English
Like the solvent property of water, heat of fire and hardness of stone, transformation is naturally present in Maya, 136. So long aa a person is not disenchanted of its spells, he is apt to be filled with wonder concerning it; but when he has come to know of Iswara, the controller of Maya, his wonders cease and he regards it as something unreal and false. 137. To a Naiyayika and others like him, who believe in the reality of the objective world, this is applicable; and not" to a Vedantin, for he believes in the unreality of 2faya, 138. And with a view of shewing the uselessneas of mul- tiplying questions, the necessity is pointed out of cultivating knowledge wherewith to destroy Maya, and this is what an Intelligent person should do. 140. Thus then, destruction of Maya is proper for alt persons, and there is no necessity for ascertaining its nature ; but there are men who would dissent to it, and say, itis proper that one should know what Azaya is; hence it is said, Ascertain Its indication a6 known to ail men,” 141, And that indication is what cannot be ascertained exactly, though palpably present and manifested. Like a magical performance every thing that is presented to your sight appears real while the fact is otherwise; and Maya is known to all men in that manner—an illusion. How then can you ascertain its nature? 142, And phenomena are ssid to be a product of Maya, for, in spite of our diligent investigations we sadly fall to ascertain the exact mature of any one thing; hence free your self from ell bias and say whether it is ome to ascertain - the nature of Maya, 0 PANCHADASI. x4g. If all the learned men were to join in investigating the neture of a single entity out of the many, which fill this universe, they are sure to declare their ignorance somehow or other, and will fail to ascertain it. 144. For instance, if you ask them how does a drop of semen produce the human body with all its organs? Whence does Intelligence come and why? “What will be their reply. 145. If they were to say, it is the very nature of semen to produce a body and its organs, we may pause to enquire, How did they know it? And point out the instance of sterile women who conceive not; consequently semen is not naturally possessed with such a property. 146. So that, ultimately they come to ackowledge their ignorance ; for this reason, the wise regard both ignorance and its product, the material werld, in the light of a magical performance ; they are so to speak a phantasm. 147. Whatcan be more magical than human conception? A drop of semen entering the uterus, vivified by intelligence, develops hands, head, feet, ctc., in due order; gradually attains to childhood, youth and old age, is subjected to various diseases, and sees, hears, smells, enjoys and progresses to and fro. 148, Nor is this confined to man alone. For in the case of the ficus religiosa and other gigantic trees springing from very minute and insignificant seeds, the same Maya is like- wine displayed. Look at the tree and the seed which gave it birth, and can you cease to wonder? Therefore by constant practice inure your mind into a belief of the magical property of Maye, and look upon it ss something equally in- describable. 149. A Naiyayika believes, he alone is capable of satis- factorlly explaining phenomena and is proud of it. Let him consult the Xhesdana of Sti Harsha Acherya and he will Sind his position to be no longer maintainable, z; 150 For what is inconceivable, cannot be ascertained PANCHADAS!. -¥or by any end of argument, therefore it is improper to connect this inconcetvable world with argument even in mind. 151. Consider the source of the world, which is cons- tructed in a manner quite impossible to conceive, and of which no definite idea can be formed, to be Maya, which bath for its cause the Secondless, Impartite Intelligence (Brahma) experienced in profound slumber. 152, This world which is nothing else but only 2 con- dition of waking and dreaming [a day dream] merges into its source Maya which continues in profound slumber; just as a tree abides in its seed. Since therefore Maya is the source of the universe, all impressions derived from a know- ledge of phenomena are centred in it. 153- Like the ether or space appropriated by cloud, there ig a dim perception of reflection of intelligence in all impres- siona derived from knowledge and this is known inferentially, [But it may be said, it is possible to perceive the presence of water in cloud, for water is nothing else but drops of moisture Collected in the cloud, in which again, ether is plainly conceivable, because of the ether present in a jar filled with | water, which is identical with the water of the clouds; consee quently the presence of the firet is easily deducible as an inference from the palpable instance of the second. And itis difficult to see how can the example of cloud-ether apply to teflection of intelligence included in all impressions of phenomena, To clear it out and shew the applicability of the example, it is said that the reflex intelligence—seed of matter— is known inferentially]. 