Chapter 7, Sections 25 to 26 (end)
Mantra 7-25-1
sa evadhastatsa uparishtatsa paschatsa purastatsa
dakshinatah sa uttaratah sa evedam sarvamityathato'hamkaradesa
evahamevadhastadahamuparishtadaham paschadaham purastadaham dakshinato'hamuttarato'hamevedam
sarvamiti || 7.25.1 ||
That Bhuma
is below; it is above; it is behind; it is in front; it is to the south; it is
to the north. All this is Bhuma. Now, as regards one’s own identity: I am
below; I am above; I am behind; I am in front; I am to the south; I am to the north.
I am all this.
The whole creation is nothing but Bhuma, i.e. Brahman, plus nama-rupa.
And this Bhuma is nothing but ‘I” of oneself only. This is expressed
poetically in this verse by first stating that Bhuma is everything in
creation i.e. what is above, below, south and to the north (right and to the
left) and then repeating the same for “I” (aham). Earlier to this Sanathkumara
had been referring to Bhuma in third person. So now he wants to clear
any misimpression that may have been created that It is different from
oneself. Mundaka Upanishad (2-2-11) also states similarly:
brahm’aiv’edam
amrtam purastad brahma paschad brahma dakshinatasch’ottarena I
adhas ch’ordhvam
cha prasrtam brahm’aive’edam visvam idam varishtam II
Mantra 7-25-2
athata athmadesa evatmaivadhastadatmoparishtadathma
paschadathma purastadathma dakshinnata athmottarata athmaivedam sarvamiti sa va
esha evam pasyannevam manvana evaṃ vijanannathmaratirathmakrida athmamithuna
athmanandah sa svaradbhavati tasya sarveshu lokeshu kamacharo bhavati atha
ye'nyathato viduranyarajanaste kshayyaloka bhavanti tesham sarveshu
lokeshvakamacharo bhavati || 7.25.2 || iti
panchavimsah khandah ||
Next is the teaching on the Athma: Athma is below; Athma is above; Athma is behind; Athma is in front; Athma is to the south; Athma is to the north. Athma alone is all this. He who sees in this way, reflects in this way, and understands in this way, has pleasure in the Athma, revels in the Athma, union in Athma, and has joy in the Athma. He becomes the Sovereign of all the worlds. He is free to act as he wishes. But those who think otherwise are under the control of others and live in perishable worlds. In all the worlds, they are not free to act as they wish. (i.e., they are under many limitations). End of section 25.
First Sanathkumara talked about Bhuma
as a third person and then he changed it to first person. Now he wants to be much more clear and avoid
any misunderstanding of ‘I’ (aham) as the anathma of body-mind complex,
the vachyartha, and he specifically describes it as Athma, the
Self. Through this he is emphasising the
identity of Bhuma, the Brahman with Athma, the Self, the
lakshyartha of ‘Aham’ as in Mahavakhya “Aham Brahmasmi”. One who
has realised this is called ‘svarat’, that means one who is a supreme
ruler and also as one who shines by his own light. For he is not subservient to
anybody else because there is no second thing other than Athma, the Brahman. Further, he is also self-luminous as
everything else shines in the light of Athma and Athma is not
illumined by anything else because it is of the nature of pure intelligence
that makes all knowledge possible.
Whereas the one who has not realised the truth about one’s Self, feels
limited as a mortal and he is not free of the cycle of birth and death. He will
live a life as a slave of his desires and of destiny.
Mantra 7-26-1
tasya ha va etasyaivam pasyata evam manvanasyaivam vijanata
athmatah prana athmata asathmatah smara atmata akasa athmatasteja athmata apa
athmata avirbhavatirobhavavathmato'nnamathmato balamathmato vijnanamathmato
dhyanamathmataschittamathmatah samkalpa athmato mana athmato vagathmato
namathmato mantra athmatah karmanyathmata evedamsarvamiti || 7.26.1 ||
For a person like this who sees in this way, reflects in this
way, and has this knowledge, everything comes from Athma, the Self: Prana,
aspirations, memory, Akasa, fire, water, appearance and disappearence, food,
strength, knowledge, meditation, intelligence, will, the mind, speech,
name, Mantras, and all rites—all this
comes from Athma, the Self.
