In a Zoom meeting with Ramana Kendra, Delhi, on 10th July 2022 Michael James the meaning and implications of verses 19 and 20 of Upadēśa Sāraḥ:
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Upadēśa Sāraḥ verse 19:
अहम यंकुतो भवति चिन्वतः ।
अयिप तत्यहं निजवि चारणम् ॥ १९ ॥
ahama yaṁkutō bhavati cinvataḥ
ayipa tatyahaṁ nijavi cāraṇam
पदच्छेद: अहम् अयम् कुतः भवति चिन्वतः, अयि, पतति अहम्. निज विचारणम्.
Padacchēda (word-separation): aham ayam kutaḥ bhavati cinvataḥ, ayi, patati aham. nija vicāraṇam.
English translation: By investigating from where this ‘I’ arises, ah, ‘I’ falls down. Self-investigation.
Explanatory paraphrase: By investigating from where this ‘I’ [namely ego, the thought ‘I’] arises, ah, ‘I’ falls down [in nāśa, never to rise again]. [This is] nija vicāraṇam [investigation of nija: what is innate, natural, constant, permanent or one’s own, namely ātma-svarūpa, one’s own real nature].
Upadēśa Sāraḥ verse 20:
अहमि नाशभा ज्यहम हंतया ।
स्फुरति हृत्स्वयं परम पूर्णसत् ॥ २० ॥
ahami nāśabhā jyahama haṁtayā
sphurati hṛtsvayaṁ parama pūrṇasat
पदच्छेद: अहमि नाशभाजि अहम् अहंतया स्फुरति हृत् स्वयम्. परम पूर्ण सत्.
Padacchēda (word-separation): ahami nāśa-bhāji aham ahaṁtayā sphurati hṛt svayam. parama pūrṇa sat.
English translation: On ‘I’ undergoing annihilation, the heart shines forth spontaneously as ‘I am I’. The supreme whole reality.
Explanatory paraphrase: When ‘I’ [ego] is annihilated, the heart [the real nature of oneself] shines forth spontaneously as ‘aham aham’ [‘I am I’]. [This is] parama pūrṇa sat [the supreme whole existence, being or reality].
This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-07-10 Ramana Kendra, Delhi: Michael James discusses Upadēśa Sāraḥ verses 19 and 20, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.