154. That reflection of intelligence is subsequently trans- formed into intellect, hence it is plainly discerned in Boodhs. In other words, Ignorance endowed with reflected intelligence modified or transformed into intellect, forms the subject of the reflection of intelligence; under such circumstances, the impression of prior perceptions in the intellect, which isa subject of contention, can be reckoned as a reflection of 102. PANCHADASH. intelligence, and for its being 2 modification, form, of condi" tion of Boodhi, may be likened to its function. 155. “ Maya and reflection of intelligence in it, constitute both Jiva and Iswara”* (Sruft). But then it may be remarked, How can their invisibility and visibility be deter. mined if they are thus similar. To establish that difference, it is said :—Like the difference existing between ether present in cloud and water respectively, the knowledge of the Jiva for its being enveloped in ignorance is dimly discernible; while that of Iswara for the associate of Intellect ts plainly manifested. Herein consists the practical difference of the two. In other words, the one Impartite Intelligence is through: Mlusion differentiated into Jiva and Iswara, 156. Similitude of Iswara with cloud-ether is established in the following wise :—AMaya resembles the cloud, for as im cloud; it is natural to expect subtle partictes of rain collected in the form of moisture, so are intellect and knowledge derived from past impressions present in Maya; and like the Presence of the reflection of ether in that water, there is reflection of intelligence in Maya; that is Iawara. Thus then we find, like the space or ether appropriated by cloud and water respectively, both Jiva and Iswara rest on Maya and * Pundit Pitambarjee the author of the well-known Bombay Edition of Mr. Sheriff Mahomed, says in his notes, it is not to be construed that Jiva and Iswara are the active products of Mays, That is not meant here, for he says Jiva, Iswara, Intelligence perse, Ignorance (Avidya) or nescience, and the relation of the two last, together with the subsisting difference of each of the five,—these six substances are naturally uncreate and without an. origin ; and the statement of the Bartikkar is directly opposed to the Sidhanta, and the Sruts text “Maya with reftexion makes. Jiva and Iswara.” Here the verb to make fikewise establishes Maya; for its successful dependence shows or produces Jiva and Iswara, This is what is meant. PANCHADASI. #03 reflex Intelilgence ; because like water present in the cloud, there is present knowledge derived from memory in Maye, and like the reflection of ether in that water, Iswara rests in the form of reflex intelligence.* ® It would appear from the text that Vidyaranya Swami means Eswara to be the reflection [of intelligence] in past perception originating from or by the intellect, but doubts may be entertained as to the truth of such an assertion, and they are cleared in the following manner. In the first place, it may be enquired whether the associate of Iswara is only Ignorance, or Ignorance with knowledge of prior impressions, or the latter only. If the first point be held, then the resemblance of Iswara with the reflected shadow of intelligence in Ignorance and knowledge of past perceptions of the intellect will create a discord, Similarly the recognition of the second view will require an admission of ignorance only as the associate of Iswara, In that case, he can Tay no claim to omniscience ; hence it is necessary for preserving his omniscience to consider knowledge and intellect as predicates of ignorance. But to say sois quite contradictory. Because the satavic particle of Ignorance can only naturally have the property of all-knowingness, for Satwa is light, consequently if knowledge and intellect are viewed in the same light as predicates of intelli- gence, there will be a perfect absence of omniscience, hence theic Presence is quite futile and unnecessary. If we pause to enquire into the reason why, we shall find one variety of knowledge annot possibly take cognisance of, or embrace all object¥ or things, but on the other hand, for the acquirement of omniscience all knowledges must be admitted as the predicate of ignorance, which again cannot be expected to disappear in any one time save that of pralaya, consequently it is not for establishing omniacience. In the same way, the second view that of intellect and know- ledge with ignorance as the associate of Iswara is quite untenable, Then again, those who assert knowledge only is the associate of Iswara, it may be asked of them.