English
One should be ever Jnana, whether engaged in the perception of objects through his five organs of sense or in sleeping, talking, walking and breathing. It is the Dhydna (contemplation) of Atma-Tatwa that constitutes the articles of worship in this Aradhana of God. Through no other path will the great attain the true Jnana. Even if the much-slighted ignorant per form this Dhyana of Aradhana for 13 twinklings of an eye, then it will generate the good effects of the gift of a cow ; if the real Atmic deity is contemplated upon for 100 seconds, then it will be tantamount to the good effects of a thousand Asva-medha (Yajnas) ; if continued for 12 minutes, then the good effects of a lakh of such Yajnas will ensue. If steadfastly continued thus for 24 minutes, the beneficial results of a Raja-Suya sacrifice flow in ; but if for half-a-day Atma- Jnana is meditated upon without any distraction of thought, then there is the benefit of a lakh of such Yajnas. Again if for a full day such a meditation is continued without any in termission, then the stainless Brahmic Light can be merged in by him. This is the highest Yoga and this is the highest Karma. " I have treated, up to now, of the external worship of Jnana-God. Now I shall deal with its internal worship. Without ever forgetting the God of Parama Siva within the body, one should ever be contemplating upon him in all his actions as going and coming, sleeping and rising, enjoy ing wealth and objects and yet be disconnected with them. Though associating with the diverse objects of the world, he should ever worship the Siva-Linga* of blissful Jn£na with the flowers of Jn&na after bathing in the sacred waters of Tatwa-jn£na. This Jnana-God pervades everywhere in the 36 * The Linga is one of the forms through which He has to be wor shipped. It is .1 great mystery. THE STORY OF DEVA-PUJA. 249 centres without the modifications of the mind in Manas, Sankalpas, the state intermediate between Prana and Apana, the heart, the middle of the throat, the middle of the brow, the tip of the nose and other seats. Ceaseless and continued contemplation should be made upon God, shining- as Light in the body as inseparable from Manas, eyes, organ of speech and other organs and all the hosts of Saktis as chaste women inseparable from their Lord ; also that the Manas which makes one cognize the three worlds should be con templated upon as no other than the guard at his gates ; the good thoughts should be known as no other than His cook ; the Vritti-Jnana thoughts as no other than ornaments to the perishable body ; the Jnanendryas, and Karmendryas as no other than His gates. With these thoughts, he should contemplate that he is no other than " That" which is the direct Jnana of Atma- — as endless, partless, non-dual and yet wearing all in Itself, full in Itself and making all full, equal everywhere and having Its natural laws and light and being the incomparable Jnana. Thus should the internal worship be made that he is inseparable from It. " Much illumination will arise through this course of pure worship. Through the expansive intelligence of equality of all, the knowledge of body will be known by pure souls to be burdensome. Therefore they will ever worship the Jnana which is above all body through the above articles of wor ship. The wise say that such is the worship practised by the great. They should go on worshipping Jn&na without ever longing for things they cannot get or being hindered in the acquisition of objects. They should go on worshipping Jnana, extracting Atmic bliss out of eating and drinking, enormous supreme wealth, rest, going in vehicles and other pleasures. They should go on worshipping Jnana by bestowing on it the flowers of unsullied actions, whether amidst mental or bodily malady, incipient Moha (illusion) or dire pains, the cumber- someness of the administration of regal justice or sharp adver sity. They should go on worshipping Jnana, whether they enjoy stainless objects or abandon stainful enjoyments. *' Enjoying with a sweet mind and a non-dual concep tion whatever objects one comes by and not longing for things inaccessible is Jnana-Archana (or the sprinkling of flowers, 32 250 &c., on God). Unfailing worshippers of Jn&na should regard pleasures and pains as of the nature of Jnana (and hence be indifferent to them). They should ever regard all forms and places as no other than Brahman and worship them as such. Like an ocean receiving unto itself innumerable rivers, Jnana will be a capacious reservoir of all enjoyments, neither hating any things nor longing after them. Without in anywise being affected by appearances, base or high, they should be engaged in worship, in order to free themselves from all duali ties of conception arising from pleasures and pains in the differences of space, time and substances. These are the beneficent articles of worship dictated in the great worship of God. "Just as the six tastes, sourness, pungency, bitterness astringency, &c., are rendered full (and enjoyed completely), only when the Saktis of tastes and the mind join together, so the Plenum arises when all these articles of worship are com bined with S£nti (sweet patience or quiescence of mind). When this quiescence of mind is contemplated upon (along with the mind), then in an instant all objects will become one Universal nectar, like the ever-showering ambrosia of the moon ; but if contemplation is made without quiescence of mind, then even Jnana (spiritual) objects will appear but as stones. If the illusions of pleasures and pain, arising from objects which are differentiated through space, time and sub stance be dispelled, then the God within the temple of the body will be clearly cognized without any desires coming across. " Pure Maya dispels impure Mdya. It will destroy the virulent poison of the great Sankalpa. Like a washer man who removes dirt through dirt, the impure Maya should be slain by the pure Maya. Though pure Maya is not the cause, yet it will appear so through Acharya's (Teacher's) words. To the real enquirers after knowledge, they (the Guru's words) will enable one to know his own Self. An Acharya's grace, if it becomes emapport with his disciple, will of itself, in a mysterious manner, enable the disciple to perceive directly the Brahmic Principle within, though it is impossible for the Guru to point to Brahman as this or that or for the disciple to understand how it is prior THE STORY OF DEVA-PUJA. 2£l to his direct perception. Each should cognize It within him self through his own Jndna with the aid of an A'charya and an understanding of the true significance of the many Sastras. It is indeed very rare to attain that state without the help of a Guru and spiritual books. Should all the three combine, vis., an Acharya, Jnana-Sastras and a true disciple, then it is certain that the Seat beyond all bondage will be attained. If the link between these three last long, then it will generate stainless Jnana like the sun bring ing, in its train, actions in this world. According to the abovementioned path, there is no doubt they will render themselves fit objects of eulogy by such as Myself and attain the Brahmic Seat. " This world, though it really is not, appears to be. Know, oh Vasishta of great Tapas, that it is no other than a reflection. Know also that Jnana is that Principle which is known by the Vak (Speech) of Brahma and others. This Chaitanya (Consciousness) which is above all, manifests it self as the dual visibles. Undergoing different names, it will contract Ahankara through the thoughts of the mind. This idea of " I" will bring in its train the idea of time, space and other potencies. With these environments, the name Jiva accrues to it. Contemporaneously with it, there arises Buddhi in ignorant souls. Associated with the potencies of sound, actions and Jnana, the collective entity will produce in one instant memory and in another instant will become Manas in order that it may be the seed of the tree of Sankalpa. This is what is called the Puriashtaka body. It is said that this is the seat of words. Through Atma, Manas assumes countless forms. This alone assuming the form of Akasa and others, generates Prakriti and other elements. Like evil spirits arising in the seeming void, the Vasanas of the mind will arise in it.