Athma
Bodha -2
Verse 2
Bodho anya-Sadhanebhyo Hi
Sakshan-Moksha Eka Sadhanam I
Pakasya Vahnivat Jnanam Vina
Moksho Na Sidhyati II
Just as the fire is the direct cause for cooking, so
knowledge and not any other forms of discipline is the direct cause for
Liberation; for Liberation cannot be attained without knowledge.
The subject
matter, Knowledge of the Self, begins from this verse. From the opening verse one can infer that
Self-knowledge is a means to Moksha, Liberation. This verse emphasizes that it is the only
direct means for Moksha. This is
illustrated through a homely example. To cook a meal articles such as rice, vegetables,
water and pots are needed, no doubt, but it is the fire that actually cooks the
meal and it is the direct cause of cooking. In the same way all other sadhanas
and austerities like Japa, karma yoga, sadhana chathushtaya sampathi,
upasana yoga.
are needed for purification of mind and creation of a mental condition to aid
one's spiritual growth and render the mind subtle and fit for pursuing the path
of knowledge i.e. for attaining Jnana Yogyatha. But
it is the Athma Jnanam attained and internalised through Jnana Yoga
that can Liberate an individual, removing Athma Ajjnanam. Here we can
recall the verse from Svetasvathara Upanishad (6-20) which states “One
can get Moksha without Knowledge under only one condition. If one is
able to roll the akasa like a mattress, he can get Moksha without Knowledge.”
That means Moksha without Jnanam is not possible.
Verse 3
Avirodhitayaa Karma
Navidyaam Vinivartayet I
Vidya-Avidyaam Nihantyeva
Tejashtimira-sanghavat. II
Action cannot destroy
ignorance, for it is not in conflict with or opposed to ignorance. Knowledge alone
destroys ignorance as light destroys dense darkness.
Knowledge and ignorance in
this verse stand for Self-Knowledge and ignorance of Self-knowledge
specifically. Self-Knowledge reveals to one the essential identity of Self with
Brahman, who is infinite and Purna. So the one who is established in
Self-knowledge enjoys Purnathvam in mind always and he acts with Purnathvam. The one who is ignorant of Self-Knowledge identifies
himself with the body-mind-complex which is finite and so imagine himself as
finite and feels apurnathvam.
Apurnathvam gives rise to various desires which in time drives him to
action. Whatever action he takes, acting
from apurnathvam cannot remove the apurnathvam arising out of ignorance
of Self-Knowledge. Self-Knowledge alone
can remove this ignorance and bestow Purnathvam on him. Sri Sankara here gives the example of light
and darkness. One entering a dark room cannot
get rid of darkness there by any action like trying to sweep out the darkness
or emptying it with a vessel. By only
taking light, which is opposed to darkness, into the room, he can get rid of
the darkness. Similarly ignorance of a subject can be removed through study and
attainment of the knowledge of the subject.
Verse 4
Paricchinna iva ajnanat
Tannase Sati Kevalah I
Swayam Prakasate hi Aatma
Meghapaaye Amsumaaniva II
The Soul appears to be
finite because of ignorance. When
ignorance is destroyed, the Self which does not admit of any multiplicity truly
reveals Itself by Itself, like the sun when the cloud passes away.
Let us first take the
example. Sun is self-luminous. When hidden by the cloud it still shines but
there is no Sunlight and it is almost dark.
Suddenly a wind blows and the cloud disperses and there is again
sunlight in all its brightness. Now we
come to Athma, one’s Real self.
It is always the infinite, Purna, self-shining Chaitanyam.
When one is ignorant of his Self as Athma
and mistakes his body-mind-complex as self, one imposes unreal limits on Athma
as finite, bound and apurna. When
this person acquires Atma Jnanam and internalises it through Nitidyasanam,
it drives away the veiling cloud of ignorance and the self-shining Athma is
revealed in its Real nature and one realizes that one had always been Purna,
free and infinite.
Verse 5
Ajnana Kalusham Jeevam
Jnanaabhyasat Vinirmalam I
Krutwa Jnanam Swayam Nasyet
Jalam Katakarenuvat. II
Through constant practise, Knowledge
purifies the Self (Jivatma), stained by ignorance, and then disappears
itself, as the powder of the 'Kataka-nut' settles down after it has cleansed
the muddy water.
The process of
acquiring and absorption of Athma Jnanam, Self-knowledge, takes place in
five stages which is described as Jnanabhyasa in the verse. The five stages are purity of the mind
through Karma Yoga; the integration of mind through Upasana Yoga; acquiring
knowledge through Sravanam; conviction in knowledge through Mananam;
and assimilation and internalisation through Nitidyasanam. After
assimilation, identification with body-mind complex is totally got rid of along
with Ahamkara, Mamakara vrittis. This is achieved in the final
stage through Brahmakara Vritti ie the thought of “Aham
Brahmasmi”, which also is discarded after total assimilation when the idea
of identity with Brahman becomes second nature as identity with body was before
imbibing Athma Jnanam. This
transformation is described here as purification of one’s self by removing the
stain of Athma ajjananam and its corollary of samsaritvam and is
explained through a simile. In ancient India the powder of kataka-nut
was added to drinking water, especially during the monsoon season when the
water collected was always muddy. The
powder acting like alum precipitates the muddy particles in the water and
settles down with it at the bottom of the vessel. The clear water left behind at the top of the
vessel is decanted for drinking, discarding the dirty mixture at the bottom of
the vessel. This is compared to disappearance of Brahmakara vritti as well
along with Athma Ajjnanam, on total realisation by the realized person that
he is not a samsari Jivathma but a liberated Jivathma, who is Paramathma
only with the temporary upadhi of
body-mind-complex that will wear out on the exhaustion of Prarabhdha.
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