English
— the distinction of largeness and small- ness of seas exists only in the presence of shores and disappears in their (shores) absence. BO. So long as one fancies a serpent in a rope, so long is he sunk in that fear ; but no sooner does the distinction between rope and serpent creep in, than does the dread of the serpent vanish from one's mind. Therefore, you should know once for all that all the bodies are creatures of Avidyd and are subject to decay and death, hunger and thirst, sorrow and love ; arid that your Self is that Brahma, who is above all Avidya, and is not affected by old age, &c., ^ 31. [Having explained (in Slokams 15—30, both inclusive) Sravanamdhi which teaches us by Veddrtham (the meaning of Vedas) to see that which is on the other side of our physical sight, Mananvidhi is now explained in the following five Slokams, i. e., 31—35, both inclusive.] It should be known that A'tmsl is characterised by "I" because He is different from SthMa, Suhhma and Karana tfanram*, has not those six changes of Asti, Jayate, Vardhatc, Pannamatc, Apakshhjate and Vinasyate ; and that, because he has no senses, he has therefore no sensations as well. That because Atma has no Manas (has no Pr^nam is pure, &c., as Srutis tell us). He has no Sorrow (Duhkha), Love (Raga), Hatred (J)wes7ia), &c, 33. [What a Chela experiences by the help of a Guru, the author explains in the following three Slokams.] The author says, I (Atma) (having no Buddhi) am Nirgunah, i. e., have no Gunams or attributes ; (naving no senses), am Nishlcnyah, i. e., actionless ; (having no distinction in all three Conditions of J&grat or wakeful state, Swtipna or dreaming state, and Sushupti or sleeping state), am Nityah, i. e,, everlast ing; (having no Manas), am Nirvikalpah, i. e., desireless- ( 56 ) (having no connection with anything), am sinless and omni present ; (having no Lingadeham filled with Shodasakala or 16 kolas}, am Nirvikarah, i. e., formless ; (having no relationship), am Nityamuldah, i. e., separate ; and (having no Antahkaranam, the creation of Avidya) am Nirmalah i. e., have no Ragadirupa Malinyam or the dirt of Love. Hatred, &c. 34. (What is the Swarupam of this Atm'a ?)' " I, i. e., Atma, like Akasam, am an endless entity pervading the inside and outside of the whole universe ; am' always impartial and not bound by any ties of affection, £c. ; a:m pure ; and, being full and filling everything, am motionless. 35. "I am that very Brahma who is the embodiment of the eternal entity, purity, freedom, oneness, eternal and un divided bliss, non-duality, and that which is endless and in destructible in all the three periods of time." 36. That th/> grandest desire of the MoksJiik form can be fulfilled by Srttvaria and Manana, is explained by Nidhidhyd- sana. The constant practice of thinking, in the aforesaid ways, of one-self beconiing Brahma, destroys the .powers of A varanam and Viskhepa, both of Mciyic origin, as th'e' best medicine cures a disease. 37. (To practise this Yoga1 Or what is said above, certain necessary methods and conditions will be explained.) Sitting in, a solitary place, being desireless, curbing passions, fixing Buddhi upon nothing else than Atma, one should meditate upon the identification of one-self with that A'tma who is one and Anantam, i. e., has no distinction of place, time, and things. . , 38. In response to the question, which naturally suggests itself, viz., " How is it correct to assert the oneness of A'tma while this perceptible world exists in Jdgradvakstal" — it is said that one, possessing pure Antahkaranam or internal sense (in other words mind), immersing this perceptible universe in A'tma, must always meditate upon one's identification with tliat A'tma who is like clear sky or A'kasa. ( 57 ) 39. [Now it will be told how to reject this world as the creation of Avidya and how to ascertain that one-self is Atma.] One, that has the knowledge of the real nature of things, rejecting everything that pertains only to shape, class, &c., as the child of Avidya, will assume that form which fills all space and possesses Sat, Chit, and Anandam ; in brief, will become Atma Himself. 