Adhyātmayoga

The next mantra further explains about adhyātmayoga.

etacchrutvā samparigṛhya martyaḥ pravṛhya dharmyamaṇumetamāpya |

sa modate modanīyam hi labdhvā vivṛtam sadma naciketasam manye ||1.2.13||

Having listened to this (ātmā), the mortal (human being) clearly grasps this subtle ātmā, separates (it from the body), and claims (it). Having obtained the source of joy, rejoices indeed. I consider the abode (of brahman) to be open to naciketa.

etacchrutvā - having listened to this ātmā, which is revealed by śruti, implicating the means of knowledge: śravana, manana, and nididhyāsana. Śravana is exposing to the teaching of śruti with inquiry mind about oneself. In śravana itself, the mind should produce an understanding of the final message of all vedānta teachings: “everything here is brahman alone, and that brahman I am”. Therefore śravana itself is sufficient for self-knowledge to take place if the qualifications of the student are sufficient.

But our knowledge is always endowed with doubts, thus manana - resolving doubts with the help of reasoning in keeping with the vision of śruti is needed. Here the ascertainment of the vision of śruti happens. Yet, the wrong notion about myself has been there since time beginning-less, therefore even understanding with conviction is there, but there might be habitual errors in our day-to-day life. Thus nididhyāsana - repeatedly contemplating/assimilating on the subject matter which has been listened to, in the form of fixing the mind on the limitless self as “I am”, is required. Then one abides in limitless nature of oneself without doubt and habitual errors.

It meant to say adyātmayoga is defined in vedānta as śravana-manana-nididhyāsana, a systematic consistent study of śāstra under the guidance of a teacher. When it is done, samparigṛhya martyaḥ - the mortal human being clearly grasps dharmyamaṇumetam - this subtle ātmā which is called dharma. Ātmā is called dharma here because dharma is known to be the basis to support the harmony of the world, in the same manner, ātmā is the very basis existence principle which supports the entire name and forms world. pravṛhya - having separated ātmā from the body-mind-senses cognitively (as the real separation is not possible because there is never a time the conscious principle ātmā really has connected to the body. The connection is superimposed, just like pot space is superimposed on the pot, where the pot space itself doesn’t have reality on its own); and āpya - having owned up the limitless ātmā as oneself, when brahman-jñānam becomes aparoksa-jñānam - knowing limitless brahman immediately as oneself, sa modate modanīyam hi labdhvā - one attains the source of ānanda, owns up one’s limitless nature, he rejoices. His limitless nature projects in his life in the form of total satisfaction in any situation. vivṛtam sadma naciketasam manye - yamaraja considers the abode of brahman is open to naciketa, he assures naciketa will definitely abide in brahman.