What is Sadhana-

Chatustaya?
BR. SAMAHITA CHAITANYA

2)46 1

Introduction destruction of mala and vikêe-

padoêa in the aspirant is seen
An adhikÊrØ or the qualified by the appearance of certain
aspirant of vedÊnta is one who traits, which are together called
has destroyed his mala-doêa sÊdhana-chatuêÌaya.
(mental impurities) and vikêepa-
doêa (restlessness of the mind)
by the selfless performance of The word
nitya karma (daily duties) and Sadhana-Chatustaya
naimittika karma (occasional du-
The word ‘sÊdhana’ means
ties) and by avoiding kÊmya
’aid’ or ’means’ and ‘chatuêÌaya’
karma (desire-prompted actions)
means ‘four-fold’. So the word
and niêiddha karma (prohibited
sÊdhana-chatuêÌaya can be trans-
actions) and by performance of
lated as ‘four-fold means’.
prÊyaâcitta karma (purification
Vedanta SÊra of Sri Swami
rites) and upÊsanÊs (contemp-
SadÊnanda enumerates the
lations)*.
sÊdhana-chatuêÌaya:
Success in this above train-
ing as a whole, leading to the úeeÕeÞeefÞe-fÞeÓëeefÞeÓëeNeúÓe©fNeNeskà-
F|eµe©^eeÙe_Hà½e§ees¼efNeje¼e-ÑáµeefoÔeJ¡kàúeµçefÓÓe
*
Refer to the earlier article on - µe©µe©*e©ÓNeefÞe >>
Anubandha ChatuêÌaya in the August
issue of Tapovan Prasad wherein you “The means to the attainment
will find the general definition of of Knowledge are: discrimina-
adhikÊrØ. tion between things permanent
and transient, renunciation of handed down by tradition. One
the enjoyment of the fruits of may not find in any of the
actions in this world and here- Upaniêads the seriatim presen-
after, the six wealths such as tation of the above four as
control of the mind etc., and the sÊdhana-chatuêÌaya . Yet, these
desire for liberation.” are based on the various state-
Thus the sÊdhana-chatuêÌaya, ments of the upaniêads and the
the four-fold means are: values they have enumerated
for a person who wants to be-
1. Viveka or Discrimination come an adhikÊrØ (a qualified or
2. VairÊgya or Dispassion fit aspirant) for the vedantic
3. ãamÊdi-êaÌka-sampatti or the pursuit. The vedantic tradition
Disciplines of the six inner- truly and firmly insists that only
wealths beginning with if an aspirant has the above
âama . four-fold means in full measure,
4. Mumukêutvam or Desire for can he attain the knowledge of
liberation. Truth.

