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Ātmānuśāsana
आत्मानुशासन
lines which are mostly reminiscent of the famous Tamil book Tirukkural. Incidentally, it is believed by some that he composed this book at Tirunarungunram Hills, near Villupuram in Tamil Nadu.
Possibly the most effective lines are in verse 238:
भावयामि भवावर्ते भावनाः प्रागभाविताः ।
भावये भाविता नेति भवाभावाय भावनाः ॥२३८॥
The author urges us to practise noble thoughts, never ever thought of in the past, so that one could cross the ocean of miseries. But how long should one engage in this sublime thought? Till one reaches the zenith of universal summit (verse 238). The knowhow to discern and differentiate the Self from the body-envelope and the consequential physical world is explained in verse 243:
मामन्यमन्यं मां मत्वा भ्रान्तो भ्रान्तौ भवार्णवे ।
नान्योऽहमहमेवाहमन्योऽन्योऽहमस्ति न ॥२४३॥
To complement this concept, the famous example employing 'kṣira-nīra bhedajñāna' is included in verse 253.
An excellent verse-wise summary of this treatise is given in the Preface. As mentioned thereunder, the subject matter though homogeneous, appears, at some places, to be scattered. The book mostly deals with the just way of life (dharma) and logic (nīti). The venerable author invokes excellent examples and fables to drive home the points. He has also used his medical knowledge urging his devoted readers to get rid of the dreaded disease of mundaneness. The major topics covered by the revered Acārya Śrī are summarised in Table-1. It must be stated that there are necessary overlaps in some verses. The readers are advised to refer to the original texts corresponding to the verses for exact description.
Table-1. Shortlist of seven major topics covered in the book
Major topic
The supremeness of dharma ()
Verses
15, 16, 18-22, 25, 26, 46, 95, 96 and 149 (13 verses)
(XII)
