-Self.
• One should be firm in the conviction that there are no charitable acts, sacred waters and kshetras, no loss or gain and no loser or gainer, no karma, bhakti and wisdom, and no knower or known. All these thought-forms are bound to be dissolved and lost in the Brahman-Self, which is the sole existence.
• The bhavana "I am Brahman Self" swiftly takes one to mukti. As the continued reading of the texts generating that bhavana, takes the aspirant unerringly to the goal, he should always dwell on the written words dealing with the Brahman Self.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

Sine Qua Non of Mukti - Siva's Grace

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• That in which the whole universe is born and into which it is absorbed in dissolution, is the Siva-Self. Devoted worship of and meditation on that Siva-Self of pure Consciousness alone will attract Siva's Grace, which is indispensable for liberation.
• Those engaged in the pursuit of knowledge of Brahman-Self, happening to get involved in the mundane pleasures of sex, should regard such pleasures as merely faint shadows of the bliss of the Self. They should never even dream of worldly pleasures.
• As the Self is sat, meditative contact with the Self is the true sat-sanga (association with sadhus who abide in the Self). As Brahman-Self is the highest, association with the Self is Mahat Sanga (highest association).
• The sadhaka practising meditation on the Self, should always think firmly that all diversities of soul, world and creator are the undifferentiated Brahman Self only. By practice, his consciousness is freed from thoughts, after which he should give up the above thought also and abide always in the thought-free state of the Self.
• Abidance in the state of thought-free alert Awareness, is the state of mukti beyond thought and expression. The emergence of thought is the bondage of untold suffering. Abidance in the Self is the true non-dual samadhi, and that alone leads one to the eternal bliss of mukti.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer

Darshan Of A Jnani

The Ribhu Gita (ऋभुगीता) forms the sixth part of Siva Rahasya Purana. It details in about two thousand verses the dialogue on the Self and Brahman between Sage Ribhu (who in turn heard it from Lord Shiva Himself) and Sage Nidagha on the slopes of the Mount Kedara in the Himalayas. (source: wikipedia). 

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• Darshan of the matured jnani constitutes the acme of purification of baths taken in sacred waters, divine worship, mantra-japa, spiritual austerities, charitable acts and devotional worship of Lord Shiva Himself. To find and to gain access to the sacred presence of such a jnani is the luckiest of opportunities that one could ever obtain in this world.
• Worshipful service rendered unto such a jnani-sat-guru quickens one's spiritual wisdom to attain the bliss of jivan mukti. If continued further it bestows on the disciple even the status of videha mukti. Therefore, if one is keen on being released from bondage into the freedom of mukti, the one infallible means of achieving that aim is the loving and worshipful service of the jnani-sat-guru.
• Firmly established in the Self, undisturbed by the least ripple of thought, as still as an idol of stone or wood, dissolved completely in brahman-Self, even as water is in milk, with awareness devoid of all impurities of thought and drowsiness, standing clear as the pure sky, the grandeur of the jnani's nishta (firm stance in the self) defies thought and expression.

From "The Essence of Ribhu Gita" by Prof. N. R. Krishnamurthi Aiyer