Consciousness & Reflection of Consciousness

Drik Drisya Viveka 2

Verse 5

nodeti nastametyesa na vrddhim yati na ksayam ।

svayaṃ vibhatyathananyani bhasayet sadhanam vina ॥ 5॥

This (Sakshi) does not rise, nor does It set; It does not increase, nor does It decrease; It shines by itself and then others does It illumine, without any external aid.

This verse describes the Seer 3, Consciousness or Sakshi.  Consciousness is not limited by time as it does not have origination or destruction i.e. it has no birth or death.  It is also not limited by space as It does not increase in space or decrease in space.  In short, it is eternal and all-pervading being time-wise limitless and space-wise limitless.  Consciousness is ever the Seer and is never illumined by anything because it is self-luminous.  Not only it is self-shining, it illumines all the other things also without requiring any instruments for illumination.  In Kathopanishad (2-2-15) It is described as, “Tameva bhantham anubhathi sarvam tasya bhasa sarvamidam Vibhathi (It shining, all these (sun,moon, stars etc.) shine; through its lustre all these are variously illumined.)”.   It needs nothing else to know It.  It is the very principle of knowing; It is Knowledge Absolute.

Verse 6

Chit chhaayaa aaveshatah buddhau bhanaṃ dhiistu dvidha sthita ।

ekahankrtiranya syadantahkaranarupiṇi ॥ 6॥

The reflection of Consciousness that enters into the Buddhi, makes it conscious. The (thoughts in the) Buddhi (intellect) are of two kinds: One is the Ego thought, and the other is of the nature of the anthakarana (mind).

Consciousness is present everywhere and is illuminating everything that is manifested, gross as well as subtle.  However gross objects cannot reflect it as well as the subtle. This may be compared to light which reflects very well off a surface of water and very poorly off a piece of wood.  The anthakaranam is the most subtle object in creation.  Anthakaranam is referred to here through one of its constituents, intellect (buddhi).  Anthakaranam is divided into four parts, the ego, the intellect, the mind and memory. Here these four have been re-grouped into two parts. They are:

i) Ego - Aham or the “I”-thought.

ii) Mind - The remaining three parts of the Antahkarana, intellect, mind & memory, are clubbed together and referred to as Mind.

Anthakaranam though insentient appears sentient on account of association with Consciousness in the form of its reflection and in turn becomes illuminator like the moon becoming an illuminator of earth through its association with the sunlight reflected on its surface. This anthakaranam being divided into two groups the associated thoughts are also seen in two groups and we now have two groups of thoughts Ego and Mind, for further study.

Verse 7 

chayaahankarayoraikyam taptayahpindavanmatam ।

tadahankaratadatmyaat dehaschetanatamagaat॥ 7॥

The identity of the reflected Consciousness and the Ego is considered to be like that of a heated iron ball (and of fire).  The Ego, due to identification (with the body), lends its consciousness to the body.

In this verse the first part of the two parts of thought is taken up – Ahamkara, the ‘I’ thought or just Ahamkriti, as mentioned in the previous verse and Its relationship with reflected Consciousness is being considered.  The simile employed in Athmabodha (verse 62) to illustrate how the Brahman pervading the world of creation totally, lends life and intelligence to the world of inert and insentient matter is used here. The simile is that of an iron-ball and fire. The cold iron ball coming into contact with red hot fire gets heated up, glows red like fire and heats up others in contact wth it. The insentient ego turns sentient due to its association with reflected consciousness and in turn makes the inert body sentient through its association with the body. The gross body now appears to be sentient as well.  The body includes the golakams of the sense-organs and so the sentient ahamkriti makes the sense-organs sentient as well. All the three components of the individual are thus sentient and so there is a live individual.  At the time of death, the anthakaranam quits the gross body and the reflected consciousness also leaves along with the subtle body housing the anthakaranam and the gross body becomes insentient because the gross body cannot borrow consciousness directly from Athma, though Athma is all-pervading.

Verse 8

ahankarasya tadatmyaṃ cicchayadehasaksibhih ।

sahajam karmajam bhrantijanyam ca trividham kramat ॥ 8॥

The identification of the Ego with the reflection of Consciousness, with body and with the Witness are of three kinds, namely natural, born of karma (past actions), and ignorance (delusion) respectively.

In this verse Ego identifications are grouped in three distinct categories according to the cause of each category.  The identification of the Ego with the reflection of Consciousness, the body and the Witness are of three kinds, namely, natural, due to (past) Karma, and due to ignorance, respectively. The identification of Ego with reflection of Consciousness is natural, permanent and inseparable as any reflecting medium and reflection cannot be physically separated and as long as the reflecting medium is present the reflection will also be present.  The Ego-body identification is temporary and the association is caused by Prarabdha karma and the association will last until the Prarabdha karma lasts.  No identification is possible between the Ego and the Sakshi because Sakshi belongs to a higher order of reality, and the Ego belongs to a lower order of reality. No connection or identification is possible between the higher and the lower orders of reality.  Further Sakshi is like space which is not connected to anything.  But due to ignorance, which is called delusion (branthi) here, one makes the identification of Ego “I” with the Sakshi, the Real ‘I’.

Verse 9

sambandhinohsatornasti nivrttih sahajasya tu ।

karmakshayat prabodhaccha nivartete kramadubhe ॥ 9॥

The connection (of Ego) with reflected Consciousness cannot be annihilated, as it is natural; the other two (connection with body and Sakshi) can be eliminated by exhaustion of Karma, and by enlightenment (knowledge of Sakshi) respectively,

The previous verse outlined the three identifications of the Ego and they are dicussed further here for their better understanding.  We can never separate the bonding between reflection of Consciousness and Ego which is natural. The relationship between them lasts as long as they exist. But the relationship is not eternal because in videhamukti, the ego gets destroyed and the relationship comes to an end.  Since the Ego-body connection is due to prarabhda karma, that relationship will continue as long as the prarabdha karma lasts and only at death. prarabhdha karma will be exhausted.  Even Athma Jnanam cannot extinguish the connection between the body and Ego, if Prarabdha karma is not exhausted. But Athma Jnanam gives a new perspective to such a person’s emotional reaction to the pain and sorrow. Naming such a wise person as Sthitha prajna, Lord Krishna  states in Gita (2-56):

Duhkheshwanudwignamanaah sukheshu vigatasprihah;

Veetaraagabhayakrodhah sthitadheer munir uchyate.

He whose mind is not shaken by adversity, who does not hanker after pleasures, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom.

But with Athma Jnanam the bond between Ego and Sakshi will cease for with the Jnanam one realises that there had never been a connection and never could be a connection as Sakshi belongs to a higher order of Reality compared to Ego.  Hence Ego can no longer identify itself with the Sakshi after enlightenment.  So the  identification of the Ego with the reflection of Consciousness, which is natural, does not cease so long as they exist and the other  two identifications disappear after the wearing out of the result of Karma and the attainment of the knowledge of Brahman (enlightenment) respectively.

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