40. Again, it may be asked, "How can the oneness of Atma be asserted while the existence of Triputi is quite palpable ?" In reply, it is said that, since Atma is the embodiment of Chit, Ananda, and Ekatwam or Kevalarupi, the d ifferences of Triputibhavams cannot creep in ; and that Atma is self-refulgent and self-shining. 41. [From the 37th — 40th Slokams (both inclusive) Manana Niyamam was explained. Now the obvious result of meditat ing upon that pure Atma will be told.] According to the above process, by incessant Dhyanam or meditation in Antdhkaranam, Gnyanam is created; which Gnyanam will, like fire, burn to ashes the whole world of Agnyanam. 42. Here it is stated that, as the identity and unification of Jiva and Atma is known, the Avidyaic belief that himself is body, senses, &c., will vanish ; and one will see in one-self that undivided and indivisible Atma. As, when -dawn expels the previous darkness, the sun shines most brilliantly; so, after Gnyanam dispels Agnyanam or mental darkness, the sun-like Atma shines like a glorious light. 43. [While Atma is always glowing in the form of Gnyanam, how is it consistent to say that He cannot be approached during the period of Agnyanam, but only by the help of Gnyanam, after a time ? This seeming inconsistency is, removed by the following illustrative explanation.] h ( 58 ) Just as the wearer of a neck-lace is unconscious of it — the tangible real thing — when his mind is directed away from it or is engaged upon something else than the neck-lace, and to him it is practically not existing only when his mind is brought to bear upon it ; so also the wiping-off of Avidya or Agnydnam, which is Gnyanam itself, enables one to know Atma. 44. [How is it right to assert the identity of Jiva and Atma, while it is natural for Jiva to have a separate existence from Atma ?] The same delusion, which creates a thief out of the trunk of a tree in the dead of night, leads us also to fancy the attributes or essence of Jiva in the Omnipresent Brahma. But, when the true nature of Jiva is known, the essence of Jiva ceases to be seen in Brahma. 45. As the sun-rise helps a man, groping his way in utter darkness, and ignorant of sides and directions ; so Gnyanam, resulting from the practical knowledge of the identity of Jiva and Brahma, roots out all the fanciful distinctions of I an<J mine. 46. The perfect Atma-knowing Yogi, with his Gnyanic eye, sees the whole world as existing in himself and as his sole Atma-like self. 47. [How can you say that this world, which is plainly visible as an independent entity, is nothing different from Atma ? The reply is as follovv s : — ] This whole world is Atma and nothing but Atma. As there are no vessels, &c., which are not made up of matter, so there is nothing wich is not Atma. Consequently, the Gnydnee, or one that possesses Gnyanam, sees or regards the whole world as his own self. 48. The shirking off of the pre-existing three Upadhis, viz., Sthula, Sukshma, and Karana, and three attributes or Gunams viz., S^val'-M$iasa, and Tamasa, by an Atma-Gnyani, is said to }>£Jw*$^Jcfi^ Such Gnyanee as is in this condition, with - '• 31; ii ^ ' fty '•> v|p -* . J'i ..r*i ( 59 ) the concomittants of Sat, Chit and Ananda, assumes the form of Brahma, as an insect — Kita — assumes the form of a fly Bhramara. 49. Having tided over the great ocean of desire by the help of a ship — Gnyanam, — and killed giants — Love, Hatred, &c.,> —the Yogee is seen possessing the means of Sama, Lama Uparati, Titiksha, &c.. and fixing his Chittam on Atma. 50. The characteristic of a Jivanmukta is as follows : — The Yogee, who is a Jivanmukta, having renounced all ex ternal pleasures as transient, and overwhelmed with the happi ness of knowing and seeing and becoming (rather attaining) Atmaswarupa, always shines most brilliantly by self and un- borrowed light as the light in a vessel or a globe. 51. [What kind of life must a Jivanmukta lead till Karmic effects are all exhausted ?] Though he is a mere spectator in StMla, Sukshma, and Karana Dehams or bodies, the Atmagnyani or Jivanmukta must regard himself to be, like Akasa, intact with the attributes of Sthulatwa, Stilcshmatuu, &c.