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Ätmasiddhi
efforts with all his heart in the direction the Guru has shown. The genuine efforts enable him to understand the true nature of the self, which leads to calming down the worldly desires. Shrimad observes (Vachanamrut # 651) that understanding means to know and experience the true nature of soul as it is. Such understanding changes one's orientation from external to internal. When the orientation turns to its true nature, the soul stays tuned to that. Thus in spiritual pursuit, the importance of such an enlightened Guru is enormous. It is therefore only appropriate that Shrimad starts with the homage to the graceful Guru who explained the true nature of the soul.
This stanza can also be interpreted as covering all six Fundamentals, which form the basis of Ätmasiddhi Shästra. The soul undergoing suffering points to its existence, endlessness of suffering signifies that the soul is everlasting, undergoing suffering in absence of understanding indicates that the soul has been acquiring Karmas and has been bearing its consequences, true nature of the soul indicates the state of liberation and explaining of that nature points to the means of attaining it.
વર્તમાન આ કાળમાં, મોક્ષમાર્ગ બહુ લોપ; વિચારવા આત્માર્થીને, ભાખ્યો અત્ર અગોપ્ય.
11211
Vartamän Ä Kälamän, Mokshamärga Bahu Lop; Vichäravä Atmärthine, Bhäkhyo Atra Agopya.
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