On Advaita Vedanta: Hear, concentrate, meditate, dissolve

The following excerpt is from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

इत्थं वाक्यैस्तथार्थानुसन्धानं श्रवणं भवेत् ।
युक्त्या संभावितत्वानुसन्धानं मननं तु तत् ॥

itthaṃ vākyaistathārthānusandhānaṃ śravaṇaṃ bhavet
yuktyā saṃbhāvitatvānusandhānaṃ mananaṃ tu tat

‘To listen’, thus is to pursue by means of sentences their import. On the other hand, ‘thinking’ consists in perceiving its consistency with reason.

~ Adhyatma Upanishad, Verse 33

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ताभ्यं निर्विचिकित्सेऽर्थे चेतसः स्थापितस्य यत् ।
एकतानत्वमेतद्धि निदिध्यासनमुच्यते ॥

tābhyaṃ nirvicikitse’rthe cetasaḥ sthāpitasya yat
ekatānatvametaddhi nididhyāsanamucyate

‘Meditation’ is indeed the exclusive attention of the mind fixed on (the import) rendered indubitable through listening and thinking.

~ Adhyatma Upanishad, Verse 34

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ध्यातृध्याने परित्यज्य क्रमाद्ध्येयैकगोचरम् ।
निवातदीपवच्चित्तं समाधिरभिधीयते ॥

dhyātṛdhyāne parityajya kramāddhyeyaikagocaram
nivātadipavaccittaṃ samādhirabhidhiyate

‘Concentration’ is said to be the mind which, outgrowing the dualism between the meditator and meditation, gradually dwells exclusively on the object (of meditation) and is like a flame in a windless spot.

~ Adhyatma Upanishad, Verse 35

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