This Mantra is
a consolidation of the teaching. In
this, the vision of the realised Jnani is given. Earlier in this chapter, Sanathkumara
prescribed fifteen upasanas where 15 principles from Nama to Prana were taken
up for meditation on Brahman.
These included principles that constituted the external world which were deemed to be outside
him. Now with the realisation that Athma,
his Self, is none other than Brahman, he finds all of them spring from him
only. This is emphasised by giving the
list of items he meditated upon in the reverse order, starting from Prana
to Nama, with the addition of the three more principles that are:
1.
appearance and disappearance – Just as the dream world arises
from and disappears in one, the waking world also arises from and disappears in
him only when he wakes up to the super-waker status of a realised Jnani
2 & 3. Mantras and rites –The Vedas also have arisen
out of him.
Only ‘I’ now stands for Athma, the Brahman, while
before Jnanam ‘I’ represented the anathma of body-mind complex. Kaivalya Upanishad (Mantra 19) states as
follows giving Jnani’s changed vision:
mayyeva
sakalam jaatam mayi sarvam pratishtitham I
mayi
sarvam layam yaati tadbrahmaadvayamasmyaham II
In
me alone everything is born; in me alone does everything exist and in me is
everything dissolved. I am that non-dual
Brahman.
Mantra 7-26-2
tadesa sloko na pasyo mṛtyuṃ pasyati na rogam nota duhkhatam
sarvam ha pasyah pasyati sarvamapnoti sarvasa iti sa ekadha bhavati tridha
bhavati panchadha saptadha navadha chaiva punaschaikadasah smrtah satam cha
dasa chaikascha sahasraṇi cha vimsatiraharasuddhau sattvasuddhau dhruva smṛtih
smṛtilambhe sarvagranthinaṃ vipramokshastasmai mrditakashayaya tamasasparaṃ darsayati
bhagavansanatkumarastam skanda ityachakshate tam skanda ityachakshate || 7.26.2 || iti
shadvimsah khandah || iti saptamo'dhyayah ||
Here is a verse on the subject: ‘He who has realized the Self
does not see death. For him there is no disease or sorrow. Such a seer sees
everything (as it is) and also attains everything in whatever way (he wants).’
He is one (i.e., before creation; but after creation), he is in three forms,
five forms, seven forms, and nine forms. Then again, he is in eleven, a hundred
and ten, and even a thousand and twenty forms. If one eats pure food, one’s
mind becomes pure. If the mind is pure, one’s memory becomes strong and steady.
If the memory is good, one becomes free from all bondages. The revered Sanatkumara freed Narada from all his shortcomings and led him beyond
darkness (i.e., ignorance). The wise say that Sanatkumara is Skanda, yes they
call him Skanda. End of section twenty-six.
End of section seven.
A Rig Mantra is quoted in support of
the statement in earlier Mantra. When one looks at oneself as body he is not
all-pervading. But when one changes the identification to Chaitanyam, the pure
Consciousness i.e. Chit, he becomes all-pervading non-dual Jagat Karanam,
Brahman who multiplies into this Universe.
And the multiplication is given in the form of various numbers. In short, He multiplies in the form of
everything. To attain this knowledge, one essential step
is to have pure food among other things. The pure food keeps the body and mind
pure and enables one to maintain mind-control. Keeping mind in control, one can
concentrate on gaining Self-knowledge. Self-knowledge helps one to look upon
oneself not as the mortal body with limitations but as the immortal Chaitanyam
with a body as temporary upadhi.
Sanathkumara guided Narada across the ocean of ignorance through his
instructions and Narada following him with a pure mind freed himself from the
shackles of Self-ignorance and attained enlightenment. The wise teacher Sanathkumara is none other
than Skanda, the Lord Subramaya, son of Lord Siva. The section and chapter end
with this Mantra.
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