Vivekachudamani – 7

 

Select verses 31 to 35

Verse 31

avyaktanamni paramesasaktih, anadyavidya trigunatmika para |

karyanumeya sudhiyaiva maya, yaya jagatsarvamidam prasuyate ||108॥

Maya (Avidhya), also called the ‘Unmanifest’, is the power of the Lord. It is without beginning; it comprises the three gunas and is superior to their effects (as their cause). It is to be inferred only by one who has a clear intellect, from the effects it produces. It is this Maya which projects the entire universe.

Maya literally means that which is not (ma=not, ya=that; that which is not there, that is Maya).  Maya is the unmanifest power of Brahman, to create, sustain and destroy.  Brahman with the power of Maya manifest is called Iswara. Maya is beginningless and comprises of three gunas; satva, rajas and tamas. It is also called ‘avyaktha’ or unmanifest as it is not an independent entity and has a dependant existence as unmanifest power of Brahman before the creation.  This Maya can be understood by a person with sraddah and a reasoning capacity which is in keeping with the Sruthi’s understanding.  Need for this can be seen from the description of Maya in the next verse.

Verse 32

sannapyasannapyubhayathmika no, bhinnapyabhinnapyubhayathmika no |

sangapyananga hyubhayathmika no, mahadbhuta’nirvacaniyarupa ||109॥

It (Maya), is neither existent (sat) nor non-existent (asat), nor both; neither same nor separate from Brahman nor both; neither made up of parts nor partless nor both. Most wonderful it is and beyond description in words.

Maya cannot be called sat because it does not exist independently.  Maya cannot be called asat also as it is the power of Brahman and is inferred from its effect.  And Maya cannot be sat and asat as well, as sat and asat cannot co-exist.  Maya is not separate from Brahman, being power of Brahman and it is also not the same as Brahman and cannot be both non-separate and not same at the same time.  Further Maya being beginningless has no limbs; but we cannot also say it is without limbs, niravayava, as the world which is full of limbs has come out of it.  Again Maya cannot be with and without limbs at the same time.  Therefore, Maya cannot be explained categorically and so is anirvachaniya i.e. not subject to categorical explanation.  All one can say about Maya is that ‘Maya is’.

Verse 33

avyaktametat trigunairniruktam, tatkaranam nama sariramatmanah |

susuptiretasya vibhaktyavastha, pralinasarvendriyabuddhivrttih ||120॥

This “unmanifest” Maya, described as a combination of all three gunas, is called the causal-body of the individual.  Its special state is deep-sleep, in which all functions of the mind-intellect and the sense-organs are totally suspended.

This Maya is the upadhi of Athma and is known as karana sareera, causal body.  It is sareera because causal body is subject to destruction in videha mukthi.  Maya is very much present in all the three states of experience.  Both in the waking and dream states it is manifest in the form of subject-object experience.  But in the deep sleep state, all the activities of the senses and mind are resolved and it is there without subject-object manifestation.  As gross body and subtle body are dormant or inactive in deep sleep state, this state is described as the special state of causal body.

Verse 34

atha te sampravaksyami, svarupam paramatmanah |

yadvijnaya naro bandhad, muktah kaivalyamasnute ||124॥

Now I will tell you of the Real Nature of the supreme Self, Paramathma, realizing which, one becomes free from all bondage and attains liberation.

Acharya has so far described the sthula, sukshma, karana sareeras, that constitute the anathma. Now he starts answering the sixth question of sishya regarding Parama Athma. He starts with pointing out the importance of this knowledge by telling that knowing the Svarupa of Paramathma, one becomes freed from bondage and attains Moksha.

Verse 35

asti kaschit svayam nityam, ahampratyayalambanah |

avasthatrayasakshi san, panchakosavilakshanah ||125॥

There is something that is self-existent. It is manifest all the time in the ‘I’ thought. It is the witness of the three states of experience and is distinct from all the five sheaths.

The svarupa of Athma is unfolded in this verse. It does not depend upon any other object for its existence.  The ‘I’ notion is dependent on this self-evident Athma.  The Athma is the witness of the three states of experience viz. waking, dream and deep sleep. Athma is distinct from the sareera triam, the three bodies; sthula, sukshma and karana (gross, subtle and causal). In this verse sareera triam is indicated by its equivalent, pancha kosas; annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya, vijnanamaya and anandamaya kosas.  The Athma ‘is’ and is to be recognised as Consciousness, the witness of all the three states of experience, that is free from the attributes of the pancha kosas and is the eternal substratum for the ego thought.

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