Alchemist

    There is a beautiful story of a shepherd who goes in search of gold in a pyramid in the short novel- “Alchemist”, by Paul Coelho reveals the secret to some extent. However, it may fairly be said that,” The Jiva, once it arrived on this earth, goes on its journey (nara yana), runs its life by the engine of ‘desire’ with ‘self-effort’ carrying its luggage of ‘karma’ on the skeletal body, a carriage. The four wheels of the carriage are the dreams and aspirations, hope and faith. The path is full of twists and turns- such as luck, fortune, destiny, mentors, soothsayers, etc. The goal of life, however, when reached will be a big surprise! Thus, this adventure of the soul during its long journey on the earth is full of mystery.

  As a prelude to our brief introduction to this small book-“Advent of the Soul”, that runs almost like an Autobiography of an Embodied Soul”, rather, a “Journey of the Soul” on this planet, we present some passages, verses from the ancient scriptures in the following and then proceed further to introduce ‘the Atman’ as ‘the Self’ of all’ and the Brahmn who is at the cause of all. This ‘Self’ is all, and, is in all, and, as such, this monologue is of every soul that has taken a form, a shape, a name, and an avocation. Hence, there is only one- ‘the Self’, and there is ‘no other’. The term ‘I’ that everybody uses in everyday transaction is nothing else but the ‘Self’. It does not refer to the physical body. However, everybody uses it with reference to the body and makes gestures and signs putting the hand on the chest and makes gesture to that effect. If one realizes this truth it becomes a capital font ‘I’, or it will be a small font ‘i’- the individual’s ego. Ego is a spark of the soul.

   A word of caution is necessary here. The English version of the Samskruta shlokas (aphorisms/verses) and transliteration of Samskrutam into English is not perfect as it gives rise to confusion since there is no capital letter in English. Moreover, the English alphabets are only 26 when compared to the vowels (16) and consonants (35) in Samskrutam. There are only five vowels in English (a, e, i, o, and u) and these in samskrutam (svara) are sixteen; and, the consonants (21 in Eng.) or vyanjana are 35 and the potency of these samskruta syllables is such that each and every one of these is a potent mantra capable of creating the universe! This aspect is missing in any other language in the world. Rather, the world has come out of the word and, “The word was with the God and the word is the God”, as the Bible puts it.

  One has to be very careful while reading the transliterations. A small mistake in pronunciation of a word in samskruta bhasha will give altogether a different meaning like- the ‘eternal’ becomes ‘dead’ (‘amruta’ and ‘mruta’), ‘existent’ becomes ‘non-existent’ (‘bhaava’ and ‘abhaava’) or for that matter, word (pada) and feet (pAda), and so on. It is absurd and dangerous to use the capital letters in English while writing the Samskruta pada (words). Many words in samskrutam have different meaning and connotations and should be used very carefully. Unless a person has knowledge of deeper esoteric meaning of samskrutam, the philology, the symbolism and metaphors it is very difficult to convey anything of that in English.