Reflection on the hymn Nirvana Shatkam (six verses on nirvana), by Sankaracharya, gives much insight into essential Vedantic teachings. It is important to first understand the meaning of "Nirvana" in this context as being the state in which all false personality is eliminated and only that which is True remains. In this hymn, each verse ends with "Sivo'ham, Sivo'ham," which refers to the Good, the Auspicious, the Divine. Each of the six verses follows the process of "neti neti" ("not this, not this"), through which we affirm all of the things (identities, mind, body, intellect, thought, etc.) that we are not, such that only what is essential remains. This self-analysis is key to answering the Vedantic question: Who am I? As we explore this question, we can see, for example, that our personal identities change over time. The one identity that does not change and is not bound by time is the Atman (the Self). When we know who we truly are, then all our problems are solved; this requires waking up to know that we are the Atman. But how does one wake up? We must shed all the false notions of ourselves that we have cultivated, as expressed in the hymn. Just as we are not the body, and not the various roles we identify with, we are also not the attitudes of mind (such as greed, attachment, and jealousy), nor are we even our virtues, which too, must ultimately be transcended. Is it possible to be free from the sense of individuality while still being conscious in this life? Yes, such freedom is possible if we experience ourselves as a child of God and truly see all other people as children of God as well. In our current state of identification with the body, mind, thoughts, etc., we cannot see God because we are seeing everything else but God; once we see God, we will no longer experience such distraction.