These four Ds are crucial to

spiritual progress. The Five-fold Analysis
One finds highly concise
The basis for definitions of the sÊdhana-
Sadhana-Chatustaya chatuêÌaya in texts like Tattva-
bodha, and explanatory ones in
The above four aspects of the a few texts like Vivekachudamani
sÊdhana-chatuêÌaya enumerated and Sarva Vedanta Sidhanta SÊra
in the Prakaraàa -granthas like Sangraha of Adi Shankara. All
VivekacäÒÊmaài have been of them contribute in their own
unique ways to our understand-
In articles such as this which carry ing of the sÊdhana-chatuêÌaya .
several technical terms, standard Certain advanced texts of
rules of transliteration are applied.
Vedanta (like the famous Tamil
However, occasionally we judiciously
digress from them keeping in mind Vedanta text NÊnÊ-jØvavÊda-
our foreign readers. For example, kaÌÌaÎai ) explain each of the
catuêÌaya is spelt across this article above four aspects of sÊdhana-
as chatuêÌaya. chatuêÌaya in a very systematic
manner keeping in view a five- Viveka is
fold criterion. They are: only paroksa
1. Hetu - The cause Since viveka is explained as a
2. Svaräpa - The nature qualification for an aspirant
3. KÊrya - The effect before he starts the study of
4. Avati - The fulfilment or VedÊnta one may question as to
perfection, and how a person can be endowed
5. Phala - The result. with firm viveka even before he
starts the study of VedÊnta. One
Our explanation of the
may also wonder as to how can
sÊdhana-chatuêÌaya shall be on
one have viveka before the ac-
the basis of this five-fold crite-
tual knowledge of Brahman.
rion.
It is certainly possible even
before Realisation to feel con-
vinced in general that there is a
Viveka: The first one of permanent factor beyond the
Sadhana-Chatustaya impermanent and that the
former alone is of real value. It
Definition is to be noted that the vedantic
This first one of sÊdhana- seeker is not a total novice. He
chatuêÌaya is called ‘viveka’ and already has a general grasp of
is translated as ‘discrimination’. spiritual wisdom through the
Its full form is ‘nitya-anitya- study of the Puranas, a few ba-
vastu-viveka’ Vedanta SÊra sic texts and scriptural lore
defines it thus: (though it may not include the
Upaniêads etc., which directly
fÞeÓëeefÞeÓëeNeúÓe©fNeNeskàúÓeeNeo¡ ÖeQnNe fÞeÓëex pertain to VedÊnta). The Puranas
NeúÓe© ÓeÓees³Þëeof×e½eµefÞeÓëefµefÓe have vivid descriptions of the
impermanence of every per-
fNeNesèeÞeµe¡ >> ceived object, right from this
”Discrimination between body to the subtle realms of
things permanent and transient Brahma, the creator. Descriptions
consists of the discernment that of all the fourteen worlds being
’Brahman alone is permanent perishable and the Lord alone
and that all things other than It being changeless and perma-
are transient’.” nent cannot but be strongly felt
by the seeker who listens atten- turn becomes the hetu or cause
tively to satsangs (spiritual dis- for the birth of nitya-anitya-
courses) on these texts and stud- vastu-viveka.
ies them carefully.
Through a study of these b. Svaräpa – The nature: The
texts the seeker develops a cor- svaräpa or the nature of this
rect appraisal of things and a viveka is that Brahman alone is
yearning for the eternal, and be- the Truth and the seen world
comes convinced that Brahman right from the body which one
alone is permanent and every- thinks of as ‘me’ or ‘mine’ is
thing else is transient. This type impermanent.
of conviction based on a study c. KÊrya – The effect: One
of the scriptures is called repeatedly contemplates on the
parokêa or indirect as opposed impermanence of the world and
to aparokêa or direct (convic- the permanence of the Self
tion) which arises from one’s based on the logical arguments
own personal experience of the and facts one has gathered
Supreme Reality. through one’s general study of
the scriptures and also from the
experiences of one’s own life.
The Five-fold Analysis The aspirant may use such logic
of Viveka as – ‘everything that has a be-
ginning must have an end and
a. Hetu – The cause: Due to since everything, including the
the dedicated performance of fourteen worlds, is a product of
one’s duties and the worship of the five elements, they all have
the Lord which one has done in a birth and hence they are all
many earlier births (i.e., not in certainly perishable and thus
just one birth) there arises chitta- impermanent’.
âuddhi (mental purity) and
chitta-ekÊgratÊ (single pointed- d. Avati – The perfection:
ness of the intellect)* which in Even if opposing views and
logical arguments contradicting
the impermanence of the world
*Please refer to the definition of and the permanence of Brahman
adhikÊrØ in the August issue of
Tapovan Prasad for details on chitta-
are given by learned people
suddhi and chitta-ekÊgratÊ. with other views and philoso-
phies, one remains firm in one’s seeker before he reaches his goal
conviction that Brahman alone is of Self-realisation. (In our later
permanent and all else is imper- essays we shall discuss about
manent. In other words when brahma-loka-krama-mukti.)
viveka becomes rock-firm, then
that is the avati or perfection of In the next article we shall
nitya-anitya-vastu-viveka. discuss the remaining aspects of
sÊdhana-chatuêÌaya : vairÊgya,
e. Phala – The fruit: Viveka âamÊdi-êaÌka-sampatti and
gives rise to vair Êgya or mumukêutva.
dispassion, the next in the list
of sadhana-chatuêÌaya . Certain
texts also indicate brahma-loka- Any doubts or queries
prapti or the attainment of regarding this series of
articles may be addressed by
brahma-loka, the highest and
email to <[email protected]>
most sublime of the fourteen with the subject: Attn:
worlds. This is taking into con- Vedanta Made Easy.
sideration the death of the