Four significant indicators of a Text

Any publication of our traditional books contains four significant indicators to it.
Four significant indicators of a Text

Any publication of our traditional books contains four significant indicators to it. This prevents a lot of confusion among the minds of readers. If I want to know the details of geography, I would not pick up a book on physics by mistake. The writers of those days made it very clear in the first or initial verses four things that the book is about.

The first is Adhikari. Who is the fit student to read the book? If my interest is in finding out ways to live successfully in the world, then I am not fit to read a book on liberation. In the opening verse itself, Sri Adi Shankaracharya mentions that the Adhikari for the book Tatva Bodha is one who is striving for liberation of the mind—the Mumukshu.

It refers to a person who has an intense desire for liberation. Only those students will benefit who want to get out of all the finiteness of experiences into the unbounded infinite.
The next is Vishaya or content. The main thought behind the book is knowledge of the essence of existence. The essence of an orange is the orange fragrance or juice. The essence of an apple is its juice and flavour. The essence of existence is called Tatva. Exposing the knowledge of that essence to the student is the content of the book Tatva Bodha.

What is the Prayojana or use? Even a fool, it is said, does not undertake an action if it does not have any use. The use of reading this book is that the seeker of liberation will find conducive mental atmosphere towards that freedom. The freedom we seek is apparently an experience of limitless joy and end to all sorrows and suffering.

What is the relevance or connection between the reader and the book? This is a question that will help us even with our daily worldly transactions. What is the connection between myself and all the people I try to reach out through social media with my posts, comments and likes.
Entertainment? Recognition? Time pass? The answers that I get will help me to make valuable use of my time. Even our choice of books on the cart is made only with this relevance. By studying this text, the seeker of liberation finds what he seeks.

This invocatory verse of Tattva Bodha is a prayer to the Guru of Sri Adi Shankaracharya and it also spells out the aim, objectives, content and relationship of the book with the reader. Checking out these four objectives for any book we read can drastically reduce the maze of literature that surrounds us every day clamouring for our attention.

brni.sharanyachaitanya@gmail.com

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